News Brief
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - After a closure that had many fearing the soaring tunes of the mariachi would be silenced forever, the nation’s first restaurant to feature live mariachi music has a second life. On Wednesday, Oct. 1, La Fonda on Wilshire re-opened in its original location at 2501 Wilshire Blvd. with a red carpet event and a crowd that included Cheech Marin and First District Councilman Ed Reyes. Originally opened in 1969 as the home base for the mariachi group Los Camperos, the restaurant closed in October 2007 due to financial reasons. It will now once again operate seven days a week, said Karla Lara, the restaurant manager. La Fonda will feature the group Mariachi Monumental de America de Juan Jose Almaguer as the house band.