S & J Gran Cafe Moving Next-Door, Owners Opening Taqueria in its Place

The owners of S & J Gran Cafe, Juan and Sylvia Reyes, are relocating their restaurant from Suite C-107 to Suite C-103 at the Diamond Hills Plaza Shopping Center in Diamond Bar by the end of February, then opening a second restaurant in its place.

“There’s another opportunity in the same plaza, for us to be more on the street—our current location is hidden inside the plaza sees less traffic,” Sylvia Reyes told What Now Los Angeles. “We want to be exposed. We want people to know where they’re at when they search for the location.

Reyes said that everything on the current S & J menu is breakfast-oriented. While their six-page menu, comprised of traditional Mexican dishes and American breakfast staples like omelets, will remain unchanged despite the move, the restaurant slated for their old space will focus on dinner and carry a new menu of items.

“There is nothing on our current menu that offers dinner — everything is egg,” said Reyes. “After 3 pm we close up and there isn’t much to do.  That’s why we want to open our second location, we have some free time.”

Sylvia and Juan met when the two worked together in a restaurant, as a cashier and cook respectively, and eventually wanted to open an eatery of their own. First, they opened their Garden Grove location, at 12835 Harbor Blvd, which has been in operation since 2012. 

“It wasn’t that easy,” said Reyes. “We realized that we jumped into something that is scary. People don’t know who you are, it’s not a Mcdonalds or a Starbucks.”

Gradually, the restaurant gained local acclaim and regular customers. When an opportunity to occupy a space at the Diamond Hills Plaza presented itself six years later and, with no competing Mexican food in the vicinity, the couple jumped at the opportunity for a second restaurant with an easier transition. The new restaurant planned for their previous space in the plaza, however, will have a name, menu and vibe of its own and further increase the presence of Mexican cuisine in Diamond Bar.

Reyes is confident that, with experience under their belt, their upcoming taqueria will be a success: “my sister owns a taqueria, I’m pretty familiar with what’s involved.”