For Lori Reich Rowe, owner and general manger of the Little Onion Mexican Restaurant, it was the music and laughter coming from behind the kitchen doors that drew her into the restaurant industry at a young age.
Rowe’s father, Lorin “Lorenzo” Reich opened Little Onion at 110 W. MacArthur Blvd. in Santa Ana in 1972. Rowe’s mother passed away when Rowe was just 9 years old, and instead of hiring a babysitter, Reich would bring her to the restaurant during summer vacations. When she grew bored of scribbling in her coloring books in the tiny restaurant office, she would sneak into the kitchen.
“I would listen to the music coming out of the kitchen, and I would start talking to the cooks,” said Rowe.
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But after more than 50 years of operation, Little Onion, which began to use the name La Cebollita after a 2022 remodel and is still widely known as Little Onion, announced via social media on Aug. 6 that it would permanently close this month.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of Little Onion / La Cebollita,” the open letter began. “We are immensely grateful for your loyalty, support and friendship. You have made Little Onion / La Cebollita more than just a place to dine; you have made it a home away from home. ‘Mi Casa es su Casa.’ From birthday celebrations to family gatherings, we have been honored to be part of your lives.”
Rowe said the energy of the kitchen staff as they get ready for a busy day at the restaurant is one of the things she will miss the most.
“I am going to miss the genres of music I grew up with like classic rancheras, bandas, mariachi, Tejano music in the morning to help me wake up,” said Rowe. “I will miss hearing the talking, singing and laughter from the amazing cooks.”
Growing up at the restaurant, Rowe was eventually allowed to take on small tasks like walking guests to their tables and refilling water glasses before becoming a hostess as a teenager. She eventually worked at other restaurants and enjoyed a successful corporate career in purchasing, inventory management and customer service. But Rowe couldn’t forget the magic of Little Onion.
In 2010, Rowe bought Little Onion from her father and became the restaurant’s new owner and manager, increasing annual revenue and opening a second location in Irvine in 2019.
Three tacos at Little Onion, Irvine. The location closed in 2020.
(File Photo)
“I opened Irvine as, I think, another compounded dream of showing my dad and proving to him that I could do it, and I did,” said Rowe. “But then COVID hit.”
Pandemic restrictions made it difficult for Little Onion, Irvine, to find its footing, and the location closed in November 2020.
Since then, Rowe has kept the Santa Ana location going but she admits it hasn’t been easy. Making the decision to close her family’s 52-year legacy restaurant was not one she came to lightly.
“It has been about two years of denial. It was an extremely painful decision. I am the exact same age as the restaurant so my whole life is emotionally connected here,” said Rowe. “It was my parents’ dream and so many special memories were created there and it provided for our family.”
Since the pandemic, Rowe said the industry has changed, especially for single-location small businesses in California.
“The plexiglass went up, the mandates went up, the government overreach went up and the economy and food prices went up,” said Rowe. “People can only take so much.”
Rowe said she has also noticed a change in dining habits that don’t seem to place as much value on hospitality as in the past.
“The industry is not the same anymore, there is no human connection anymore,” she said.
The original announcement of the closure gave Aug. 15 as the restaurant’s last day, but on Aug. 12, Little Onion announced it would remain open until Aug. 30.
Rowe noted that some of the staff have worked at Little Onion since she was a little girl, and she has been making calls to help them find other work. She hopes the extra days of service can give them more time to find new jobs.
“They believed in me,” said Rowe, “and I also believed in them.”
The extension is also appreciated by customers.
“Any extra day is a memory made,” one user on Instagram commented about the announcement.
On a recent Thursday afternoon, customers shuffled in for Happy Hour. A couple in a booth asked for spicy cucumber margaritas while a large group ordered a round of coco locos, made with coconut puree and tequila. A staff member greeted a guest at the host stand with a hug before leading him to a table.
On social media, guests have continued to share memories and messages of support.
“My family started enjoying the Little Onion back when I was only a few years old, and we have continued the tradition with our kids,” one Facebook user said.
“Thank you for 52 years of sharing your restaurant!” an Instagram user posted.
Rowe said she is still working through the five stages of grief, but one thing she wants customers who loved Little Onion to know is this: “My father, myself and everyone at Little Onion loved you too.”
