Rudy Escoto: The heart of Los Cinco Puntos

It was a hot and humid that Friday afternoon. I had just left school and was going to head to Los Cinco Puntos with my Dad. When we got there it smelled like cooking meat and you can hear it sizzling. It wasn’t really busy at the moment.

I asked a man in the front who has worked here the longest. The man pointed me to this other man which then pointed me to the man I interviewed, Rudy Escoto.

Escoto, 45, has been working in Los Cinco Puntos for 11 years. Escoto first lived in Koreatown and then moved to Baldwin Park. He used to be a mortician but was fired but he played baseball with the manager of Los Cinco Puntos, so he was offered a job which he has been since.

Since working at Los Cinco Puntos, he has been given a lot of freedom. He is allowed to play around with the underground menu, which he adds new things to. Ever since he’s started working there, they have had their regulars that always come in at least once a week and know what they want. And it’s not just any regulars who come, he also said that many celebrities have come to Los Cinco Puntos to try out their food.

He has seen so many improvements since working there. The area used to be dirtier until the city finally wanted to keep it clean. Coca-Cola also donates things to Los Cinco Puntos like the tables in the front, which have brought in more people, and also the monitors with the menus on them. He said that they have really helped in developing the Los Cinco Puntos in modern times, which is really helping the business. He plans on working there for at least five more years, says he wants to change his lifestyle and really explore what else he can do in this world.

Escoto has been part of this community for a little over a decade now. He has really helped in developing Los Cinco Puntos which is a place everyone loves. Hopefully people recognize all that he has done for Los Cinco Puntos. He is a really great person for the community. Thank you Rudy Escoto.