Sacramento, CA – Assemblyman Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) today honored Robert Earl’s BBQ, represented by owners Robert Earl and LaTonya Cox, as the 2015 Small Business of the Year for the 63rd Assembly District.
Sacramento, CA – Assemblyman Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) today honored Robert Earl’s BBQ, represented by owners Robert Earl and LaTonya Cox, as the 2015 Small Business of the Year for the 63rd Assembly District.
“In just a short time in business, Robert Earl’s BBQ has become a mainstay of our community and an anchor of the restaurant revolution in North Long Beach,” Rendon said. “The devotion Robert and LaTonya put into their work epitomizes the many contributions small business owners make in our everyday lives.”
Earl and Cox opened Robert Earl’s BBQ in North Long Beach in late 2013. The restaurant has quickly earned high praise throughout Southern California, drawing comparisons to other Los Angeles-area barbecue heavyweights.
Prior to opening the restaurant, Earl worked for 19 years as a lineman for Time Warner before an injury forced him to retire. After his injury, Earl ran into complications with his insurance policy and his wife was laid off from her job as a Long Beach truancy officer leaving the family without a steady income. Seeking a new avenue to provide for his family, he began hauling a home-built barbecue pit to the Greener Goods farmers market in 2012.
Within a year, Earl had developed a following of loyal customers and began looking for a brick-and-mortar location to house his BBQ dream. As long-time residents of North Long Beach, the Earl family chose the area for their restaurant location to give back to the community that has given them so much. Robert Earl’s BBQ has been a major contributor to the revitalization of North Long Beach known colloquially as the “Uptown Renaissance.”
Assemblyman Anthony Rendon is serving in his second term representing the 63rd Assembly District, which includes the cities and communities of Bell, Cudahy, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, North Long Beach, Lynwood, Maywood, Paramount, and South Gate. Rendon is chair of the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce and serves on the following committees: Water, Parks and Wildlife; Natural Resources; Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security; and Appropriations.