Super Cocina Reinvents Parking Lot to Bring “Eyes on the Street”

Super Cocina was founded in 1989 in Barrio Logan by the Sanchez family. Super Cocina’s present-day City Heights location was established in 1998, primarily serving homemade Mexican dishes and catering mostly to working class Mexican immigrants, particularly those who came through the Bracero program. Currently, this location is run by Juan Pablo Sanchez, who took over the restaurant from his father

Throughout the years, Super Cocina saw a gradual transition from a pedestrian-heavy customer base to a more car-dependent base, especially after moving to the current City Heights location where there aren’t many restaurants in the same corridor. Currently, Super Cocina has two parking lots located in the front and rear of the restaurant. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Super Cocina has repurposed approximately 1/3rd of its parking lot space for outdoor dining. Despite past complaints about parking availability, Juan Pablo mentions that customers have yet to take issue or bring up concerns with the decrease in parking spaces.

Juan Pablo thinks that current attitudes around parking are changing among both customers and businesses owners who are now enjoying the benefits brought by additional outdoor seating: eyes on the street, crime reduction, and a safer inviting space.

A Super Cocina employee prepares outdoor seating before the afternoon lunch rush.

Juan Pablo thinks that the current moment, given COVID-19 changes, is the best moment to implement reform. “Businesses are tired of constant regulation” he says, letting us know that its crucial to take advantage of the present moment where businesses and customers have already shifted their relationship to parking. Juan Pablo would like to keep Super Cocina’s outdoor seating well beyond the pandemic, and thinks the elimination of parking minimum requirements is a step in the right direction.