Cultural Identity and Business: Los Gordos from Tepatitlán

Abstract

In this text it is presented the analysis of the history of Los Gordos, a Mexican food restaurant whose main dish is fried pork made in a cazo (a huge copper pot used for this dish). The history of the restaurant can be associated with that of the urbanization of the city of Tepatitlán, where this company is located. Cultural elements were also important in its success, as well as providing identity elements to the place. The restaurant was not the principal area of the company, but it was the one that made its owners famous in the region. In this work it is presented an analysis with three objectives: to demonstrate the relation between business and cultural identity; to link the evolution of a business with a small city urbanization process, and to define what are the consequences of going from a traditional business to a more urbanized one in a community that tries to resist the cultural changes. Based on in-depth interviews made to the new owners, as well as with employees who have worked in the business since the 60’s, the results of this paper are presented. There is also an analysis of the importance of gastronomy as a cultural element of a territory. And the explanation of the cultural identity that evolves has its own characteristics. Religion, rurality and economy are other elements presented in this paper, as influences in the success and development of both the restaurant that was studied, and the city in which it is located.