Defying the odds: New taco spot opens in DTLA amid virus era

The owners of a new restaurant in downtown Los Angeles have decided to take a chance and open despite the odds during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Since the coronavirus pandemic hit Southern California, numerous small businesses have closed permanently within the last nine months. 

Little Llama Peruvian Tacos is the brainchild and passion project from Chef Jean Valcarcel and Angela Wagner, who met while working together at Ricardo Zarate's late, great temple to Peruvian cuisine Mo Chica.

In November 2016, they scored a coveted slot at the West Coast Smorgasburg Sunday Food Festival and have been one of its most popular vendors, right up until this past March when it was all shut down due to coronavirus guidelines after California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide stay-at-home order.

Luckily, the two were already neck-deep in planning and construction on their very first brick-and-mortar location at 222 S. Main Street.

Now, many months and countless bureaucratic contortions later, they're open for business, complete with two outdoor seating patios, to-go and delivery options, as well as a wide range of beer and wine libations.

For more, you can find them on Instagram.

Get your top stories delivered daily! Sign up for FOX 11’s Fast 5 newsletter. And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.