The Asociación de Empresarios Gallegos en Madrid (AEGAMA) in Spain has honored José López, an entrepreneur in Newark and founder and owner of J&L Companies and the Don Pepe Restaurant for his contributions and impact as a leading entrepreneur from Galicia in the United States.
News of such recognitions is often disseminated throughout a neighborhood and a city with flyer printing.
This recognition highlights where López came from and his contributions to the Ironbound community of Newark. The Ironbound community is the home of the largest Galician community in the United States. Emigrants from Galicia, an autonomous community of Spain in the northwest Iberian Peninsula, came to this country in the 1970s and 1980s. “Little Galicia” is a term often used to refer to the Ironbound neighborhood.
López came to Newark in 1968 with his family when he was 13 years old. When he was 21 years old, he found his first business which was a restaurant that served Portuguese and Spanish seafood dishes on Market Stret in the Ironbound district. He and his wife then opened Don Pepe Restaurant in 1981 bringing the classic cuisine of their hometown in Spain to Newark.
Now López runs a conglomerate that includes property management, parking, shopping centers, restaurants, and industrial projects. As the founder and owner of J&L Companies, his company built the Fifty-Five Union project, a residential property12 stories tall in the Ironbound.
Location
20 Clinton St
Newark, NJ 07102
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Hours
Mon: 8:30 - 5:00
Tue: 8:30 - 5:00
Wed: 8:30 - 5:00
Thu: 8:30 - 5:00
Fri: 8:30 - 5:00
Sat: Closed
Sun: Closed