Logan Heights CDC
A Recipe for Resilience: Growing a Dream in Logan Heights
In 2011, Javier Rodriguez took a big gamble and opened the first Colombian restaurant in San Diego in the Logan Heights neighborhood. It was a modest start: He had just five tables and 1,000 square feet to turn his entrepreneurial dream into a reality.
For nearly a decade, Javier toiled away at Antojitos Colombianos, creating loyal customers one dish at a time. Just before the pandemic, Javier moved to a new location, expanding to 22 tables and doubling his operating space. But like so many other restaurants, the pandemic took its toll.
“Those were hard times, but we kept at it,” he says. “No one knew what Colombian food was when I opened. But they do now.”
Operating in Logan Heights, a historically underserved community made up primarily of Hispanic residents, has presented additional challenges. Many families in the neighborhood live below the poverty line, and it lacks the infrastructure and support that surrounding neighborhoods enjoy, including banks and financial literacy services.
Luckily, Javier was introduced to the Logan Heights Community Development Corporation (CDC), a nonprofit that has empowered families and fostered economic opportunity in the neighborhood for more than 30 years. The CDC provides a wide array of services, including small business development, community engagement, youth programs and a charter school designed to give children a strong start.
Owner Javier Rodriguez inside his restaurant, Antojitos Colombianos, in San Diego's Logan Heights neighborhood.
The connection to the CDC came at the perfect time for Javier. They started small by providing marketing and advertising support to bring attention to Javier and Colombian food in San Diego. Since then, the CDC has greatly expanded its services in support of his business, including financial guidance, lease negotiations and connecting him with resources like architects and engineers.
“Javier is a great person and he loves — and is very active in — this community, which makes it quite rewarding for us to support him as he grows,” says Monte Jones, Logan Heights CDC CEO. “He’s the perfect example of the kind of investment we need to help continue to lift up Logan Heights.”
The CDC’s support has been particularly helpful recently for Javier as he looks to expand his business once again, this time to nearly 6,000 square feet. Perhaps even more importantly, Javier will now own the building rather than lease it, which frees him up to do what he wants with his space, including creating enough room to host community events and meetings.
“The CDC is supporting me so much through this process,” Javier says. “They have helped with cash flow analysis, access to capital for loans, building my credit, and helping me maximize revenue and minimize expenses. All of this support has made it possible for me to take the next big leap with my business. I want to see this community grow and thrive.”
Support from Enterprise Bank & Trust has also helped expand the CDC’s impact. Enterprise provided a land loan to support construction of a new neighborhood preschool and participates in volunteer events and financial literacy workshops for youth ages 12-18.
“We see a lot of opportunity in our partnership with Enterprise,” Monte says. “Having access to their expertise and resources will enable us to continue providing important services to the Logan Heights community.”
Javier hopes to move into his new, expanded location late in 2026, a milestone he says will help him create a lasting legacy for his family.
“I am beyond grateful. My family has been on this adventure with me my whole life,” he says. “To be able to build something and leave it behind for my family is very important and very rewarding.”