Ivetter Serrano, who works at the Vallarta in Sylmar, said on Friday morning they received a big shipment and a lot of people were happy to find rice, toilet paper and water bottles at the store. There are limits on items and the number of people who can come into the store at the same time. The shelves have been replenished since the panic buying. Serrano is part of Vallarta's coronavirus taskforce, a necessity for Latino supermarket chains that remain on the frontlines of providing food during the pandemic.
While the carnicerias, liquor stores, tienditas, even gas station markets, have long been the heart of many neighborhoods in Los Angeles. These mom and pop shops have played a key role keeping their shelves stocked and neighborhoods fed.