When Edgar Gonzalez stepped up to the microphone to accept the Business Journal’s Longevity Award at the Family Business Awards held at the Irvine Marriott on May 30, the audience laughed as he said he had been “voluntarily asked” to accept the honor on behalf of his family, the founders of Northgate Gonzalez Market.
He is the third generation of the Gonzalez family to start a Mexican grocery chain in Anaheim in 1980. His grandfather, Don Miguel Gonzalez Jimenez, and uncle Miguel Gonzalez Reynoso, who were born in Jalisco, Mexico, and later immigrated to California, provided the financing to buy a small liquor store in the city.
The rest of the family provided “sweat” capital to transform the store into the first Northgate Market. According to Gonzalez’s son, the store was already called “Northgate” and the family couldn’t afford to change the name at the time.
Currently operating 44 grocery stores across Southern California, Northgate Markets is one of the largest Hispanic grocers in the United States with annual sales of approximately $1 billion.
“Our story is not about one person. It’s about collaboration, working together in a cohesive way, and really being about ‘we’ and not ‘me,'” co-chief executive officer Oscar Gonzalez told the Business Journal.
“Family first, business second,” said co-CEO Miguel Gonzalez.
Multi-generational family
The Anaheim-based company now has a total employee base of 7,500, with 30 family members involved in the business. Edgar Gonzalez attended the Business Journal event with relatives Manuel Gonzalez, Teresa Anaya and Osvaldo Gonzalez, who were among about 300 attendees.
Many of the Gonzalez brothers initially quit their jobs to help out at the first market, to start a new business that was a family dream, according to Oscar Gonzalez, the youngest of the founder’s 13 children, all of whom are now co-owners of the company.
His older brother, Miguel, who helped his father acquire the first store, is the third oldest of the siblings.
“Our products were embraced by the immigrant community that had settled in Anaheim,” Oscar said. “It was seen as a safe haven.” [and] It matched what they left behind.”
The family has also used the company’s influence to donate to local schools and area sports teams, and recently Estela Gonzalez de Ortiz of the Gonzalez-Reynoso Family Foundation was named to the Business Journal’s OC50 Executive Roundup for her charitable funding of Northgate (see the May 27 print edition of the Business Journal).
Northgate has several programs, including “Viva La Salud,” which supports local health initiatives, and “¡Más Fresco!”, which provides incentives to encourage the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables. The company also supports local food banks and health clinics.
Oscar said he and his brothers have met for lunch almost weekly for more than 35 years to stay united as the multi-generational company continues to grow.
For him and his brother, the key to securing Northgate’s future status is credibility.
Gonzalez, the youngest, said the company has to be the best in the market for Mexican food, and Miguel noted that with Mexican food’s growing popularity, it’s important for Northgate to serve food that’s as local as possible.
“If we stick to authenticity, we can easily be in business for the next 50 years,” Miguel Gonzalez said.
Shout Out
The latest area that has garnered the Gonzalez family a lot of attention and seen business boom is the newly opened Mercado Gonzalez location in Costa Mesa.
The marketplace opened in November and takes over about 70,000 square feet of former Albertsons store space, making it the company’s largest store to date.
The sprawling marketplace and food hall is located on the northeast corner of Harbor Boulevard and Wilson Street. It features 20 vendors offering traditional groceries as well as Mexican dishes and specialties like menudo, tamales, and birria.
Miguel said he first came up with the idea for a mercado during the first few years of Northgate Market’s operation, recalling that Anaheim had plenty of space for a larger marketplace concept, a “food Disneyland.” Though the concept wasn’t viable at the time, Northgate now plans to use the marketplace concept to further expand its presence in California, and possibly other states.
Mercado is the result of constant innovation and making sure each store is an improvement over the last, Gonzalez added.
“If I were to open again, I would like to do something a little different,” he said. “I would like to bring something of Mexican culture to America.”
Orange County locals aren’t the only ones drawn to the city’s new shopping and dining destination: Many Orange County officials also seem to appreciate the new store concept.
Ron Salisbury, owner of El Chorro restaurant and keynote speaker at the Family Own Business Awards, spoke highly of Northgate, saying he has already visited the Mercado three times and plans to return soon.
During the event, fellow award winner Shaheen Sadeghi of LAB Holding LLC (see story on page 7) spoke about the other nominees while praising Northgate just before receiving her award.
“It’s a real honor because the Gonzalez family that we’ve gotten to know do a great job,” he said.
Store 1
Northgate’s original Anaheim location will continue to be a place of dreaming and innovation, as the space is currently being transformed into a culinary entrepreneurship and workforce training center called Store One.
It is being developed by the City of Anaheim as part of a model public-private partnership with the Anaheim Community Foundation.
The center is scheduled to open in late 2025.
Several members of the Gonzalez family volunteer on the Advisory Board and Strategic Task Force.
According to its website, StoreOne aims to “support emerging food businesses, develop the local food workforce, and provide a place for the community to gather and access related services.”
Oscar noted the project is still in the works, and that local business leaders, including the Samueli family, owners of the Anaheim Ducks, are involved.
Northgate Family Matters
Below are some comments from families who work at Northgate Gonzales.
“Tell me if you don’t believe in the American Dream. The American Dream is about success, homeownership, a college education for your children, and a stable job to help you achieve these and other goals.” —Co-CEO Don Miguel Gonzalez-Reynoso
“We are truly fortunate to have the blessing of working with a family united by a common purpose. The strength and support we find in each other drives us to achieve our goals and serve our communities with passion and dedication. This shared journey is not just about business; it’s about family, faith, and chasing dreams together.” — Joshua Gonzalez, General Manager of Mercado & Business Development
“Our people are family. Together, we can do anything. We are the Northgate family!” — Teresa Anaya, Director of Sales, Promotions and Customer Marketing
“Our strength lies in our Northgate family. We firmly believe that a family that prays together stays together. It is this unity and shared faith that gives us the strength to overcome obstacles, achieve our goals, and always forge ahead with love and dedication.”
—Karin Bolanos, CIMA Program Participant, Retail Operations
“44 years ago, I was fortunate to embark on an amazing journey working with a hardworking family. It was a rare and precious opportunity. They say the only thing harder than running a business is working in a business with your family, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” —Alicia Valadez, Real Estate Leasing Manager
“This award marks an important milestone in our journey and reflects our commitment to serving our community based on our values of faith, education and well-being. We are committed to being a 100-year family-owned company. Thank you for recognizing our efforts and supporting a family-owned business.” — Co-CEO Oscar Gonzalez
