In a statement posted to social media today, the Estudillo family acknowledged the sale of the Logan Avenue property and sought to reassure the community that the business itself is not gone for good.
“While our current building has been sold, we want to reassure everyone that Las Cuatro Milpas remains proudly owned and operated by the Estudillo Family,” the statement reads. “Our roots, our recipes, and our commitment to our community remain unchanged.”
The family added that they are “working diligently behind the scenes to relocate and reopen our doors,” concluding with a promise that “we will be back very soon.”
The announcement arrives after one of the most turbulent years in the restaurant’s 92-year history, a year marked by early warnings, denials, regulatory closures, financial strain, a property sale, and ultimately, a quiet shutdown after Christmas Eve service.
The path to closure began more than a year ago. In October 2024, SanDiegoVille reported, based on direct conversations with an employee and family member, that Las Cuatro Milpas was planning to close in 2025 amid mounting financial pressure and a potential property sale. The report was swiftly and publicly denied, igniting backlash and accusations of false reporting.
Yet in the months that followed, the pieces fell into place. County tax records revealed growing liens tied to unpaid property taxes, state sales taxes, and federal obligations. In late December 2024, the restaurant was forced to close for nearly three weeks following a county health inspection that documented a severe cockroach infestation and other health code violations. Although Las Cuatro Milpas reopened in January 2025 after remediation, the closure marked a turning point.
The path to closure began more than a year ago. In October 2024, SanDiegoVille reported, based on direct conversations with an employee and family member, that Las Cuatro Milpas was planning to close in 2025 amid mounting financial pressure and a potential property sale. The report was swiftly and publicly denied, igniting backlash and accusations of false reporting.
Yet in the months that followed, the pieces fell into place. County tax records revealed growing liens tied to unpaid property taxes, state sales taxes, and federal obligations. In late December 2024, the restaurant was forced to close for nearly three weeks following a county health inspection that documented a severe cockroach infestation and other health code violations. Although Las Cuatro Milpas reopened in January 2025 after remediation, the closure marked a turning point.
The Union-Tribune stated that long before the restaurant was put up for sale, the business and the property had incurred significant tax debt. It was reported that family members never acknowledged the decision to list the property was driven by financial distress. As of July when the property was listed for sale, the U-T claimed that Las Cuatos Milpas owed $60,000 in county property taxes and $130,000 in other tax liens, including $103,000 in unpaid sales tax owed to the state of California for the past several years.
By fall, Las Cuatos Milpas entered escrow. In November, the parcels sold for approximately $2.275 million to Iglesia del Dios Vivo Columna, Inc., the corporate entity tied to the neighboring La Luz del Mundo church. Within weeks, employees confirmed that the restaurant would cease operations following Christmas Eve service. On December 24, 2025, Las Cuatro Milpas served customers for the last time at its Logan Avenue location.
The property’s sale added another layer of unease for many in Barrio Logan, as the buyer was confirmed to be Iglesia del Dios Vivo Columna y Apoyo de la Verdad, La Luz del Mundo, the international religious organization whose San Diego presence already borders the restaurant site. The church has been the subject of sustained controversy following the 2022 conviction of its global leader, Naasón Joaquín García, on multiple counts of sexual abuse involving minors, for which he is currently serving a 16-year sentence in California state prison.
In recent years, federal prosecutors have also brought additional racketeering and trafficking-related charges tied to church leadership and operations, alleging a pattern of coercion, exploitation, and financial misconduct. While the church continues to operate locally and denies institutional wrongdoing, its acquisition of the nearly century-old Las Cuatro Milpas property has sparked concern among residents who view the restaurant as a cultural landmark and fear its legacy could be permanently erased from the neighborhood.
Today, the building that once anchored daily lines stretching down the block sits empty. The windows are dark. The doors are locked. The exterior door, once deeply familiar, is now tagged with graffiti, a stark contrast to the reverence the restaurant commanded for generations.
Founded in 1933 by Petra and Natividad Estudillo, Las Cuatro Milpas became one of San Diego’s most culturally significant eateries, known for its handmade tortillas, chorizo con huevos, rice and beans, and rolled tacos - served without pretense, credit cards, or menu boards. It was a place that resisted modernization and, in doing so, became timeless.
For decades, the restaurant operated largely unchanged, surviving wars, recessions, redevelopment, and generational shifts. Its endurance made the speed and finality of the closure all the more jarring.
The family’s statement is the first definitive acknowledgment that Las Cuatro Milpas, as a business, intends to return. However, critical details remain unanswered. No timeline has been provided. No neighborhood has been identified. No confirmation has been given as to whether the next iteration will resemble the original in scale, service style, or price point. There has been no discussion of outstanding liens.
What is clear is that the reopening will not be tied to the Logan Avenue property, a site many in the community hoped might be preserved or landmarked. The Estudillo family emphasized continuity of ownership and recipes, but relocating a restaurant so deeply tied to place raises inevitable questions about whether Las Cuatro Milpas can exist independently of its historic home. For now, the family is asking for patience.
“We kindly ask for your patience during this transition,” the statement reads. “Your support means everything to us.”
The confirmation that Las Cuatro Milpas plans to return offers relief to longtime fans who feared the Christmas Eve closure marked the end of the line. But it also underscores the reality that one chapter has fully closed.
The original building, occupied for nearly a century, now stands as a hollow shell, its absence felt as sharply as its presence once was. Whether the next version of Las Cuatro Milpas can recapture that gravity remains to be seen.
What cannot be undone is the history: a family-run restaurant that fed generations, endured immense pressure, and exited quietly after everything it had been through. Whether the promised reopening restores a piece of that legacy, or transforms it entirely, will define the next chapter of one of San Diego’s most storied culinary institutions.
Today, the building that once anchored daily lines stretching down the block sits empty. The windows are dark. The doors are locked. The exterior door, once deeply familiar, is now tagged with graffiti, a stark contrast to the reverence the restaurant commanded for generations.
Founded in 1933 by Petra and Natividad Estudillo, Las Cuatro Milpas became one of San Diego’s most culturally significant eateries, known for its handmade tortillas, chorizo con huevos, rice and beans, and rolled tacos - served without pretense, credit cards, or menu boards. It was a place that resisted modernization and, in doing so, became timeless.
For decades, the restaurant operated largely unchanged, surviving wars, recessions, redevelopment, and generational shifts. Its endurance made the speed and finality of the closure all the more jarring.
The family’s statement is the first definitive acknowledgment that Las Cuatro Milpas, as a business, intends to return. However, critical details remain unanswered. No timeline has been provided. No neighborhood has been identified. No confirmation has been given as to whether the next iteration will resemble the original in scale, service style, or price point. There has been no discussion of outstanding liens.
What is clear is that the reopening will not be tied to the Logan Avenue property, a site many in the community hoped might be preserved or landmarked. The Estudillo family emphasized continuity of ownership and recipes, but relocating a restaurant so deeply tied to place raises inevitable questions about whether Las Cuatro Milpas can exist independently of its historic home. For now, the family is asking for patience.
“We kindly ask for your patience during this transition,” the statement reads. “Your support means everything to us.”
The confirmation that Las Cuatro Milpas plans to return offers relief to longtime fans who feared the Christmas Eve closure marked the end of the line. But it also underscores the reality that one chapter has fully closed.
The original building, occupied for nearly a century, now stands as a hollow shell, its absence felt as sharply as its presence once was. Whether the next version of Las Cuatro Milpas can recapture that gravity remains to be seen.
What cannot be undone is the history: a family-run restaurant that fed generations, endured immense pressure, and exited quietly after everything it had been through. Whether the promised reopening restores a piece of that legacy, or transforms it entirely, will define the next chapter of one of San Diego’s most storied culinary institutions.
For more information, follow @lascuatromilpas.sd on Instagram.
Originally published on January 22, 2026.
