Barney and Evelyn Santos are visionaries. Everything they do is driven by their commitment to support, preserve, and enrich their community of Montebello, California.
Their ambition and dedication are displayed in BLVD MRKT, a community food hall incubating fledgling restaurants and serving as a small business accelerator, helping established brands expand. The husband-and-wife duo revitalized a vacant 100-year-old building, adding some repurposed shipping containers to create a beautiful, safe, inclusive space. The once-neglected lot is now a vibrant destination for visitors to enjoy food, beverages, and free events.
At the center of this development sits their small business—Alchemy Craft—a craft beer and wine bar focused on highlighting and celebrating independent BIPOC-owned breweries and winemakers. Alchemy Craft is where Barney and Evelyn flex their tastemaker skills, showcasing their ability to craft unique experiential spaces.
The Alchemy Craft team constantly iterates innovative ways to bring value to everyone in its ecosystem. This "let's win together" mantra led to the 2023 launch of Chelamania—a lucha libre-themed Mexican Lager competition between local breweries for the title of "Best Mexican Lager In L.A."
"We felt we could create a win-win situation by helping our vendors showcase their best Mexican Lager while also helping us stand out as a venue that highlights local independent breweries," says Barney Santos.
Chelamania sets itself apart by championing all brands involved. The impetus was to leverage the predominantly Latino Alchemy Craft community to create synergy around great beer and those who brew it.
For one month, customers and brewery fans participate weekly, hanging out with brewery staff and casting votes for their favorite Mexican Lager. This approach elevates Chelamania into a multilayered community tap takeover. Although one brewery is awarded the title, everyone is rooting for each other to win at Alchemy Craft.
Words,Ray Ricky Rivera