El Coyote Cafe is a Mexican restaurant

Mexican cuisine

Mexican cuisine, a style of food that originates in Mexico, is known for its varied flavors, colourful decoration and variety of spices and ingredients, most of which are native to the country. The cuisine of Mexico has evolved through thousands of years of blending indigenous cultures, with later...

 in Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 that celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2006. The event was officially celebrated on March 13 with 75¢ dinner specials, although the restaurant actually opened on March 5 in 1931.

History

Opened in 1931 by Blanche and George March, the tiny cafe was originally located at First and La Brea. In 1951 El Coyote moved to its present location on Beverly Blvd. Today there are eight rooms and a patio where an average of 1,000 meals are served daily. Their margaritas have been voted the city’s “best” by Los Angeles magazine and the Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....

. They have also grown to 95 staff members. They have a seating capacity of 375.

Controversy

El Coyote Cafe became involved in a boycott by the gay

Gay

Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....

 and lesbian

Lesbian

Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...

 community after it became known that Marjorie "Margie" Christoffersen, the restaurant manager (and daughter of the owner) had financially supported Proposition 8

California Proposition 8 (2008)

Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...

, the ballot initiative to eliminate marriage rights from the gay and lesbian community. The restaurant held a press conference attended by local news outlets requesting a lift on the ban and to allow Ms. Christoffersen to explain her position. Ms. Christoffersen reiterated her support of Prop. 8 before being escorted out the rear exit.

Murders

Sharon Tate

Sharon Tate

Sharon Marie Tate was an American actress. During the 1960s she played small television roles before appearing in several films. After receiving positive reviews for her comedic performances, she was hailed as one of Hollywood's promising newcomers and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for...

, Jay Sebring

Jay Sebring

Jay Sebring was an American hair stylist for celebrities, and the founder of the hairstyling corporation Sebring International. He is also known as one of the murder victims of the Manson Family.-Early life:...

, Abigail Folger

Abigail Folger

Abigail Anne "Gibbie" Folger was an American coffee heiress, debutante, socialite, volunteer social worker, civil rights devotee and member of the prominent United States Folger family. She was the great-granddaughter of J. A. Folger, the founder of Folgers Coffee...

 and Wojciech Frykowski

Wojciech Frykowski

Wojciech Frykowski was a Polish actor and writer who was murdered in the home of Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski by members of Charles Manson's "Family".-Early life:...

 ate their last meal at the El Coyote, the night they were later murdered by the Manson Family.