After years of being closed, El Cumal is opening under a slightly different name, El Cumal Elda’s. The addition of “Elda’s” is a nod to one of the owners, Elda Castellanos. The joint will be opening up at 3970 Vernor Highway, just down the road from the original location.
The project to get El Cumal Elda’s up and running has been a long journey for owners Castellanos and her grandson Emilio Feliciano. What Now Detroit spoke with Feliciano on Tuesday about Elda’s. Feliciano shared, “The building for the restaurant is a very small, old Detroit building. Getting the repairs done and getting to code is the goal right now. The kitchen is taking the most time.”
Castellanos owned the original El Cumal for over 30 years in Southwest Detroit, honing in on her craft and bringing Guatemalan, Columbian, Mexican, and El Salvadorian foods to the neighborhood. The new El Cumal Elda’s is set to have some classics, though Feliciano expressed a want to be more organic-focused on the food front.
The owners are looking to expand and create a more modern feel for Elda’s with plans for pop-ups and other food-centric events coming to the restaurant. The goal of the revamped El Cumal is to create a community space as said by Felciano.
The revival of El Cumal is a pre-COVID concept that Feliciano and Castellanos worked up while Feliciano was attempting to figure out what was next on his journey. He shared with What Now Detroit, “In 2018 I decided I wanted to start my own design business because the building has been in my family for so long, I decided what better place to start up. I grew up in Southwest Detroit and my grandmother has owned the building for decades. She wanted to get the restaurant running again after being out of business for years, so I decided it was time. COVID hit and halted everything and doubled costs for everything.”
The project is back up and running, though the exact opening date is up in the air according to Feliciano. The city is prepared to welcome El Cumal Elda’s with a red-ribbon opening with the mayor and community leaders.
The grandmother and grandson duo will split front and back of house duties. Castellanos will be in the kitchen taking care of the cooking and Feliciano will be working on the finances and integrating the business into the community.
Feliciano plans on opening his design business next door to El Cumal Elda’s. His goal is to have design education and work-life balance classes for the community. Feliciano is currently a UX designer for Chrysler.
