Zero Fox, a restaurant, coffee shop and sports bar, opened at 4607 York Blvd. earlier this month. According to co-owner Roberto Herrera Jr., the project had been in the works for more than a decade. Herrera Jr. said he grew up blocks away from the space.
Herrera Jr. said the idea for Zero Fox originated with his father, Roberto Herrera Sr., who emigrated from Mexico and worked in restaurants before building a plumbing business, Robby’s Rooter, from the ground up.
“That love for the old restaurant and service staff stayed with him,” Herrera Jr. said.
Herrera Jr. said transitioning from managing a plumbing business to a restaurant has come with a steep learning curve.
“It’s completely different, dealing with people’s food and their environment,” Herrera Jr. said. “It’s been a lot of 16-hour days.”
Herrera Jr. said he runs the restaurant with the help of his sisters, Ingrid Herrera and Cindy Herrera, who handle much of the business’ back-end operations. According to Herrera Jr., his father remains closely involved in day-to-day decisions.
“It’s a family business,” Herrera Jr. said. “It’s not like one specific task for everyone. They all jump in and pitch in.”
According to Herrera Jr., the name Zero Fox was inspired by the original logo for Robby’s Rooter, which also features a fox, representing a dedication to swift service.
“[Robby’s Rooter] has been a huge part of our family and our upbringing, so carrying the fox into our venture felt like a fitting way to honor where we came from,” Herrera Jr. said via email.
Herrera Jr. said the construction process started before the COVID-19 pandemic and was delayed significantly by pandemic-era permitting delays and material price increases.
“The permitting process, the plan check process, was just horrible during that time,” Herrera Jr. said. “It’s been a challenge — the bureaucracy of the system — but we’re finally here.”
Herrera Jr. said there were location changes as a result of the delays.
“We had to adapt. But since we’re here and we know the area, we just made it work,” said Herrera Jr.
Leonel Ledezma, the general manager of Zero Fox, said the desired atmosphere is a casual, unpretentious neighborhood hangout.
“Bring your dog to the patio, bring your friends to hang out,” Ledezma said. “Whatever it is, you’re relaxing. We want people to feel safe and unjudged.”
Ledezma said the restaurant environment changes from a quiet workspace and a place to have a coffee in the morning, to a place for a mid-day snack and then into an evening sports bar. According to Ledezma, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Zero Fox runs what staff call the “Catch a Break” menu, a smaller selection of appetizers and drinks to keep the kitchen open during the prep transition.
Herrera Jr. said the restaurant has relied almost entirely on word-of-mouth and organic social media growth rather than paid promotion, and that hiring has stayed local too. According to Herrera Jr., Zero Fox’s mascot was designed by Sonny Boy Studios, a print shop also located on York Boulevard, and its promotional videos were shot by a videographer who lives just three blocks away from the restaurant.
“We’re just going to open the doors and have a cool space and chill,” Herrera Jr. said.
Ledezma said the most rewarding part of opening has been overhearing customers talk about the restaurant unprompted.
“They’re sharing pictures, tagging us on social media, telling their friends and family,” Ledezma said. “That’s been the biggest reaction for me. It’s real because they’re not telling you to your face.”
Ledezma said the goal was never to be the best restaurant or coffee shop — just a reliable, familiar spot for the neighborhood he grew up in.
Herrera Sr. said he was content with the outcome of the restaurant’s opening, and that he couldn’t be prouder of his family and their new business.
“I don’t think I would have been able to put this location anywhere else, because this is my neighborhood,” Herrera Jr. said. “It’s what I know. This is where I grew up.”
Contact Lillie Avery at averyl@oxy.edu
