Inside the bustling Mercado González Northgate Market, business alum Joshua González greets employees in Spanish and stops to chat with shoppers, pushing carts filled with freshly made Sonora-style tortillas, salsa and Mexican staples.

The sprawling 70,000-square-foot mercado in Costa Mesa has colorful murals on the walls, imported products from Mexico, a carnicería packed with fresh meats, a tortillería, a bakery and puestos, or food stands, with authentic made-to-order Mexican dishes and desserts.

“Mercado González is like walking through a vibrant marketplace in Mexico,” says González, general manager of Mercado González and business development. “We bring Mexican experiences to everyone. We wanted a market where people of all walks of life and cultures can interact in one place.”

Cal State Fullerton gave me so much support with its dedication to educating first-generation students.”

Joshua González ’18 (B.A. business administration)

As a third-generation family member, González grew up in the family-owned Northgate Market business, founded 44 years ago by his late grandfather Don Miguel González Jiménez, who opened his first market near downtown Anaheim.

An immigrant from Jalostotitlán, Jalisco, a small town in central Mexico, the family patriarch left his homeland in pursuit of his dream to build a better life for his wife, Doña Teresa Reynoso, and their 13 children.

The 2018 Cal State Fullerton business administration graduate, along with his family and team, spearheaded the development of the flagship store to reimagine the traditional Mexican grocery store industry.

Mercado González employs 600 employees and 21 puestos sell aguas frescas, churros, tamales, street tacos and more. The innovative grocery store concept opened last fall and attracts locals and multicultural customers from around the world.

A Role Model for ‘What Is Possible’

González, a first-generation university graduate, chose Cal State Fullerton because of the College of Business and Economics’ top-tier reputation and to hone his skill set to contribute to the family business. He often enrolled in evening classes to work during the day at Northgate Market.

“Cal State Fullerton gave me so much support with its dedication to educating first-generation students and uplifting communities,” says González, adding that nine other family members also have earned CSUF business degrees.

Earlier this year, González was invited to join the college’s Dean’s Advisory Board to ensure all students receive the support they need to succeed academically and professionally in their business careers. He also is serving as co-chair of the college’s new Alumni Council.

“Joshua is a great role model for all our students in the college,” says Sridhar Sundaram, dean of the College of Business and Economics. “As a first-generation college graduate whose family migrated from Mexico with humble beginnings, his accomplishments are a great example of what is possible for our students.”

González, who studied finance, has turned to the college’s Center for Family Business for insights on family governance, risk management and new technology.

“Through my involvement with the center, I’ve had access to families who think the same about succession and multigenerational businesses,” he says. “Part of our aspiration as a family and a business is to be a 100-year evergreen company, meaning it regenerates over time to ensure that it is kept privately held in our family.”

Joshua’s accomplishments are a great example of what is possible for our students.”

Sridhar Sundaram, dean of the College of Business and Economics

In keeping with their grandparents’ legacy of giving back to the communities they serve, González and his family have financially supported university programs and activities. Their contributions have benefited the Center for Family Business, Giles-O’Malley Center for Leadership, Division of Student Affairs, and College of Engineering and Computer Science.

González has also helped to raise funds for Abrego Future Scholars, which provides underrepresented first-generation college students with academic and financial support. 

“My family believes in Cal State Fullerton’s mission to educate young people to change the trajectory of their lives and their families,” he says.

From Humble Beginnings

In González’s speech to Class of 2024 grads at the College of Business and Economics’ commencement ceremony, González shared his family’s history and recounted their pursuit of the American dream.

After a tragic fire burned Don Miguel’s La Elegancia shoe factory and store in Jalostotitlán, he traveled north in the mid-1960s to the United States.

González’s grandfather bought the Anaheim Northgate liquor store in 1980 and converted the 2,000-square-foot building into a neighborhood grocery store.

Today, the close-knit family, who get together for a weekly lunch to stay united, operates 43 markets across Southern California and has over 7,500 employees. Of the 53 grandchildren, 32 work in the family business, along with five great-grandchildren.

González works alongside his eight uncles, five aunts and scores of cousins, nephews and nieces to build the family’s Northgate Market brand and deliver quality Mexican food and products at a great value.

After graduating from CSUF, González went on to earn a master’s degree in real estate development from USC and is a leader in the company’s expansion. Multiple new Northgate Markets are under construction and the family plans to open more stores over the next decade, including a second Mercado González.

“We’re a faith-based family, and that’s always at the center of what we do. We believe this business is a gift,” González says. “Our family has a framework of gratitude and excitement for the future in what we can continue to create for the people and communities we serve.”