As the grandson of the late Miguel González Jiménez, founder of the Northgate Market, Joshua Gonzalez was born into a family that owns one of the largest Hispanic supermarket chains in the nation.

But being born into the family didn’t automatically entitle Gonzalez to step right into a management position in a family business that currently operates 43 markets across Southern California, with more than 7,500 employees.

At 16, Gonzalez started by bagging groceries, cleaning, cashiering and performing other ground-floor duties.

“I was just learning the business, learning how to treat customers, which is really the most important thing; how to engage with the people,” he said.

Gonzalez then chose to attend the College of Business and Economics at Cal State Fullerton.

Gonzalez graduated from CSUF with a finance degree in 2018 and said he was inspired by his uncle, who was co-president of the Northgate chain when he decided to attend Pepperdine and earn an MBA later in life.

“And I think that really changed the trajectory of our family and how we thought about education, both in our family and in our business, for our people and our communities,” Gonzalez said. “And just the encouragement to go to school, to be prepared, to add value to the organization and become better. I think that definitely shines through, and that was kind of my inspiration for going to school.”

CSUF administration prides itself on its designation as a Hispanic-serving institution, offering a variety of resources to first-generation college students.

Two respected magazines covering higher education from a Hispanic perspective ranked CSUF No. 4 in the nation among four-year schools for the total number of bachelor degrees awarded to Latinx students.

“I felt the support, especially from the professors,” Gonzalez said. “I think their effort to go above and spend the time (with Latinx students) knowing that the learning curve is so much higher if you don’t have your parents or relatives that have been to college before.”

Mercado Gonzalez on Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa is the latest Northgate Market to open in Southern California. (Photo courtesy of CSUF News Media Services)

Studying finance at CSUF, Gonzalez took advantage of the business school’s Center for Family Business, which was launched in 1995 to help family businesses recognize common problems and assist in finding solutions to those issues.

After earning his degree from CSUF, Gonzalez went on to earn a master’s degree in real estate development from University of Southern California.

Gonzalez was then well-prepared to collaborate with the Northgate Market team to develop Mercado Gonzalez, a 7,000-square-foot mercado in Costa Mesa.

Opened in 2023, the company’s flagship mercado is both a sprawling market and food court, offering churros, tamales, agua frescas, street tacos and more.

In delivering the commencement address to CSUF business school graduates in 2024, Gonzalez recounted his family’s pursuit of the American dream.

After a devastating fire destroyed Miguel Gonzalez’s La Elegancia shoe factory and store in Jalostotitlán, Mexico, in the mid-1960s, he emigrated to the U.S.

In 1980, the elder Gonzalez purchased a liquor store in Anaheim and transformed the 2,000-square-foot space into a neighborhood market.

Of Miguel Gonzalez’s 53 grandchildren, 32 work in the family business.

Joshua Gonzalez continues to support CSUF students and the greater community.

He is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Business and Economics and is involved with the Alumni Association.

Northgate’s Gonzalez-Reynoso Foundation supports associates and communities to pursue education through annual scholarships.

In 2024, the foundation granted more than $250,000 in scholarships.

Through its umbrella program, Viva la Salud, Northgate Market addresses food insecurities and health and wellness challenges across Southern California.

Through donations and sponsorships, Viva la Salud has given more than $1 million to schools, churches, nonprofits and other programs and provided about $450,000 in food distributions, holiday food vouchers and other initiatives during the holiday season.

At Northgate Market’s 2024 Years of Service Anniversary Celebration held recently, some of the company’s long-time employees said that the family-owned chain makes them feel like part of the family.

“All of us here are a clear example that we are happy and comfortable,” said Cesar Perez, a 25-year employee. “It is really thanks to them because they see us as family.”

Jose Roman Salgado, a 35-year employee, said the owners are “very kind and thoughtful with us.”

“That is what has kept me here,” Salgado said. “We as employees are more motivated to work, and we take care of each other.”

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