Stuntman’s gimmick hopes to save his favorite diner

IMMERSION Hunter Ray Barker gets a logo of Los Toros Mexican Restaurant tattooed on his arm as part of his promotional stunt in Chatsworth, California. —REUTERS

When your favorite Mexican restaurant is struggling to stay alive, what else would you do but sit in a pool of bean dip outside for 24 hours to attract diners?

To drive the point home, stuntman Hunter Ray Barker is wearing a T-shirt and mask with the Los Toros restaurant logo which features three bulls, and getting his arm tattooed with the image during the marathon.

“We have a golden opportunity to grab the bull by the horns and support local businesses in a big explosive way and so why not?” said Barker, a Taurus, who visited the restaurant for family celebrations while growing up.

His idea stunned Nicolas Montano, the owner of Los Toros, which was founded in 1967 in the Chatsworth community in northwest Los Angeles.

“I was like ‘Are you sure? Are you sure you want to do this?’” Montano said. “And he goes, ‘Yeah, I think it would be fun and it’s something I want to help the business.’”

When nature calls

Barker’s devotion does not waver even when nature calls.

“The big thing that people asked was ‘What are you going to do when it comes to going to the restroom?’” he recalled while soaking in his original bean dip recipe.

“I do have a funnel that’s connected to me right now so any time I do have to go No. 1, that is connected to a bag that’s attached to my body. For No. 2, that is a different story. We will just have to wait and see.”

Barker’s support for small businesses hurting in the pandemic impressed Los Toros customers and passersby.

Said diner Rick Brantley: “He’s going to sit in that for 24 hours, it’s totally crazy. I wouldn’t do it but you know what? If it’s going to help Los Toros and the community, I’m all for it.”