Meet Mark and Reauna Lopez | Owners of Five Walnut Construction, Inc.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mark and Reauna Lopez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mark and Reauna, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
We believe the most important factor behind the success of Five Walnut Construction is our dedication to always doing the right thing. When you do the right thing time and time again, you attract the right clients, and the trust factor is there. Contractors have a bad reputation for being dishonest or unreliable, so when you’ve built a reputation of being trustworthy, that is gold, and highly desired.

What should our readers know about your business?
Five Walnut is a Long Beach based residential and commercial construction company valuing integrity, reliability, long-term relationships, and legit building and renovating. We’re known for staying on budget, and not going back to the client with unexpected up charges. We understand that our clients are making a huge investment with their renovation, and we don’t like to surprise them with additional costs in the middle of the construction process, which is why we do our due diligence on the front end and really take time with the estimates.

What sets us apart from others is our genuine care for our clients. We place our relationships at the forefront, and everything else falls into place. We take building very seriously, and we want every structure to be solid, well-built, strong, and simply beautiful. We think it also helps that we’re a husband and wife team…we balance each other out, and we are both equally invested in Five Walnut…so there is a lot of care and attention given.

Were there challenges with starting Five Walnut? Absolutely! We definitely hit some bumps along the way as this was our first time as business owners. There was a sharp learning curve as far as getting started…what kind of insurance do we need, how do we get a corporation started, how do we handle accounting, how do we put the proper systems and processes in place? These are just a few of the many items we had to figure out, and we leaned on other business owners for advice, and learned the value of mentorship. Do not be afraid to ask for advice from those who have been in your industry for longer than you have.

If your Shout Out LA readers take one thing from this article about who we are, we want them to know that behind Five Walnut is a team who truly cares. We care about the standard of work, we care about our clients and their investment, and we care about serving our clients and delivering what they want and deserve out of their renovation.

And we believe that anyone can start a business that they are truly passionate about — you don’t need to have all the answers to get started,… just go watch Hamilton, and jump.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I (Mark) had a friend from out of town visiting, I would love to take them to some of the popular spots and some local spots. For pop spots, what’s an LA visit without the Santa Monica Pier and a stroll through Venice Beach.

I love a good trip to the original Tommy’s on the corner of Beverly and Rampart. There is something kind of raw and cool about standing while you are eating a piece of Los Angeles burger history.

Street tacos everywhere in LA are an absolute must! From Long Beach to Carson to Santa Monica to Pico Rivera to Compton…LA street tacos are mind-blowingly good.

Catch LA on Melrose in West Hollywood is awesome. The food is fresh and fully a vibe for a sit down dinner and straight out of a dream.

For a bit of beauty and relaxation, everything at Terranea in Palos Verde is always a win. Sometimes Reauna and I will do a staycation or even drive to Terranea to have lunch at Nelsons down at the patio overlooking 180 degrees of water. Try the Nelson burger!!! (thank me later).

Reauna would also like to add Hojas (Long Beach) for bomb teas and avocado toast, and 2nd street for some of the best restaurants like Sushi on Fire and Open Sesame.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Mark: Hamilton! Hamilton, the broadway show, really inspired me to leave my corporate sales job, which I had been dreaming about doing for years, but was just too scared. I felt so grateful for what we had, but there was this constant inner voice calling me to do more, to be challenged, and to take a chance. Shout out to my brother in law, Chris, who had an extra ticket and let me tag along to the Pantages Theater to see the show.

When I heard the song “My Shot,” I could barely stay in my seat. Those lyrics,
“I am not throwing away MY SHOT!!”
“I am not throwing away MY SHOT!!”

The message in the song hit a button for me, and I decided, on that night, that I was going to leave my corporate job and do something independent.

I come from generations of builders. My dad was a builder and his dad was a builder and I’m sure his dad was a builder too. It just seemed fitting to find a home in construction.

There are also countless family members and friends that have encouraged us along the way so it’s tough to articulate how grateful I am that they have helped get us to where we are today.

Reauna: I dedicate this shout out to my parents, Roger and Darvina, and my husband, Mark. When you have people around you that truly believe in you, and who are vocal about it and tell you consistently, you start to believe it yourself…and it gives you that confidence to go out and do the all the things. And of course, knowing you have your people to pick you up and dust you off in the event that you fail, gives you that extra level of comfort to get out there and follow your dreams…even if you fail one, two, or even three times…you have the encouragement to keep getting back out there. That’s truly a special gift to have from your loved ones. I would also like to shout out our three kids…most of what Mark and I do professionally is also in effort to set a positive standard for them.

Website: www.fivewalnut.com

Instagram: @fivewalnutconstruction

Image Credits
Randi Roberts Photography Charlotte Lea Photography Weller Photography