Viva Zapata Lock & Key Service

Los Angeles, United States

4.8

20 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 213-747-7165
Address:
1809 S Hoover St, Los Angeles, CA, 90006
Pico-Union
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Description

Specialties

We sell commercial and residential hardware, high security door hardward (Medeco, Schlage Primus dealers), electronic security door hardware, as well as desk and file cabinet locks/​keys. We also specialize in rare and hard to find keys. We duplicate high security automotive transponder keys for General Motors vehicles (Chevy, GMC, Cadillac, etc…), Dodge, Chrysler, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, Honda, and some Lexus. We also offer dealer original automotive Keyless Entry remotes. If we don’t have what you need we’ll do our best to get it for you. Can’t come to us? We’ll come to you. We offer full mobile service.

History

Established in 1974.

Viva Zapata Lock & Key started out as a little whole in the wall lock shop. Over the course of four decades, with hard work and dedication, this family owned and operated business has become an engrained part of the Downtown LA community.

Meet the Business Owner

Guillermo Z.

Business Owner

Born and raised in Mexico, Guillermo Zapata came to this country with but a few pesos in his pockets and ambition in his heart. He became a citizen of the ‘ol US of A back in 1981. He’s had experience in the locksmithing business for more than 40 years. With every day, and every job he brings his passion for his work to provide the best service possible. Nothing brings him more joy that bringing a smile to his costumers faces wether it be with a witty joke or a jovial song. Yes, folks. If you give him a few minutes he will charm you with a tune. Since 1974 he’s maintained his family business with his wife and children at his side.

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«If you want great tasting food that will sucker punch your taste buds with awesomeness, then this is the only place to go.»

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20 reviews of Viva Zapata Lock & Key Service

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Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Best Key and Lock shop i have ever seen.
Which is saying alot.
Great people with alot of history. Speaking of history check out their western and zapata items on the wall. I need to come back just to check out the rest of the western items.
They have been around since 1974. A mom and pop place. On the day i visited the son was working the shop. Very nice man.
I asked around randomly to a few friends who live around the city. «hey where can i get a pair of keys made. whats the best key lock place in LA». Both said ZAPATA
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
This is a family run business and they are the best. Super helpful, super friendly and smart! Will come here for all my locksmith and key needs in the future!
Place rating: 5
Huntington Park, CA
Came in to make copies of my keys and the owner of the store was cool. The owner was playing Jose Alfredo and Vicente Fernandez music in the background, a true «paisano» would listen to the music. Overall it was great I received my copies in less than 5 min.
Place rating: 5
East Lansing, MI
Fast and professional locksmith! They provide guarantee to their key copies. If the key doesn’t work out they will give you full refund.
Place rating: 5
Encinitas, CA
Great and speedy service! I called and told them I needed a lock rekeyed and they came out a few hours later. Guillermo was absolutely fantastic and so nice! Will definitely use Viva Zapata in the future.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
This hidden gem is a wealth of handy stuff. I got a key made there for like $ 1.40 quickly and promptly by a super nice and helpful employee. It looks like they have everything here though. I’d recommend it for sure. Hooray local business!
Place rating: 3
Los Angeles, CA
Great place love my new tinker bell key. I’m only giving three stars because my boyfriends key was cut wrong and didn’t work for our house.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Great fast and very inexpensive service enjoyed it very much probably one of the best locksmiths around. Also great collection all across the walls.
Place rating: 5
Irvine, CA
Absolutely top notch. Zapata is great in terms of service, knowledge, skill and efficiency. This is a well deserved 5 star business that I am actually (sort of) happy to need! Not like your money is going to wasteful middle men who don’t do jack.
Price very reasonable. They came out same day for a lock issue one front door, which has a 100 year old lock it seems. Repaired what could be repaired but didn’t want to damage the truthfully ancient lock I recommended a specialist. Zapata stayed for over an hour and a half to get the job done and I really appreciate that. I’ve also been in the store and it’s nice, friendly and clean. Again well run and professional. I had an old cabinet that needed a new lock. The took out old one that I didn’t have key for and replaced it with a new one. It was 20 dollars I recall.
Highly recommended and I would give 6 stars if I could.
Place rating: 2
Cupertino, CA
The younger guy working here has a problem with remembering things. What’s worse, if you tell him where he made a mistake, he won’t admit fault and he will proceed to tell you how you’re wrong. Well, I wasn’t wrong and it was clear by the end that he goofed. No apology at all. He really needs to work on this attitude. I appreciate the knowledge and expertise here, but this kind of customer service makes me want to take my key needs elsewhere.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
thank you Mo ! Just got my transponder key cut and after the second try (minor adjustment)…Success! I wasn’t expecting the key to work due to my part but for a fraction of Lexus dealer price I have a brand new key.
chalk up another win for a family run business!
Place rating: 5
Marina del Rey, CA
Bailed me out of a dilemma where I was installing an alarm push-​bar exit lock and in the middle of the job I discovered a missing part. I Googled locksmiths and they came up closest. Ran over and they had the part at a very good price. Saved me time and money. Doesn’t get better than that. They are my new go to lock shop mid town LA. Very knowledgeable.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
I LOVE this place!
1) Cute key designs (I got a vintage Mickey Mouse design)
2) SO cheap (I got two standard keys made today — $ 2.50 each!)
3) SO quick (It was seriously a minute or two between asking for key copies and having them in my hand)
4) Great service (The guy who works there is super friendly!)
Another great bonus:
I was signing the iPad receipt and had to ask where they got the stylus because it worked so wonderfully. He replied by saying that it’s actually one of their promotional items and GAVE ME ONE! I had my iPad in my car and tried it out right away… OMG I will be loyal to Viva Zapata FOREVER!!!
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
I googled the establishment regarding getting a chip key made for my 98 Buick Park Avenue it had been a pain so far anywhere else I spoke to a gentleman named Mo, very friendly, very professional, very knowledgeable. he quoted me a price over the phone I went to the establishment everything went smoothly and professionally I would recommend this place to anyone the place itself is an ode to Zapata and has a very interesting mexican/​southwestern motif it is family owned and everyone there is great. VIVA ZAPATA.
Place rating: 5
Marina del Rey, CA
Family run business with a wide selection, fair prices and ability to cut and program automotive keys at a discount to the dealers.
Very happy with the service.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Great Service and honest rates.
If you like great stories let Mr Zapata tell you a bit about where he’s from and who he’s related to.
Place rating: 5
Alhambra, CA
My boss lost his key for this personal file cabinet so I began my search for a locksmith in our area. I found Viva Zapata on here and decided to ring them up. They arrived promptly and on time. The locksmith was very polite and very knowledgable and might I add he had an awesome belt buckle!
We will be using this company again if ever the need presents itself. I highly recommend them!
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
This place is GREAT.
Last year my mother bought me a 2011 Kia Forte EX and Glendale Kia only gave us one key which we were really surprised about.
Now a year later, we decided that a second key is best whenever I’m not home to drive my car incase my parents need to move it or something while I’m out.
My mom and I were looking to pay around $ 100+ for a key until I decided to call Viva Zapata. He quoted me $ 5. UNBELIEVABLY FANTASTIC.
Thank goodness my key did not have this chip that most keys have which meant that we would have paid about $ 80 more.
These guys that work there are very outgoing, professional and so funny! They are AWESOME. I really recommend this place if you need duplicate keys or if you simply want to decorate your keys. I got a Mickey Mouse designed key for my house!
EXTREMELY fair priced and everything works.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Two weeks ago, I misplaced my set of car keys (I’ll save you the long story and simply explain I have one key for the engine, and a separate key for the doors). Luckily, my husband dug out of spare key for the engine and we were able to drive my father to the airport that same evening. A couple days later, I found my missing keys and needless it to say, it was time to get duplicates.
We called AAA and were referred to a local automotive locksmith who offered a quote of over $ 120 — FOR ONE KEY. I then called another locksmith who was going to charge me even more just because he had to call in an auto key expert. That just sounded ridiculous.
We tried Home Depot and then Osh, but neither duplicated car keys. I refused to believe that there wasn’t one soul out there that could dupe keys at a fair and reasonable price. I called a couple more shops until I found Viva Zapata on Unilocal.Like the heroic revolutionary himself, Viva Zapata Lock & Key liberated me, and my car, from the tyranny of over-​priced automative key duplication.
The man I spoke to over the phone asked me for the make and model of my vehicle, confirmed he could duplicate my key and gave me an extremely reasonable price of $ 5 per key. I sped over and in 15 minutes, had two sets made and when one of the keys felt a little wonky, he immediately redid the key. I walked out with two sets of keys that were a fraction of the cost one one key at any other dupe service. The service was quick and easy and far straighter to the point than my wound-​about story. At the end day, I give this place a solid two thumbs up.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Wow. What excellent customer service! I needed to have my car key duplicated and it required specialized software for programming and cutting equipment. This shop was one of a few in the region that offered this service at a much more attractive price than a dealership. But the duplication was not straightforward and took two separate visits to get right.
The first time was where I took a chance with a used key in the hopes of getting it re-​programmed. Mo, the technician that helped me, knew he was taking a chance and went through with the process anyway. He spent time troubleshooting and confirming his findings before declaring it a fail. He was professional and courteous throughout the entire process, and invited me to come back with another key. I bought a new unprogrammed key and brought it back to Mo a few days later. He programmed it in minutes — success!
In both visits he double-​checked his work and also made sure my original key was not affected and that the car worked fine. The price quoted was the price charged — no surprises.
Kudos to Mo for his excellence in customer service. The shop is also filled with neat antiques paying homage to the Mexican revolutionary.