ESPAÑOL: Una versión de esta hitoria en español esta disponible aquí
Kitchen 66 with Mother Road Market is taking applications for their Lanzamiento Program to help provide needed resources to Hispanic and Latino entrepreneurs interested in starting their own food businesses.
The 13-week program works under the Lobeck-Taylor Family Foundation.
It aims to help entrepreneurs further their careers in the food business by providing information on marketing, food pricing, management, and business opening.
Programa de Lanzamiento specifically caters to the Hispanic and Latino community by providing classes in Spanish to eliminate a language barrier.
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION BEFORE JAN. 17
Jonathan Perez and Trinidad Romero both graduated from the program and now share a space for their restaurants that opened in 2023.
Jonathan is the owner of Inkanto Peruvian Cuisine.
“I’ve always loved to cook," he said. "It’s something I never get bored or tired of doing.”
After graduating from the program in 2021, Jonathan said he wanted to expand his brand.
He said the information he learned came in handy.
“We learned about everything, from opening a business, marketing, pricing products, food management," he said.
Trinidad Romero is a co-owner of Arepa Bar.
She graduated from the Lanzamiento Program in 2022 and opened Arepa Bar in 2023 with her sisters.
Along with a brick-and-mortar, the restaurant also does catering.
She said there is always room for growth.
“There have been good moments, bad moments," she said. "It just teaches us how to get better.”
Along with helpful information, Trinidad said the program helped increase the restaurant's exposure through things like social media and helping to get the community to rally around her work.
“It feels really good," she said. "It feels great when people try your food, and they like it.”
Abel Aguilar is one of the course directors.
He said the Lobeck-Taylor Family Foundation saw a need in the community and decided to help.
“They saw the growing trends in food businesses launching, and just as quickly as they would launch, they would fail," he said.
Being part of the Hispanic community, Abel says he knows how needed these resources are and why they are so crucial to helping future business owners.
“I feel very empowered seeing my peers, my colleagues, people who are of my demographic be successful in business," he said. "Specifically in food entrepreneurship.”
Working with Mother Road Market, Abel said the organization tries to spotlight local, small food businesses by giving them the opportunity to participate in "Takeover Cafés" at the market along with "Residency Cafés".
He said it gives food entrepreneurs a taste of what it's like to manage a restaurant in a smaller-scale setting while also advertising their business.
For more information on how to get involved, you can visit Kitchen 66's website here.
As for those who have gone through the Lanzamiento Program, they highly recommend taking part in it.
“If someone is made for this, I would say seize the opportunity and make the decision to take the course,” said Jonathan.
Applications will be open until Jan. 17 and classes begin on Feb. 3.
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