Today we’d like to introduce you to Marianna Sanchez Malave.
Hi Marianna, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Well… I remember as being a kid I loved to cook so bad, I was always thinking about cooking (even my imagination will take me to think I had my own tv program and I was cooking and teaching people to cook). Growing up was baking desserts and recreating recipes my way. In 2017 I come to the US and meet my now husband, that as a fortune loves to eat (lol) I remember he saying all the time “you should have your own food truck, we should sell food, you are very good at this and your food is delicious”. My thoughts? “Nah! I don’t cook that good”.
In 2020 we moved to a small city in Florida, Haines city, where is no Venezuelan food stores. It was very frustrating when we have to go to Orlando to get our cravings.
My husband keeps telling me “Why don’t you offer your food around here? You’ll be the first one” but I keep telling me “Nah!”
One day my sister-in-law called me and tells me that she wants some empanadas for her coworkers, that day I sold her 14 empanadas. She called me 2 hours later to tell me people loved my empanadas and that they wanted to order some more, I was like “what? Wow! That’s great, do a small list and I’ll get them ready for Sunday”
The next Sunday… 76 empanadas was the whole order; I was freaking out! I borrowed my mom’s fryer, and my husband helped me frying and taking care of our 2 daughters in the meantime.
I was very excited! And I was finally making money of something that I love doing!
3 weeks later we decided that we were gonna offer our empanadas in our county, and the rest is history. I thought people were not gonna like them because that’s Venezuelan, Americans are very patriotic and you know… why would they even try my food? But let me tell you… most of my clients are Puerto Ricans & Americans.
Now my heart is full!!! Me and my husband are very excited for the success we have in our way, that’s how “GORDITO’S Food” was born
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Wow! Not smooth at all, lots of time we wanted to quit! We used to work our full-time job and our only day off together as a family (Sunday) we woke up @4am to get everything ready. Sometimes the dough wasn’t “good” and while in the fryer they didn’t cook right or they used to open up, which was very very very frustrated. I was always overwhelmed prepping for our small business and also afraid to not pay enough attention to my family.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
This is funny! I’m originally from Venezuela, I was studying to be a lawyer, I had 2 years to go to finally get my diploma, but unfortunately due to all the mess my country is going through I had to quit studying.
In 2017 I come to the US as a tourist for only “one month” I had never thought I wasn’t going to come back.
When I had my employment permit, I started working as a Sever (which I love) Also I would see and know how the kitchen works.
Now I’m still working as a Sever and working with my husband in our small business.
I’m very proud of what I have grown into! My thoughts are always “if I make at least one person happy that would be enough for me” and yes… I do think you can make people happy with food, who doesn’t like to eat something yummy and delicious? That would change your mood for the day.
I look forward to the success, to put people together while eating our empanadas, to gather with friends and family members while they’re like “hey let’s enjoy this Hispanic dish”
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Yes! Dream big and work harder, you can make anything you want happen if you work for it! See every “failure” as a different type of learning, if you have to repeat the process 20 times do it! Until you make sure it’s perfect, and that nobody can sell what only YOU with hard work just created
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @gorditosfood22
