Today we’d like to introduce you to David Garcia.
Hi David, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hi Lumpia, FL, was founded by Dawn and Hiro. Childhood dishes inspired the lumpia, the flavors we grew up with. It is through our culture and love.
Dawn’s Story:
I was born in Hawaii to multi-cultural parents. My mom is Japanese and Chinese, and my dad is Filipino. I grew up with three sisters on the island of O’ahu, known for its melting pot of cultures. We were all very close to our dad and his side of the family. We grew up eating wonderful Filipino dishes. My favorite food at our family get-togethers and parties was a Lumpia. All my relatives would sit around a table and wrap lumpia in preparation for a family gathering. When I turned eight, my father tragically passed away while at work. After my father’s death, our gatherings with his family continued. Through these gatherings, we shared love, memories, and delicious Filipino cuisine, which made us feel connected to our father. I continued making lumpia and other Filipino dishes for our family and friends throughout my years. I even started selling lumpia to raise money when my son played Pop Warner football as a kid. Many people would tell me to start a business because we would sell out every time. Fast forward 10 years, I decided to start this venture in honor of my father.
Hiro’s Story:
I always loved to eat, so my interest in making food started early. When I was 11 years old, I would help my mother on the weekends at her fast food restaurant at a tourist rest stop in Akita, Japan. I enjoyed seeing the joy people experienced when tasting great food. When someone was at the restaurant cooking, I would watch very closely so that I could try to recreate the recipes at home. Twenty-three years ago, I moved from Japan to Florida, and every time I make my native Japanese dishes, everyone loves them. We have included Japanese Lumpia (Harumaki) on the Hi Lumpia, FL menu. I wanted to introduce Americans to other popular Japanese street foods, not just Sushi or Tempura.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As “seasoned” women, our biggest challenge is the physical demand. Since we have yet to get a food truck, we have a lot of heavy lifting to do every time we set up our booth for any event. The other struggle we face is with time. We both work full-time jobs, and I (Dawn) am a single mother to a 7-year-old. Because of our time constraints we are very limited in the amount of events and markets we can attend. The hope is for us to succeed enough to support our business full-time.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We specialize in Fusion Lumpia, a Filipino spring/egg roll. However, we don’t just make traditional lumpia. Ours are filled with different fillings, some sweet and some savory. Our flavors are a fusion of our cultural backgrounds, which include the Hawaiian islands, Japan, Korea, and other parts of the world. We also offer unique lumpia enhancers (dipping sauces) as well as Asian beverages & snacks. We are proud of the uniqueness we’ve brought to the food industry. Our offerings set us apart in that we have yet to offer the type of variety in lumpia we have. We are incomparable to anyone in Orlando or surrounding areas.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
We love the people and the vibe. Orlando has a great population of foodies and is very receptive to our offer. We are not the biggest fans of driving because of the traffic.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hilumpiafl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088424288182
- Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/hi-lumpia-fl-davenport-2
