Owner Adrian Ayala left his full-time job in the steel industry to go all in on his mobile food venture, Mama's Empandas.
Owner Adrian Ayala left his full-time job in the steel industry to go all in on his mobile food venture, Mama's Empandas.We're in the midst of our end-of-year fundraising campaign, and we have until December 31 to raise $30,000. Our work is funded by readers like you, who make voluntary gifts because they value our reporting and want to see it continue. Please make a contribution today and help us reach our goal.
After more than a decade of working demanding hours in various positions, Ayala started thinking about other possibilities."Schedules are crazy in the steel industry," he says."I understand that's just the industry, it demands a lot of hours, a lot of manpower. I moved out here for a management role, and I just decided, like, you know what, I want to do my own thing" — though he didn't know exactly what that would be.
Empanadas were an appealing option because they're easy to grab and go."I've had that experience where I order something like loaded French fries and then have to find a place to sit and kind of balance a plate on your lap. I thought, this is kind of a perfect thing — a handheld snack that you can eat as you walk. I just saw an opportunity," Ayala explains.Although he doesn't consider himself a chef, Ayala discovered a knack for crafting empanadas."I think I got lucky.
He and his wife, Kristen, officially launched Mama's Empanadas in June."It was supposed to be a side gig, but it started consuming all my time. I finally had to make a decision whether to keep my nine-to-five or go all in on my own business. I already invested so much money, and I thought, I've got to at least give it a shot," says Ayala.
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