We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Antonio Arocho. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Antonio below.

Alright, Antonio thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Any thoughts about whether to ask friends and family to support your business. What’s okay in your view?

I don’t feel as though you should ‘ask’ family and friends for support because support from only friends and family won’t grow your business. It would be hard to survive on that alone and it’s not a true reflection of the success of your business. I feel as though they come to your business because of YOU and not because of your product. It surrounds you with ‘yes men.’. I think that it is more rewarding to receive that support from those outside your family because that support is most likely to last. It is true support because they don’t know you but are still willing to follow you without any obligation. They choose to spend their hard owned money on your product and your dreams. At the end of the day, you are trying to build your brand and grow your business.

However, we are fortunate to have so much support from our friends and family. I feel as though it is only appropriate if they offer and it’s their choice. It would not be appropriate to expect support from them simply because of their relationship to you. Just because they are your friend or family it does not mean they need to go out of their way for you.

I draw the line after they offer to help or support and their actions don’t reflect that commitment. It’s hard to rely on family because they feel as though their help is just “help” and not a need for your business or something that might be more serious. It in turn ends up hurting you in the long run because that becomes the face of your business. Family and friends break promises easier and it can feel as though you aren’t taken seriously. Regardless, it’s your dream, not theirs, and they won’t care as much as you do or see how that could affect what your are trying to create.

I have a lot of experience with that but I will keep it short and simple. Before starting this business I was advised to keep family and friends separate. However, being new to this, I was also told how much help I was going need. I can’t speak for all businesses but mine took off very quickly and never stopped. We were booking job after job, catering after catering, and of course that’s stressful. Friends and family see that and naturally they’re offering to help and due to the need for my sanity…. I gave in. Because of this I’ve had to do more work on days that it should’ve been simpler and that’s if they even show up. It ends up creating more stress and work for you in the long run. Not only that – your relationship will never be the same.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Antonio Arocho and I am the chef and owner of Tostonio’s Puerto Rican Fusion. We are a catering and food service business with plans to become even more.

I’ve always been a hard worker and ready for the next challenge. I was raised to always give it my all and that if you’re going to do something then be the best at that thing. With that thought I started to become tired of giving 110% yet also treated as if I were expendable. As I started brainstorming what came to mind first was my grandma. Tostonios’s would not exist if it were not for her…. Literally. The original and core menu items are recipes straight from her table. She always dreamed of owning her own restaurant but growing up in poverty it wasn’t an option. We come from a small town in Puerto Rico where not many make it out of, so imagine trying to start a business. She worked hard to raise me and our family and I would not be the person I am today without her. With her as my inspiration and my experience in the food industry, I knew I could make her dream come true.

I feel what sets us apart from others is our quality and our service. The job is not over until customer is 100% satisfied. I feel as though if you are investing investing in me then you should receive that same in return.

I’m the most proud of the recognition we are receiving because it means that my grandma is getting the recognition she deserves. Not only that but that she is still around to see it happen and know that it is all for her.

My hope is that those that follow me and are invested in me receive the absolute best. The best quality. The best treatment. And of course the best Puerto Rican food. I want my customers to feel as if they can come to be for any concern and that their opinion respect.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I would say a lesson I had to unlearn was the idea that I had to work for someone else to be successful. I had to unlearn that norm. I was always taught you needed to be a hard worker, get a job, raise a family, boom, boom, boom, But I always felt that wasn’t for me. I found myself fighting that idea. I felt that in in the jobs that I was in I would move up quickly but that there was always a cap. Yet I knew I was always greater than that cap and that I was worth more. Because I am a hard worker and I strive constantly to give it my all, I had to make that decision to break that tradition.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

Well… you should really ask my fiancé if you want to know how that day felt. I’ll say before I continue that I am very lucky to have her by my side.

So my favorite sales day where it seems the hurdles keep coming was a day where we had three different cuisine menus at two different locations. We served over 800 people in one day. It was my favorite because that day I learned that you could really do anything if you put in the hard work. There’s always going to be hiccups but you must chose to take a moment to look back and reflect. You must make adjustments instead of excuses. Only then can you prevail.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: tostoniosfoodtruck
• Facebook: Tostonio’s
• Other: tostoniospr@gmail.com (832)382-8962