Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Julio Paredes. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Julio thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love for you to start by sharing your thoughts about the pros and cons of family businesses.

For the majority of immigrants who come to the United States looking for better opportunities, especially for those of us who have our roots in the Latin culture, success and prosperity are always accompanied by family unity.

letiarepa from its name represents what we Venezuelans are, our typical food is the arepa and the name of my little daughter is leticia, so we seek to start a project that would make us reborn as thousands of Hispanics have done in this country, start from scratch, with the dream of bringing their children forward without ever forgetting their roots and the values that our parents taught us from home.

Thus, the gastronomy of our country keeps us connected with our roots.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Four years ago we came to the United States with the dream of giving our children the same opportunities that we once had in our country as children: education, security and freedom. We took the risk of investing in a business that would be our source of employment and family support, in an industry that we did not know, however, fear has never paralyzed us, on the contrary, it has led us to make difficult decisions, and even to discover talents that we did not know

We began to cook our typical dishes, pavilion arepas, shredded meat, black beans, empanadas, cakes, tequeños, patacones, cachapas, all products that we once ate in Venezuela during school time, at grandma’s house, in some family party, or when we enjoyed vacation. The recipes we use, all the recipes, including our sauces, come from several Venezuelan women who are very important to our family. The cakes, for example, are a recipe from my mother, Mrs. Aura Elena de Paredes, which my wife learned to make, and I feel very proud of that, because my mother died this year but her legacy is here with us.

The food industry requires a lot of effort, discipline and constant supervision. Maintaining quality standards is a priority at letiarepa, every day we monitor our performance, from the sales goal, the best-selling products, the comments of our customers, the preparation procedures, delivery times, staff requirements, costs and even weather conditions that may impact service. Our food truck is not a fast food restaurant, our dishes are prepared at the moment, the meats are fresh, we sell healthy, balanced and nutritious food, they are home recipes, that is what identifies us.

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

One of the most important lessons we have learned through letiarepa has been the value of loyalty, many times we have had difficulties, problems, setbacks and every day we face challenges in a very demanding and competitive industry, however we have met wonderful people and We have managed to form a great family, our friends, clients and our wonderful work team, for all of them we feel deep respect.

In the world of food trucks, daily contact with our clients who are tourists from different cultures and countries around the world, commits us to work hard to provide them not only with good food and excellent service, but also with unforgettable experiences that bring back the best memories from their palate.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Whenever we think of attracting more customers to our business, we can consider marketing ideas such as promotions, good photos, social media ads and many other strategies. However, one of the most effective formulas that has been a success for our business is to establish challenges with our clients, inviting them to try unknown products and flavors. Without a doubt, this generates great expectations that finally become a new experience to share with them. friends and family, so our customers recommend us.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @letiarepaorlando https://www.instagram.com/letiarepaorlando/
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits
photo by Amado Claro