We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tiara Darnell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tiara below.
Hi Tiara, thanks for joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
Blaxicocina is an amalgamation of the three words, “Black,” “Mexican,” and “Cocina,” which means “kitchen” in Spanish. I chose this name because it represents exactly what I’m doing here in Mexico: bringing the culinary traditions of two great cultures–Black American and Mexican culture–together in the kitchen of the first and only Black-owned Soul Food restaurant in Mexico City.
Pronounced Blax–ee–co–cee–naa, the name has so much meaning and thought behind it. Yet, I didn’t anticipate that sooooo many people would pronounce it incorrectly; they say Blaxicocina like it’s an Italian name, saying “cuchina” instead of cocina. The restaurant is an extension of me and I’ve given and sacrificed so much to realize this vision, that yeah, it irks me when people say the name incorrectly. I’m too polite and so grateful for everyone’s excitement about the restaurant though, so I usually don’t say anything. BLX or Blaxi I’m cool with though!
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.
I had already been living and working clandestinely in Mexico City for 9 months when I was was fired–or freed–from a job in corporate audio production that I’d been disillusioned with anyway. I had 6 months of emergency savings to sustain me until I could figure out what I wanted to do next and opening Blaxicocina was my pivot. I never owned a restaurant before, and before working in my restaurant I had probably 2 months of experience in my entire life working in restaurants. So, this was a complete pivot, but one that felt natural and worthy of taking a chance on myself for. I’d always loved travel and cooking and learning about ingredients and different ways of using them. I grew up at the side of the matiricarchs in my family, watching them prepare everything from school lunches to holiday dinners to mains, sides and all the fixins for cookouts and other family and friend get togethers. I learned from them and I found a creative outlet in cooking their recipes as well as imaging up some of my own.
Today, the menu in Blaxicocina is equally inspired by my family and the comfort foods from our culture as it is from the boundless culture of Mexican street food in this place I now call home. Anyone who comes to Blaxicocina looking for Soul Food exactly as they know it in the U.S. is going to find something different and perhaps unexpected: Soul Food Mexican fusion, unique because I’m honoring the food traditions of my culture while also paying homage to the ingredients of the land and of the season in this place that has been so welcoming to Black Americans across generations. I’m proud of each and every dish on our menu, the intention we bring to the experience and to our participation in the community we’re a part of.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
For the first year of Blaxicocina it has been me and solely me realizing this vision. I don’t always give myself the flowers I deserve but I am proud of what I’ve been able to do and build in only 10 months of operation. That said, Blaxicocina is growing rapidly and I’m ready to consider potential business partners, investors or anyone else who maybe just for the love wants to help me either financially or in some way in-kind to take Blaxicocina to the next level going into years two and three.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
Initially, I pulled from my liquid savings and my retirement fund to get Blaxicocina going. I had a lot of fear and anxiety about touching my retirement funds, but I also felt indignant whenever someone, especially someone with white privilege, would tell me to “just find some investors” as if I have generational wealth to pull from or as if wealthy people are just rushing to give Black women–especially a Black woman immigrant to Mexico with no restaurant experience, just a dream–start up capital for the riskiest business of them all. I felt I had no choice but to take a risk on myself. I had to spend my money to create a path for me to eventually make money and above all, an impact in my corner of the world I and so many others could be proud of. Now that the proof of concept is established and Blaxicocina is being recognized, investment feels more within reach, as does inviting the community of Blaxicocina followers and supporters to give to the crowdfund we’re launching officially in February, Black History Month 2024.
Contact Info:
- Website: blaxicocina.com
- Instagram: @blaxicocina
- Facebook: @blaxicocina
- Other: Google Profile: https://maps.app.goo.gl/FB1gmz8ChcCnckQL6
Image Credits
courtesy of blaxicocina