Meet Cecilia
Cecilia’s journey towards starting her own business started at a young age, with a talent for cooking and strong entrepreneurial spirit. When Cecilia began selling tacos from her backyard, she had no idea she’d open a full-time restaurant in Oakland, California, and find a support system of like-minded business women.
Cooking has always been near and dear to Cecilia’s heart. While she was growing up, Cecilia was always in the kitchen helping her mother cook and learning what it takes to be an entrepreneur.
“Both of my parents were entrepreneurs. They owned a farm in Mexico and every Sunday, they went to the local farmer’s market to sell milk, cheese, and vegetables. My mother always motivated me to be an entrepreneur and has taught me everything I know about cooking.”
In 2015, Cecilia began selling tacos from her home with her sister. Everyone loved them and the business began to grow and grow. A year later, Cecilia met a friend who introduced her to Grameen America at the perfect time. Cecilia was considering opening her own restaurant to share authentic Mexican dishes with more people in her community and take her business to new heights.
“When I have a bad day, I like to remember where I came from—selling 40 tacos out of my backyard to my friends and family on the very first day we opened.”
With support from Grameen America and her loving family, in 2016, Cecilia signed the lease to open her very own restaurant. Since joining Grameen America, not only has Cecilia’s business taken off, but she’s seen improvements in her credit score and overall financial stability. As a single mother of two daughters, Cecilia’s business is a path to support her family.
“I use my Grameen America loans to pay insurance, rent, and restaurant permits. My youngest daughter is an amazing cook and helps me create new recipes at the restaurant. I hope she’ll eventually take over the restaurant. I also have other employees to help during busy times.”
Today, Cecilia’s best selling products are gorditas, a taste of home and a popular Mexican staple from her hometown of Zacatecas, and menudo, a traditional Mexican soup with tortillas. Her customers taste the care Cecilia puts into making fresh, handmade tortillas.
Cecilia has also taken classes to best learn how to run a successful restaurant and networked with her fellow Grameen America members for business advice.
“My Grameen America Center supports and lifts each other up. We work together and host joint pop-up events to sell our products and market our businesses. My biggest dream is to be able to mentor other women and help them with their business plans and marketing.”
After growing her business over the past seven years, Cecilia has advice to share with fellow entrepreneurs.