Today we’d like to introduce you to Ana Ibarra. They and their team shared their story with us below:
In 2019, Dona Ana found herself battling anxiety and depression; she spent her life taking care of her children and grandchildren. Once her grandchildren got older, she was left home alone, and this is when she started the battle with mental health. She was on medication, but she refused to be medicated for the remainder of her life. That is when she decided to sell her delicious Pozole on the street corner. Becoming a street vendor was the best decision ever! She stayed busy all week preparing everything for her food stand and slowly started to recover. She worked the food stand with her daughters, granddaughters, and husband. The food stand started to grow in popularity, and every week, she sold out. Two years later, she decided to take it to the next level. She asked her oldest daughter to partner up with her and help her open a restaurant. On September 10, 2022, Pozoleria Doña Ana open its doors. It has been an amazing experience!!! In such a short time, Pozoleria Doña Ana has been on TV, news, and radio and has received several recognitions from the city and state. It is also known as the place where influencers and celebrities stop by to get a home-cooked meal. Doña Ana is now becoming more popular with customers all over the us and continues to grow her Instagram followers.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Starting as a street vendor is a major struggle. A lot of hard work setting up and picking up, and also very difficult to work in different weather conditions. Doña Ana, being a first-time business owner, was denied 3 different restaurants. It is not easy to open a restaurant when you don’t have established business references.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
When you ask Doña Ana what has been the key to her success, she will always answer. Cooking with love ❤️
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
We are located in one of the landmarks of Panorama City,
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @pozoleriadonaana
- Facebook: @pozoleriadonaana
