Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorena Huerta
Hi Lorena, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My family in Mexico has always been in the business of selling. Whether it was knocking door to door and selling shoes or dresses to the public in the early 1900s. At least, these were the type of stories I grew up with, as my father would tell me about his own journey in sales. I knew I had it in me and I always wondered what my passion would be about. As I grew older and started to travel, I realized I really like food and the feeling it would give you when you were enjoying it with your significant others. Trying to make a living in the United States in my early 20’s, I decided to get a job at a restaurant chain in San Diego, CA where I learned everything from hosting, running food, preparing salads and desserts, serving tables, training a menu class with 20 to 30 employees, and managing a restaurant. I had great mentors, and they saw something in me: PASSION. I have passion in the way I work and the way I talk to people. And if I like something or believe in something, I want to make sure you feel this too! And my little hobby to make money became a career in less than 1 year. I was able to learn the hospitality business and the art of training people to sell a great product. Also, the art of hosting and entertaining when your guests are enjoying your meals. Luckily, this opened a lot of doors for me in several industries until I was able to open my own place: Mexican Burrito & Beyond- my own virtual Kitchen in Culver City, California. Now, my fantastic team and I are looking forward to continuing bringing our culture and our way of life to your home, business or special gathering.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s never easy for a Latino woman to have the same freedom when it comes to owning a business. One of the most significant hardships I’ve faced is limited access to capital. Especially after the Pandemic, banks and loaners always thinking twice whether you will be able to launch your own business and keep it successful. We also opened our business right at the time where most restaurant chains were going out of business. So yes, it has been tough! Real support came from our family, our community and our friends who believe in our product. It has been a challenging journey to prove ourselves and prove to our community that our food has great flavor and that it is 100% worth it! Because everything that we make is fresh, literally from scratch. And I think it shows. Ourt biggest pride is seeing a smile in all of our guests when they say, “your food is fantastic, when are you opening our restaurant?”
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Mexican Burrito & Beyond?
We are a Virtual Kitchen (also known as a Ghost Kitchen) and we focus on the quality of food you will get for pick-up, delivery and of course, Catering services. We specialize in the authenticity of Mexican Dishes designed for you to enjoy them at home, office or at your social gathering. We are known for the Burrito Percheron from Hermosillo, Sonora. Enchiladas Poblanas from Puebla and Torta Ahogada from Guadalajara. Just to name a few of our specialty items. Our brand is vibrant, nostalgic and authentic. It gives you the feeling of being home or just the feeling of being in Mexico without having to travel too far. Good authentic food should be at your reach and that is why we are committed to our mission statement: “To provide Latin food lovers with sophisticated and carefully selected fresh ingredients that will transport them to the authenticity of our regions”. We are also proud to say we work different brands with different menus: Mexican Breakfast & Beyond which is a great menu for authentic Mexican Breakfast. Rise & Shine Breakfast & Lunch gives you a nice Mexican American fusion with great traditional flavors. Happy Munchies is a unique brand satisfied every craving with snacks such as tacos, wraps and wings that will leave you wanting more. Chilaquiles and Beyond will allow you to explore all of the different chilaquiles with our home-made salsas from mild-spicy to very- very spicy! Vegan Burrito & Beyond is our latest brand bringing all of our guests with the same delicious flavor and varieties but on a healthier, friendly Vegan side. The beauty of our business is that we can continue to explore different menus and continue to provide personal guest satisfaction.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
I want to make sure we never stop being creative with our company, we never stop taking initiative, and we never stop taking risks. This includes for our company Mexican Burrito & Beyond and of course, for our guests. They deserve the best of the best when it comes to flavors, ingredients, recipes and authentic dishes. We always want to be on top of our game changing our menu but still remaining our main essence. I believe this is the formula to keeping our guests satisfied and keep them coming back to you. In other words, keeping our guests excited and happy! We know a virtual kitchen is only the beginning of us and for the Culver City community. We want the opportunity to introduce ourselves and eventually grow to a restaurant that will allow us to open more venues in different areas in Los Angeles.
Pricing:
- Breakfast Burritos starting $12.95
- Hungry Burritos starting $12.95
- Burrito Percheron $16.95
- Enchiladas Poblanas $17.95
- Catering trays starting $95.50
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mexicanburritoandbeyond.com
- Instagram: mexican_burrito_and_beyond
- Facebook: Mexican Burrito & Beyond
Image Credits
1. Enchiladas Poblanas- Famous dish from Puebla Mexico
2. My team: Executive Chef Gilberto Villar, business partners Rigo Vazquez, Jose Luis Vazquez and Williams Mayorga.
3. Torta Ahogada – Popular dish from Guadalajara Mexico
4. Hot Dog from Hermosillo University- An original from my hometown Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
5. Executive Chef, Gilberto Villar presenting a Catering for Mexican Burrito & Beyond.
6. People that started all, myself and my business partner Rigo Vazquez
7. Our original Logo from Mexican Burrito & Beyond
8. Our best Seller- Burrito Percheron from Hermosillo, Sonora Mexico
