Today we’d like to introduce you to Abel Benitez.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am the founder of Rolling Fried. I am from Oaxaca, Mexico. I have worked here in California at a Japanese restaurant for a little over 20 years. About ten years ago I wanted to start my own business with street tacos but I only lasted about two years. Due to not having the required permits and because I was also working full time (at the same restaurant) and I had a family I had to give attention to. Until 2020 the pandemic hit us. My wife and I were to stressed about COVID restaurants we’re closing. People were getting sick and it was a time that it was scary. New information was given day by day. My wife and I were going over the income situation since our jobs were shut down. We had to think of something that we can survive. So one day, my son Abel told us about this alley in Ave 26 Lincoln Heights. He said there was a couple of vendors and why not start a small business there. I thought it was agrega idea but there was competition for street tacos. So my wife and I decided to do chicken teriyaki. It was new not much vendors offers and it wasn’t that difficult to prep.
So that very next day, we started to prep everything from the food preparation to buying our generators and more equipment. I remember like it was yesterday I was all stressed and at the same time, I was excited. That same day we began our journey; my wife and my daughter and I went together to our sale. We were all excited and scared of the outcome; we weren’t sure if this would work out. We had made an expense that might have caused short on our monthly expenses. But we had to try. We’ll that night it was great in a way because we met with vendors that were very helpful but as to the same it wasn’t so great from 5pm to 1am all I have sold that night was less than $20. I had to make a new plan that’s when I thought of sushi but how can I sell sushi that customers would want to try without being scared of raw fish. So I thought of fried sushi rolls. So that next morning I bought more food and started the preparation. That night in Ave 26 on April 4 2021 Rolling Fried began its journey. Customers loved it they loved the taste, the texture and most of all, it wasn’t raw. We sold out that night and the next few weeks. Until August 6, 2021 the city of Lincoln Heights shut down the alley due to the alley being overpopulated. Now we had a problem what were we going to do we were just getting a lot of customers to recognize our products.
So after that a couple of weeks later we were about to give up on our dreams. We had no other locations to go to. Or how to join a Nightmarket or how to get our permits from. Until one day, we came across a pizza former college vendor Felicecatering. He told us about this market that was just beginning and we’ll we had no idea who they were or what to expect from them. So Danny (felicecatering) introduced us to the co-founder Robert from the Alameda Nightmarket. And since then, it’s been really great meeting vendors because we all help each other. We all work for the same purpose. He have encountered vendors that had recommended us for different Nightmarkets and that’s how we have begun thanks to the community and the helpful friends. We now help other vendors with our knowledge of the health permits. Now we are expanding our locations from Downtown Los Ángeles, El Sereno, Pomona, Perris, Sacramento, and Las Vegas little by little. And my family’s dream is to have our own restaurant one day. We are working really hard to get a lot of customers and be recognized by our name and products.
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?
We have had obstacles to get our permits or locations to continue with our dream but always. have faith and keep positive thoughts. And if it’s meant to be it’ll be. If not it wasn’t for us. Our goal is to push our name out there so we can be recognized and get more customers.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a general manager from a restaurant in Pasadena, CA. I have been working there for more than 20 years and counting.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I like how there’s now more opportunities for small businesses and options of night markets and how they help vendors with health permits.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Rolling_Fried
- Facebook: Rolling Fried
- Linkedin: https://linktr.ee/rolling_fried?fbclid=PAAaas466D7o_B0hQ7FQTlUGo_hHbzSIydNfIpQaMJTYVrVXIlfS97eg21LIE
