Meet Pablo Murillo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Pablo Murillo.

Hi Pablo, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
We started Aguas Locas on July 6th of 2020 in Los Angeles, California. We make and produce authentic and premium bottled aguas frescas “hechas a mano, con amor”. I was furloughed from my job during the first Covid lockdown and was spending every second playing and skating around our neighborhood with my three-year-old daughter Zoey. I started making her a healthy version of aguas frescas as a way to quench our thirst and as a way to highlight another piece of our beautiful Mexican culture. Aguas frescas date back to the Aztecs, who would blend fruit, sugar, and water to make their version of a “pick me up” in the morning. I wanted to take a modern approach to these drinks that I enjoyed through a straw in a plastic bag every time I visited my familia in Mexico. I started to R&D flavors, fruits, methods and read everything I could about aguas frescas. I was spending late nights and early mornings blasting my favorite childhood tunes that reminded me of my parents while I handmade every single “Agua.”

I knew so many of us were missing being able to go to a taco truck, a restaurant, a park, a beach or even to our own family’s house to say hello. I thought if I could make the drinks I was making for Zoey that I could spread a little love and a little sunshine during such a wild time. It just felt right to share these ‘Aguas with everyone. It was an organic solution to a feeling of necessity as I was a dad that hadn’t received any assistance during the first couple months of the pandemic. I didn’t know what else to do. I decided to call my friend Morris to tell him about my business idea. I had an unfinished product, absolutely no idea of what I was doing but I had a ton of positivity and passion. We had our first meeting in my garage, sitting six feet apart on my beer pong table with the holes covered by a serape to add to the “vibras.” A bit nervous, and unsure of what the future might hold. We immediately connected and had the same vision, our minds and hearts were aligned. It was a moment I’ll never forget. We wanted to create a brand that celebrated “cultura” and “familia” while positively impacting our communities. A couple of weeks later with the help of my wife Loraina and my brother Oskar. Amidst the chaos, Aguas Locas was born.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road as any business owner will tell you. I feel like we are constantly challenged which has also allowed us to grow as a family and a brand. One instance that immediately comes to mind is when I chopped off the tip of my finger during a “pop-up” and was unable to work for months. Thankfully, with the help of my brother, wife, and “Aguas Fam” we were able to keep things going. Which was tough because I depleted most of my savings and not to mention my wife was very pregnant at the time. I feel fortunate to have such a solid community that has helped me and my company get different perspectives to help overcome many struggles and challenges we have encountered. There is a resiliency to us because we were born in the pandemic. This has been the ride of my life and I can’t wait for what’s down the road.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Before I started Aguas Locas I was in the hospitality industry. I have held every position in the restaurant. Working my way up from a dishwasher to AGM and GM of some incredible restaurants. Which was always something I set out to do. I have had the opportunity to work alongside talented and respected chefs and humans. There are so many talented people that work in the hospitality industry. My culinary and hospitality background is one of the things that sets Aguas Locas apart from the rest of the pack. We use minimal and high-quality ingredients for each flavor. It was very important to me from the very beginning that the drinks were balanced and not too sweet as they usually are while still achieving that nostalgic feeling. I wanted every bottle to be an “experience,” a vacation, a celebration!

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I don’t have a mentor so I surround myself with people who inspire me and push me to be better. Networking has helped our growth as one opportunity usually leads to another. LA is beautiful for that reason because you never really know who you could be talking to. I feel very fortunate to have the people we have in our “Aguas” community, our “familia” and it still takes me back to think about how much love random people show us. Being consistent, extremely hard-working and authentic has really helped us be the brand we are. I think we have a story unlike any other that people can relate with. Not to mention our product is delicious. Bienvenidos a la familia!

Pricing:

• $6-$8

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aguaslocas.com
• Instagram: @aguas_locas_la
• Facebook: @aguaslocasla

Image Credits
@christian_i_solis @okpebbs