For many of us, the kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where we cook, eat, finish homework and share laughter and memories with our family and friends. For these Latino entrepreneurs, the kitchen was also the source of inspiration for launching businesses that honor their family stories and heritage. From savory handmade marinades that will save you hours in the kitchen to a line of garden fresh candles that smell like they were plucked right off a tree, here are six trailblazing small businesses to support this Hispanic Heritage Month, and all year long.
Specialty Dominican Coffee From Don Carvajal Café
“¿Quieres un cafecito?” The hospitality of Dominican culture, where every guest is immediately offered a freshly brewed coffee, has always been an intrinsic part of Héctor Carvajal’s life. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New York City, the founder of Don Carvajal Café realized as a teenager that the Dominican coffee that was so prized in his home country was a lot harder to find in the U.S. His idea for changing this started as a class project for a business marketing class at the University of Rochester, but quickly transformed from a hypothetical homework assignment into a very real business. Carvajal works directly with ethical coffee farmers throughout the Dominican Republic as well as other parts of Latin America like Colombia and Brazil to directly source single origin coffee beans and unique blends like his Greca Blend, a nod to the “greca” or Moka coffee pot, which is a staple in many Latino — particularly Caribbean — households. He’s come a long way from brainstorming in his college dorm; Don Carvajal coffee is now available across the U.S. through his website, as well as Whole Foods and Amazon. And for those in the New York area, he recently opened the brand’s flagship café in Irvington, NY; a cozy sit-down coffee shop where diners are invited in to enjoy not just a delicious freshly brewed Cafecito, but also an entire menu of Dominican favorites like Tres Golpes, yucca fries, tostones and toasted coconut flan.
Sparkling Agua Fresca from Bawi
Victor Guardiola grew up in Monterrey, Mexico loving the homemade fruity agua fresca beverages made with pineapple, lime, hibiscus, and watermelon that were a staple in his hometown. After moving to the U.S., he realized that the options available in stores were either loaded with sugar or barely tasted like the flavor promised on the package, so unlike the fresh fruit-forward beverages he remembered from home. This inspired him to create and launch Bawi, his company which specializes in a line of sparkling aqua frescas made with real fruit and minimal sugar. Currently available in flavors like passion fruit, guava, hibiscus and lime, Victor hopes Bawi will remind fellow Mexican Americans of the beverages they grew up with, while also introducing a cherished part of his culture to new customers seeking a refreshing sip.
Handmade Salad Dressings and Marinades From JJ’s Own
Joy “JJ” Ortiz started her salad dressing business with “500 dollars and a dream.” The New Jersey-based chef of Puerto Rican heritage has faced a number of challenges — she started her business nearly 13 years ago, just before Hurricane Sandy hit the Mid-Atlantic region in October 2012, a devastating tropical storm that destroyed her home and all of her initial inventory. Yet, JJ persevered and built her business back up bottle by bottle, while also using social media to form a loyal community of customers and followers who support her every move and tune in for her regular live cook-alongs on TikTok and Instagram. She now runs the company out of a 5,000 square-foot warehouse in Northern New Jersey, and her products are available in stores like Whole Foods and for shipping nationwide, but true to the name of the company, she still oversees every part of every aspect of the business. Each bottle of dressing or marinade is made from scratch and hand-poured and labeled by JJ and her team. Conscientious of customers with different dietary needs, she is intentional about using ingredients that everyone can enjoy, with options that are gluten-free, keto and paleo-friendly, and made using only honey as a sweetener. With flavors like Cilantro Lime, Basil Vinaigrette, and House Red Wine Vinaigrette, the dressings are versatile and can be used to marinate proteins, pour over fresh greens or grilled vegetables, or even use as an ingredient in savory and sweet recipes like bruschetta, empanadas and skirt steak.
Nostalgic Mexican Snacks From Chuza
In Spanish, the word “chuza” translates to “a strike,” or that moment in bowling when the ball knocks down all 10 pins. In Mexico, the term is also used colloquially to mean “strike for success” or the act of going for perfection and beyond, the way the bowling ball keeps rolling even after knocking down all the pins. That message of perseverance and determination is at the heart of Chuza — the Mexican snack company founded by Daniel Schwartz in 2020, during a time when we were all in need of an extra bit of both. Frustrated by the poor-quality snacks and stereotypical packaging he felt often misrepresented Mexican culture in the U.S., Danny, who was born in Monterrey, Mexico, wanted to create a product that honored his heritage in a way that felt authentic and true to his family’s culture and history. Made with real fruit and 100% Mexican spices sourced from family farms, Chuza specializes in snacks inspired by spiced fruit Danny grew up eating after school and at soccer games in his hometown. Chuza offers a variety of flavors, like spicy mango, pineapple, cactus, as well as snack mixes like Barrio Trail Mix full of salty crunch faves like corn nuts, sesame sticks, almonds and pepitas, and the sweet and spicy Tropical Trail Mix which combines dried pineapple, roasted peanuts and cashews, and corn nuts all seasoned with the brand’s signature chile seasoning.
Garden Fresh Candles from Fresa Creative
Growing up in rural Illinois, Rebecca Galvan’s parents called her “Fresa.” It means strawberry, but in Mexican slang, it’s also used as a nickname for girls who are seen as spoiled, stuck-up, or never satisfied. Galvan saw things differently. To her, being Fresa isn’t a negative — it’s a woman who is unwilling to settle and will always stand up for others and fight for more. This ambitious spirit led the first-generation Mexican American to start her own company called Fresa Creative, which specializes in hand-poured coconut soy-blend candles influenced by her Midwest and Mexican roots. Growing up surrounded by cornfields with a backyard filled with fruit and vegetable gardens was the inspiration for her line of garden fresh scents. Her current lineup includes options like Pepino (a crisp cucumber scent), Tomate (tomato leaves), Cilantro (bright and fresh), Horchata (cinnamon and vanilla) and Field Trip (reminiscent of a class trip to the apple orchard). The candles are packaged in thoughtfully designed boxes that are reminiscent of the Mexican snacks Galvan grew up eating. This nod to her heritage serves as a springboard for Galvan to connect with her community, share her underrepresented story and empower others to do the same.
Silk Scrunchies and Hair Ties From Hello Updo
Keeping your hair up and out of your face (and food!) is a must in a hot kitchen, but for some of us, that’s easier said than done. This was true for Magdaline Hurtado, who came up with the idea for her company Hello Updo in a moment of frustration about not being able to find a hair tie that could hold up her thick coily hair without snapping or getting tangled. Realizing that there were few commercial options available that worked for her hair type, she decided to cook up her own solution. Working in her abuela’s kitchen table with a borrowed sewing machine, she made her first silk scrunchie designed specifically for natural textured hair that is designed to hold it up without damaging the hair. Hello Updo now offers a selection of scrunchies and headscarves in a variety of sizes and bright colors like “guava” and “sage.” Hurtado’s passion for this project went beyond mere convenience — it’s also the way she honors her Afro-Latina heritage and encourages inclusivity for those who like her have often had to struggle for acceptance of her natural style and texture.