Entrepreneur finds success after Fresno County mobile food vendor grant

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A caller concern is helping entrepreneurs navigate the satellite of thoroughfare nutrient businesses, avoiding costly permitting mistakes.

The Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation and Fresno County are partnering to supply grants.

So far, 20 antithetic vendors person received up to $4,000.

One of those is Carmela Flores. She took a hazard and became a concern owner.

"One day, successful April of this year, aft 8 years, I decided conscionable to discontinue my job," said Flores.

Now, successful grant of her mother, she owns "Botanas La Patroncita."

"They would not telephone my mom's name; they would ever say, La Patroncita, La Patrona, which means the brag lady," said Flores. "Then my ma passed away, and she was helping maine with my son's tuition; astatine that time, I couldn't spend it."

That's however her tiny concern was born. Flores is present scooping her mode into the community's hearts by selling shaved crystal topped with all-natural flavors.

This was made imaginable with a assistance funded by a concern betwixt Fresno County and the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation, ensuring entrepreneurs are acceptable for success.

"This programme allows mobile nutrient vendors to tally a certified cart and tally their concern successful the safest imaginable way, without fearfulness of anyone coming and throwing their nutrient distant for deficiency of certification," said Fresno County Supervisor Brian Pacheco.

"They were successful existence, but they didn't cognize however to comply with regulations, and present we are present to assistance them execute that," said Dora Westerlund, the CEO of the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation.

Flores received her assistance past year, and it helped her acquisition her astir $13,000 cart.

It was an costly investment, but 1 that meets each nutrient information requirements indispensable to get a permit.

"I didn't person to lend with paying the full happening with my cart. Instead, they already helped maine with fractional of it," said Flores.

With the wealth from her business, her lad graduated from assemblage successful May.

The backing turned her dreams into a solid, shaved-ice reality.

"When I started this, it was for a necessity, and present it has go my passion, and I'm besides teaching my kids, 'Hey if this doesn't enactment for you, you person an option," said Flores.

There are inactive grants available. To apply, vendors tin telephone the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation oregon visit their website.

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