{"id":61901,"date":"2024-08-05T08:27:03","date_gmt":"2024-08-05T15:27:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/?p=61901"},"modified":"2024-08-05T14:12:43","modified_gmt":"2024-08-05T21:12:43","slug":"estrellitas-snacks-sf-restaurant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/estrellitas-snacks-sf-restaurant\/","title":{"rendered":"She sold pupusas on Mission Street. Now, a former street vendor opens S.F. restaurant"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Estrellita\u2019s Snacks, a new family-owned brick-and-mortar restaurant in the Tenderloin, has come a long way from its origins as a street vending operation on Mission Street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maria del Carmen Flores, the matriarch behind Estrellita\u2019s Snacks, started in El Salvador, selling pupusas and fruit on the streets with her mother, Rosa Flores Rodriguez. Amid the Salvadoran civil war in the ’80s, Maria moved to Oaxaca, Mexico, where she ran a restaurant focused on Oaxacan cuisine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Struggling to make ends meet, Maria relocated to San Francisco in 1997, securing a job at a hotel. In 2003, she brought her daughter Estrella Gonzalez from Oaxaca to San Francisco. Together, Maria and Estrella joined San Francisco\u2019s informal street vending scene in 2004, selling \u201cbolsitas de pl\u00e1tano chips\u201d in Ziploc bags in the Mission. The $20 they used to purchase plantains, oil, and salt turned into $300 in sales. Soon, they were selling pupusas, tamales, and aguas frescas on the streets as Estrellita\u2019s Snacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nFirst: <\/strong>Maria del Carmen Flores is the matriarch behind Estrellita\u2019s Snacks, which began as a street vending operation on Mission Street in San Francisco, Calif. Last: <\/strong>Estrella Gonzalez is the head chef of Estrellita\u2019s Snacks, which began as a street vending operation on Mission Street in San Francisco, Calif. Courtesy Photos: Estrella Gonzalez <\/figcaption>\n\n\n\n
Those early years selling food without a permit in San Francisco were challenging. \u201cThere were many problems with the police. They didn\u2019t let [Maria] sell,\u201d said Estrella. \u201cOne time they threw away her things on 24th and Mission. After that, she would never let them be there first. She would keep an eye out. And if she saw them, then she would move.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maria was frustrated by the constant fear of police disruption. Her inability to speak English was a major barrier to finding a formal path to sell her food. \u201cShe couldn\u2019t look for opportunities to grow her business,\u201d said Estrella, who knows only a bit of English herself. \u201cSo it always remained small.\u201d With the help of Estrella\u2019s children, who learned English in San Francisco schools, they were finally able to break the language barrier for paperwork and client interactions: \u201cI have my son who always helps me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2005, Maria and Estrella joined La Cocina, a nonprofit that helps immigrant women formalize and grow their food businesses. As the second business to graduate from their incubator program, Estrellita\u2019s Snacks finally moved away from unpermitted vending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since then, their signature perfectly circular pupusas have gained popularity, selling in the Civic Center, at farmers’ markets, and in grocery stores around the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\nElvia Ramirez, Estrella Gonzalez\u2019s sister-in-law, prepares pupusas at Estrellita\u2019s Snacks, a new restaurant in the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco, Calif. on July 18, 2024. Photo: Jeremy Word<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nFirst: <\/strong>Adela Flores, Estrella Gonzalez\u2019s aunt, prepares plantains for Estrellita\u2019s Snacks, a new restaurant in the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco, Calif. on August 2, 2024. Last: <\/strong>Jos\u00e9 Flores, Estrella Gonzalez\u2019s brother, prepares plantains for Estrellita\u2019s Snacks, a new restaurant in the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco, Calif. on August 2, 2024. Photos: Erika Carlos<\/figcaption>\n\n\n\n
Maria suffered a stroke in 2018, forcing her to retire from Estrellita\u2019s Snacks. She has since passed down the business to Estrella. \u201cHer dream was that we, as her children and grandchildren, continue the legacy she has left,\u201d said Estrella, the lead chef of the restaurant. Today, Estrella works alongside her husband, five children and two sisters-in-law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Estrellita\u2019s Snacks restaurant opened on July 16 and is located at 483 Ellis Street. The menu features a mix of Salvadoran and Oaxacan cuisine, including a variety of pupusas, mole dishes, traditional tlayudas, and other snacks made \u201ccon amor\u201d and \u201cdel sazon [m\u00edo],\u201d said Estrella. \u201cNot everyone puts heart into what they are doing, and we have that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For street vendors aspiring to grow their food businesses, Estrella advises, \u201cIf they’re serious about their dreams, they should get their permits and licenses and keep pushing forward. Their dreams are bigger than their obstacles. It\u2019s not easy, but it\u2019s possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nAngel Gonzalez, Estrella Gonzalez\u2019s son, runs the cash register for Estrellita\u2019s Snacks, a new restaurant in the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco, Calif. on August 2, 2024. Photo: Erika Carlos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Interested in La Cocina\u2019s incubator program?<\/strong> The program offers affordable kitchen space, assistance in obtaining permits, business growth opportunities, and resources like graphic design, food photography, legal advice, and business consulting. La Cocina supports two types of food businesses: prepared foods and packaged food businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Attend Orientation:<\/strong> Learn how La Cocina works and what you need to start a food business. This free workshop is open to the public, but registration is required. Attendance is mandatory if you plan to apply to the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2024 San Francisco Orientations:<\/strong> <\/strong>September 11<\/strong> (La Cocina – 2948 Folsom St.) 6 PM – 8 PM November 13<\/strong> (La Cocina – 2948 Folsom St.) 6 PM – 8 PM<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Submit an Application:<\/strong> To apply, submit the following: an application, a completed business plan, your resume, two letters of recommendation, and proof of your current income. The upcoming 2024 application deadline is August 5th to August 16th.For full details and available workshops, visit lacocinasf.org\/apply<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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