I am Gloria Henriquez, a Latina immigrant who came to the USA in 1999 to Hempstead, NY.
There, I worked in different workplaces until 2004, when I began working for a fast food chain. This opportunity allowed me to gain a lot of experience, starting in a cashier position and climbing the ladder until becoming the general manager of a store. I performed that position for twelve years until August 2018, when, for family reasons, we moved to Des Moines, Iowa.
Initially, I graduated from nursing in my country of origin, so I decided to return to the hospital field in Des Moines. After a while, I realized that I greatly missed the routine of the restaurant business.
The connections created with people through food are unique, so I decided to work part-time in the hospital and in the restaurant environment the rest of the time. This time, though, I worked at a small, locally-owned restaurant whose owners were immigrants, just like me.
I enjoyed every moment and every interaction with every customer. Seeing their facial expressions with every bite and every explosion of flavors is the best thing that can happen to you as a food lover because I consider myself “a lover of cooking.”
While at the restaurant, I felt inspired by the owners to create my own restaurant. It was at this point that I came across the Evelyn K. Davis Center, and I got in contact with Mr. Victor Oyervides from the SBDC; he was the one who guided me in my new adventure called “Tullpa Restaurant,” with a new concept and fusion of Andean cuisine.
Through the Business Model Canvas and with Mr. Oyervides’s coaching, we analyzed the building blocks that, as entrepreneurs, help you to ask yourself the right questions to create your business plan.
Personally, I consider him to be an excellent guide, and the fact that you have a business advisor who speaks your own language is the greatest help. He assists you by sharing information relevant to your project, helping you create a foundation, and making the necessary contacts with people who already have an established business.
I only have words of gratitude for Victor, because these programs aimed at small business entrepreneurs make you feel that Iowa is the perfect place to start your business! Having these programs available for all types of people makes you feel that we are a small but diversified community willing to invest in continued growth to create new job opportunities for business owners and others.
Check out Tullpa Restaurant on their website or facebook below!