Today we’d like to introduce you to Sofia Garcia.
Hi Sofia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’m from Guadalajara, Mexico. I moved to Atlanta five years ago after marrying my sweet husband Colin, a true Georgia boy. I started working in restaurants when I was 18 and got a job as a dishwasher at outback steakhouse, I loved everything about the kitchen, the process of making the food, the stress, the speed, and more than that, the fact that each one of those plates where going to be enjoyed by many people, paying customers whose day’s might get a little better just by eating at that restaurant. I was hooked, so I climbed my way all the way up to line cook.
After that I decided that that was my call in life, feeding people. I got myself in culinary school in my city (Guadalajara), worked for more restaurants and gained more experience. When I moved to Atlanta I got a job at a fine dining restaurant for a couple of months, I was pretty much done with working late nights so I figured maybe I’d do a morning job, and who works earlier than a baker right? So, I applied for 1 place, and that was all, and I’m so glad I did. When I got the job at Little Tart Bakeshop, I fell in love with that place, the people, the pastries, but most important, the community. I spent the first 3 years making and baking pastries and talking about Mexican food (or honestly anything Mexico-related).
I’m always missing my country, my family, the food, the weather, everything! There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t think about that, I’m homesick every day, sometimes just a tiny bit, sometimes -just sit in my couch and cry- a lot. My boss at Little Tart, Sarah, had being saying to me for a while that I should cook Mexican food and sell it to the people that I knew, just to scratch the itch of making something of my own, but I just didn’t think people would pay for my food, I wanted to make the stuff my grandmas made for me back in Mexico, nothing fancy, just simple stuff, aguachile, sopes, tacos, pozole, birria, and I wasn’t sure if that would be enough for a business idea.
I never thought about it that much. But then COVID happened, my husband got laid off, so that’s when I really started to consider selling Mexican food, my plan was that I’d just make some food and try to sell it to some coworkers, but after talking to my boss again, I figured that doing a pop-up and selling everything to-go would be the best idea, (she’s truly one of the most amazing human beings, I’m so grateful to have her in my life). After some planning on September 2020 me and my husband did our first pop-up, we decided to call our tiny business “Lupe’s” after our beautiful pit-mix dog Lupe, the true owner of my heart.
We did so great! All of our friends came, we sold out in 2 hours, I cried a lot, all happy tears. I realized people do want to eat my food, my family’s food, and that makes me so proud, seeing people smiles when they bite into a taco or take a sip of our hibiscus agua fresca that’s just something that I won’t ever take for granted. We’ve been going for two years now, we mostly do the Grant Park Farmer’s Market and pop-ups around the city. This small business that started from a necessity now it’s turned into my safe space, the thing that comforts me when I miss my family and my food. And hopefully, it’s also the thing that brings joy to some folks and friends in my community.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely, it hasn’t been a smooth road, dealing with shortages because of covid, not having a set location and having to drive our set up around the city, prices in ingredients constantly going up because of inflation. I’m sure all small business struggle with all these same things.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We do authentic Mexican food. People love our birria menu! Most of our recipes come from my grandma or the places that I go and eat when I’m in Mexico.
What matters most to you? Why?
Personally, my family and friends matter the most to me. Professionally, respect matters the most, respect to the work I do, to the ingredients I use and to the people I feed.
Pricing:
- Birria tacos $4
- Hibiscus agua fresca $3.50
- Elote $5
Contact Info:
