Business, Flavor, and Culture: Inside Sabor De La Comunidad

In a vibrant celebration of Hispanic food entrepreneurs, the University of Arizona FORGE, in partnership with Local First Arizona and Tucson City of Gastronomy, launched "Sabor De La Comunidad" on April 11th. The event, held at FORGE at Roy Place in downtown Tucson, brought together flavor, music, and entrepreneurial spirit, highlighting the rich heritage of Tucson’s Hispanic food entrepreneurs. The event expanded on the popular “Business of Heritage Food” educational series that brings monthly discussions by food entrepreneurs to FORGE at Roy Place.

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Central to Sabor de la Comunidad was a panel discussion moderated by Ray Flores, President of Flores Concepts, a company rooted in Tucson history. The core concept of Flores Concepts is El Charro Café, founded by Flores' great-great aunt in 1922. El Charro has been recognized as the nation's oldest Mexican restaurant in continuous operation by the same family. From modest beginnings, the restaurant is now part of an operation overseeing over four hundred employees at 8 different restaurant concepts, several licensed locations, and a commercial kitchen. 

“This right here is a form of advocacy,” commented Flores about the opportunity to bring together fellow panelists Juan Almanza owner/chef of El Taco Rustico, Jose Salinas owner/chef of El Minuto and Marcela Davila owner/chef of The Little One for a candid conversation about the rewards and challenges of food entrepreneurship.

Jose Salinas is a fourth-generation member of the Shaar/Salinas family who have owned and operated El Minuto in Tucson’s downtown’s Barrio Viejo for over 8 decades. El Minuto continues to serve the Sonoran-style Mexican specialties crafted with patience, skill that they first began offering to the Tucson community in 1936.

Juan Almanza started cooking in Mexico at the age of sixteen. In 2003, he moved to Tucson where he found early success at the Tohono O’odham swap meet. After years of delighting patrons at the swap meet with unique flavors, Chef Juan Almanza opened his brick-and-mortar restaurant, El Rustico in the heart of Tucson in 2020. 

Marcela Davila is the owner of the beloved downtown restaurant The Little One. In the mid 80’s the Davila family started the popular restaurant Café Poca Cosa. When the original building was demolished, the family established both a new Café Poca Cosa and  “The Little One.”  Davila sisters Sandra and Suzanna retired the Café Poca Cosa during the pandemic, but Marcela continued to stay open and “The Little One” is still the heartbeat of downtown Tucson

All the restaurant owners spoke about the incredible challenge that COVID presented to their businesses and how it was critical support from the community helped them stay afloat. Jose Salinas noted that the Barrio Viejo community helped them keep El Minuto going with a steady flow of neighborhood takeout orders. 

Juan Almanza discussed how he had opened his new location only weeks before the pandemic began in Arizona, and it was thanks to fellow chefs from Gastronomic Union of Tucson sharing the word and ordering from him that his business was able to survive. Now post-pandemic, his business is thriving and has opened a second location.

“The City of Tucson came knocking on our door to say how can we help,” said Marcela Davis of The Little One. “We didn’t have a telephone; we didn’t have a website. I had to modernize this restaurant and bring it into this century in a matter of days. The downtown community was amazing, pointing me in the right direction for grants.”

Flores closed the discussion by commenting that being an entrepreneur often means learning on the go and asked the panelists “Knowing what you know now, what one or two classes might you have taken?”   Marcela, who originally studied to be a teacher, acknowledged that she wished she had taken a business or economic class. 

Juan Alamanza agreed. “Obviously, business. I know how to flip a tortilla with my closed,” he said.

For Jose Salinas it was Business and Communications to get his restaurant’s messaging out to both the front and the back of the house as well as external audiences. All noted that learning core business skills earlier would have been helpful in their journeys.

“Something that I would like to share the most with people when they come to see me about our business is that it really is a business,” said Ray Flores. “It wasn't just a family business, but a business run by a family.”  Flores commended organizations like FORGE that help share basic entrepreneurial resources with those outside a traditional business curriculum.

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Attendees at the event immersed themselves in an array of activities, from the panel discussion to a business resource showcase providing information on everything from starting a business to funding options. Community partners taking part in the resource showcase included Local First Arizona, Tucson City of Gastronomy, City of Tucson Economic Initiatives, Growth Partners Arizona, Startup Tucson, and Community Investment Corporation. Pima County Economic Development Director Heath Vescovi-Chiordi provided opening remarks for the event.

Adding to the event was Chilean musician Nico Barberan, whose melodies provided the perfect backdrop for the festivities,  chiltepin product demonstrations from Chiltepicca and takeaway samples of Sonoran white wheat tortilla cookies and corn muffins.

Jessica Barfield, Local First Arizona's Director of Tucson Business Development, emphasized their organization's commitment to supporting Hispanic entrepreneurs. "Local First Arizona offers specific programs to serve Hispanic entrepreneurs, including quarterly Spanish-led networking events and educational workshops," Barfield explained. "We believe in providing dedicated mentorship and support to nurture the growth of Hispanic-owned businesses in Tucson."

As part of the larger Tucson City of Gastronomy Pueblos Del Maiz festival, Sabor De La Comunidad encapsulated the spirit of community and collaboration. The success of Sabor De La Comunidad wouldn't have been possible without the support of sponsors such as the Downtown Tucson Partnership and HSL Properties through their Downtown Tucson For Everyone Grant. Their commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in downtown Tucson was instrumental in bringing this celebration to fruition. 

Whether a seasoned entrepreneur or passionate supporter of local initiatives, Sabor De La Comunidad offered everyone a unique opportunity to come together and celebrate the flavors and perspectives of Tucson's entrepreneurial spirit.