Downtown Tucson Welcomes Sabor De La Comunidad: A Celebration of Hispanic Food Entrepreneurs
Join University of Arizona FORGE, Local First Arizona and Tucson City of Gastronomy to celebrate Tucson's culinary diversity at Sabor De La Comunidad. This celebration of Hispanic food entrepreneurs takes place on April 11th from 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM at FORGE at Roy Place, in the heart of downtown Tucson at 44 N Stone Ave.
Sabor De La Comunidad will feature live music, product demonstrations, a business resource showcase, and a panel of Hispanic entrepreneurs discussing the rewards and challenges of running a successful food business in a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. The panel will be moderated by Ray Flores, President of Flores Concepts, a Tucson-based management and creative company overseeing restaurants, airport cafes and a catering business. The core concept of Flores Concepts is El Charro Café, which was founded by Flores' great-great aunt in 1922. Flores oversees several Tucson City of Gastronomy-certified restaurants.
The event features live music from Nico Barberan, a dynamic musician hailing from Chile.
“Sonoran food heritage and Hispanic food entrepreneurs are important aspects of Tucson’s cuisine and food scene,” said Jonathan Mabry, Executive Director of the nonprofit Tucson City of Gastronomy. “We are excited to partner with FORGE and Local First Arizona to showcase local food entrepreneurs and provide a networking opportunity for sharing their food business journeys.”
In addition to meeting prominent entrepreneurs and enjoying live entertainment, attendees will have the chance to connect with local organizations and learn about community business resources.
“Local First Arizona offers specific programs to serve Hispanic entrepreneurs including quarterly Spanish-led networking events and educational workshops,” said Jessica Barfield, Local First Arizona Director of Tucson Business Development. “In Phoenix and the Verde Valley areas, we have graduated 21 cohorts of entrepreneurs from Fuerza Local, our six-month Spanish language business accelerator. We think we can replicate the success of that program here in Tucson, allowing us to provide dedicated mentorship and support to more Hispanic entrepreneurs.”
Sabor de la Comunidad is part of the Pueblos Del Maiz festival from April 11-14. Immediately following the event, attendees are invited to stroll to Borderlands Brewery for a Viejo Pueblo Happy Hour featuring a brew made for Pueblos del Maiz with 60-day Tohono O'odham corn, grown at the San Xavier Co-op Farm.
Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or simply passionate about supporting local initiatives, Sabor De La Comunidad offers a unique opportunity to come together and celebrate Tucson's entrepreneurial spirit.
This event is sponsored in part by the Downtown Tucson For Everyone Grant, which aims to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in Downtown Tucson, reaching underserved communities. We extend our sincere gratitude to the Downtown Tucson Partnership and HSL Properties for their sponsorship and support of this event. Additional support for Sabor De La Comunidad is provided by Pima County Economic Development and Startup Tucson.
Register here to join us on April 11th as we come together to celebrate the flavors, cultures, and entrepreneurial spirit that make Tucson truly special.