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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
Five years ago, Jorge Fierro started selling beans at the Farmers Market in Salt Lake. At the time, he could have never imagined that someday he’d be operating his own market selling authentic Mexican food. But having realized the popularity of Mexican cuisine in Salt Lake, Jorge decided to get in to the business. Only instead of serving Americanized versions of typical Mexican dishes, Jorge wanted to prepare his food the way it was traditionally done in Mexico; the way he remembered growing up. And rather than open a restaurant, he would prepare it in one kitchen and distribute it to supermarkets throughout Salt Lake.
Jorge wrote up a business plan, obtained financial support from the Utah Microenterprise Loan Fund and found a location for his kitchen on 8th South and 5th East in Salt Lake. His parents moved to Utah and with their help, he began preparing tamales and enchiladas to sell in area stores. Jorge sold his food under the brand name Rico.
With its location in a downtown neighborhood, Jorge’s kitchen began to attract the attention of people living nearby. People approached Jorge and asked if they could buy some tamales. He began selling them some out of the kitchen, and within little time word of the “buen sabor” quickly spread. Jorge introduced menudo and pasole, two traditional Mexican dishes, on weekends, and eventually, he added a market in the front of the building.
Today, Jorge’s business has evolved into two Rico Mexican Market & Catering stores—one, as already mentioned in Salt Lake, the other in Draper. The menu has expanded to include gourmet tamales made with such ingredients as salmon, artichokes and asparagus. The store in Salt Lake that was once a kitchen is now an entire market where patrons can sit down and enjoy fresh, authentic Mexican food or pick up an order to eat at home or the office. Jorge also does catering, and of course, he still distributes his food to supermarkets and some local coffee houses.
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
