Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Bocanegra.
Hi Tiffany, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Tiffany Bocanegra, a Houstonian and first-generation Mexican American. Growing up I would often visit my parents’ hometown in Michoacán, where I learned to embrace the culture. I graduated from Texas A&M International University in Laredo Texas and moved back to Houston where I worked in healthcare for a few years before I decided to quit and pursue my passion to open a Mexican Ice cream shop, Michoacana Artesanal. The inspiration came from all those yearly trips to Mexico as well as the importance of cultural representation. As of now I only have one location, but I hope to soon be able to expand and open more locations in the Houston Area.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Quitting a stable job in healthcare and launching a business right before Covid was a huge risk, and there was a lot of uncertainty, but I persisted and was presented with the opportunity to relocate to a bigger location a few years later. We were faced with many delays with construction, but thankfully 6 months later we opened our doors in January of this year. Despite our efforts to promote the business, it has been a challenge to stay open with a new location and rising food costs. Almost a year later and thanks to many loyal customers, we continue to stay open with hopes that we can continue to grow our customer base while sticking to our core values. We commit to using high-quality, fresh ingredients, providing excellent service and a memorable dining experience to contribute positively to the local community.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Our mission is to provide traditional snacks and desserts the artisanal way, made with only the freshest and highest quality ingredients; we do not use any artificial flavoring or coloring. La Michoacana Artesanal LLC is a true believer in the importance of a proper representation of Mexico in the United States. We aim to build lasting connections with our community and to provide a memorable experience.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the COVID-19 crisis?
Robert Schuller once said, “Tough times don’t last, tough people do.” Just like covid 19 was just a season you have to learn to readjust. Before covid, we did not offer any kind of delivery services such as DoorDash or Uber eats, but times change, so business structures are modified. My biggest takeaway is that life is not linear; there will be roadblocks ahead just like covid and what matters is how to deal with the changes and know that better times await; you are the author of your own story.
Contact Info:
- Website: lamichoacanaartesanalhouston.com
- Instagram: michoacana_artesanal
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/MichoacanaArtesanal
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/la-michoacana-artesanal-ice-cream/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/la-michoacana-artesanal-ice-cream-houston
