Interviewee:
Yvonne Frontera (She/Her)
In your own words, tell us about your business, organization, or initiative.
We are a mother and son team offering Hispanic delicacies with some international fusion. We offer breakfast, lunch and dinner appetizers, main dishes, desserts & homemade tropical drinks. Corporate boxed lunches & catering are also available.
In 2018 & 2019 we donated around 300 fresh fried empanadas to our church for their annual block party. We had such a positive response that we decided to offer them on a regular basis to the church members and my work colleagues. In the late Winter/early Spring of 2020, being home due to the pandemic, I started reading a book called Money Making Moms. In this book the author asked a series of questions and, after answering all of them, I found that the food industry is where I belong. So we revamped the menu and fully launched La Frontera Sabrosa in September of 2020.
Tell us a bit about you and why you do what you do. Share your passions for your business, organization, or initiative.
The passion to cook & serve others comes from my mother & grandmother, but the cultural inspiration in our fusion foods comes from my Godmother. As a teenager I wasn’t open to trying new foods, let alone foods from other cultures other than what was cooked at home. It wasn’t until my Godmother took me to a Japanese restaurant and, after turning up my nose at sushi & tempura veggies, she explained to me the importance of culturally educating myself & being open to experiencing these cultures through their food. Now I eat food from all over the world and, believe it or not, sushi is one of my favorites. Because of this, my passion is not to just make & sell food. It’s to share my culture and others through my food and serve my customers as if they were having a meal in my home.
What is the last thing you read, watched, or listened to that had an impact on you?
Seasons 1-13 of Top Chef. I saw some of the episodes years ago but recently I’ve been binge watching it and became more connected to the world renowned guest chefs after learning the circumstances surrounding Anthony Bourdain’s death. I began reading about each of them and learning about their cooking styles, their cultures and their businesses. Then I started doing the same with the contestants on the show focusing on their successes & failures after the show, from a business POV. It made me reevaluate my current business structure & realize that, unless I take some uncomfortable risks, my future goals for the business will not be achieved.
What’s the one thing people would be surprised to learn about you or your business?
I’m not sure what would surprise people about me. I’m pretty much an open book, but I do believe that my life experiences could help others whether it be through inspiration, comfort, life lessons or the knowledge that they are not alone in their struggles. The same goes for the business.
What is Creative Collective?
Creative Collective is a group of economic development strategists, small business supporters, activation specialists, and believers in the importance of the creative workforce. We foster growth, sustainability, and scalability for small businesses, creative thinkers, organizations, entrepreneurs, and innovators. Learn more and join Creative Collective at www.creativecollectivema.com/join
