Mexican food truck owner defies adversity, keeps a postive outlook on business

“Many people can see my business as small, but when I look at it, it has always been one of my dreams,” Rios said. 

Born in Jalisco, Mexico, to a father who owned a butcher shop, Rios knew early on in life that she had to work hard if she wanted to live out her dreams.

“You know what the business is,” her father told her. “You can work for yourself. Make your own path.” 

“When you come from Mexico, you don’t think that you can find an easy opportunity to start a business,” Rios said.

Rios became a single mom after she and her former husband separated. She met her current husband and had her other three children with him.

Her husband told her not to work and instead to focus her attention on the children. But she told him that she would not stop working because if something happened, she didn’t want him to say that she was a “mantenida” a term that loosely translates to stay-at-home mom. 

IV Potrillos’ logo was designed by Rios’ oldest son. Potrillos is a term used in Mexico to describe small young horses.

Her eldest son designed the logo as a tribute to Rios. The four horses represent Rios’ children, as she called her children her potrillos and the crown is meant to represent her. 

She opened IV Potrillos a year and seven months ago and has learned first hand about the struggles of opening up a business. 

“One of the reason’s I wanted to start my business is because I thought ‘I know too much’ and I felt that when you work for someone else, they take advantage of you,” she told the Times-News. 

When she came to the United States, Rios did not speak English but decided to learn it to get ahead. 

Working alongside white Americans, Rios said she often felt like she did not deserve more and attributed the feeling to not getting enough work opportunities despite being qualified.

Most of the time it was because her English skills weren’t the best.

She recalled one instance where someone asked her boss why they had her working if her English was not up to standard. 

“That really hurt me,” Rios said. “(Because) in this industry you work with your hands.” 

She said that while many might think that opening up a business is easy, it comes with its own set of trials. 

“I have worked for a year and seven months basically for free without receiving a salary,” Rios said.

To make ends meet, she has wanted to take out loans but one of the loan requirements is that the business be in operation for at least two years.  

Rios compares having a business to a roller coaster because it is filled with its own ups and downs. 

“I always have in mind that not every day is the same and that every day is different,” she said.

She said she has stayed afloat by signing up to do community events.

One of her customers, who is also a business owner told her that he was not able open that day because his business was not getting enough customers. Yet her optimistic spirit reminds her that if she didn’t get enough customers today, she will definitely get more tomorrow. 

“That’s how you have to think,” Rios said. 

She recalled that a friend told her that on the business venture that she would loose many friends and maybe even family. She laughed and didn’t believe her but after opening her business it saddens her to admit that they were right. 

“Right now, I can say ‘How right she was,'” Rios said. 

There have been moments where Rios did not think she could keep going with her business and has even wanted to give up.

“All of a sudden there are no customers, you think that you won’t be able to pay the bills because you have to pay for everything,” she said. 

Although financials are a big stressor for her, Rios said that for her opening a business was never about making money but rather bringing a little bit of joy to her customers. 

“Sometimes you never know what someone is going through, and even a smile can change that person’s day,” Rios said.

Damian Ponella, a regular at IV Potrillos, said he visits the food truck almost three times a week. 

He said the Rios’ cooking reminds him of Mexico and makes him feel secure knowing that he can stop by for authentic an Mexican food. 

Rios recalled the first time she served Ponella saying he told her that he was going to cry because her cooking reminded him of his mother who is still in Mexico. 

A huge support in her business venture is her youngest son Nathan Garcia-Rios, who despite being the youngest helps Rios by hiring personnel for the food truck and makes sure everything runs smoothly. 

He supports Rios’ dream by “just helping her anyway I can.”

“She’s talked about it for a long time,” Garcia-Rios said. “I’m really grateful she’s actually started.” 

Rios takes inspiration from her Mexican heritage to curate the menu. She has added sopitos, a Mexican dish from La Garita, Jalisco which draws inspiration from sopes. Rios said before she started her business she wanted to bring sopitos to the United States. 

The thought of moving her business to another place has crossed Rios’ mind but there is something that keeps her in Paul. She believes that something good is about to come.

“When something doesn’t let you move from where you are, it is because your path is being prepared,” she said. “When the path gets even harder it is because you are going down the right path.” 

She encourages other Latinos that might feel like they were born to work under someone else that there are no limits to their dreams.

“You put your own limits, you are the owner of you’re destiny,” she said. “You can do anything you want.”

Rios’ long term goal is to open a super market that serves food, as there is only one supermarket in Paul. 

“I feel like in this country, and in any others, if you work for you dreams they will come true,” Rios said.