Today we’d like to introduce you to Anais Paniagua
Hi Anais, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born in the Dominican Republic and migrated to the United States in 2003 after my grandmother’s death “Dona Maria”. We (mom, older sister and I) specifically moved to the Bronx, NY where I was raised. Through the struggles of being a “city kid” where poverty and gang activity are common. I tried to mitigate daily struggles and knew I wanted something better for myself, even without knowing what “better” looked like. My family and I came to the United States with a visa, after almost 10 years we were able to regulate our migration status and shortly I joined the US Army. In the US Army, I quickly excelled and demonstrated what the “NY hustle” means, separating myself from my peers not only in my military career but also by obtaining my Master’s degree. 5 years past and I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus and sadly that was my cue to leave the military. Through tears, fears, and the unknown I thought about what I would do once I ETS from the military and the little dream I always had about having my own restaurant came back in mind. Before transitioning from the military my mom came to Killeen to stay with me for support since I was about to give birth to my baby boy Ryan.
With my mom being with me and after talking to my best friend Gio about my idea of the restaurant, he just said just start from home and see how people like it, that way you will know if it interests people. With being located in Killeen at the moment, I had a fear due to that city that not being predominately populated by Dominicans or Latinos, so my fear was if people were going to accept the concept. Within a couple of days, we started selling only our famous Three Hitters (Tres Golpes) on the weekends. Short enough within 4 to 5 weeks, the orders were pilling, we started only on the weekends and with only 1 item, but people were asking for more. We expanded our menu with what we could afford from home, we also expanded our hours and were delivering on the weekdays on my lunch break while my mom was cooking at the house.
Without the knowledge, funding or mentor guidance I took a leap of faith. And when I say leap, I really mean Leaaaapppp. With God, around $15,000 cash and my personal credit card, I just went for it. “Dona Maria – Dominican Cuisine was established; the first Dominican restaurant in Central Texas (located in Killeen, TX at that time). We’ve seen people driving hours just to get a taste of our food, while also crying as soon as they step inside the restaurant crying because they’re homesick, and just by looking around at the decoration you can transport yourself to the Dominican Republic.
Almost 3 years after opening, that locating I decided to move to the DFW area, through the struggle of finding a fit location, we eventually opened in Irving TX, where we have been for 3 years; learning every day, overcoming obstacles, maintain faith and always going for more while embracing who we are as a restaurant, our culture and values.
We have had the opportunity and privilege to serve the MLB teams since we opened our Irving location from our own TX Rangers to most of the visitor’s teams such as: NY Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, etc. As well as mainstream musicians as, the bachata group Aventura while their performance at the AT&T arena. We have been blessed not only by the support of those celebrities and athletes I previously mentioned but also by the amazing Dominican community which is growing tremendously in the DFW and of course everyone who had given us the opportunity show showcase the Dominican culture and tried our food, thank you all!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not a smooth road at all, but I’ve learned or still learning that we would face challenges and those don’t dictate the end stage.
– Lack of funding
– Lack of resources (e.g: mentorship)
– Knowledge in the food and beverage industry
– Being a first-time mom while working full-time
– Adjusting to civilian life after separating the military
– Health
– Divorce
– Father’s Death
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Dona Maria – Dominican Cuisine LLC?
Dona Maria – Dominican Cuisine LLC is the first Dominican restaurant in Central Texas and is now located in Irving, TX. We are a family/female/veteran owned and operated business. We showcase the Dominican culture not only by offering our delicious – homemade dishes but also by our hospitality which embraces our slogan “Transport your tastebuds to the Dominican Republic – No passport needed!
We are super proud that people are loving our concept/idea; everything that was in my head and now seeing it being materialized by God’s grace is the best feeling in the whole world.
We’ll keep innovating, creating, and nurturing what we already have.
We have empanadas Tuesday all empanadas are $1 dine-in only.
We also offer catering and also be on the lookout for our starting date of us being the first non-alcoholic drink bar offering the best drinks that you can enjoy with your whole family at any stage of your life.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
For me it has been extremely difficult especially not only because I am in the food and beverage industry but also because of the cuisine I offer. I’ve felt that in my market while keeping your vision and not watering down what you are trying to offer can be a hassle.
Being open minded has worked, looking at different perspectives and trying things out in order to see what works. If it’s not broken don’t fix it but if it’s not flowing, there’s nothing wrong with trying 127876321 times until it does. Find solutions, not excuses and execute.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/donamariadominican
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donamaria.dominican
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donamaria.dominican
- Other: https://g.co/kgs/m8e7V1w
