Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Vasquez.
Hi Jennifer, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Pa’Lety was born from a long line of entrepreneurs in my family. My father and grand father established and owned many restaurants in Texas from the 60s through the 90s. Including the first ever Mexican restaurant in our small Texas town. This spirit of service to community and connection through food and treats lives strong in me. I have always wanted to own a Paleteria. It’s been a dream of mine that has always lingered in the back of my head. Mari (My partner) and I both own Pa’Lety. We met in 2022 and a large part of our outings involved sharing our cultural comfort foods with each other. Mari is from Puerto Rico. This is when I introduced her to mangonadas, fresas con crema, aguas frescas and she introduced me to limbers, coquito, Puerto Rican coffee, etc. It was such a fun way to bond. Of course we then began to learn which places we loved and which we could do without visiting again. This really reigniting my dream of owning my own business.
Truth be told I am terrible at having a traditional 9-5 job. This, as well as the fear and violence against our communities on a macro and micro level, Mari and I decided we wanted to counter all of the heaviness in the world with something positive and comforting. This is how Pa’Lety became. It’s our attempt at being comfort, peace and joy to our community.
Pa’Lety is named after my mother, Lety. Though my entrepreneurial spirit comes from my father, my strength comes from my mother and I wanted to dedicate it to her.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Running Pa’Lety has not been easy. We started with a very small budget to begin with. In a lot of ways it was a Hail Mary. The first issue we ran into within a month and a half of business on Singelton Blvd. The lot owner, of whom we rented the space to sell from, released his aggressive dog without warning and it attacked a bystander and their dog near our truck. Though, the city quickly determined we had no fault, the owner of the dog felt differently. This unfortunately lead to us deciding it was best to find a new location. Which lead us to a new location on Maple Avenue. This unfortunately then lead to us being robbed and the thing that hurt the most was having our generator be stolen. Without it we cannot operate at all. However, the bright side is that this led us to our currently location back on singleton. Our original home and were our community is and was being built. There have been many more smalls bumps in the road but these two by far have been the toughest. Finding a great location to park the truck with great visibility that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg has been the biggest hurdle of the whole business.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Pa’Lety is a mobile aguas frescas and Puerto Rican coffee trailer inspired by the snacks and drinks we grew up with in Mexico and in PR.
We specialize in handcrafted aguas frescas, Puerto Rican coffee, fresas con crema, and other treats made with a focus on made from scratch, quality and fresh products. One thing that sets us apart is that we try to create options that everyone can indulge in including our signature dairy-free fresas con crema that has become a major hit.
What we’re most proud of is seeing people come back again and again, bring their families and friends, and being welcomed and embraced by our community.
What makes you happy?
The positive feedback that we receive from new recipes that we create and spend hours trying to perfect. When people bring their family or friends because “they have to try this new place”. It feels amazing.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Pa.lety_cafecito.aguasfrescas
