Today we’d like to introduce you to Johnnie Garcia & Jacob Sanchez.
Hi Johnnie & Jacob, 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 backstories with our readers?
Hi, we are Herbiveats Comida Del Sol
We started this business in May of 2020, peak lockdown and COVID. I had gotten laid off of my job I was currently at due to the pandemic and Jacob had just moved down from Pennsylvania. Navigating the pandemic was such a whirlwind of emotions because it kept us in our solitude for days on end. I always had a culinary degree and knowledge of nutrition and veganism under my belt, but never the tools to know what to do with it, or better yet the time and willpower to start my own business. After months of confinement, I decided to make a choice, and pursue something with what I had. With the support of our family and friends, I started off cooking out of my parents’ home kitchen and began with one client. By the second week we had 45 meals, the third week we were making 75+ meals and keeping a steady pace with regulars. it all started booming overnight and got to the point of Jacob quitting his job to help me full time. Once Jacob started helping me it was so much easier and simpler to navigate the kitchen being that he was my sous chef and so the Herbiveats duo began. The first year was solely focused on building a clientele and perfecting our crafts as we continued to grow and venture into more culinary delicacies as well as refinement. We began looking into where our food is sourced and what we feed our loyal customers, and how we ensure the maximum amount of nutrients are provided to our customers. From supporting local farmers at the farmers market, to buying directly from farmers like Texas Fungus, and Profound Foods Microfarms, we began to feel not only more confident but proud of what we were serving. By the second year of Herbiveats in 2021, we were doing pop-ups every weekend at local breweries, PopUpDFW, global holistic festivals, events curated by local farmers, personal in-home dinners with private clients, and our first catering gigs! We continued to branch out into fine-tuning our techniques and introducing ourselves to new environments meeting so many incredible people, business owners, and creating connections as well as friendships. We have organically grown our business to nearly 1500 Instagram followers, a website, and a wonderful support system from all of those who surround us. It has been a long road, moments of discouragement, but most of all perseverance and tenacity to continue serving our communities and bringing them healthier alternatives.
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?
It has definitely not been the smoothest road, but it’s a road that we travel fueled by our passions and belief in ourselves and our mission. We have had the best times with watching Herbiveats grow into what it is today, but we can’t deny it’s been anything but linear. We’ve had nights where we got 30 minutes of sleep before an 8-hour event followed by meal preps the next day, we’ve had burn marks, trips to the ER and hand surgeons from mistakes in the kitchen, and overheating at pop-ups in 90+ degree weather over a grill. We’ve had wonderful times like people sharing with us how our food took them back to their abuelitas, or how our food has helped them overcome struggles with health issues and dependency on fast foods. At the end of the day, it takes hard work, consistency, faith, and most of all heart to be in this line of work of serving others. It is truly a labor of love, love for our herbiveats familia, our friends, family, and the planet we live on and all who inhabit it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We are Herbiveats Comida Del Sol- Vegan Private Chefs, Catering, Meal Preps, and Personalized Meal Plans in the DFW and beyond. We specialize in versatility and innovation in and out of the kitchen and growing our recipe reservoir, and portfolio providing everyone with a taste of home or the taste of each of the corners of the world. We do not succumb to one singular style of cooking; however, we always bring our knowledge and roots of our Mexican culture to every plate we serve. We are most proud of where we come from both individually and as a whole, our balance is harmonious and allows us both to bring such vibrant and flavorful elements to all of our dishes. Both of our households growing up were traditionally Hispanic upbringings that exposed us to the taste and love that is poured into traditional Mexican cooking. Being able to veganize something that we all grew up loving is a special kind of feeling, and experience that we are grateful for every day. Our unique approach to the culinary world and our age sets us apart from others because it gives us a special perspective and drive being first-generation business owners.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
We have learned to value time with our loved ones and each other most of all, and to cherish life as a whole because every day is a blessing. We’ve learned to be grateful for the little things, like smelling flowers at the grocery store or being in a crowd of people at a festival under the night sky. Change is a constant and you have to be willing to bend at any given moment to what life throws your way. Your comfort zone can get to be a shell, and it’s important to take leaps of faith from time to time and allow yourself to fall because the thrill of life is its unpredictability. Don’t wait for the perfect time, because that moment is always.
Contact Info:
- Email: herbiveatssolfood@gmail.com
- Website: Herbiveats.com
- Instagram: @Herbiveats
- Twitter: @HerbiveatsTx
