Food can be nostalgic and sensory, personal and communal. It can transport you to far-off places or bring you back home. It provides sustenance and stories. Before moving to Chicago, Ana and Mario Vela’s life in Texas included a deep-rooted ritual of enjoying breakfast tacos with friends and family. With recipes passed down from her mother and grandmother, Ana’s memories are filled with the aromas and nuances of making delicious tacos.
Have a focused menu and make it great – that’s the secret sauce at Amanecer Tacos based in Evanston, IL. With something as ubiquitous as tacos, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd, but Ana has done just that. She saw an opportunity to fill a void in the market and provide authentic, flavor-diverse options for your mornings. From testing the concept with a tiny, smart-car food truck to meeting the demand of a brick and mortar shop, Ana has grown her business into something people can’t live without. Amanecer has woven its way into people’s hearts, bellies and kitchens. From kids asking for birthday party tacos to expansion into Chicago and possibly NYC and Mexico City, she is quickly on her way to building a Mexican food empire.
As a successful entrepreneur, Ana knows the power of paying it forward. Since establishing herself as a Latina business owner, she has co-founded the Evanston Latinx Business Alliance, which “started in December 2016, when a small group of Latinx business owners came together with the intention to create a marketing collaboration, and a space to advocate, promote and advance the growth of Evanston Latinx businesses.” With lacking resources and stacked hurdles for minority communities in the U.S., particularly women in those communities, what Ana is doing, with both her business and the Alliance, sets a standard and states her presence proudly. I, along with many other Amanecer loyals, can sincerely say that I am glad she’s here.
