- What is the mission of your company or project?
Our mission is to serve up Afro-Latinx comfort food, with a side of nostalgia and a fine dose of "Sabor". We satisfy all diets & tingle all tastebuds. We hope to illuminate how our cuisine came to be by drawing attention to the history of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the culinary treasures it produced.
- Describe the problem you are solving.
Café Mamajuana brings authentic representation to an otherwise monotonous and noninclusive food industry within Vermont. We aim to open a safe space for BIPOC living within Vermont and offer cuisine that is not only delicious-- but is true to our histories and DNA. As of now, Vermont is experiencing a Latin Product Shortage. We intend to create a market for these products & be the first to sell predominately Afro-Latinx Products in Vermont.
Our cuisine highlights our histories and DNA. We hope to eliminate the stigma surrounding ethnic restaurants and prove we are capable of excellence, freshness, & aesthetics. The whole "she"-bang. As of now Burlington, Vermont has nothing like what Café Mamajuana intends to offer.
- What is the market size/opportunity?
Our Market size is as large as we can grow without compromising our authenticity and direct involvement within our community. We will begin small, local & engaged and hopefully expand to regional markets (once equipt) & continue in excellence there as well.
- What is your company/product about and how does it solve the problem?
Our Company is interested in expressing the intricacies of human DNA by showcasing how a "Dominican Restaurant" is so much more than just one thing. We will connect the people of Burlington with Dominican, Afro-Caribbean, Taino and Spanish culture by using food as a vessel of tradition, nostalgia, and identity. We hope to unpack the intricacies of the Transatlantic Slave Trade & Colonialization by incorporating the flavors they left behind into our dishes and story. We will teach through taste and avoid appropriation through authenticity.
Why are you seeking funding and how will you spend the funding?
We are seeking funding to get this project off the ground and into a proper physical location. We intend to use the funds to build out our location (88 Oak Street in Burlington, VT), purchase restaurant equipment, and develop a healthy contingency fund.
Our team is comprised of myself, Maria Lara-Bregatta: Owner, Chef & general operator. I will be working in conjunction with a Kitchen Collective affording us access to other Chefs & Industry folks that can help us along our journey and offer sound advice. I also have the honor to work with my father-- Head Chef Luis Lara. He has taught me all I know about food. He raised me in a Dominican Restaurant of his own and has taught me (Maria) the ropes throughout the years.
A Special thanks to those who lead with an open mind and an open heart. Thank you for listening, thank you for contributing, and thank you for being you! We appreciate your generosity, time and understanding.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
Muchas Gracias.
