What do tacos, quesadillas, and horchata have to do with the liquidation industry? To start - our warehouse team loves them. But the connection goes deeper than that. Food truck owners are talented entrepreneurs who put in the hard work to connect with customers - just like we do in the liquidation industry. In this article, we’re interviewing our good friends at the Pariente Mix food truck here in Aurora Illinois about everything from marketing and perseverance to strawberry horchata and why Leo puts mayo in his quesadillas.
Pariente Mix: A Surprise Family Success Story In Downtown Aurora
Nice Find Wholesale got started as a bin store in Farmsworth, where there were about 5 places to get Mexican Food. One day, we stumbled upon a bright green food truck - Pariente Mix. After that day, we never considered another Mexican place again! We love their food so much, they even did taco catering at Damian’s wedding this past year.
Pariente Mix is owned by a man named Leo, who got started in this business somewhat by accident. As he tells us, he was going to get pizza one day when he saw a food truck for sale. He put some thought into it and decided it would be a good business investment. His dad was unemployed at the time due to COVID, so they decided to go into business together.
Leo and his family came from Mexico City, where he has an uncle who was a “taquero” for over 40 years. He infused his Mexican heritage and his experience growing up into this food truck, bringing the same variety, color, and flavor to his menu. He got his name from the word “pariente,” which means “relative” in Spanish. Aurora has a huge hispanic population that values family; Pariente Mix was a perfect name that would be easy to remember and carry meaning to their customer base.
The Pariente Mix menu is filled with items that you recognize but with a special twist. Like quesadillas with mayo and chipotle sauce, or horchata with strawberries. These items help them stand out when there are so many options for Mexican food in town.
Over three years later, Pariente Mix has four food trucks that are doing incredibly well. We interviewed them on Cinco de Mayo this year, and they had 9 events planned for that one weekend. We’re glad to see them thriving - and we’re always happy to eat their food.
Hard Work and Entrepreneurship
How did Pariente Mix become so successful? At the end of the day, it all comes down to hard work. Many new entrepreneurs give up before their hard work ever has the chance to pay off. The truth is that entrepreneurship is very hard work. You spend a lot of nights dreaming, and a lot of days with your head down grinding hard.
Leo’s advice? Don’t quit too early. The reward always waits. If you quit too early, you’ll miss it. You never know when your success is right around the corner. Your next sale or next connection could be the very thing that pushes you over the hump and helps you reach your goals. Every day, you have to keep working hard and moving toward your goals. Too many entrepreneurs quit early - and they may end up quitting right before their work is about to pay off.
Keep working hard. You never know when it’s about to pay off.
Why Marketing Matters For Your Business
Marketing is another key element to every entrepreneur’s success. As Leo puts it, you can have the best product out there - but if nobody knows about it, nobody will buy it. You can only be successful if people know what you have.
Many new business owners are afraid to invest in marketing, and we get it. Marketing can be expensive and you have no guarantee that it will pay off. But you will not start making sales if your business model is to simply exist and hope that people stop by. You must give them a reason to visit your business - whether it’s a bin store, a food truck, or a liquidation warehouse.
The Pariente Mix Social Media Success Story
For Leo, social media has been one of the primary methods he has used to reach new customers. We’ve been impressed with their online presence for years, and for good reason. The Pariente Mix TikTok has over 3,000 followers and one of their videos has reached almost 200,000 people. For a family owned food truck here in Aurora - that’s amazing!
Leo understood from the beginning that customers want to see the food - not just read about it. When you are looking for a place to eat and you find the Pariente Mix TikTok or Instagram, you can truly imagine yourself eating their dishes.
That is what sets them apart in the food truck game! One look at these videos, and my mouth is watering. Give me those tacos now!
You might not sell tacos - but you want to give customers the same experience on your social media pages. When they see your content, they should be tempted by whatever it is you are selling.
We’re All In This Together: Learn From Fellow Entrepreneurs
We love Pariente Mix here at Nice Find Wholesale - and we believe that we have a lot to learn from each other. No matter what kind of business you operate, you can always find something to glean from a fellow entrepreneur or business person. We’re all in this together - all of us are working hard, putting in the hours, and hoping it pays off in the end. So next time you see a food truck, bake shop, or jewelry stand - take a moment to get to know the owner. You might just learn something new that can help you improve your trade.
Ready to eat some of these tacos and check out our quality truckloads and pallets while you’re at it? Stop by our warehouse right here in Chicago - we can’t wait to talk about your inventory needs over some fresh quesadillas and strawberry horchata.
Find Pariente Mix Online:
TikTok: @parientemix
Instagram: @parientemix
Facebook: Pariente Mix