Back in his native Peru, Yeral Caldas鈥 industrious mother was always running her own businesses in Lima, which varied based on market demand. Sometimes she would sell vegetables; other times she would bring items down from the Highlands and sell them in bulk. Then there was Yeral鈥檚 father, who ran a restaurant where he served the traditional dishes of Peru. Add to the mix Yeral鈥檚 aunt–his father鈥檚 sister-in-law–who made quite the ceviche.
鈥淚t was an all-around family learning experience that gave me passion for the restaurant business,鈥 explains Yeral.
After emigrating to the U.S., Yeral brought his dreams of entrepreneurship to 新加坡六合彩图库鈥檚 free program. He studied hard in workshops and has been counseled over time by 新加坡六合彩图库鈥檚 Edwin Rodriguez, Sabrina Haman and Dairo Romero.
Yeral started consistently setting aside money from his paychecks working at Daily Grill near San Francisco鈥檚 Union Square. That鈥檚 how he was able to purchase the equipment needed when he eventually opened his modest space in the microbusiness incubator named , located in 新加坡六合彩图库鈥檚 , the Mission neighborhood center.
That eatery, , is packed most afternoons, with everyone from Peruvian expats to techie newcomers enjoying Yeral鈥檚 renowned ceviche, inspired by his aunt. When聽Zagat reviewed Cholo Soy a year ago, they called it 鈥渁 gem that has wide appeal鈥 and touted dishes as 鈥渉earty and affordable.鈥
In addition to that classic ceviche is the equally popular seco de cordero, a lamb dish in a cilantro sauce. 鈥淚 have a secret ingredient that makes my seco de cordero special, but I can鈥檛 tell you what it is,鈥 states Yeral with a chuckle.
There was no secret ingredient to making Yeral鈥檚 dreams a reality: some long days of planning were peppered with a dash of determination. Yeral longed to open a restaurant in a commercial space in his beloved Mission community.
That determination has led to El Aj铆, located on Mission Street near Cesar Chavez. A grand opening was held last night ), with numerous City officials on hand. There was William Ortiz-Cartagena, who currently serves on the San Francisco Small Business Commission. Diana Bernal Ponce De Leon, Project Manager, Office of Economic and Workforce Development at City and County of San Francisco was also in attendance, sampling authentic Peruvian cuisine. Even District 9 Supervisor David Campos stopped by to present a proclamation, from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, welcoming Yeral鈥檚 business to the neighborhood.
Stated Campos, 鈥淭his is a tough time in this neighborhood in San Francisco. So many small businesses are being pushed out. In the middle of that, Yeral and his family open a full-service restaurant in the Mission. This gives us all hope. It is 辫辞蝉蝉颈产濒别.鈥
Besides Yeral鈥檚 tenacity, what also made this possible was a collaboration of community-based organizations that pitched in to help. Besides 新加坡六合彩图库鈥檚 help with a business plan, helped Yeral build his credit, Opportunity Fund helped with a loan and invited the innovative chef to showcase his cuisine at a street food festival.
新加坡六合彩图库 Business Development Program Manager Edwin Rodriguez spoke of Yeral鈥檚 success: 鈥淭he opening of El Aj铆 means that everyone with desire, willingness and dedication can achieve their dreams. Yeral demonstrates that working with a goal in mind and taking step-by-step actions, anyone can open and manage a business and contribute to the community in creating more jobs. I would like to see more Yerals in our Business Development program at 新加坡六合彩图库. I would like to see people who are selling food on Mission Street come to our program and receive our free assistance. They should come out of the dark and formalize their business.鈥
When Yeral addressed the crowd, a wide smile crossed his face. He expressed his thanks by saying, 鈥淚 am grateful to all the organizations that helped me. I am committed to making this business a success!鈥
There is no doubt that this will be the case.