From Tent to Trailer: Jenny is Creating the Best Birria Tacos in Broward

Jenny had been recently laid off from her job as a chef, and she was in a rut. “I had just given birth, and the bills kept piling up. I needed to make ends meet and find a way to provide for my family.” She didn’t want to go back to the long hours of being a chef, where she had little flexibility and little time for her family. She wanted to create something on her own. “I needed something to do, some sort of inspiration to get me going again. That’s when I heard about birria tacos. I couldn’t find them in my community, but I so desperately wanted to try them. I said, I’ll just make them myself. They tasted phenomenal, and creating the recipe got me out of my rut.”

Jenny held tastings with her friends, her family, and her neighbors. Soon, the orders started pouring in. “We got a call from a brewery; they wanted us to set up a pop-up shop there.” Jenny with the Pot was on the rise, but with only a tent to work out of, she was limited. “The brewery didn’t have a kitchen, so we had to cook everything in a commissary kitchen and bring it. I was so grateful for where we were in our business, but I just felt like we weren’t growing.” Jenny reached out to Ascendus and received a loan to purchase a food trailer. “Before the loan, we were just operating out of a tent. Now, we have an entire food trailer. We’re protected from weather changes, we can get into festivals, events, and concerts. Our business grew tremendously.”

WORKING WITH ASCENDUS

Growing up in South Africa, Jenny always knew she wanted to be a chef. “I had a passion for cooking since I was a little girl. I always loved being a chef, but when I came to the USA, I was shocked to see how women in the workplace, especially those who are mothers, are treated.” After Jenny lost her job, she never wanted to go back to working under someone again. “It took a devastating toll on my mental health.” But, opening her own business gave Jenny the financial freedom she needed to provide for herself, and her community. “If it wasn’t for Ascendus, I don’t know where we would be today. Probably still in our tent. Now, I can help with my family. I can afford rent; I can afford daycare. This was something I could never afford before. I even had a second child, and I only need to work 4 days a week. I have the time to focus on my family, myself, and my world.”

Today, Jenny is thriving. She is planning to purchase another trailer, and she has even won The Best Birria Tacos Award by People’s Choice. “Working with Ascendus was amazing. When we did the taco competition, my loan consultant came to see us. She even brought her family. Who does that? She is so compassionate, caring, and supportive. Whenever I look at my trailer, I feel so happy. It is a beautiful feeling.”

To learn more about Jenny, visit: instagram.com/jennywiththepot