Nico and Fran are two entrepreneurs with a mission to introduce their innovative pistachio spread, Pistakio, to every household. In 2023 they partnered up with Hacienda’s Empresarios program to launch their business. Read more about their inspiring journey.
In 2022, Fran Voit and her partner Nico Buffo were in their senior year at Savannah College of Art & Design when they came up with an innovative business idea for one of their classes. With their shared passion for food, (and pistachios!) the two of them thought about ways to create a universally loved treat. Why pistachios? While traveling through Italy, these two entrepreneurs fell in love with its savory and sweet applications. From this unexpected inspiration came Pistakio, a spread that they call “pistachios reimagined.”
Impressed by the final project, Nico's professor urged them to bring their idea to life. His encouragement instilled belief in the potential success of Pistakio. After much deliberation, Fran and Nico embraced the unknown, eager to see where their idea could take them. “We were honestly shocked at the response we got, and that got us thinking,” explained Fran.
They soon launched an Instagram page, inviting followers to join them on their journey. In February 2023, they showcased their first batch of recipes at a farmers' market in Savannah, Georgia. At the farmers market, Nico and Fran received feedback from customers about what they liked and didn’t, which gave the business owners a better idea of what people appreciated.
"We wanted to make sure people could use the spread on anything, not just have seasonal spreads like you often see," said Fran. This commitment to creating a versatile pistachio spread led them to Portland. “We knew that this was a great place to start a business because people care for fresh and local businesses.” Their goal was clear: to tap into the vibrant community of small businesses to offer a unique, delectable nut spread unlike any on the market. “We noticed that there were nut butters and spreads, but not many pistachio-based for everyday use...” Fran added.
As Pistakio's popularity grew over time, Nico and Fran faced the challenge of meeting demand. During this time, they discovered the "Get Your Recipe to Market" course at Portland Community College. Fran luckily crossed paths with Melina Romero, the Empresarios Program Coordinator, since the Empresarios program gave an educational presentation to the class. “Melina was a presenter one day and we immediately connected after realizing we were both Ecuadorian. Soon after, we began to search for a kitchen to produce and she told us about the commissary kitchen, so we went immediately!” recounted Fran.
The Portland Mercado commissary kitchen provided Nico and Fran with the space to scale up production, fueling their ambition to create more products. They soon became clients of the Empresarios program, where they were paired with Flavio Gracia, their personal business advisor. On one occasion, through the guidance of the Empresarios program, Fran and Nico pitched their ideas to a local grocery store, gaining invaluable insights to propel their progress. "I vividly remember seeing Fran and Nico's dedication and passion during the pitch meeting. Some board members said that it was the best presentation they had heard," shared Melina.
The relentless determination and hard work of this dynamic duo have undoubtedly paid off. Their success is also due to the unwavering support of many. "It was because of a lot of people's support we are here now and in less than a year. I’m grateful for Melina and the Empresarios team, all the vendors, and the people who have supported us. We are grateful for it all.," expressed Fran.
Looking ahead, Pistakio will be available for national purchase through their website beginning February 26th, 2024. Furthermore, Fran and Nico are eager to launch a second savory Pistakio spread in 2025 and explore additional flavor variations. “We want to create variations and fun collabs of our sweet one since it has been loved by so many already. And we're super excited (and nervous) for our launch coming up really soon!” shared these amazing entrepreneurs. Congratulations, Fran and Nico, on an extraordinary and inspirational beginning!
Ready to start your food-related business? Learn more about our Empresarios program.
Do you have an idea for a new business or a product or service that expands your current business? You could win $20,000 for your entrepreneurial journey.
Hacienda CDC’s Empresarios programming supports entrepreneurs to start, grow, and scale their businesses. Read more about our featured Empresario and learn about our amazing community of small business owners.
Country of Origin:
Sinaloa, Mexico
Significance of Name:
The store name is a tribute to the mother’s name.
Goals for Business:
Brendas goal is to someday be able to grow her business enough to offer a job to community members and to potentially be able to have to give out scholarships to students and people who are in the financial need or with obstacles which limit their resources such as DACA.
Meet Brenda Reyes
She is the owner of Tienda Doña Maria. Brenda moved to the U.S. in 1995, and is a current DACA recipient. She grew up in the NE Cully neighborhood all her life, alongside her family. As she grew up, she realized there was a lack of stores that offered products from Latin America and the services that her community used. This is what sparked her entrepreneurship. Her goal to provide for the neighborhood and surrounding areas to help out those who had limitations with regards to travel and the language barrier.
Tienda Doña Maria
Tienda Doña Maria is a Mexican grocery store where you can find phone cards, money transfers, pay bills, shipments and much more! Established in 2009, the store has supplied the community around Hacienda CDC’s headquarters with groceries, and services which commonly used.
This program is built to help businesses and their communities thrive with a focus on economic growth.
Hacienda CDC is partnering with Comcast to get the word out about Comcast RISE, a grant program for small businesses that opens June 1st!
This program was created in 2020 to help small businesses hard hit by COVID-19 recover and thrive. As small businesses transition from pandemic recovery to a focus on expansion and growth, Comcast will continue its efforts in 2023 to help an even broader range of small businesses while focusing on diversity, inclusion, and community investment.
“We are thrilled to partner with Comcast to help spread the word about Comcast RISE and make sure small businesses know about this opportunity and submit an application,” says Ernesto Fonseca, Hacienda’s CEO. Year-round Hacienda helps entrepreneurs who are interested in starting or growing a business with technical assistance and connection to resources through our Empresarios program.
Comcast RISE stands for Representation, Investment, Strength, and Empowerment. Comcast will award grant packages to 100 small businesses in Multnomah County, including those owned by women, people of color, and individuals committed to uplifting their local communities. Valued at approximately $40,000, the grant packages will include the following:
Business consultation services
Education resources
$5,000 monetary grant
Creative production, media, and technology makeovers
From June 1-30, 2023, small businesses in Multnomah County can learn more and apply for Comcast RISE at www.ComcastRISE.com. We will be hosting drop-in application hours at Portland Mercado and the Cully Learning Center in June. Stay tuned for dates and times!
Comcast will notify the winner in August.
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———————————————————————————Begin the application process…
Hacienda CDC’s Empresarios programming supports entrepreneurs to start, grow, and scale their businesses. Read more about our featured Empresario and learn about our amazing community of small business owners.
Name of Business: Paola Zararte Insurance
Country of Origin: Mexico City, Mexico
Goals for the Business: Help customers identify the insurance coverage that best fits their needs.
Paola’s Story
Paola has a deep appreciation for family, which inspired her to follow in her entrepreneurial parents’ footsteps to open her own business. Originally she attended school in Mexico City, and eventually graduated from Washington State University, where she worked in the industry before starting her own insurance agency 6 years ago. She enjoys the flexibility and opportunity that business ownership offers, especially as she begins her own family and advances her career as a professional business woman.
About Paoala Zarate Insurance
Meet Paola Zárate , she is an affiliate of Farmers Insurance agency, providing services to organizations, individuals, families and businesses. Identifying an insurance disparity among newcomers to the United States, Paola Zárate insurance exists to inform the community of the benefits and importance of having insurance. With a dedication to community prosperity, Paola offers insurance, retirement planning and much more. As your local Farmers® agent in Portland, OR, she help customers like you identify the insurance coverage that best fits your needs. This process is straightforward and personalized to help make you smarter about insurance. She has the knowledge and experience to help you better understand your coverage options--whether that's auto, home, life, renters, business insurance and financial services.
Learn more about our Empresarios program and other businesses at the Portland Mercado.
Hacienda CDC’s Empresarios programming supports entrepreneurs to start, grow, and scale their businesses. Read more about our featured Empresario and learn about our amazing community of small business owners.
Name of Business: Fernando’s Alegria
Country of Origin: Tolca, Mexico
Goals for Business: They hope that the Mercado will be a success, be able to cater events and eventually, they would like to own a restaurant.
Fernando’s Story
Fernando Rodriguez has worked hard to build his business into a success and set a name for himself in the industry. A toluqueño de corazón, Fernando appreciates this opportunity to make something that encompasses what el sabor mexicano means.
About Fernando’s Alegria
Your experience at Fernando's begins the moment you the Portland Mercado. The smell of culinary creativity will draw you to Fernando's cart, where you will always be welcomed with open arms. Fernando's puts a creative spin on classic burritos and wraps. From mojito vegan wraps to carnitas burritos, there is something to be found for everyone on their extensive and innovative menu. And for those who so not like the wrap or the wheat tortilla, you can have a deconstructed burrito!
Learn more about our Empresarios program and other businesses at the Portland Mercado.
Hacienda CDC’s Empresarios programming supports entrepreneurs to start, grow, and scale their businesses. Read more about our featured Empresario and learn about our amazing community of small business owners.
Name of Business: Alecocina
Country of Origin: Argentina
Goals for Business: Showcasing the Argentinian culture through the flavors and dishes which highlight their culinary excellency.
Alejandra’s Story
“Mi nombre es Alejandra Kochanowski, de Argentina. llegue a Los Angeles, California en el año 2001 a los 29 años con el sueño de tener mi propio negocio de comida Argentina .
A los 13 años de edad, comencé a trabajar y siempre tube el sueño de ser una Empresaria para poder tener mi propio negocio y poder ayudar a quienes más lo necesiten. En el año 2003 conocí a mi esposo, Daniel Kochanowski con quien mi sueño se comenzó a hacerse realidad. Tuvimos Dos Hijos Agustin y Brian, quienes hoy son mi motor y razón para no abandonar este gran sueño de ser dueña de mi negocio.
Con el tiempo comencé a cocinar para fiestas en mi iglesia y para eventos privados. Poco a poco todos me ayudaron a llevar adelante mi Sueño de tener mi propia casa de comida típica de mi país, ARGENTINA! Fue eso lo que me brindo la oportunidad de poner mi propio negocio en Portland Mercado, al cual estoy muy agradecida con HACIENDA CDC por esta gran oportunidad que me están brindando. Deseo con todo mi corazón llegar al corazon de toda la comunidad Latinoamericana con mis DELICIAS ARGENTINAS!”
About AleCocina
AleCocina has always focused on showcasing the Argentinian culture through the flavors and dishes which highlight their culinary excellency. With a focus a Sandwiches and Empanadas it is the perfect place to buy food to-go, ideal for taking at home or dining near by at a park. Also, perfect for bigger things such as catering your work team or family dinner! Aside from these options which are available in many stuffings, AleCocina also caters pastries and deserts. Be sure to check out her facebook for examples of her recipes!
Learn more about our Empresarios program and other businesses at the Portland Mercado.
Hacienda CDC’s Portland Mercado is the hub for our Empresarios programming that supports entrepreneurs to start, grow, and scale their businesses. Read more about our featured Empresario and learn about our amazing community of small business owners.
Name of Business: Que Bacano!
Country of Origin: Cali, Colombia
Significance of Name: "Qué Bacano!" is colombian slang used to describe something as cool, hip, or radical
Goals for Business: Building a relationship with the community is most important to Andres. They plan to introduce Colombian history and culture to the community by sharing their authentic Colombian recipes and food.
Andres’s Story
Meet Andres Felipe Perez he has been part of the development of the Mercado since 2013. Originally a dentist in Colombia, Chef Andres learned culinary skills from his grandmother and from studying in Italy. In order to prepare for their first business, a food cart, Andres worked in various restaurants, including Pambiche and La Carreta, and selling food at various farmer's markets in the city. Que Bacano! brings their regional flavors of Colombia to the Portland Mercado.
About Que Bacano!
Qué Bacano! is on a mission to introduce us to rich gastronomy and culture of Colombia that is uncommonly known in Portland, by introducing us all to a deliciously unique culinary experience. Their menu is filled with traditional Colombian dishes, such as arroz con pollo, arepas, empanadas, and sancocho, treats one would find in town and cities across Colombia. Their home country is truly as diverse in landscape as it is in cuisine -- from the Caribbean sea to the Pacific Ocean - the amazon jungle to the foothills of the northern Andes mountain range, !Qué Bacano!
Learn more about our Empresarios program and other businesses at the Portland Mercado.
Hacienda CDC’s Empresarios programming supports entrepreneurs to start, grow, and scale their businesses. Read more about our featured Empresario and learn about our amazing community of small business owners.
Business Name: BARRIO
Country of Origin: California
Goals for Business: To be an integral part of the Portland Mercado as a social enterprise which brings people together and gives them a reason to stay and come back.
Chris’s Story
Chris Shimamoto, the owner, partnered with the Portland Mercado to open BARRIO a social enterprise beer and wine bar. Their other venture, the wine nomad, is a mobile wine bar that provides wine and beer on tap at events throughout the region. Their expansion into a full-time space at BARRIO compliments their knowledge and expertise in the beverage and events industry, and our desire to build a sustainable project.
About BARRIO
Cultural beverages to compliment your cultural foods and services!? Si, Señores! This small "Old World style Cantina" is located on the Northwest corner of the building, serving up wine in bottles and draft from regions of Latin America and cold, crisp beers to accommodate everything from the spiciest of dishes to the more delicate flavors. For your convenience, BARRIO leads both directly into the market hall, where you can eat food and drink, and to their patio, providing indoor and outdoor eating and drinking options at the Mercado. It is even outfitted with a covered, heated patio for the less tropical Portland months. It's a comfortable laid back space where you can hang out and enjoy. Our hope is that we've created a unique and alternative option to other drinking establishments in the neighborhood.
Learn more about our Empresarios program and other businesses at the Portland Mercado.
Hacienda CDC’s Empresarios programming supports entrepreneurs to start, grow, and scale their businesses. Read more about our featured Empresario and learn about our amazing community of small business owners.
Name of Business: Xōcotl
Country of Origin: Mexico
Significance of Name: Xōcotl: Náhuatl word meaning "fruit".
Favorite Dish: Tangy Sweet & Sour Spiced slushie made with natural frozen mango and pineapple blended with fresh squeezed lime and pineapple juice topped with fresh mango, homemade "Chamoy" sauce and powdered chili pepper
Vanessa and Omar’s Story
Meet Vanessa and Omar, Xōcotl’s owners, hope to bring the symbolism of our pre-Hispanic roots to PDX. Xocotl transforms fruits and vegetables into beverages and nutritious foods that fill us with life and health.
Vanessa and Omar grew up in Mexico City and emigrated to Oregon in 2002. Their entrepreneurial spirit and past business experience eventually drew them to the Portland Mercado’s Entrepreneurship Programs. On March 2018, they launched “Xōcotl - Fresco & Natural”, their first business in the United States.
About Xōcotl
In the Aztec worldview, the tenth month of the calendar is called Xōcotl-Huetzin (the fall of the fruit). It was a time to harvest and celebrate the "the dead days”. The "Xōcotl", a red fruit, was placed on top of a polished pole, symbolizing the tree of fertility. Young men would dance around and climb the pole to knock down the Xōcotl.
Great taste is the name of the game and we're committed to stepping up to the plate. To get the fresh flavor we're known for, your juice is made fresh after you order. We refuse to compromise on quality at our juice bar. We only use 100% natural ingredients. No added sugar or preservatives
Learn more about our Empresarios program and other businesses at the Portland Mercado.
Hacienda CDC’s Empresarios programming supports entrepreneurs to start, grow, and scale their businesses. Read more about our featured Empresario and learn about our amazing community of small business owners.
Name of Business:
Creole Me Up
Country of Origin:
Haiti
Significance of Name:
The name Creole Me Up came from the language and and traditions from Haiti. In the perspective of Elsy, the Creole food made and cooked here is not up to par thus she decided to “Creole Me Up” some food.
Goals for Business:
“My goal for the next five years is that when anyone thinks of Haiti, they think of the food, drinks and flavors and not the negative stuff depicted in the media. I want people to have that connection of the food with Haiti and not the poverty and negative perspectives of Haiti. I want people to know Haiti through food and to make Pickleez known.”
Elsy’s Story
Meet Elsy Dinvil she left a decade-long career in the financial sector to start Creole Me Up, a restaurant and catering service specializing in the foods and experiences that Dinvil grew up on with ingredients such plantains, beans and rice and other staples from her Haitian upbringing. Her restaurant was part of an ongoing trend in the industry toward temporary "pop-up" restaurants, which offer customers unique food items and experience for only a few days, or a few hours, at a time prior to Covid-19. With a growing audience base and popularity lost, it is clear that Dinvil has taken a huge hit to her business, however, she is currently focusing on selling packed products such as her delicious Pickleez.
“My name is Elsy and I am originally from Jérémie, Haiti. Haiti is divided into departments, much as the US is divided into States. Jérémie is the third largest city of Haiti and is part of the Grand’Amse department. In 1991, I came to America with a full ride scholarship to study in the United States. I was among just 20 Haitian students selected for this great opportunity. I studied Food Science Technology, graduated, and then, as part of the scholarship agreement, returned to Haiti for two years. I came back to the United States in 1999 after working at the United States Agency for Development (USAID) for two years and at CARE-Haiti for six years.Currently, I am in the process of completing my MBA with a concentration in strategy. I grew up in the kitchen. In fact, in Haiti, girls don’t have a choice. As soon as my mother started cooking, my sisters and I were in the kitchen helping with all sorts of chores and my main task always was to crush the ingredients to make the épis (marinade) of the day to marinate the main meat for dinner.
Needless to say, I love to cook and enjoy bringing close and new friends together over tasty food. My business, Creole Enterprises LLC, was launched on August 21st, 2017 after a six-year-long struggle with digestive issues and a colon surgery. I have a solid understanding of how foods can nurture and heal the body, and at the same time, negatively affect someone’s health. I am especially focused on helping people overcome health challenges through simple choices in the food they eat. My goal is to provide chemical and allergen-free plant-based products with rich flavors, which offer an alternative in the kitchen, all while staying true to my Haitian roots, culture, and background. This is the biggest inspiration behind my business.
I recently published a book, Cooking With My Mother that is available on Amazon. This book is filled with over 100 easy-to-follow popular Haitian recipes. My company also offers cooking classes. If you would like to participate in one of the classes, you can either follow us on Instagram, visit this website often, or join our email list. If you cannot attend our classes, just get a copy of the book! My company also caters for small and big events. Reach out to us if you would like to serve Creole foods cooked with the simplest ingredients that sink well with your guests’ bellies.”
About Creole Me Up
Creole Me Up focuses on bringing and highlighting the flavors and the true culture of Haiti to the Northwest. The goal is to expose a different perspective of what Dinvil knows as home vs what is portrayed by the media. She wants the community to see Haiti for its beauty and culinary excellence vs the hardships and poverty.
Learn more about our Empresarios program and other businesses at the Portland Mercado.