Today we’d like to introduce you to Veronica Smith.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Veronica. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I always knew I loved to cook from a very young age. I always loved anything that involved in being creative. Coming from a Mexican background, we were brought up to make our parents and families proud. By following what they wanted our career path to be. For our family, it was to become an educator. So after high school, I went to college with a major in History and a minor in business. All through college I often contemplated if I would be happier following my passion for cooking. I was afraid to let the family down and also go into a male-dominated field.
One day I told my self: ‘this is not my happiness’ and I dropped out of college and drove my self back to San Diego. I didn’t go home, I went straight to enroll in a culinary arts school. When I got out of the admissions office from the Art Institute I called my family told them I was going to follow my passion and become a chef. After many years of working in the field, I had to make a decision. Keep on my path, working in a prestigious hotel that gave me what I always wanted or become a business owner and create dishes that I loved. Dishes that brought me memories of my childhood. Dishes I could be proud of serving. So I quit my job at a luxury hotel and became a business owner. I wanted to create Mexican Cusine with a healthy twist. I wanted to create something traditional to me and add some flare to it. That’s when ‘La Casita De Vero’ came about. I knew my journey would start by opening a pop-up at farmers markets, but still didn’t know how long it would take to get into one. I went to my favorite coffee shop; ‘Café Moto’ and gave some samples of my food and asked the owner if I can set up a shop in his parking lot. He told me he would love to have me there! Café Moto open their doors and I worked every weekend there for a year. Little by little I started to get into farmer’s markets. People can now find me in many farmer’s markets throughout San Diego. Locations vary from Chula Vista to Oceanside.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest struggle of my work is the weather. If it rains it can affect setup and sales. The long waiting lists to get into a market can also be a challenge at times.
Please tell us about your business.
Creating Mexican Cuisine With A Healthy Twist. We create burritos, bowls and tacos with carnivore and herbivore options. The menu is based around a “Build it your way” concept, meaning you can customize your meal anyway you want. We are gluten-free, all the food is made-to-order and all core ingredients are gluten-free and vegan-friendly. We are also handcrafting corn or cassava flour tortillas onsite. Popular items are Vegan and GF Mole Negro, 24hr. Mixed fruit wood smoked carnitas and vegan breakfast burritos.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Having received so much positive feedback, love and support from my customers. Showing off my creations on TV. Having the opportunity to be in this magazine.
Contact Info:
- Website: lacasitadevero.com
- Email: lacasitadevero.sd@gmail.com
- Instagram: @lacasitadevero
- Facebook: lacasitadevero
- Yelp: La Casita De Vero
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