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Meet Cecilia Estevez of Tamales Jovita

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cecilia Estevez.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My mother Jovita had been making tamales for family and friends, but the word of mouth about her tamales spread rapidly, and she continued getting calls. My family and I had saved some money over the years. We thought about buying a home, but we decided to give it a try and start a tamales shop instead. I knew that I was going into a big commitment and a lot of work, so I took a month off from work and traveled to Mexico and Peru.

After my vacation, I started to work part-time and started looking for space. I called contractors to advise me on what type of spaces I should look for. I was lucky to find a contractor that was very helpful, and his company took care of all the work including the floor plans, permits, and the improvements.

Our official inauguration was July 1st, 2018. So far, our tamales shop has been doing very well. People are liking our tamales, and we hope to become the best tamales in North County San Diego or even San Diego.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think the major challenges are the creation of floor plans and the city permits. The review of the floor plans took very long which made the process painful and long.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Tamales Jovita – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
At Tamales Jovita, we specialize in homemade tamales. Although we have been in business for a few weeks, people are rating our tamales as authentic, soft, and tasty which was our goal since the beginning.

I am very proud that our shop is run by women. I am also very proud of my mother Jovita. She has always been very entrepreneurial since she was a child. My mother Jovita is one of the hardest working women I know, and she deserves all the credit that is why I named the business after her.

Quality is what set us apart from others. Making tamales is a very tricky process, and we hope to master this process because we strive for the perfect tamale.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I would like to start shipping our tamales out-of-state. The challenge I am facing for this is the shipping costs to the East Coast.

Pricing:

  • $1.99 single
  • $11.49 for half a dozen
  • $21.99 for a dozen

Contact Info:

Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

2 Comments

  1. María Dolores Bolívar

    August 31, 2018 at 9:21 pm

    My favorite! Most say “home made” lightly. But these tamales are truly Jovita’s homemade trademark. Don’t get stalked on one flavor, before you try them all. Still I will share my favorite ones are red pork, rajas and oaxaqueños wrapped in banana leaves. You need to order the latter ahead of time. Excellent food, great agua de jamaica. ¡He dicho!

  2. Carolina

    December 7, 2020 at 9:36 pm

    Que lindas todas Uds. !!!! Voya ordenar mis tamales hoy 🙂
    Cuidense mucho Y que Dios las bendiga.

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