Santo Domingo, DR.
Despite his young age, Dahiana Bencosme, 23, and Pedro Rosario, 27 They are united by a passion: cooking. These two young dreamers and risk takers They met while studying at the Higher Community Technical Institute (ITSC).
In their international cooking class, they became very close friends. It was before the pandemic. Then Covid-19 came and in June 2020 they saw a revival new business idea that would help them pursue their technical careers.
Their desire not to be “just another group” and to innovate with fast food, led Pedro and Dahiana to found “Foodtraoa catchy name, but one that also evokes how frustrated one can be over a good hot dog, a delicious yaroa, or an unconventional burger.
These young chefs spent a year developing their idea until they opened their doors on June 25, 2021. They took advantage of the fact that in Pedro’s house, located in Los Peralejos, at kilometer 13 of the Autopista Duarte , there is an awning that has been transformed from a garage into a dream come true for “Foodtrao”.
What does Dahiana and Pedro’s business have more than other fast food companies? to this question, young people with smiles with lips and bright eyes make it clear that they use fresh ingredients and that they add their touch to each dish with a different meata type of cheese other than that traditionally used in this type of food or something even simpler like serving orders as if it were a town restaurant.
Since last year, the marquee of Pedro’s house has been transformed little by little, because the more income they receive, the more these young entrepreneurs invest, decorate the space, buy fans, renew the menu and decoration and buy useful kitchen utensils at Foodtrao.
the most innovative
The two young people are a living example of responsibility, since they are everything for their company: the cooks, those who serve customers, those who go to the market, those who clean, community managers and strategists. In order to fulfill all their tasks, they start working every day at 9:00 a.m. buying fresh ingredients and still get up at dawn to clean.
Dahiana and Pedro are innovators not only because they dared to leave their jobs to create their company, but they went further. The menu at this company is very fun and varied. The names of the dishes come from some customers who, at the beginning of the business, constantly asked for this food and from the streets of Los Peralejos such as 8 and Quisquillita, where “the famous teteos from here” are made.
“Darlenis’ favorite” is a yaroa that Dahiana’s sister ordered every night at the start of Foodtrao and “La foodtrá” is another yaroa that contains as ingredients ripe banana, beef or chicken, ketchup, mayonnaise, melted cheese, mozzarella, pepperoni, bacon and parsley. It’s hard to imagine a yaroa with pepperoni, but what makes this dish different from Pedro and Dahiana’s adventure?
The house favorite is a small appetizer called “las comparonas”, which are three units of beef-stuffed yucca dumplings served with pomodoro sauce and parsley.
The company has been so successful, little by little, without even being a year old, that other options are now available beyond what is sold at neighborhood fast food carts such as hot wings with barbecue sauce, spaghetti, grilled chicken breasts, salads and mofongo. The purpose of having these dishes is also to reach a different audience.
For Pedro and Dahiana, although the trade is now closed for many people, a good meal attracts everyone because more than filling the stomach, these young people seek to generate emotions through the sense of taste. They are not motivated by money, even if it is very important, but by having different conceptions of food because they are professionals, not empirics.
“We are a fast food place, but our aspiration is to have a restaurant and several Foodtrao branches in the city, to have more employees and to grow over time,” explains Dahiana.
help to meet
Most of Pedro and Dahiana’s orders come from a delivery app, giving them the possibility of always having customers who do not necessarily live near the company.
At first they were afraid it wouldn’t work for them, however, social media has also helped them spread what their hands are doing which is palate for the mouth.
“There are times when we sell more through the app than the people who come to buy, and sometimes we are full in both directions,” says Pedro, believing that the pandemic has left people with this habit of buying through apps. delivery platforms that help small businesses.
How are they defined?
Pedro, who is also a bartender, considers himself a very hardworking and responsible person. He worked most of his life in restaurants. His greatest desire is to grow and improve every day.
Dahiana is a lover of pasta and good food. She considers herself creative and enterprising, because before Foodtrao, she was dedicated to the creation and sale of accessories. As far back as he can remember, he loved cooking and left his career at UASD to go to ITSC to do the senior technician in Gastronomy. She is faithful that dreams come true with time and perseverance.
KNOW MORE
From zero
Dahiana and Pedro express that the most important thing about having a business is to “start” it and then perfect it. Although they are now very sacrificed, they understand that this is the price to pay to achieve their greatest dream.
For them, achieving their goals will also mean always giving the best to the customer, so every time someone consumes on site, they ask how their food was in order to optimize their food and services.
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