Made with choux pastry dough piped into hot oil with a piping bag, a churro is a type of fried treat with roots in Spanish and Portuguese cuisine.
Churros were recorded as being introduced to South America by the Spanish as far back as the 1500s.
In present day, they're a North American favorite, popular at ball games, fairgrounds and Disneyland.
Steeped in history, the churro hasn't changed much over the years, although Veronica Medina is putting a very modern spin on the sweet snack.
We caught up with the owner of Churro Bar Co. to discuss going mobile with her churro business, as well as the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, embracing the support of her community and keeping her crowds happy.
Hi Veronica, thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us today! First up, what’s your background and what inspired you to start your own mobile churro business?
I have always been the decorator/party planner/cake baker/cook of the family and initially wanted to start a business in the balloon business.
While searching for inspiration on established balloon business pages, I came across a little street churro cart and instantly knew that was what I wanted to do.
Once you had decided to take that step, what was the process like buying and building your mobile bar?
I initially purchased a pop-up trade show display table which I then painted myself.
It had about 50 pieces to build and put together each time I set up!
I needed something that would easily break down and fit into my little Honda to be able to travel to each event, along with the other large machines I was using.
Although it looked cute after the paint and upgrades I made to it, that bar was not stable at all and such a pain to put together each time.
I had a vision and bought all the pieces individually and eventually it all came together.
I now have a MUCH better mobile bar (and a bigger vehicle) so I’m a lot happier with my set-up!
"I really get to live the dream, and I am so grateful every single day"
What have you enjoyed most about running Churro Bar Co.? Any favorite milestones or steps of the journey so far?
Wow - so many things that I enjoy, but overall just the community and support of everyone that has either helped get me here by booking my bar, or sharing my posts with their friends and family.
Other small local businesses also offer so much advice and help.
I thought I would do this as a part time job, but it has become full-time right off the bat - I guess that would be a milestone in itself.
The business has also allowed me to purchase a new car at the beginning of the year which is amazing.
Another cool thing was Churro Bar Co. being invited to take part in our local and most popular farmer's market throughout this spring and summer.
I really get to live the dream, and I am so grateful every single day.
What has been your biggest challenge in launching and running your mobile bar business?
My biggest challenge was the whole car thing.
I would have to load and unload this small little Honda Civic so many times each weekend - it was not fun or easy.
The logistics of everything else like getting my LLC, filing taxes, getting business accounts, business insurance, and maintaining licenses and such aren’t always fun things to do, and are challenging things that no one sees behind the scenes, but they are nevertheless necessary.
The other challenge I often face is popping breakers haha!
My machine pulls a lot of power and I often pop breakers (sorry y’all!)
We always get it worked out eventually though.
Haha it happens to the best of us! What are your upcoming plans for the business and what are you most looking forward to this year?
My upcoming goals are to see everyone in my community at least once walking around with one of my churros.
And to see as many people as possible on their special days and weddings!
Finally, what’s your 2023/24 availability?
We have imited availability through November 2023 but 2024 books are now open and ready to fill up!
Awesome, thanks for your time today and telling us more about your mobile business! Hopefully we can swing by and pick up a churro or two soon!
A big thank you to Veronica for chatting with us, and if you're interested in hiring Churro Bar Co. for your next event, you can reach out to Veronica directly via her Roll To profile.
Easily discuss the details of your big day and secure a classic, mouthwatering snack for your guests!