Casa Fine Mexican Cuisine
Josefina Verduzco is the passionate owner of Casa Fina Mexican Cuisine. She is focused on bringing authentic flavors to the community through high-quality dishes made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Josefina first met with WESST in June 2023 seeking funding for her business. She met with our Lending team and was able to complete a Nano Loan application to purchase a laptop for her business – a small loan with a big impact, helping her streamline and enhance her bus
Catopia Cat Café
Catopia is a “Cat Cafe,” a fun place to hang out with cats and promote adoption while being able to sit, read, and eat or drink a little something while spending quality time with friends or with a new feline friend. Sandy Dierks had a self-described mid-life crisis. She says it was a “kids are grown empty nest thing,” and she has always wanted to help animals. She was reading about the rise in popularity of “Cat Cafes” and thought it would be a good business venture for Albu
Crazy Maizy’s Fabulous Popcorn Factory
Marilyn Mayse has been a huge supporter of WESST for over 15 years. Last year, she approached Jennifer Craig, WESST’s Regional Manager in Las Cruces, as a client with the idea of opening a gourmet popcorn storefront, offering an array of sweet and savory popcorn. Mayse was introduced to gourmet popcorn coincidentally at a high school sporting event. The concept intrigued her because she envisioned endless possibilities in flavors and combinations. She selected a storefront an
Cutbow Coffee
Cutbow Coffee is a coffee roastery, tasting room and coffee bar serving their own hand-selected coffee blends sourced from around the world. Their unique store is located in Albuquerque’s picturesque and historic North Valley. Paul’s passion for coffee came from his many years working as an expert roaster for Peet’s coffee in California. In 2016 Paul brought this passion back to his home state of New Mexico to pursue the dream of opening his own coffee roastery. Paul’s many f
Diane's Restaurant
For Diane Holloway, reaching a low point gave her the momentum to leap from pastry chef to successful entrepreneur. She moved quickly from no job prospects to using a $5,000 SBA microloan from WESST to grow a trio of eateries. Now, Holloway’s sought-after destinations sit within a single city block in Silver City, New Mexico: Diane’s Bakery & Deli, Diane’s Restaurant, and The Parlor. Even with her impressive list of accomplishments, Holloway is not quick to accept titles, inc
El Coco Pirata LLC
Jorge and Carmen Cruz Garza are the proud owners of El Coco Pirata LLC, a unique culinary gem in the heart of Roswell. The now-franchise owners’ journey began several years ago, when they were inspired by their love of food and desire to bring something new to their community. The Cruz Garza family encountered hurdles along the way, from complex licensing requirements and financial restraints to leasing an adequate building. Dedicated and determined, they kept going and re
Flauteria Los Borrachos, LLC
Flauteria Los Borrachos, LLC is a food truck business born during the pandemic, located in the South Valley area of Albuquerque, NM. Their specialty is flautas ciudad Juárez style and other Mexican dishes. Carmen has always been interested in being her own boss. Prior to the pandemic, she operated Hamiel Bridals, an event center and dress shop for special events, including weddings and Quinceañeras. Because of the pandemic, she was forced to shut down her business as no event
The Magic Cookery & Naples Drizzle
The Magic Cookery offers a full-service professional commissary kitchen for food service providers. Designed with the client in mind, The Magic Cookery is fully registered and compliant with the FDA. In addition to kitchen services, they offer packaging and bottling facilities. Additionally, The Magic Cookery is home to Naples Drizzle their original manufacturing brand. Naples Drizzle is a line of hot sauces that include their best selling namesake Italian hot sauce. Cheryl C
Mi Casita Restaurant
Noelia and Miguel Saens come from a long line of entrepreneurs. Several family members are experienced restaurateurs or have been involved in their family restaurant business. For eight years, Noelia and Miguel worked for her uncle’s full-service restaurant. They learned all they could, and when they felt they were ready, and had her uncle’s blessing, they started their own restaurant. They began researching the requirements necessary to open a restaurant, such as acquiring a