Alma's Restaurant
Artesia, NM Before coming to WESST, Alma Martinez was already the owner of multiple businesses in Artesia. Her journey has not been easy, but it has been gratifying. She was a young widow raising two young children when she began working as a restaurant server in Artesia. Her strong leadership did not go unnoticed, and she climbed the ranks, becoming assistant manager. The restaurant unfortunately closed as the owners choose to pursue different opportunities, leaving Alma une
EMTeas
Cuba, NM Ben Yeargin, a former wildland firefighter and current EMT, had been thinking about EMTeas for a few months before reaching out to WESST. His wife is a small business owner and has "been singing WESST's praises for years." Ben had also recently attended a workshop for Cuba-area business owners hosted by a WESST team member. When he became more serious about his idea of starting EMTeas, he reached out for assistance. Ben didn’t know exactly where to start, but he had
La Ruta de Anotjitos Mix
Albuquerque, NM Patricia learned about WESST through word of mouth and visited our WESST Enterprise Center in June 2024. During that initial visit, she learned about our services and originally had been planning to operate a fresh fruit cocktail cart. Patricia eventually scrapped that idea due to stricter health inspection requirements that the cart could not meet, but came back to WESST in November 2024 to explore the possibility of securing a loan to purchase a food truck.
AGA Smör LLC
Santa Fe, NM AGA Smör is a Santa Fe, New Mexico-based business with Swedish influence making artisanal seasoned butters with the goal of enhancing meals and simplifying the daily cooking experience. Anika’s entrepreneurial journey began with her then two-year-old daughter, who was deep in the life-changing moment of experiencing solid foods. Wanting to create more flavorful and easier options for parents, the idea of flavored butter was born. There was a steep learning curve
Amigo Café
The Amigo Café is in Kayenta, Arizona near Monument Valley on the Navajo Nation. The restaurant is open six days a week and is one of only two full-service restaurants in the township. Employing fourteen, the business is the longest continuously operating business in town. The menu is a blend of Mexican, American and Navajo cuisine. The business actively supports youth athletics, sponsors of local-area marathon runners and is a long-time donor to the local women’s shelter.
Bosa Donuts
William Cardoza is the owner of a small restaurant and bakery located in Las Cruces. Initially only donuts were sold, but eventually, William expanded his menu to include burritos, menudo, tamales, and other Mexican food. The startup process was a bit different for William since he was an employee of the business for a short period of time before taking ownership. William started as an entry level hourly worker with the company and through his hard work and determination, h
Cacho's Bistro, LLC
Ronsuelvic Cavalieri has always had an entrepreneurship spirit. She came to WESST in March of 2017 with the idea to start her company based on a popular Venezuelan pastry called cachos. She knew she had to learn the basics of forming a business, design her business plan, learn about the food industry regulations, save some money to pay for the startup costs and get proper advice and mentorship. She worked for about 9 months on developing her plan, attending training and consu
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