TYLER, Texas — Co-owners Chris Berlingeri and Tahidi Perez are thrilled to open up their very own shop specializing in food that they say isn't normally found in Tyler.
"I think it's an amazing opportunity that we're bringing to the people of Tyler to be able to be exposed to this delicious food," Berlingeri said.
Berlingeri is from Puerto Rico and Perez is from Venezuela, and they're bringing foods from their home countries to East Texas.
"Empanadas, pastelitos and the arepas," Berlingeri said. "But also, we have a wide selection of cakes to try there with a grey cup of coffee."
The two emphasized they owe a lot to a class they took through the Hispanic Business Alliance that helped them take these steps.
CEO of the Hispanic Business Alliance, Nancy Rangel, says their goal is to assist people in taking their first steps into becoming entrepreneurs.
"The course is to be able to assist our Spanish-speaking community that wants to launch themselves as entrepreneurs within our region," Rangel said.
"They showed me is possible to make dreams come true, and see the business plan is possible," Perez said.
The class lasts eight weeks and is offered three times a year. Classes are taught in Spanish.
"Business law and ethics, we have a lawyer that teaches that," Rangel said. "If we talk about business, accounting and taxation, we have a CPA that teaches that. So we want to ensure that they are receiving the information and the education, not only the knowledge to learn but also from an expert."
Lemon Yellow Latin Bites is aiming to open in May off of Earl Campbell Parkway in Tyler.