Can you share a bit about your business and what you do?

We make a popular Spanish dish called paella.

When and why did you decide to start your new business?

During the summer of 2018, we were preparing for our daughter’s first birthday. Coming from a Filipino and Spanish family, we decided to showcase our favorite foods from cultures. Instead of a Lechon (roasted pig) usually served at a big event, we wanted our main dish to be a beautiful paella! We spent the next few months practicing different techniques and ratios to prepare for the big day.

On the day of her birthday party, our guests were so impressed by the two paellas we served. It was devoured within an hour! The next thing we knew, our family and friends were requesting us to cater their event, which is how Mestizo Paella came about. 

What do you love most about running your own business?

We love how this is a family-run and operated business. Our daughter has been eating our paellas since she was 9 months old, and she is our biggest critique.

Before we put a new item on the menu, she has to approve it first. We also love seeing other people enjoy our paellas as it has traditional Spanish flavors, but with Filipino portions! 

What’s your #1 recommendation for someone who has yet to try out your menu? 

We would love to have a brick-and-mortar eventually! 

Do you have a business goal you can’t wait to hit either this year or in the future?

We love catering parties and cooking onsite! We get to closely interact with the guests, and they get to watch and smell the paella transform as we cook. Everyone enjoys taking pictures and videos of the entire process. 

Once Covid hit, we started to do pop-up events, which was so much fun! We got to meet new people and see more people enjoying our paellas. We did our first pop-up event last month (Aloha Grindz in Hayward), and now we have events lined up for the next two months!

BONUS: For all you Garlic Aioli fans…

We serve our Garlic Aioli with our paellas. It has been a huge hit. We started to sell containers of it. It’s always fun to receive messages from our friends, family, and customers telling us what they love putting our Garlic Aioli on.