They have their own opinions expressed by business partners.
German Sierra, founder Pana Food Truck In Santa Cruz, California, never thought that the desire to eat comfortably in childhood would make a loyal following and promoted business with its discrimination. Yelp’s Top 100 Food Truck.
“Me and my brother came to the United States in 2016 (from Venezuela),” he says. “There was no arrapas. We really eat arms in Venezuela every day, so we needed them. My brother was like, ‘Hey, why do we not make anything arms and take them on the streets, and maybe people will buy them?”
Equipped with a foil -wrapped Arpus and domestic Venezuelan juice, brothers stood outside a supermarket. They did not sell a single. A police officer stopped them, seeking a permit, they did not know that they needed. Instead of giving up, Sierra ate dinner and found a way forward.
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“Sometimes there is a slight misunderstanding among the institutions,” says Sierra. Sometimes the health department will have different rules from the city. ” “There are specific places to park. You can’t park everywhere because the restaurant is about to compete.”
As a business with a basic offer, Sierra had to sell the price of Arpus to the customers who had never heard of them.
Sierra says, “It was difficult in the beginning – and (() was still difficult – to explain to people why we do not have other utensils.”
Little adjustments, such as “chicken” or “cow meat” in the menu, helped the American dinner introduce the dish and reduce the confusion without losing. Cultural authenticity. “When consumers come, they want 30 seconds of decisions-not Half an hour to detect the menu and get what to get“Sierra says.
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As the word spread, Sierra focused on contacting consumers, eating food education with a free sample to encourage repeated visits. Initially, he acknowledged that one of the best customer experiences made people more likely to choose a pine in another restaurant.
“I just didn’t want to stay in the food truck business,” he says. “I want to be in a heart -wrenching business, because food warms your heart. This is the emotions I want to create every time.”
Now, celebrating the business for six years, Pana is growing in the truth of its roots. In 2025, Sierra and his wife, Gabriella Ramirz, opened their first brick and mortar restaurant in the city’s Santa Cruz. “It was not overnight success, and we are still growing and improving,” says Sierra. “We are just a baby, and there’s much that we can change and improve.”
For Sierra, every Aripa is an opportunity to distribute a piece of house, and to say “an Arpa Empire at a time,” an Arpa Empire, “at a time.
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After changing the Arpus’s desire in one of the Top 100 Food Trucks of Yelp of 2025 and opening bricks and mortars, Sierra’s advice for current and future business owners is clear:
- Start small but be permanent. Break great challenges in small steps and make a commitment to show your customers every day.
- Adapt your audience while remaining authentic. Customer’s education Understanding new offerings to your audience and increasing goodwill in your community can help.
- Guide with generosity. Hot service and meaningful interaction is as important as the menu. Consumers return not only for taste, but also for connection.
- Think about a big picture. For Sierra, selling arpes was never just about food-it was about creating heart warning experiences. Any platform, whether it be a food truck or a restaurant, can be a car Share your mission.
- Play long games. The construction of a meaningful thing requires time, patience and passion. If your business is not immediately successful, research on the steps you will need to take the Take to achieve small goals that make you closer to your vision.
See the above event to listen directly from the German Sierra, and subscribe Behind the review For more information from new business owners and reviewers every Wednesday.
Editorial contributions through Jiah Chu and Christie Lindhil