WACO, Texas — Eric Linares' love for food and the Mexican culture lead him to create his own business.
"It's main focus is kind of spreading traditional Hispanic culture and Mexican culture through food and events," Linares said.
He started Quetzal Company in 2019, a food catering and event business that came to a screeching halt when the pandemic began.
Linares is involved in a lot of community events. He's also the co-founder of the Eastside Market, and he organized the Día de los Muertos Festival in Waco in 2019.
"It was an entire season that disappeared for everyone, so we definitely had to figure out ways to pivot and make sure we stayed afloat," Linares said.
During the pandemic, Linares said he has been using the time work on his craft, revamp his business, and his food truck.
He's a strong believer that food brings people together.
"Food is like this cultural handshake, you may not experience the culture but you can taste it," Linares said.
Linares said he's optimistic because as the number of Covid-19 cases have gone down, they've been able to cater more events.
"We don't know how the future's gonna play out," Linares said. "This year has been the perfect example of prepare for anything."
For now, he's just hopeful he can continue to share the Mexican culture through his food.
Quetzal Company Facebook, click here.