DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Restaurant Association (IRA) has created a new initiative to support one of the state's fastest-growing populations. With nearly 10 percent of the state's restaurants owned and operated by Hispanic Iowans, the IRA has whisked up a new plan to support them better.
Gloria Henriquez hopes when you taste her food at Tullpa you taste her love of South America.
"It's pretty much my dreams come true. You know, it's a way for me to share my route and my background, my culture through the Des Moines people," Henriquez, said.
She is one of many successful Latino business owners the IRA is looking to for inspiration.
"The Latino restaurant community has been leading the way in a lot of really interesting aspects of the restaurant industry. So we've been looking at what they've been doing generally, and saying, let's get together," CEO of IRA Jessica Dunker, said.
After letting that inspiration simmer, a strong group of Latino restaurant owners worked in conjunction with the IRA to create the Iowa Latino Hospitality Council on June 14.
"It is a nonprofit organization that focuses on providing resources, education and community building to Latino entrepreneurs," Dunker, said.
The council will run off of grants, sponsorships and educational offerings while having Henriquez as the chair of the new program.
"The whole idea is to empower the Latino business, you know, in the hospitality field, and also to create educational programs so that way they can have better opportunities and to increase and elevate our hospitality service," Henriquez, said.
If you are a Latino business owner in Iowa the Iowa Latino Hospitality Council said it's all hands on deck.
"We are going to be trying to recruit a lot of business owners to participate in this program. Also, we're going to be sharing with them all the benefits that they can acquire," Henriquez, said.