Jenipher Mendoza moved directly to Norfolk from her lifelong home of Los Angeles. “I first came to Norfolk not thinking I’d stay as long as I have,” she said. Mendoza originally visited Norfolk because of the slower-paced life, which gave her time to recover from the stress of her hometown. This laid-back lifestyle, which was completely opposite of her life in L.A., made her consider staying in Norfolk.
She did not realize it at the time, but Norfolk was what she wanted for the long-term. Some of her relatives had moved to Norfolk a couple years before her, and they encouraged her to come spend time in the community. “They would kind of paint a picture of how everything was. My daughter’s grandma was one of the first ones to come here, and she talked about how it was a small town with a tight community,” said Mendoza. They invited her to visit and get familiar with the community so that she could form her own opinion of it.
She gave in to their suggestion and decided to try it for just a short amount of time. “One day I said, ‘Sure, it won’t hurt. If I move for a little bit and then come back to L.A., what is the worst that could happen?’”
When she visited Norfolk, Mendoza quickly recognized why her relatives were encouraging her to spend time in Nebraska. It had much more to offer than she originally thought. Returning to L.A. didn’t make sense to her after experiencing Nebraska. Instead of leaving after a short time, she found a job in Norfolk that paid the same amount as her job in L.A. At the same time, her cost of living was so much lower in Nebraska than in California that it opened an opportunity for her to begin planning for her future.
Opportunity to pursue a dream
Mendoza had always wanted to start her own business, but this dream wasn’t possible for her in L.A. The city’s living expenses were so high that it was challenging to meet her basic needs, even with full-time work. “I don’t think it would have been a possibility to open a business in L.A. with such high living expenses. In Nebraska, I was able to afford my living expenses and still generate enough income to save and get my business started. I wouldn’t have been able to find that balance in L.A. because I was struggling just to get by,” she said.
The one piece of L.A. that she truly missed was the variety of street food available throughout the city. “I found the easier lifestyle and peace I was looking for in Nebraska, but I also missed having the options I had in L.A. when going out for a treat with the kids. There were not very many local small businesses that had an environment where you could just stop and pick up some ice cream with your family,” she explained. She saw this as an opportunity and decided to open her own business in August 2022, which she named L.A. Antojitos.
One of the reasons she felt that starting a business could be a reality was the community support. This support came from both the people who purchased her food as well as from community leaders. “I didn’t personally know any business owners. No one in my family has ever owned a business. I didn’t know how to begin with the paperwork. But they were able to answer all my questions and direct me to the right places,” explained Mendoza.
She added that if Juan Sandoval, former Assistant Center Director for the Nebraska Business Development Center in Norfolk, hadn’t been there, she believes she would not have been able to do what she did. “I wouldn’t have been able to find the resources I was able to find,” she explained. He was especially helpful in getting her the necessary information and guiding her through the process of starting her business. “Even though it’s a small town, the type of resources and support they give you is impressive,” she added.
The people in Norfolk have appreciated and encouraged her, helping her establish and develop the restaurant. “I always hear positive feedback. They’ve been very welcoming, caring, and supportive. I’m grateful for that,” she said.
A family-friendly culture
Not only was Norfolk a better financial and business fit for Mendoza, she also discovered it to be a better family culture. “Once I started seeing the opportunities my daughter had here, that’s when I really didn’t want to give this up and go back,” she added. These included smaller classroom sizes, the ease of having neighbors and their kids over for playdates, and a tight-knit community where she felt safe. “I have more control over our stability when it comes to finances and everything here, which is a good feeling. In my opinion, it is a better community for raising my children. It is a small, caring community and a good environment.”
For someone visiting L.A. Antojitos in Norfolk, Mendoza recommends starting with the L.A. street-style corn on the cob, one of her best-sellers. But there are many other exciting options to try including mangoñada, which is spiced mango ice cream; smoothie bowls; mexi dogg; and L.A. apple, which is apple covered in tamarindo candy and topped with mango, jicama, Japanese peanuts, and more.
“Everything I have on my menu is linked to California. Just having that option to get something different to snack on or go get ice cream with my kids, that’s something I missed,” said Mendoza. “And I thought, you know, other people would appreciate that as well. I would never have thought of Nebraska as the place for me to move to and start a business. But with time I realized it was an opportunity that was available here. So why not take it?”