The Story Behind Toast-It, a Latina-Owned Arepa Food Brand
A Journey of Entrepreneurship and Passion
Mafe Römer-Cabezas and her sister, Coco Cabezas, were first introduced to the concept of entrepreneurship at a young age through their grandparents.
A Family Legacy of Business
“My grandfather and grandmother are both immigrants from Spain,” Römer-Cabezas said. “They came to Venezuela right after the Spanish Civil War and started a steel distributing business. They [would] basically buy steel materials like sheets, tubes and construction materials. And then they would sell those as a wholesale business.”
A Move to Miami and a New Chapter
The two sisters grew up in Venezuela until Coco was in high school and Mafe was out of college. They eventually moved to Miami to continue their education. Mafe earned an MBA from the Babson F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business and got hired as a financial planning analyst for Pepsico. Coco landed a job in the banking industry.
A Passion for Arepas
It didn’t take long for the sisters to get homesick for their country’s cuisine, particularly arepas: a popular type of flatbread in Colombia and Venezuela made of corn dough and stuffed with fillings like meat or cheese.
A Solution to a Problem
“When we lived back home in Venezuela, our mom used to make arepas every day for breakfast,” Cabezas said. “And so living in the U.S., we both had hectic lives and corporate careers. We didn’t really have the time to cook, as many Americans and immigrants have the same issue. And then Coco started thinking, ‘How can I have a waffle in my freezer that I can make in two minutes or a toast or a bagel, but I don’t have an arepa, which I would love to have.'”
The Birth of Toast-It
Mafe and Coco Cabezas spoke to NBC’s Bísness School about why they decided to leave lucrative corporate jobs to launch their brand of healthy, ready-to-eat arepas, Toast-It. Their answers have been edited for length and clarity.
From Concept to Reality
“We both started with the idea of testing the waters,” Römer-Cabezas said. “We weren’t initially like, ‘OK, let’s just raise a ton of capital and make this really big.’ And I’m actually thankful for that because we were able to really listen to the very few customers we had at the time and refine the product in a way. It was such a small operation that we were able to be agile in changing things and making the product just the closest thing that our customers wanted.”
From Small Beginnings to Big Success
“We started knocking on smaller independent grocery stores, the mom and pop grocery stores,” Römer-Cabezas said. “Because we were such a small team, we didn’t even have the bandwidth or the volume to hire brokers or distributors or any of that. [Eventually], we submitted applications for other larger retailers not thinking that anyone was going to pick them up, but maybe just to get the ball rolling and get on their radars. And we eventually got a call back from Publix saying that we had gained distribution in 500 stores.”
Shark Tank and Beyond
“We ended up on ‘Shark Tank,'” Römer-Cabezas said. “The whole experience, I was just very nervous about it. But Coco was very zen. Right after we walked in the Shark Tank tunnel, it was just like a switch that came to my mind. And I was just like, ‘This is game time, and this is your opportunity. You have to do it right. There are no retakes. So if you mess up, you mess up.'”
Conclusion
Mafe and Coco Cabezas’ journey from humble beginnings to launching their own business is a testament to their passion, hard work, and determination. Their story is an inspiration to anyone who has ever dreamed of turning their passion into a career.
FAQs
Q: What inspired Mafe and Coco to leave their corporate jobs to launch Toast-It?
A: They were homesick for their country’s cuisine, particularly arepas, and wanted to create a product that would allow them to enjoy their favorite food in a convenient and healthy way.
Q: How did they get their products into Walmart stores?
A: They participated in the “Open Call” pitch competition for Walmart and were selected to partner with the company.
Q: What was their experience like on “Shark Tank”?
A: Mafe was nervous, but Coco was calm and focused. They presented their product and pitch to the Sharks and were able to secure a deal with one of the investors.
