The Fremont Podcast
Episode 121: Exploring Handmade Mexico in Fremont with Jessica and Coco Enriquez
In this episode, we chat with Coco and Jessica at Enriquez Creations in Niles, where we learn how a hobby blossomed into a thriving family business. Including the name "El Puesto" in honor of Coco's grandfather, the shop's journey is a testament to the importance of adapting to community needs. From adjusting store hours to meet local business trends to sharing stories of cultural connections, Coco and Jessica's testament paints a vivid picture of personal passion and community enrichment.
We hear from them of their imports from Mexico, emphasizing the personal connections and cultural significance of handmade goods. Hear touching stories of supporting street vendors and the meaningful traditions behind items like Oaxaca's alebrijes. Alongside tales of navigating the balance between storefront operations and local fairs, this episode celebrates the joy of cultural appreciation and the resilient spirit of family-run businesses.
If you are interested in supporting the podcast, please reach out to us at thefremontpodcast@gmail.com, or you can contact us here.
Petrocelli Homes has been a key sponsor of The Fremont Podcast from the beginning. If you are looking for a realtor, get in touch with Petrocelli Homes on Niles Blvd in Fremont.
Founder: Ricky B.
Intro and outro voice-overs made by Gary Williams.
Editor: Andrew Cavette.
Scheduling and pre-interviews by the amazing virtual assistant that you ought to hire, seriously, she's great: your.virtual.ace
This is a Muggins Media Podcast.
In this episode, we chat with Coco and Jessica at Enriquez Creations in Niles, where we learn how a hobby blossomed into a thriving family business. Including the name "El Puesto" in honor of Coco's grandfather, the shop's journey is a testament to the importance of adapting to community needs. From adjusting store hours to meet local business trends to sharing stories of cultural connections, Coco and Jessica's testament paints a vivid picture of personal passion and community enrichment.
We hear from them of their imports from Mexico, emphasizing the personal connections and cultural significance of handmade goods. Hear touching stories of supporting street vendors and the meaningful traditions behind items like Oaxaca's alebrijes. Alongside tales of navigating the balance between storefront operations and local fairs, this episode celebrates the joy of cultural appreciation and the resilient spirit of family-run businesses.
If you are interested in supporting the podcast, please reach out to us at thefremontpodcast@gmail.com, or you can contact us here.
Petrocelli Homes has been a key sponsor of The Fremont Podcast from the beginning. If you are looking for a realtor, get in touch with Petrocelli Homes on Niles Blvd in Fremont.
Founder: Ricky B.
Intro and outro voice-overs made by Gary Williams.
Editor: Andrew Cavette.
Scheduling and pre-interviews by the amazing virtual assistant that you ought to hire, seriously, she's great: your.virtual.ace
This is a Muggins Media Podcast.
It would be safe to say that most of the stuff in this store is from people who are working out of their homes. Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2:Easy and it's really interesting and it's a whole new experience. You know, growing up I went to Mexico. It was just you know. Oh, we're going to visit family, it's for fun, you know, but if it wasn't for this job, I wouldn't have been able to experience Mexico the way I'm experiencing it now. And so being able to go into these homes, talk to the families that are working, because it's not always just like adults that are working, it's like anywhere from, like you know, ages 18, 15, 16, you know, trying to support their parents at home.
Speaker 2:So it's like all these families you know that are working and it's really cool to see just how everything is created and everything's by hand.
Speaker 4:Coming to you straight from Fremont, California. This is the Fremont Podcast, dedicated to telling the stories of the past and present, of the people and places of the city of Fremont, one conversation at a time.
Speaker 5:I'm in a shopping center across the street from Ohlone College to talk about building space around community. This is the shopping center with the Mission San Jose post office in it and some restaurants. The reason I'm here is not really the restaurants, although it is. It's the tables that I'm sitting at. Right now they blocked off a section of the parking lot that nobody was really using anyway and they put out tables, and this was a while ago and it's very popular. People can go to all the different restaurants that are here and it's quiet and it's safe and the street that goes past here is also pretty quiet. Anza, we're right across the street from a local history museum. There are a few bike racks here. There's an alleyway that goes past a preschool. I mentioned restaurants and there are some and there are more coming. I'm sitting next to a small building that's being renovated and it's going to be a boba tea place and a burger shop. So the restaurants are popular and there will be more of them soon. But the thing that dominates the mission area are these after-school education centers and, for what it's worth, a place where kids can learn Kung Fu. My point with bringing that up is that at some point during the afternoon, the kids are done and, with this space, the ones who are a little older can safely and organically hang out here. If you're interested in getting into the academics of it, this is a third place, but this isn't much. This is just some tables in the end of a parking lot.
Speaker 5:This podcast is about the community found in a place Well, fremont and so I think every once in a while, we should talk about how to build community in a space, and places like this are how you do it. I'm going to get up and walk. Ultimately, this place is not impressive. It didn't take much to make this work. It's a relatively quiet street, relatively free of cars, right next to a bus stop, some tables that basically equal public space. It's not public space, but it's close, surrounded by some things that people like to do. It's not perfect, but they totally did it. It totally works. It's lovely. It is not particularly difficult to create human-scale spaces where chance encounters can occur and people can feel good about being there. You are listening to episode 121 of the Fremont Podcast.
Speaker 4:Now here's your host, Ricky B.
Speaker 1:I didn't say this at the beginning, so I'm going to say it now. We're at Enrique's.
Speaker 6:Creations, creations, el Puesto, el Puesto.
Speaker 1:What's that? The Post, the Post Okay. The Shop the Shop Okay.
Speaker 2:We named it like that in honor of my grandpa, because whenever we were in Mexico, we'd say oh, we're going to the Puesto, and that meant we're going to his shop.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's cool.
Speaker 2:So that was a little Wow.
Speaker 1:So Enrique's Creations in Puesto.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And down in Niles, right next to Devout Coffee.
Speaker 6:Yes.
Speaker 1:And across from what's now the Lego Shop. You're not open Mondays, right? So what days of the week are you guys normally open?
Speaker 2:Wednesday to Sunday Wednesday to Saturday 10 to 5 and Sunday 10 to 4 okay yeah, cuz I, when we first started and we we opened up on Monday was the first day. We're all excited. We're like, alright, there's gonna be a lot of people in town, literally ghost town we didn't, we didn't realize that nobody is open on.
Speaker 3:Monday's and Tuesday's even.
Speaker 2:Some people aren't even open on Mondays and Tuesdays. Um, even some people aren't even open on Wednesdays, and so we were like, okay, so we're going to have to adjust our hours. And then it was just, you know, one of those things where you got to learn once.
Speaker 6:But to find out that they didn't open Mondays and Tuesdays. We walked down to see everybody's hours and that's how we knew they were closed Mondays and Tuesdays, so we thought okay, we're going to closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Speaker 1:So we thought, okay, we're going to close Mondays and Tuesdays as well. There you go.
Speaker 6:There you go, that's your new weekend.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, yeah, okay, and I feel horrible. What was your first name?
Speaker 6:Okay, everybody calls me Coco, because that is short for Socorro.
Speaker 1:Okay, socorro.
Speaker 6:Socorro is a very hard name to yeah.
Speaker 1:Gotta roll the R's Coco I was like I know it's funny because when I first met you guys because I remember you guys painting that location very beginning I came in and your son's name is Javier as well right, so there's two Javiers.
Speaker 6:Yes.
Speaker 1:And so I remember coming in and I remember Javier, and then, as I've gotten to know you, I remember Jessica, but I was like I just don't remember what your name was. So it's Socorro.
Speaker 2:Socorro, socorro.
Speaker 1:Okay, and people call you Coco, coco, awesome, very good. Well, this is cool. I love this, I love this space and I love what you guys have done with it. I think that your store, your shop, is kind of like the most unique and yet unpredictable shop here in Niles.
Speaker 6:Right.
Speaker 1:And I mean you're laughing, because I think you might feel the same.
Speaker 2:We know we definitely feel the same. I mean, when we first started, it was mainly focused on wine barrel work, right. Because that's kind of how the store got started. That's a whole other story. Well, no, we need to tell that story.
Speaker 1:So let's talk about that. So yeah, so you guys started. So I and I remember that because when you guys first moved in, you were explaining what it was that you were doing and then you started bringing in your product. So where did the wine barrel? Uh, furniture, or where did that? How did that start? What? Where was that?
Speaker 6:So what happened was a year before COVID started. My husband had retired and his hobby was making furniture anything you can think of out of wine barrels.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 6:So then COVID happened, and so then we were all stuck at home and he was making more stuff right. And then when they finally opened up, like in June no, May it was- May Okay. We decided to come get lunch here because you were able to buy just not go inside Right and so when we walked by and we saw that it was vacant, this end spot was available Right and so then my son and my daughter started saying oh, call dad, call dad, you know, maybe he might want it and he can start a business.
Speaker 1:Was this a conversation you've been having for a while, like actually?
Speaker 6:having a business doing this.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's all right. Um, but yeah, basically what happened was that, growing up, my dad has always said oh, I want to have a puesto which is a shop.
Speaker 1:Um.
Speaker 2:I want to have a puesto um sometime in my life, just like my dad and so my grandpa. He had a puesto in Mexico. My dad was born and raised in Mexico, and so he just always had that dream following his dad's footsteps Retired. It was like my mom was saying he was doing the wine barrel work. We were actually selling half barrels and furniture out of wine barrels.
Speaker 1:I have like four of them in the backyard.
Speaker 2:We started selling that. My dad started doing that because of his retirement. He wanted something new. He's one of those guys that he has to always be moving, be doing something.
Speaker 2:He has to be stimulating his brain all the time, which is great you know yeah um, but yeah, I got to a point where he was just kind of like oh you know, wouldn't it be cool if we were able to like have like wine barrels sold and the furniture sold? And then that's when like when we were together and that's when that story happened we should call dad. And we literally called him and we told him that it was vacant and he literally came down and came to look through the windows and, like it just took off from there.
Speaker 1:That's awesome, yeah, so I mean, in some sense, that had to, to have been like that was in his head, even though and obviously part of a conversation that you just said, but when that happened it was like this is the moment.
Speaker 6:Right, right right.
Speaker 1:And I think that COVID probably, like you said, covid would like. I don't know when you get stuck at home you're and your stuff.
Speaker 2:What am I doing all this for? Why am I making all this stuff, or whatever it is? What could come out of this? A? Lot of people during that time was really tapping into their creative outlets because you had to think of something to do.
Speaker 1:So when did he start making wine? What was the connection with that? Because he did work construction. And at what point did he start messing around with wine barrels and making furniture out of them?
Speaker 2:Well, I feel like he's always built things.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:But wine barrel specific. I don't think that started happening. I don't even know how it happened actually. To be honest, yeah, I don't either.
Speaker 6:Okay, oh, you know what, one day he just made a dog bit out of it, Right, yeah. Oh and then from there. That's when it took off.
Speaker 2:That's cool it like triggered him in his head like I can build more. But yeah, I mean he's always been building stuff. I mean he built the house that my parents live in now. He built it the addition.
Speaker 6:The addition.
Speaker 3:Wow.
Speaker 2:Well, my son Javier helped a lot, but he did it all Our family helped a lot, yeah, but he's just always been building things in the wine barrel. It just kind of was hand in hand.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. That's amazing. So, um so he he's. He built furniture when this space became available you guys jumped on it and um were able to get moved in and I know, like I said, I came in here um when you guys were just painting originally trying to figure out what, what all was.
Speaker 1:I think part of the reason I if I remember correctly, it's been a while, um, but I think I remember thinking I loved this end shop as well, and I don't know what I would ever wanted to do with it because I don't have anything to put in it. But I think I remember thinking, oh, that'd be a cool shop. And then when I saw you guys working, it was like, oh, someone moved in. I wonder what they're doing. And then I came down here and you guys were you guys were and it was going well.
Speaker 6:It really was. But then I started noticing that people were coming in and wanted to buy little knickknacks and I kept telling my husband we need something else. I think we need something else, because you know the furniture was nice. But for some people who just want to spend, you know $20, it was hard. Well, I remember.
Speaker 1:I'm kind of that way too, because I love your furniture. I mean, I bought wine barrels from you. I think we probably bought. I know that some of the pieces that you have in here, like we'll talk about that in a minute but some of the stuff that you have in here, like we'll talk about that in a minute but some of the stuff that you've had imported, that you've imported up here to be sold here, I bought.
Speaker 1:Like a friend of mine is from his parents, are from Mexico and he had a graduation party and I bought him a whole set from you guys. And so I know I bought stuff from you before and I still have my eyes on some of the furniture in there, the furniture in there. But, um, but I think for me, like I remember one of the first times when I moved here to California, I went to Monterey and I went to some of the art galleries that are in Monterey and it's like I'm never going to afford any of these big pieces at this point. But then they had some of these small paintings that were just like really small, you know, like I don't know like postcard size, and I was like I can afford that though.
Speaker 1:And I was like I can afford that, though, and I can at least take that home, and even though it's not, you know, one of these big ones, I can still, you know, enjoy purchasing this piece that has been hand painted, and I can have it in my home as a, as a, and so I think that I think that's it too.
Speaker 1:Some people, no doubt, love the work that you guys have and what you know, what you sell, but sometimes it's just not realistic or it's just like what you know, where exactly am I going to put this in my home, or whatever. So having the small knickknacks is certainly a great idea, so you started seeing that when you needed smaller things, yes and when.
Speaker 6:Another thing, too, is that he couldn't keep up with the orders oh it was just him himself.
Speaker 2:I wasn't part of the, I wasn't part of this, yet at that moment I was still working at my uh at the youth center that I was working previously.
Speaker 6:I mean, sometimes it was just them two it was like 10 o'clock at night and at home and he was still working oh, my word he couldn't keep up with the order. So then we started thinking what else can we do, because he wanted to continue with the store retail right, and so then I said well, what if we bring little stuff from Mexico?
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 6:He started looking into it, and that's how the other stores started.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. So just I want to go back a little bit. Your father-in-law had a shop in Mexico. What kind of shop was that?
Speaker 2:It was like what like oh my gosh Home Goods yeah.
Speaker 6:It was all for Home Goods, all kinds of things you know you need for your kitchen, your you know cooking.
Speaker 2:And my grandpa especially my grandma had a big love for birds, so he always had bird cages, that's cool.
Speaker 5:So that's why we have bird cages.
Speaker 1:We'll be right back. You can hear the rest of this conversation in just a moment. Give Jennifer Petrucelli a call. With her wide ranging knowledge of the real estate industry and expert negotiation skills, Jennifer goes above and beyond for her clients. Reach out to Jennifer today and discover why Petrucelli Homes is the right choice for all of your real estate needs. I want to tell you about Minuteman Press in Irvington. They are your quality printer to go to here in Fremont. I have personally worked with them before and I find their services to be fantastic. Look no further than Minuteman Press in Irvington. You can find them at 44141 Fremont Boulevard in Fremont.
Speaker 5:The Ohlone College flea market is happening every second Saturday of the month from 9 am to 3 pm on Ohlone's Fremont campus. Can I ask you, what are you hoping to find today?
Speaker 6:It's just interesting to see what's out there, and you never know what you'll find Treasures?
Speaker 5:Hey Van, if people want to contact you, how do they get in touch?
Speaker 3:want to contact you. How do they get in touch? So our phone number is 510-659-6285 and the email is fleemarket at aloniedu. More information can be found at aloniedu slash flea dash market.
Speaker 5:Fremont Bank has been around for 60 years and they sponsor a lot of stuff. And now included on the list of things they sponsor is this podcast. Thank you, Fremont Bank. If you are looking for a book and you know exactly what it is, that's great. If you don't know exactly what you want, but you have an idea of the type of thing that you want, you're not going to be helped well by shopping online. Go to Banter Bookshop, tell them vaguely what you're after and they will help you find a book.
Speaker 1:And now, back to our conversation. So I've been to Mexico. Once my sister lived near McAllen over close to the Gulf of Mexico, like down on that side, and so I remember walking across the border into Mexico and into the place there. So I guess what I'm wondering is where the shop was, Because there was a lot of cool shops when I walked across into the border but I think it was kind of fed off of tourism. Was the shop that? Your father that your father-in-law had? Was it more for tourists that were coming from?
Speaker 6:or was it deep into? It was deep, it's like about hour and a half, two hours away from Guadalajara where they're from. Okay. Wow the name of the town is Zarandas.
Speaker 3:Wow.
Speaker 6:And it was more like for people who needed a pot or a pan or you know dishes. That type of store Wow, it's not really a touristy area. Okay.
Speaker 2:The only time there's quote, unquote tourists is like for the fiestas.
Speaker 3:Okay, so when they have like something specific.
Speaker 2:They're Um, that's when people come from all parts of Mexico, even out of state but but their town is well known for the tequila yeah.
Speaker 1:Oh, very nice, Very nice. So the cool. The cool thing is, though, that you um like when, when people hear imported goods, like they work with a middleman or somebody that does this, but you don't, I mean, you go and get the stuff yourself, right.
Speaker 6:We go and handpick everything that's in the store and then we have a company who brings it to us.
Speaker 1:And we try to work with people who not like big factories, people who are working out of their homes. Wow, yeah, yeah, wow. So can you? Would it be safe to say that most of the stuff in this store is from people who are working out of their homes?
Speaker 2:Yeah, Easy and it's it's really interesting and it's it's a whole new experience. You know, growing up I went to Mexico. It was, you know. Oh, we're going to visit family, it's for fun you know, but if it wasn't for this job, I wouldn't have been able to experience Mexico the way I'm experiencing it now, and so being able to go into these homes, talk to the families that that are working, because it's not always just like adults that are working, it's like anywhere from, like you know, ages 18, 15, 16 you know, trying to support their, their parents, at home.
Speaker 2:So it's like all these families you know that are working and it's really cool to see just how everything is created and everything's by hand. And it's like that's when people come and they're shopping, you know, sometimes people say, oh, like, can I get two the same? Like you're never going to find two of the same because there's multiple artists working on. You know, if they're working on cats, all cats are going to be different. They're not going to have the same. They're all having different styles, different techniques, all that.
Speaker 6:So, even like the dolls or the key chains that we have, it's from ladies that are sitting on the sidewalk. Oh, these dolls right here.
Speaker 1:They're sitting on the sidewalk working on them.
Speaker 6:Yeah, yeah. And so, if you know, I like them, so I say, okay, I want them all and I bring them. That's awesome.
Speaker 2:But it's great, because then they just get to go home because there was the lady that my mom's talking about. So the backstory is that one year we went to go have fun at the fiestas and, uh, there was a lady working on them and she was. She only had a few out at the moment and we went, you know, we enjoyed our night, came back she was still there.
Speaker 2:She had a bunch at that point you know, from her working on them and so we took them on. So we got to talk to her and she's like oh, like you know, thank you, like bless you guys, because now I get to go home. She traveled. Where did she travel? She travel from Oaxaca, oaxaca. So she, she and we, and we were like, oh, like, where are you staying? She goes, oh, no, I'm just staying in like the park, and she's like and then I'm going to take a bus back.
Speaker 1:So like we were like able to like be like, okay, well, let's support you. And how long the bus ride is, but I know from guadalajara to oaxaca it's like an hour 45 minutes oh my word wow.
Speaker 6:So she traveled from home, she from an airplane hour 45 minutes, so I don't know how long the bus ride was.
Speaker 1:Oh, my word, so so she. She made all these dolls yeah and then she decided I'm gonna go to this place for take the best chance that I can to get well, because you know there were gonna be a lot of people that day cause of the fiestas.
Speaker 3:It was during the fiestas time, so she knew.
Speaker 2:okay, there's going to be a lot of people in town. Let me go and yeah.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's amazing. Yeah, so these dolls very cool and then, uh, that are uniquely significant, either to like personal stories like that, or um, or even like connected directly to like Mexican culture, because, uh, like, for me, I just look at it, I'm like dude, this is, this is really really cool, like I feel like I step into a shop in Mexico even though you know, but I wouldn't know the significance of, uh, of a lot of these things.
Speaker 2:I think a popular item and an item that people come in and really love to see are the alebrijes.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:The alebrijes come from Oaxaca as well, and they're from another family we're working with, and so, like the teenagers, make the smaller ones, they're hand-carved, hand-painted, and then the adults are making the more larger, intricate pieces.
Speaker 6:But those, I mean those have been around for years and again it was a family who was at the park selling their stuff.
Speaker 3:Wow.
Speaker 6:My husband liked what he saw. He bought from them, and then that's how we met them. Wow, and they also are from Oaxaca Wow.
Speaker 1:That's amazing yeah.
Speaker 2:So it's like interesting, because I feel like there are pieces in here like that will say oh you know, this is from Oaxaca, this is from Guadalajara, michoacan, all these places right, but we've only been to a few.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:It's just been coincidence that some of them have been in my dad's hometown. We actually haven't been to all the places where some of our things are from.
Speaker 6:The alebrijes are for the spirit guides.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 6:Yeah, if you've ever seen the movie Coco, yes, yeah, it's exactly what I grew up knowing.
Speaker 1:Okay, when I see the movie. So they named the movie after you, right?
Speaker 6:But everything that they explain in the movie.
Speaker 1:That's exactly what they did.
Speaker 2:That's how you grew up. Yeah Lane in the movie Uh-huh, that's exactly what he did. That's how you grew up.
Speaker 1:Yes, they did their research.
Speaker 2:They did a really good job. They did a good job at depicting that. That's cool yeah.
Speaker 1:I think that when you see movies like that come out, especially if it's from your culture or your background, I'm sure it's like I don't want to be embarrassed or I don't want to be like, no, that's familiar, they did a great job.
Speaker 3:That's cool, so that's how you grew up.
Speaker 1:How long did you live in Mexico then, before you moved to the?
Speaker 6:United States. Actually, I was born here. Oh, you were, I was born here. My parents were born in Mexico. Oh, okay, but I went as a little girl every year.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 6:Every year it went from a month to three months.
Speaker 2:Yeah, my dad. My dad was the one that was born and raised in Mexico. He came to the US when he was 16? 15. 15.
Speaker 6:Okay.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 5:Wow. So I am in the Washington Township Museum of Local History on Anza Street in the Mission San Jose area and I just donated something and it occurs to me I want to encourage people who have Fremont history to at least attempt to donate it to the museum. So this is how you do that. The process of donating is very easy. It's going to take more time to record this ad than it took me a moment ago to donate the thing I was donating.
Speaker 7:A lot of people are cleaning house these days you know downsizing and so we do get some donations from people who say I've been cleaning out my closet, found my old yearbooks from Horner or Mission High or something. Those we're happy to get, because we don't have all of those. We can't guarantee that we're going to add it to our collection, because sometimes we have a duplicate or it doesn't quite fit in or it's maybe a little bit damaged and we can't make it look good. But if you're willing to give it to us ready to get rid of it, and otherwise it's going to go in your trash, can we're happy to take a look at it.
Speaker 5:We're happy to take a look at it. So when people have something and they show up, what do they have to do once they're here in order for them to officially donate something?
Speaker 7:Okay. So we want to explain a little bit to them about what we're doing and why we choose or not choose something, something. If they're willing to go with that route, we give them a form, very simple form. Just gives your name and address, what the object is, and then we sign it and we give them a copy. We keep a copy. That's all the paperwork we need to do.
Speaker 5:A moment ago. I just did it. It was very easy.
Speaker 7:Good, we're interested in a lot of different things, not just the things you normally think about in a museum, but we want some things that remind people of how people lived, maybe now, because in 20 years or 30 years now is going to be history, so maybe something that has some meaning here. We're not going to become an antique store, but we do need some of the tangible things that will remind people of how things work, and we also are trying to get a more representative distribution of things that are in our community. So again, now our community looks a lot different than it did 50 years ago when Fremont became a city. So we're looking for that. We're looking ahead for that too.
Speaker 1:That's really cool. What kind of customers do you have that come in here? I'm just thinking. I know that there's a Latino community all around and not all of them are from Mexico, from it, maybe, as I will say this way, maybe as foreign to them, as like as far as the culture of all of this maybe as foreign to them as it is to me, but, um, I still find this extremely interesting, like I find these things to be really beautiful, um, very fascinating.
Speaker 1:So what kind of customers do you have that you see coming in?
Speaker 6:here we have people from all over the world. Okay, really, yeah, in here.
Speaker 2:Yes, we have had some interesting conversations with people that come in. I mean, just this past weekend this family came in um and they were going to take their stuff back to india yes and they were like oh, can you package it? Well, because we're going to take it back. And we're like oh, where are you taking it back? They're like india.
Speaker 2:We've had people come in from australia, from canada, I mean germany germany like there's, so it's so versatile and I think that's the one thing that I really like about this job is that you never know who's going to come in and then a lot of the indian ladies tell me that everything in here is very similar to what's in india interesting. Like the. The patterns are similar.
Speaker 6:The dolls that we have over there the clay dolls they buy those because I'm not sure exactly what it is they're celebrating. But they also make an altar with dolls.
Speaker 2:Oh, I forgot what it was called. Oh, that's interesting.
Speaker 6:And they come in and buy those dolls.
Speaker 1:Wow, because they're very similar. Huh. So if I were to go to Mexico and I were to go to one of these, you know non-touristy towns or whatever, would I see a lot of these sorts of things around, or are these kind of like more an art form that certain communities?
Speaker 1:that create and what's the inspiration behind them, creating them? If it's not something that's commonly seen like, what is it that makes people? Because so much of it? I mean, it seems to me, it seems like there's such a continuity between all of these things like I look at it and I think they fit some. These all fit together. It's not like this looks very different from this and I mean there's some things. I mean there's some things like these have more of like a I don't know, like more a toned down design to them and texture, but then you've got some that are just super colorful, right right right, like what is it that really inspires people to make the different things that they make?
Speaker 1:Because it does feel like it's. I mean, it does come out of a certain culture, I guess.
Speaker 6:I mean you do see a lot in their homes, you do see the pots for the plants and stuff, but honestly I'm not even sure, I just know.
Speaker 1:I look at this frog too. This frog is like super cool, like there's different.
Speaker 2:I mean like, for example. There are some patterns Like, for example, these Dia de los Muertos-inspired figurines. There's some art patterns and designs on there that are significant to that.
Speaker 6:Yes from the.
Speaker 2:Huichol people. Yeah, so I mean there are certain patterns that are for different. You know tribes in Mexico Pero I don't know. I feel like some of the patterns all are shared in a sense.
Speaker 4:Okay.
Speaker 2:Like, if you like, I've heard people say, oh, I've seen this in this town or this town, and it's like we're all kind of sharing and thriving off of one another. So some patterns on some of the pottery are not really.
Speaker 6:There's not really any significance to them, it's just to make them look beautiful. Right you know when it comes from Puebla.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 6:Because of the style, the color. It has more 3D-ish compared to the other states.
Speaker 1:Okay, Jessica, I want to ask you a little bit. I know you said something about this already and I know, coco, you didn't grow up, I mean, you were born here, but you went back and visited a lot back and visited a lot like um, how has you said that this has helped? You kind of like um rediscover, I guess, the culture, your family, culture and stuff like that, like what are some of the things that specifically, um, you've been able to experience since all of this started to happen?
Speaker 2:that's really helped you experience that more well, even just for example, earlier I was telling you how I do bead work.
Speaker 2:So even that, like you know, growing up I collected, you know, a necklace here, a necklace there, bracelet here, basically there, but I never really paid mind to like the work that goes into it or any any like you know specifics, so that I just saw it looked pretty and I bought it.
Speaker 2:But as I got older and I started, you know, really tapping into my artistic um journey, I was, like you know, I, I think I want to, you know, tap into beading, like I want to learn more about it. You know we go to Mexico, we always see people working, but like I want to talk to these people, get to know them, see how long they've been beading things like that, and so I think having that be a part of our journey as a business and my journey as an artist has, like been great. It ties into one and you know, and even me, like when I'm beating, it's like I appreciate the art form even more so because I've seen ladies and talked to ladies that are beating in their like 70s and and they're fast, they're not like just taking, no, they're, this is their livelihood. They've been doing it for years, and so you you know, just being able to see this other side of Mexico, that I didn't really appreciate or acknowledge as much as growing up.
Speaker 6:You know it's, it's been, it's been amazing that's awesome yeah, you know what I think is funny okay everybody this I've been going to Mexico all my life, but only to, not my married life, only to my husband's side okay when I was a little girl, I was going to my parents side, which is the little ranch in guanajuato. It took having a store like this to go to different states in mexico and get to see different things.
Speaker 2:Wow, yeah, because we would have never experienced any of that if we never had a shop, which is crazy.
Speaker 1:Because I think, yeah, yeah, I was gonna say, I think, when you go in with different eyes as well, like when you are looking for, like when you're just going back to visit family, like a lot of times you're just like I know I'm very familiar with, like for me.
Speaker 1:So, in a similar sense, my grandparents had a dairy farm in Michigan and so, growing up, each summer my parents would send me to my grandparents' farm to work on the farm throughout the summer, and so when I, for me, going to Michigan seemed to be like like I had really really good experiences, really a particular idea in mind, but where they were in the state of Michigan, uh, was on the opposite side of the state from Detroit. So a lot of times people think of Michigan, they think of Detroit, they think of all the things associated with Detroit.
Speaker 1:Well, my grandparents were on the completely other side. They were in a farming community and I spent a lot of times working, baling hay, milking cows, taking care of chickens and goats and pigs and stuff like that. It's a very different experience than the rest of Michigan. But then when you start traveling, if you go in with a different perspective like I'm no longer going there to spend time on my grandparents' farm, I'm going to go there to do something else All of a sudden you're like whoa I remember going to Lansing a couple years ago and just thinking, seeing the Capitol, you know, a couple of years ago and just thinking seeing the Capitol is like I just never thought there.
Speaker 1:I've never like paid attention to, like the Capitol of the of the state you know or, and I have been to Detroit a lot. But I think, like I'm getting ready to go to Michigan in a few weeks my sister-in-law and family lives in Detroit area and I'm like they want to show us all the stuff in Detroit and I'm like, well, I've driven through Detroit before but I know that when I go they're going to show me things that I've never seen that I did not know, and it's going to give me a whole different perspective of what Michigan is.
Speaker 1:Like you know, because there's, you know, there's definitely the negative side that people think of when it comes to Detroit, but there's obviously going to be some beautiful things and incredible things in just in similar way. I can see how that would be eyeopening for you in Mexico as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I feel like that's one of the things too. That kind of ties in too is that you know people think, oh, mexico is dangerous. So you know they hear the bad things. And don't get me wrong there's, there are bad things and you have to watch your back and you know and be mindful of what's going on around you, but I mean with even all that, there are places that you can go and enjoy and see the beauty and enrich the culture.
Speaker 2:everything you just have to be aware of your surroundings, but that's everywhere.
Speaker 1:I was going to say that's everywhere. I hear that here. People are like San Francisco is horrible. It's such a mess.
Speaker 5:I'm like have you ever been?
Speaker 1:there.
Speaker 6:Right, right, I mean like yes there are certain parts of San Francisco you probably want to you know, avoid but there, it's still such a beautiful city you know, and it's the same thing with Mexico there's just places that you know you shouldn't be. Yeah, that's right, that's right. Same here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's exactly right that's exactly right yeah, so that's, that's really cool. I love hearing that and I love that you're bringing part of Mexico to us as well and we don't get to experience everything that you get to experience. But I do think that this is a wonderful, very important part of Niles. I think that this shop is just really really a wonderful addition to what we have here.
Speaker 6:Thank you, we appreciate it honestly.
Speaker 1:Do you feel like when Javier first imagined having a shop, when you guys started talking about this years ago, do you feel like that dream? I'm sure you have more aspirations and more things that you want to do, but do you feel like that dream or that vision of what it could be is coming true, Like? Do you feel like this is this, is really it or do you really really do yes?
Speaker 1:Yeah, is there anything? What? What is the vision like beyond here? Because I feel like you guys are just, you guys work it Like I mean it started off over over there with us. But then, when you guys took over this space, I just remember thinking what are they going to do with?
Speaker 3:like, this is a lot of space, and then I mean it's like do you guys need more space now?
Speaker 1:Because this?
Speaker 2:is so full.
Speaker 6:Like what's the, what's the vision? Yeah, Every time we have a new shipment come in, we do say oh my gosh when we had that first side.
Speaker 2:We had that side open when we first started. You know it was sufficient space.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:But then, as soon as we started bringing more and more items in, we were like oh, we're running out of space.
Speaker 3:What are we going to?
Speaker 2:do so, then my dad actually had rented a storage unit, and so we were keeping stuff in the storage unit of inventory and then from there we're like like, no, we need something bigger, yeah, so then we got a warehouse, so we had a warehouse in Fremont and then we had the shop. So we would we would have to sometimes, you know, go back and forth. I'd call my dad if I was here and I said, oh, dad, I need this plant, uh, planter, do you have this in that color over there at the warehouse?
Speaker 2:because he'd be at the warehouse okay and he, you know we'd have to do that like every day and it got, it got tiring, you know it's. I mean it's a 20 minute drive, but I mean 20 minutes back and forth, back and forth it gets tiring and so it got to a point where, like okay, we really do need more space. And then this opened up and we were like you know what?
Speaker 3:let's go for it, that's great that's great, but yeah no, it's, it's been.
Speaker 2:it's been a blessing and you and everyone's been giving us really good feedback, and just the fact that my dad had us flipping this all around in one month was insane, it was insane, it was insane.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean I was connected in with Devout. I mean I've been working with them for years in various ways and so I helped do a lot of projects in this space for them, helping them get it ready for it to be a roastery and for other things. And so then, when I know that they were moving out and you guys were moving in, I was like, well, if you guys need any help, I've done some work. But then you guys knocked it out so fast. It was just like I think. I felt like I came by one day and you guys are just moving in.
Speaker 6:The next thing. I know it's like open for business right, what in the world we were?
Speaker 2:so happy when stevie said do you want the place? Yeah, he, yeah, we're like thanks, stevie, that's great.
Speaker 1:Well, I think, I think it's awesome. So is there, is there more that you guys want to do from here, or do you guys feel like you guys settled into the groove and it's just a matter of like, like refreshing the inventory, or?
Speaker 2:yeah, I think this is. This is like what we're gonna keep going and doing and, um, we have a shipment coming in about a week and a half two weeks maybe okay, but it wouldn't shock us if javier said, oh, let's get another spot. He's always, he's always. Actually we're the ones that have to tell me yeah, we definitely are the ones that have to keep telling him to slow down.
Speaker 1:Do you find and I know I kind of mentioned or I kind of asked a little bit about this earlier, but do you find that there are people living in the Bay?
Speaker 4:Area from.
Speaker 1:Mexico that when they discover that you're here, they just love to come here, because it does give them a feel of home.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, we will have people come in to just talk to us.
Speaker 6:Wow, yes.
Speaker 2:They'll be like oh, do you remember us? And we had a whole conversation, like an hour conversation with them in the store and you know it was just nostalgia for them to come in and and so we've had people just to come in and, and you know, talk to us, see what we're doing and see what we're up to. But yeah, no, overall I feel like it's just one of those places that everyone wants to come and say, oh, this is what I had growing up, or you know, it's just, it's just nostalgia for everyone we had this one lady come in which I thought was hilarious.
Speaker 6:She forgot to buy gifts for her co-workers, so she came in here and bought the little nickname oh yeah, from Mexico gifts, gifts from mexico. She was just in mexico she had just came in that night and she was supposed to get like two, like bring souvenirs yes, so she comes in here and she tells us the whole story, she goes, but they're not going to know the difference because everything here is from mexico right exactly and you're not going to tell. No, we're not going to tell because we don't know who they are.
Speaker 2:And we're not saying her name, that's right. We're just saying this person, that's right. That's hilarious.
Speaker 6:That was hilarious, yes.
Speaker 1:That is very funny. Well, I had the opposite thing happen recently. So my wife grew up in Michigan, so my grandparents had a farm in Michigan. My wife grew up in Michigan but we did not meet there, even though she lived about an hour and a half from where my grandparents lived. But, um, I was just in Michigan, like a month ago, for a wedding my cousin's wedding and my dad turned 70 and my grandma is 95, and so I was like I'm gonna go there and spend time with them. Well, it was the day like we got home from the trip, like late the night before Mother's Day and I was, like you know, trying and usually I help work with my boys to try to, like you know, get gifts or make something, and I was just like tomorrow's Mother's Day, we're not ready.
Speaker 2:What are we?
Speaker 1:doing.
Speaker 1:So we're in the airport in Grand Rapids, which is where she grew up, just outside of Grand Rapids, and we're in the airport getting ready to fly home and I was like buddy, we're going shopping for Mother's Day. So I'm like we went and found this one shop that had locally made stuff like a cutting board and a candle, and I can't remember a jam or something like that, but they were all locally made and we came home and she appreciated it. But then she did make the comment well, I guess you had to do what you had to do and I was like, hey, just appreciate it, that's right.
Speaker 1:That's right, that's awesome. Well, I love, I love what's going on here and I think that you guys are doing an amazing job. What are maybe some of the unexpected things that people might like they may not know you have? Like, what are some of the things that by going by here, they might see you know pots and dishes and and dolls and stuff like that, but what are some of the things that you're just like we have it here and when people discover this, they're like I didn't even know you had that.
Speaker 6:Toilets.
Speaker 2:We were cracking up as you were saying that we were looking at each other and we already knew exactly what it was. That's no it's funny because it's one of those things that it's it's kind of hidden in the back so it's like you walk in. You're like, oh beautiful, like cups and kitchenware and talavera pots. And then they walk in.
Speaker 3:They're like toilets and everyone gets a kick out of them.
Speaker 2:But like it's funny because when my first, when my dad first said I want to bring, we're like, ew, no, why would you want to bring?
Speaker 6:toilets. I said I put my foot down. No, yeah. And then the shipment comes in.
Speaker 2:Toilets Four toilets arrive, but you know what's funny? The funny part of it is that we gave my dad so much crap. I'll say that word.
Speaker 1:It's fitting. It's a fitting word.
Speaker 2:We gave him so much of that and then, sure enough, he ended up selling all of them.
Speaker 6:And now we have people ordering.
Speaker 2:Oh, my word, that's hilarious and so that's one of the funny items that people do not expect and that they actually need and want yeah, we gave him such a hard time.
Speaker 6:I know Well.
Speaker 1:I think that is something that people don't think about. You think that the toilet is like the. The um is just the utilitarian part of the bathroom, like it's like we can do the tiles beautifully and we can put the mirror there and we can decorate, paint the walls, but it's like we just need to order a standard toilet. But the fact that you can actually find a toilet, that's also beautiful yeah, well, we one of the toilets that were sold.
Speaker 2:It was a whole set. So she got the toilet to match a mirror that we have in there and then a sink, so it was like a three in one. And she's like I'm going to redo a movie, I'm going to redo my house. And so it was just one of those things that it worked out perfectly.
Speaker 1:That's cool. Yeah, that's cool.
Speaker 6:Although we do tell everybody we are fortunate enough to go and handpick everything. Yeah, if you like it, my daughter and I picked it up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if you don't like it, and it's ugly, my husband picked it up well, you know it's funny and I and this is like going a different, a different, a different direction with this, but I've asked you and I haven't followed up because you gave me what I needed to do.
Speaker 1:Um, uh.
Speaker 1:So when my sister lived down in Texas, across the border from Mexico, I walked across and one of the things that I was told that I needed to buy was vanilla, a bottle of vanilla and I bought like one of these massive bottles of vanilla down in Mexico and then at home I'm known for my daddy's famous French toast, so I make French toast and I have my secret ingredients that I use for making it, and my secret ingredient for years has been the vanilla that I got from Mexico.
Speaker 1:Well then I ran out and then I've actually my sister came and visited me again, so she brought me a second bottle I mean, we're talking, these are big bottles, not just tiny ones that you get and so I was like, okay, I can keep making my famous French toast. Well then I ran out again. So I came to you probably a year ago and said, if you guys are going down there, I would love to get some vanilla, if you guys want to bring it back for me or whatever. But you said, well, bring us the bottle and let us know what kind you want.
Speaker 1:Yes's, so much yeah yeah so yeah that, yeah, so anyway. So one of these days I'll have to get my empty bottle that I have at home and bring it over here and let you like what's funny that you say that too is like when you're like oh, if you go, you bring us.
Speaker 2:And you know, when we go to mexico we're like okay, you know, somebody wants us to bring back this or this, like as far as like furniture or decor, and we go in. We're like okay, we're gonna look for that yeah but it's like when we're in the midst of things, we're like oh, we gotta buy this, we gotta buy this oh wait, okay, yeah, we gotta go back to that one spot, like it's so chaotic.
Speaker 3:Oh, I'm sure so chaotic.
Speaker 2:I mean this last trip that I went with my dad because somebody has to be here, so I I had gone for the first week with my dad. He, uh, we went out there and we ended up going to Oaxaca. And because I really wanted to go and just experience Oaxaca for itself, but then also I wanted to bring new inventory from.
Speaker 2:Oaxaca and make connections out there, and so it was just nonstop movement. We. We got on a plane four times, ok. So I got to mexico, stayed in mexico overnight and then the next day we flew out to oaxaca, was in oaxaca for a couple of days, shopping every day, flew back to my dad's hometown, stayed for two days and then came home wow, like wow that, that like, and that was just a quick and detour for me, and then I came back and my mom finished the rest of the trip with my dad.
Speaker 2:It's like when you're there and you're in the midst of things.
Speaker 3:It's just so hard sometimes to remember every single thing we've got to bring back, because there's things that we always forget too.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's crazy A good tactic. So you said you have another shipment coming in soon, next week, two weeks, okay, wow.
Speaker 2:Yeah that shipment's going to be. I mean, we don't know everything because my dad is the one that's mainly making all the moves.
Speaker 4:Okay.
Speaker 2:You know he'll say oh, do you like this? He'll get our opinion. But I mean, he could say that, and then he's ordering 10 other things, yeah, so we don't really know it, but we have an idea of kind of what's coming.
Speaker 2:There's going to be like more kitchenware stuff and more that one's from puebla yeah, that one's from puebla and um, we're gonna be getting more of that. Um, I think we're getting more pottery, more animal uh pottery, because honestly, that's another. Actually, that's another thing that people really like are the different animals that we bring in yeah that is very popular um the frenchies.
Speaker 6:Oh yeah, the frenchies are very popular. That's funny. Yeah, and the manatees, manatees.
Speaker 1:There's just certain animals that always bring people in. That's so funny. I'm surprised by the manatees, because that's a Florida animal and I just feel like that's not something that you would.
Speaker 2:When you saw it you were like I want to bring it in. I said I want it.
Speaker 6:I want it. I thought it was so pretty and they're very popular.
Speaker 1:That's awesome.
Speaker 2:Whenever there's something new, we're just like let's try it, let's try it. Yeah, I mean the ongoing favorite is probably cats and donkeys. Okay, those are the two favorites. That's funny.
Speaker 1:Is there and I'm showing my ignorance here are there certain Mexican holidays or times of the year that you guys, that you work around as around as well, like that you think? Is there like certain holidays or things that happen that you're like we should have these on stock in hand because there's um, you know, people might want to have these available for day of the dead and christmas okay halloween too, pumpkins.
Speaker 2:We started. Yeah, that's true and that that was a hit we didn't realize. Like there was one time a lady came in and said I was in there the other day, I'm going to come, these are the pumpkins I want. She ended up leaving with like six pumpkins.
Speaker 3:Wow, she's like they're going to.
Speaker 2:she said I'm going to decorate them. Some are going to be indoors, some are going to be outdoors. But yeah, Halloween and Christmas.
Speaker 6:It's not nativity scenes. Yeah, I remember you had the whole front area with them.
Speaker 1:That's awesome.
Speaker 6:And those come from Mexico as well. Yes, and that's something people really, really want. That's cool, do you?
Speaker 1:guys set up at any of the local festivals or fairs like the like the art and wine, or the art shows or anything. We used to do the antique one, but it started getting so hard because we had to have people out there and then people in here as well.
Speaker 6:Yeah, then I have to recruit my sons, my daughter-in-laws, and it's just trying to get sons to work right you can only rely on the daughters.
Speaker 1:That's right, no, but you know why it's funny?
Speaker 2:because you know, when we first started, we're like, okay, yeah, so we can draw more people into the store, because when the antique fair is going on in Niles, not everybody's going into the stores.
Speaker 6:They're just enjoying what's on the block. They're going garage sales A lot of people still didn't know.
Speaker 2:We were here Exactly, and so it was actually a great thing that we had a booth outside of our front door, because it was getting people inside of our store.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And so it wasn't until what this past year?
Speaker 6:Last year was the first year that we didn't do it and a lot of people know we're here now.
Speaker 3:That's good, yeah, yeah, yeah, you've made your presence.
Speaker 6:A lot of word of mouth and it's working yeah.
Speaker 2:And then as far as like other markets go, I mean, when I go to markets myself I don't go to too many, just because you know my parents have a storefront, so I can have my things accessible here, but when I do go, I take a few key items in here that I know that people are drawn to when they come shopping and I bring the business cards.
Speaker 1:And so.
Speaker 2:I'm also supporting and promoting my parents while I'm selling my own things. That's perfect. Yeah, that's perfect.
Speaker 1:Wow, Do you guys? So I think I know the answer to this question just because I've talked with you Are you guys? Is Javier still making furniture and is the furniture being like? Is this kind of like more the main business now selling the stuff that you guys are importing from Mexico, or are you doing furniture and this still?
Speaker 6:Well, when we still had barrels, he was making an anorak here a bench there. And you know, we'd bring them out and they'd sell, and we weren't taking orders, just bringing them out. Well, I'm thinking everybody's deciding to do the same thing with the wine barrels, because now we can't get any. We're like on a waiting list.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's one of those things, that it just became a popular hobby and people, everyone started doing it, so yeah, but you know what I? I personally, I'm speaking on my own. I don't mind not doing the wine because, I started helping.
Speaker 2:so once I left my job, I quit my job and I came here to fall in support because my parents needed the help. And once I started realizing how much work goes into that kind of furniture and it was just my dad I was like how is he doing that by himself? And so, personally, I think it's less stress on him, less stress on us, and you know we're just having a great time being able to, you know, work with one another and spend more time in here and just be in the business.
Speaker 2:You know there's it's funny, we joke around and we're like, oh my dad, he's not really a social guy, you know, but this, this, uh, this business has been great because I've seen him grow and. I've seen a different side. I've never seen that my dad, so it's been really cool.
Speaker 1:That's great. Yeah, that's great. Yeah, he's not a social guy.
Speaker 3:But I love talking to him when I get the opportunity. That's cool.
Speaker 1:That's great. Well, this is really beautiful. Thank you, guys for letting me come in here and hearing a bit of the story. I hope you're here for a long time.
Speaker 2:Thank you so too. Thank you so much for having us.
Speaker 4:This episode was hosted and produced by Ricky B. I'm Gary Williams, Andrew Kvet is the editor. Scheduling and pre-interviews by Sarah S. Be sure to subscribe wherever it is that you listen so you don't miss an episode. You can find everything we make, the podcast and all of our social media links at thefremontpodcastcom. Join us next week on the Fremont Podcast.
Speaker 2:She's like oh, like you know, thank you, Like bless you guys, because now I get to go home. She traveled, when did she travel? From Oaxaca, Oaxaca. So she and we, and we were like, oh, like, where are you staying? She goes, oh no, I'm just staying in like the park, and she's like and then I'm gonna take a bus back.
Speaker 7:This is.