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<\/p>\nFRESNO, Calif. \u2013 When Amparo Garcia and Edie Serrano lived in San Jose, the Mexican couple shared more than a home \u2014 they shared a workplace and a passion for cooking.<\/p>\n
\u201cCooking means a great deal to me. On days when I don’t cook, I feel restless\u2026I just can’t sit still,\u201d Garcia said in Spanish.<\/p>\n
Each discovered that passion at different points in life: Serrano began working at a taqueria in Mexico City at 13, while Garcia found her footing in the kitchen at 20, preparing food orders for families in the Mexican state of Michoacan.<\/p>\n
The two later met while working at a Bay Area taco truck, where their interest in food grew into a shared dream: to open a taco truck of their own.<\/p>\n
Despite their love for the work, the couple found it difficult to move forward. Serrano said long work hours and the high cost of living in San Jose made that goal feel out of reach.<\/p>\n
\u201cLife over there is very expensive. To begin, the mortgage starts from $2,800. And rental rooms are around $1,200,\u201d he said in Spanish.<\/p>\n
The pace of life only added to the strain. Once they became parents, Garcia said they often had to take turns caring for their baby, with one of them waking as early as 4 a.m. for a 5 a.m. shift.<\/p>\n
\u201cLife in San Jose is very rushed. To be honest, I didn\u2019t like it. You get very little sleep, then it\u2019s off to work,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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Israel Cardona Hernandez\/KVPR<\/p>\n
Workers inside the taco truck begin early, preparing for the lunch crowd starting at 9:30 a.m. on March 31, 2026.<\/p>\n
Seeking a change, they began looking for opportunities elsewhere \u2014 somewhere their culinary experience could translate into something of their own. Eventually, they turned to Fresno, a city they had visited before and saw as more affordable.<\/p>\n
They moved to the city in 2019. And, according to Serrano, that\u2019s when they saw their opportunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt like it lacked flavor, a special touch,\u201d he said \u2013 not referring to the food, but to the city itself.<\/p>\n
So they started saving. That same year, they finally realized the dream they couldn\u2019t achieve in the Bay Area: they debuted Tacos La Villita, a food truck serving authentic Mexico City-style cuisine, first located in central Fresno but moved next to a car wash in north Fresno. It had cost them $125,000.<\/p>\n
“We both wanted to move forward, and we felt good about having a better life,” Garcia said.<\/p>\n
Serrano and Garcia joined an established community.<\/p>\n
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