By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
From vanity to variety. Many cultures around the world are centered around food. That was one reason Great Bend's Daniela Garcia started The Fiesta Cart with Dani last month. The custom-built mobile food cart offers a variety of Mexican and American-inspired toppings for treats like pancakes and tres leches cake. Garcia carefully named her business to include the party or celebration aspect.
"I want it to be exactly that, especially when we're brought out for caters, parties, or events," she said. "I just want to bring people together and create a big fiesta, or a big party, for everybody to enjoy, and just bring people back together."
The cart currently features mini pancakes, including gluten-free and high-protein options. Garcia also makes chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla tres leches cakes that can be sweetened with the same ingredients as the pancakes. Fiesta Cart also offers more standard Hispanic fare like corn in a cup. Garcia is working on a dirty soda for a beverage option during the summer, and she wants to offer hot cocoa or champurrado (a rich and creamy Mexican chocolate drink) during the colder months.
The idea of a mini-pancake cart came from feeding her kids breakfast. There was a certain excitement for everyone involved when coming up with new toppings. Dani excelled at the toppings but her husband, Omar, had to assist with the pancakes.
"I had a hard time making pancakes," Dani said. "I would always have Omar make them for us, then I would just top them off. Then he showed me a trick to start the batter. My pancakes, I kid you not, were always flat. I could not get them as fluffy as he did."
Dani wanted to share that excitement with the community but she had no way to do it. Beginning with a simple vanity, Fiesta Cart now features bright colors, lights, and plenty of room for variety.
"Our cart is actually custom-made," said Dani. "Omar, my father, and my brother-in-law all worked on it. I just told them my idea and what I wanted. I wanted a top based like a charcuterie cart where I could have all of my toppings included, as well as my drizzles, which are on a spinning wheel."
The cart also features a griddle to make pancakes on site. In their first month of business, the Garcia's have been hired for four catering events, including one in Victoria. It was the family's first trip to the small community in Ellis County.
"The atmosphere there was wonderful," Dani said. "The people there were so welcoming. We had really positive feedback from the community there. They loved our cart. They were very surprised and happy to have something different."
When not doing events, Fiesta Cart with Dani operates inside Sabores de Mexico Restaurant and Ice Cream Shop, 3122 10th Street in Great Bend, from 4-8 p.m. each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Dani's ultimate goal is to have multiple themed carts across Kansas and to be able to give others, especially young entrepreneurs and mothers like herself, the opportunity to run a successful business like The Fiesta Cart.
The Fiesta Cart can be customized for individual catering events. Call (620) 639-2677 or check out The Fiesta Cart on Facebook for more information or to hire Garcia for your next party or celebration.