This Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re celebrating the entrepreneurs in the Hot Bread Kitchen Incubates community whose businesses are inspired by the flavors, traditions, and stories of Latin America. From handcrafted paletas and specialty coffee to aguas frescas, cookies, and chocolate, meet five entrepreneurs growing their businesses while sharing a taste of their heritage with New York City.
Pilas Café, Specialty Coffee by Ellie Peña
Pilas Café is a mobile coffee cart serving specialty coffee inspired by Ellie’s Peruvian heritage, her home New York City, and people who make every cup of coffee possible. Pilas Café celebrates Latin American coffee producers and the cafecito tradition, creating experiences rooted in community, creativity, and connection.
Visit Ellie at The World’s Borough Bookshop on weekends and follow along on Instagram.
“Peru inspires my flavors, color palettes, coffee beans, and my storytelling. The inspiration for my mobile coffee cart comes from all the childhood trips to Cañete Peru, where carts and street vendors sell picarones, emoliente, and anticuchos. Those memories shaped my vision for a cafe on wheels and all the drinks I serve are inspired by the desserts I grew up eating at family parties. Even the purple in my logo is a nod to chicha morada, my all time favorite drink.”
— Ellie Peña, HBKi Seed and Scale Member, Founder of Pilas Café
Antojitos Puros, Aguas Frescas by Rocio Munoz
Antojitos Puros offers agua frescas inspired by Rocio’s Mexican heritage. Her family, originally from Puebla, has been running a Mexican restaurant in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, for over 30 years. Rocio developed a love for small businesses at a young age, and now she is launching her own venture featuring agua frescas and specialty drinks inspired by Mexico.
Learn about Rocio and see when Antojito Puro’s is popping up next on Instagram.
“I started Antojitos Puros because I found myself craving a stronger connection to other Latine entrepreneurs who were building something of their own. What started as selling aguas frescas at local pop-ups has grown into catering events, collaborations with local businesses, and features during Hispanic Heritage Month.”
— Rocio Munoz, HBKi Seed Member, Founder of Antojitos Puros
Desserts Before Dinner, Latin Flavored Cookies by Cesar Hidalgo
Desserts Before Dinner is a micro-bakery creating small-batch cookies with bold, sweet, and nostalgic flavors. Cesar started baking in his Brooklyn kitchen and drops new flavors every month, in addition to favorites like espresso chip and dulce pecan chip.
Sign up for Desserts Before Dinner’s next cookie drop and follow on Instagram.
“One of the biggest ways my Dominican roots show up in Desserts Before Dinner is flavor. I grew up on my mom’s cooking, and I wanted to keep the flavors of her kitchen at the forefront of my business. The Dulce Pecan Chip cookie came straight from that. Growing up with so many ways to make dulce de leche, I wanted to create my own cookie that captures the warm, sweet feeling I would get from the block of dulce de leche my tio or tia brought back from the Dominican Republic.”
— Cesar Hidalgo, HBKi Seed Member, Founder of Desserts Before Dinner
Morito Chocolates, Chocolate Sticks by Priscillia Terrero
Morito Chocolates is a small-batch, artisanal vegan cacao-confections company, making premium chocolate sticks and cups. Priscilla grew up in the Dominican Republic and takes pride in sourcing premium and ethically sourced cacao. Priscilla is the winner of the 2026 Hot Bread Kitchen’s Breadwinners Pitch!
Follow Morito Chocolates on Instagram to learn about new product drops and more.
“The Dominican Republic is my home and the inspiration behind my chocolates. I grew up surrounded by cacao trees, and I carry those memories with me into the kitchen every day. Through Morito, I’m building something that reflects where I come from while honoring cacao, my heritage, and the communities behind it.”
– Priscilla Terrero, HBKi Start member, Founder of Morito Chocolates
Origen NYC, Artisanal Ice Cream Bars by Mayerlyn Suárez
Origen NYC is an artisanal palateria that makes handcrafted paletas inspired by nostalgic Latin American flavors. Made with real fruit and natural ingredients, Origen NYC’s bestsellers are rooted in founder Mayerlyn’s heritage, like their coconut ice cream bar and their new lulo fruit bar made with one of Mayerlyn’s favorite Colombian fruits.
Origen NYC is available for corporate catering opportunities. Follow their Instagram for updates on where they are popping up!
“Hot Bread Kitchen has played an important role in helping Origen NYC grow by providing access to commercial kitchen space, business resources, and a supportive community of food entrepreneurs. Having access to a licensed production facility has allowed us to scale our operations, serve more customers, and continue building a strong foundation for the future of our business.”
— Mayerlyn Suárez, HBKi Start Member, Founder of Origen NYC
