Senior Multimedia Reporter
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Andy Poliah, credited with bringing his own Mexican-Trini-flavoured cuisine to San Fernando, says passion and determination are key ingredients for young entrepreneurs seeking success, but he warns they should never be afraid of failure.
Poliah, who is celebrating 12 years selling Mexican food in San Fernando, said aspiring entrepreneurs should pursue what they are passionate about, remain consistent and have faith in God.
Speaking to Guardian Media about his own journey into the Mexican food business, Poliah said his career started not in a restaurant, but in a small kitchen at his home in San Fernando.
“Today we are pleased that Chimichanga Mexican Grill on Todd Street serves tacos, burritos, enchiladas, rice bowls and quesadillas, combining Mexican flavours with Trinidadian influences,” he added.
Poliah said when he first introduced Mexican food to San Fernando in 2014, many people were unfamiliar with the cuisine.
Before starting the business, he said he spent several years in the United States, where he developed an appreciation for Mexican food after discovering a small family-owned Mexican restaurant near where he lived.
“I found that their flavours had a lot of similarities to the Trini flavours. That’s where I fell in love with Mexican food,” he said.
After returning to Trinidad, Poliah said he travelled to Mexico, visiting parts of the Yucatán Peninsula and later returning to explore the northern region, including Tijuana.
He wanted to understand the different regional flavours and experiences before bringing elements of Mexican cuisine back home.
“I came back to Trinidad, experimenting a lot with the Mexican flavours at home, just in my little kitchen,” he said.
Family and friends became his first customers.
He said their encouragement eventually led him to consider whether Mexican food could work as a business.
“They started saying, ‘Why don’t you try selling this?’ And that’s where the idea came up—maybe we should offer this to the general public and let’s see how it goes from there.”
In August 2014, he bought a small food cart, obtained permission from the San Fernando City Corporation and began selling food at the Cross Crossing Vending Strip.
It was a modest beginning for what would become a 12-year business.
At the time, he said, Mexican food was largely unfamiliar to customers in San Fernando.
“The usual thing on the Cross would be burgers, gyros, fries, stuff like that, soups and stuff like that,” he recalled.
“So having this new person on the Cross selling something relatively new to the general public, it was challenging.”
He often had to give customers samples to persuade them to try burritos and other dishes.
Many knew what a taco was because they had seen it on television, but Andy said burritos and enchiladas were less familiar.
“It started slow because many people were not familiar with what a burrito is or what an enchilada is,” he said.
The business gradually grew and developed a following, particularly among families.
Customers would gather around the small tables outside the food cart, eating and spending time together.
But several years into the business, Poliah said he faced a personal challenge that made him consider walking away.
What kept him going, he said, were the customers.
He recalled receiving calls from people asking why the business was closed and when he would return.
“Customers would tell me they were craving Chimichanga’s burritos. The phone wouldn’t stop ringing,” he said. These were customers from as far as Arima, San Juan and Central.
Those calls eventually convinced him to return.
He believes consistency in business kept his clientele while passion made him continue.
“If you are doing something that you’re not passionate about, leave it alone,” he said.
Andy believes his passion for Mexican cuisine is tied to his desire to share an experience with customers.
He said most of the ingredients and sauces used at Chimichanga are prepared from scratch.
The restaurant makes its own salsas, speciality sauces and pickled onions fresh daily.
He said customers respond to the combination of flavours and the vibrancy associated with Mexican cuisine.
“You get that zing behind your mouth,” he said.
Andy also sees food as an important part of San Fernando’s identity.
He embraces the phrase “South is love”, saying food is an important expression of that identity.
“I feel whoever came up with that phrase had food in mind because food in San Fernando, to me, tastes different from food in Port-of-Spain,” he said.
He believes the difference is not necessarily about the ingredients, but the way people prepare food and the character they bring to it.
Advice to young entrepreneurs
After 12 years in business, Poliah’s advice to young people who want to start their own businesses is built on faith.
He cautions against becoming consumed by fear of failure, saying you should put your trust in God rather than relying solely on yourself. “God never gave us a spirit of fear”
He encouraged young people with a vision to pursue it without being discouraged by other people who may not understand their vision.
“Don’t worry and don’t be afraid of people that laugh at you and think you’re not going to succeed,” he said. Your vision is yours, not theirs, let them laugh. You build on the passion and vision you have been given without being discouraged.
Andy said young entrepreneurs should focus on doing their part and leave the outcome in God’s hands. We can plant, and we can water; that’s our responsibility; the increase of the fruit is God’s responsibility. Your seed will bear fruit, be consistent with whatever you are passionate about doing.
Like other small businesses, Andy said Chimichanga has had to contend with rising costs of goods and raw materials and uncertainty about the future.
“Every time you go to the grocery, every time you have to call a supplier, the price is going up,” he said.
Despite those challenges, Poliah said the support of customers has kept the business moving.
He thanked those who supported Chimichanga from its first night at the Cross Crossing Vending Strip in 2014 to its 12th-anniversary celebration on Todd Street, saying anyone who wants delicious Mexican fusion food can visit us. One location only—33 Todd St, San Fernando.
