When Jacqueline Garza’s parents, Trinidad and Ale Garza, opened up a small Mexican restaurant in Houston, Texas two years ago, they were certain that it would be a massive hit with the locals. One taste of her father’s pan dulce (Mexican pastries) and people would be queuing up around the block.
“Everything is made by hand, from the filling in our empanadas to the chips and salsa,” Jaqueline told TODAY Parents.
But unfortunately, things didn’t quite go to plan. The numbers dropped, and Jacqueline’s Dad had to start throwing away more and more pastry. The business was plummeting and he began to think about closing it down.
That was until Trinidad’s daughter had an ingenious idea: a social media campaign to save this wonderful little family business. “I thought, what better way to reach out to people than on Twitter, since almost everyone has a Twitter account and everything nowadays is done online?” she said.
https://twitter.com/basicjackz/status/938490808860364801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.today.com%2Fparents%2Fdaughter-asked-twitter-help-save-her-parents-cafe-t121326
The tweet has received over 67,000 retweets so far. Since Garza’s tweet, business at the restaurant has doubled! The final roll of the dice had worked, and her father didn’t have to close down his beloved little place. Jacqueline has also set up a GoFundMe campaign.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcnBCNAho0D/?taken-by=basicjackz
“I’m beyond grateful to have had the amount of support I received, not only from my city, but from around the world!” said Garza. “This definitely shows even though there is always so much bad news, at the end of the day, humans always come together for a greater good, and that really makes me happy.”
https://twitter.com/basicjackz/status/938897040825880577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.houstoniamag.com%2Farticles%2F2017%2F12%2F8%2Fla-case-bakery-viral-tweet
A huge number of tourists have stopped off at La Casa during their travels through Houston, with many determined to support the local business.
https://twitter.com/CasaBakery/status/954845945707028480
“People have told me that they are on vacation but HAD to come visit my restaurant because they wanted to support us before heading home,” Garza said.
La Casa is well on its way to becoming a roaring success, with Trinidad’s pan dulce becoming a massive hit with customers.
Just left, love this bakery! Support your local business pic.twitter.com/f7OOqmyYIV
— Lisa (@lifen2010) January 21, 2018
“I am very proud of exposing the world to our culture and the foods I grew up loving,” Garza said. “It’s more than just bread; it’s a form of art!”
Sparkling reviews have been pouring in for the little bakery joint.
“I love this place! The food is fresh and both the flour and corn tortillas are made by hand (they’re very proud of that). The service has always been polite and friendly but also fast,” one person wrote. “So good…and the bread!” another added.