Meet Alexandra and Arturo Hernandez: Eloteros

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexandra and Arturo Hernandez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexandra and Arturo, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
There really wasn’t a plan behind creating El Elote. The whole concept started while husband and wife, Alexandra and Arturo, were sitting on the beach in Veracruz, Mexico. “We sat there, watching the locals sell their shrimp and homemade food. It was so humbling. All these people put so much love into what they were selling.” And that’s where the conversation started. “We wanted to bring something we love, something delicious, something simple to our town.” Over five years ago, we turned out little conversation into a passion. We don’t just sell elotes, we sell smiles and connect with people one elote at a time.

What should our readers know about your business?
We have taken our passion for Mexican street corn and turned it into a business. We’re the proud parents of two children who work alongside to help make El Elote a success. It all started with a crazy idea to bring elotes to our small town of Sandy Springs. For years, visiting family in Mexico, our first stop was always the local elotero, and that passion needed to be shared. “We wanted to introduce something unexpected to our community that we knew they’d soon love.” The combination of mayonnaise, cojita cheese, and seasoning on a boiled ear of corn was foreign to most, but not to me. People from all over are driving miles to taste our amazing corn with its unique homemade seasonings and signature Mamacita sauce.
We are true believers in not forcing things to happen. From the very beginning, things just fell into place. From finding the perfect location for our first pop-up, 5 years ago to today. When you have a simple passion, things happen naturally.
We are a true family business. When we first started talking about El Elote, we told our children that we are either going to be successful or completely bomb. We believe that people love seeing a family come together and create something they are passionate about. It’s not a job, it’s a passion, it’s something we love and want to share with others.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One of the best things about this city is you can head downtown and see all the fun the city has to offer. Or you can head north and see the calm beauty of nature. Our first stop would be The Beltline. Besides all the amazing art and graffiti, there’s Piedmont Park, Ponce City Market, and Old Fourth Ward. But let’s not forget all the amazing local breweries around town- Monday Night, Atlanta Brewing Company, Gate City, Jekyll Brewing, and our personal favorite Pontoon Brewery. As far as food, BuHi is the place! You can get all types of food from all over the world. It’s our little home away from home.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
If it wasn’t for our mothers we believe we would not be where we are today. Those two ladies have a heart of gold. While Alexandra’s mother has incredible business sense, Arturo’s mother knows exactly what an elote should look and taste like. Their constant love, support, and honesty is what has helped us along the way. Although, Arturo’s mother is no longer with us, we know she is watching us and making sure we serve the perfect elote.

Instagram: Instagram.com/el.elote

Facebook: El Elote

Image Credits
Alexandra Hernandez