Supermarkets and big box stores are great. But nothing beats the feeling of shopping in a bodega. These small, often family-owned convenience stores are a fixture in New York City’s Latinx neighborhoods. In them, you’ll find everything from milk and lottery tickets to hot foods like empanadas and chicken with yellow rice.

New Jerseyan Ivette Rivera wanted to bring the spirit of bodegas to her adopted home state of Florida. So she founded Loiza Foods, a company whose signature product is a line of seasonings called Bodega Flava.

The Tampa resident visited our studio on the University of South Florida campus. In this conversation, Ivette shares how she went from sleeping in her vehicle to creating a food brand that celebrates what she loves about being Puerto Rican. Here is Ivette’s story from car to cocina.

Related episodes:

• How to Have a Puerto Rican-Style Holiday Feast in Florida

• “Latino Orlando” Author Dr. Simone Delerme on the Rise of Florida’s Hispanic Restaurants & Markets

• Food Memories of Latin America