Chevita's Juice & Bagels

Our History

María started chasing the American Dream by selling tamales on 4th Street in Downtown Santa Ana. While many of her customers do not know her by her real name, they do know the unique flavor of her food. She is known as the lady of the tamales on 4th Street or the lady who sold tamales outside Northgate. If you asked anyone near 4th Street, they would direct you to where she was.

She is admired not only for her food but how friendly she is with everyone and her jokes that make everyone laugh, every day she would visit the shops on 4th Street to sell her tamales and champurrado, and in the afternoon, she would do it on the corner of Northgate.

María has always had the support of her husband because her objective in coming to the USA was to give her children a college education and have a better quality of life, which they successfully achieved, and that has always been her greatest pride.

There were difficult times, such as the financial crisis of 2008, which meant that her sale of tamales was no longer a viable business, coupled with her losing her home, which filled her with deep sadness. However, she knew how to reinvent herself and began to sell homemade food in all the shops on 4th Street in downtown Santa Ana, and she only made tamales to order.

In 2013, after building up her savings, she decided, with the help of her husband, to open La Fonda, a restaurant with Mexican snacks that was next to the Mexican Consulate. Her specialty on Sundays was stuffed bolillo and chilate; very soon, it was a success with his countrymen from Guerrero. Unfortunately, the business did not prosper since the consulate was moved and that was the main source of clients for the business.

Maria had to return her food cart to 4th Street, and now she not only makes tamales to order, but she also added chilate and the Guerrero-style pork filling.

In 2017, a friend invited her to partner in a new venture, and that year, Chevita's Juice and Bagels was born. The name is derived from a joke from María's people, and since she used it so much, it ended up being her nickname; they no longer called her Mary; they knew her as Cheva or Chevitas.

Chevita's Juice and Bagels has faced many battles, but María, or Chevita as many know her, still got up every morning with the same drive and energy to make her business as successful as possible.

Today, Maria is the sole owner of Chevita's Juice and Bagels.