Community Highlights: Meet Joyceline and Lyndelle Sanjuanero of Olla Olla LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joyceline and Lyndelle Sanjuanero.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
Lyndelle: It all started when I entered a competition back in 2019 for a chance to pitch business ideas. I did not win, but my sister Joyceline asked me, “Why don’t we start from 0 and do it ourselves?” I decided to have several businesses that would give back to the community in different ways. We already had the layout, the vision, the passion, and the motivation to start something new and give back to our community.

In November 2020, we started 2nd Freedom, an organization dedicated to giving back to the community by raising awareness, coordinating events & fundraisers, and through acts of service. Due to the pandemic, we could start another organization in May 2022, when Olla Olla Crepes was born.

For my side, I worked at a warehouse for a few months before Olla Olla, and with the pandemic, I did not want to stay in corporate America anymore. I knew I enjoyed cooking and being in the kitchen, so I decided to quit my job and go full-time into this business. In the beginning, we went blind since we had never worked in the food industry – our original hours were 8 pm to 4 am, 7 days a week, in front of my sister’s house! And luckily we sold a lot! I was so excited then, and I’m just as excited now, coming in every day to make something sweet & put a smile on everybody’s face.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Joyceline: For me, the main struggles were at the beginning. I had to adjust to an entirely new schedule since I did not leave my full-time job and am also a caregiver for my grandmother. This meant working 70-90 hours each week, which initially took a lot of work to get used to. I kept falling asleep for naps between jobs, and I would eat lunch/dinner at any minute I had a chance, whether at 5:30 pm or 1 am (no chance in between). Many people assumed it was a hobby for me, but for me and my sister I hit the ground running from the beginning, which meant creating a monthly menu, buying supplies, and setting up and tearing down each day. Everything always had to be unpacked & repacked at the beginning since we had no fixed location, and we also had to constantly change the setup since we started during monsoon season with winds as high as 40-50 mph per hour. One of our first videos is my sister flipping a crepe that flew away mid-flip! It was funny but also sad since, at the time, we had a prolonged cooking time with only one machine. We now have plenty of devices, so it’s ok to lose one now and then. One of our biggest supporters who talked us through every obstacle and challenge is our grandmother, “Mami Carmen.” She had her bakery back in the day in Tijuana, Mexico, so she taught us how to cook & bake. She taught us all the little skills and techniques needed, and she gave us many tips on how to get started and adapt quickly. She is a very particular cook & teacher, and her standards were always high for us. One of the most significant sayings in our kitchen is, “Would Mami Carmen approve of this?”

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Olla Olla LLC?
Lyndelle: Here at Olla Olla, our mission is to serve sweet & savory crepes with a Mexican twist. We are known for our infamous Chocoflan crepe, which has a delicious, homemade slice of Chocoflan, served with honey & chocolate syrup on a large 14-inch crepe, also made with our special house batter. We also make homemade Horchata, which takes us at least 14 hours. We highly recommend our Horchata Cafe to newcomers! We have a fixed location on 17th Ave and Van Buren (1708 W Van Buren), which we share with our parents. During the day, our parents (Tino & Darlene) have Landgrave Mexican Imports open, selling iron gates & beautiful hand-made rustic Mexican Artesanias (crafts). They also have Oficina Central Latina Express, dedicated to tax and legal document preparation. In the late afternoon, we take over, and our drive-thru can be accessed through the giant wrought-iron arch; parking is also available in the surrounding areas, and we have plenty of outdoor seating for anyone who wishes to dine in. We also vend at different events, catering for 25 people or more. We have various exciting options that we can customize for any occasion. Please reach out to us with any questions!

Brandwise, I am most proud of our value of giving back. It is an essential pillar of our team, and we are constantly brainstorming ideas & taking the time/resources to give back in any way we can. This year, we have partnered several times with Cloud Covered Streets to give out free crepes to people experiencing homelessness. We also held an event in collaboration with Deep Within Rehab to give free crepes to men transitioning from homelessness and addiction to productive members of society. We’re more than just two sisters trying to sell crepes – we’re part of this community too, and we want to do our part in giving back and uplifting people, even in the smallest of ways.

What’s next?
Joyceline: We are setting up a food truck and will hold a grand reveal for it in the summer. We already do events with a beautiful bright orange tent that can easily be spotted at events, but we’re looking forward to upgrading to the food truck, which will make everything smoother to set up.

We will also start selling coffee once the truck is set up, allowing us to serve various drinks. In particular, we are excited to offer high-quality coffee from different regions of Mexico with high altitudes. We have previously sold coffee from Colima, where our grandmother was born, and we will provide coffee from Oaxaca next.

Finally, we’re always excited to partner with other businesses & organizations. We have a fundraiser on April 27th in partnership with LSG@ASU. We also have an art show on Saturday, May 5th, that we will host here in our store from 6:30 pm to midnight – in collaboration with Vivrant, a community for creatives.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ollaollacrepes
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OllaOllaCrepes
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/shorts/sXFQzkyMjho?feature=share
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/olla-olla-phoenix
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ollaollacrepes