A Love of Community and Gorditas Led to the Chicana-Owned Maíz Food Truck

Maria Rangel officially launched her food truck, Maíz, in May 2021 after a winding path and a love for gorditas inspired her to make a big life change.

For over eight years, Rangel worked in the EMS field on ambulances for the Denver Health Paramedic Division. "Then I moved to the detox facility, which is kind of where I got burned out," she recalls. "I worked a lot with the drug and alcohol population, and it was just wearing on me a little bit, and I just became a mom. So I was like, no more nights. Like, no more of this."

But something else had sparked her interest. "I never tasted a gordita until my mother-in-law made them for me," she says. "The first time I took a bite, I was in love. So that's how the recipe got passed down to me. And [my mother-in-law] is from Chihuahua, Mexico, where they deep-fry their gorditas instead of preparing them over a comal. ... I kept telling my husband, 'We should sell these.'"

Facing a time of transition in her life, Rangel turned to her father, Jerry, for advice. A small-business owner himself, Jerry was also the one who had inspired Rangel's love of cooking and interest in her Mexican heritage at a young age. After sharing her dream of supporting the community through food, her father suggested that she start a food truck before attempting to open a brick-and-mortar eatery. "I pretty much just cashed out my 401(k) and took a leap — and here I am," Rangel adds.
Her next step was enrolling in a business course at the Mi Casa Resource Center that was geared toward mobile food business. As part of the class, Rangel had to lead tastings as a way to showcase her business model, pushing her to perfect her gordita recipe and technique. "I'm no expert; I am no trained chef, by any means. I just kind of took this leap," Rangel notes.

By the time she finished the course, Rangel was ready to hit the streets — almost. "When I left the class, I had my business registered. I applied for the tax license. I had a whole business; I just didn't have a truck, which was the biggest challenge," she says.

The main issue was Larry Perez, the fabricator of the truck, who is now incarcerated. "The devil himself," Rangel calls him, explaining that while Perez "made this beautiful truck," she had to battle with him to acquire the title for a full year.

When she was finally able to hit the streets, she quickly realized that a class only teaches you so much. "I didn't know how to work commercial equipment," she admits. She also struggled with balancing life as a mom and a business owner, as well as logistics like learning how to cook for a large number of people.
But after easing herself into the food truck scene, she now feels more comfortable as she approaches her second year of operation. "I'm loving it," she says.

Biting into Maíz's gorditas, it's clear that Rangel is definitely on to something great. Each is made using fresh corn masa, which is naturally gluten-free, as are all the dishes the truck serves. Rangel lists her favorites as the ground beef and potato and the chorizo and potato, while the top seller is one made with corn and squash. "My husband was like, 'Nobody's going to like that,'" she recalls. "Now that's the number-one go-to." Another must: the green chile, which comes with beans and your choice of protein.

"I actually feel like I've never been good at anything except for this," Rangel concludes. "I feel like I found my calling. I feel like I've found where I'm supposed to be, and it's the most fun. I just love connecting with people."

Ready for a taste? Follow Maíz on Instagram and Facebook for its upcoming schedule.