Today we’d like to introduce you to Pilar Hurtado Gutierrez.
Hi Pilar, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up, one of the things I heard and saw from many families was how important food is when bringing people together. Food can make or break an event. When food is not made with love, it can change the entire mood and experience. But when it is made with care, it becomes part of the memories, connections, and moments that guests remember. At the same time, I saw families who were not financially stable but still did everything they could to celebrate birthdays, graduations, holidays, and other special moments with the people they loved. That is where the idea for Tasty Bites Durham was created. In 2024, I participated in a pitch competition centered around tackling food insecurity. My first thought was: *What if I created a catering business, but made it different? What if people could pay what they could afford while we also created a positive impact in the community?* That idea became the foundation of Tasty Bites Durham. After pitching the business, the idea continued to grow. Organizations began reaching out to us to provide food for people in the community. In 2025, we received grants that helped us launch the business, establish it legally, and take the next steps toward building something sustainable. From there, we became more known in the community and expanded into pop-up events, fundraisers, and private catering. Our clients began to truly value not only our food, but the purpose behind what we do. They would come back to us for their own events because they wanted to make their celebrations special, meaningful, and unique. The more we catered, the more opportunities we had to build genuine connections with guests and families. Because of that support, we were also able to give back to our community. We partnered with organizations and community groups to provide free grocery deliveries, free toys for children, and other resources to families who needed support. In 2026, we reached another important milestone by hosting our first-ever Back-to-School community event focused on tackling food insecurity. Through that event, we were able to help feed more than 100 people and bring our community together. I grew up watching my family work incredibly hard to provide for me and my siblings. Seeing their sacrifices taught me the importance of hard work, perseverance, and giving back. Today, I am taking those lessons with me and using my business as a way to support other families. My entrepreneurial journey has not been perfect. Through the different entrepreneurship programs I have participated in, I have learned, grown, made mistakes, and tried again. There has been a lot of trial and error, revising ideas, learning from experiences, and continuing forward even when things did not go as planned. Tasty Bites Durham is more than just a catering business. It represents a journey that started with an idea to make food more accessible and turned into an opportunity to create memories, build connections, and give back to the community that supported us. And this is only the beginning.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. Starting and running a business at 18 came with many challenges, especially because I was learning everything as I went. I had to figure out things that I had never done before, such as understanding taxes, completing sales reports, managing finances, and learning the responsibilities that come with running a business. There were many moments when I felt overwhelmed or unsure of what I was doing, but I learned to ask questions, seek guidance, and keep trying. Every mistake became a learning opportunity, and every challenge helped me grow as an entrepreneur and as a person. Looking back, I realize that the difficult moments were an important part of my journey. I did not have everything figured out when I started, but I was willing to learn, adapt, and keep moving forward. It was all growth, and those experiences have helped me become more confident in running my business today.
We’ve been impressed with Pilar HG Marketing, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Alongside running Tasty Bites Durham, I am currently an undergraduate senior at Guilford College majoring in Business Administration with a focus on marketing. My education has given me the opportunity to develop skills that I apply directly to my business. My work in marketing focuses on building strategies that help a brand grow and connect with its audience. I work on understanding who our target customers are, how we can reach them, and what makes them want to engage with the brand. This includes developing social media strategies, creating content, planning promotional campaigns, strengthening our brand identity, and finding ways to turn one-time customers into long-term relationships. I use what I learn through my Business Administration and marketing studies to test ideas, review what works, make adjustments, and continuously improve our strategy.
What does success mean to you?
For me, success is being able to look at where I am today and recognize how far I have come. I am currently in college, studying Business Administration, while managing multiple businesses and competing as a rugby athlete. Being able to balance all of these responsibilities is already a form of success to me. When I first started Tasty Bites Durham, I never imagined that I would be where I am today. What started as an idea has grown into a real business with clients, community partnerships, events, and an impact beyond just catering. I define success not only by financial achievements, but by growth, opportunities, and the ability to keep moving forward. Every challenge I have overcome, every lesson I have learned, and every person we have been able to help through Tasty Bites Durham represents success to me. I am proud of the person and entrepreneur I am becoming, and I see success as continuing to grow while staying true to the purpose behind everything I started.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tastybitesdurham.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tastybitesdurham/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Tasty-Bites-Durham/61574965577705/
