Exploring Life & Business with Norberto Muñoz of Morelia Gourmet Paletas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Norberto Muñoz

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My wife and I had been living in Miami for a little over 20 years before we decided to move to North Carolina. We had been here before and fell in love with the weather, the friendliness of the people, and all the nature around it. Back then we both had corporate jobs but always dreamed of having our own business.

Paletas (ice cream bars) have always been part the food culture in Latin America. Every country has its own version, some are small, some are thicker, some are only fruit base, etc. But growing up Venezuela and Cuba, respectively, my wife and I always had them around us from street vendors and they were a great and refreshing way to cool off and have fun eating ice cream! So for us it was a no brainer to open our own business, introduce paletas to the community, and with it also share some of our culture with our new NC neighbors!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the biggest obstacles we face is finding the right real estate for our business. A lot of the large companies in the ice cream space have exclusive rights to malls or shopping streets and that makes it really difficult for new businesses to enter the space. We face a lot of barriers when it comes to real estate due to that practice. Unfortunately, we feel that it limits options for consumers, it stopes competition and it blocks new products and ideas to enter the market. We also face some challenges from landlords who do not know our concept and are sometimes afraid of leasing to us.

What matters most to you?
For us, our team, and everyone involved in Morelia it’s all about our customers! Every decision we make from new flavor ideas to the last interaction at our store everything we do is to make our customers feel welcomed and happy. Having flavors that people like, using only the best and freshest ingredients, keeping our stores clean, well staffed and welcoming are the things that matter the most to us. We also love spending time with our customers and talk about traditions in Latin America, the language, and the food!

Pricing:

• Paletas: $5.75
• Dippings: $1.00
• Toppings: $1.00
• Special Toppings: $1.50

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.paletasmorelia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paletasmorelia
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/PaletasMorelia
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/paletasmorelia
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@paletasmorelia
• Yelp: https://yelp.to/BOBD6Ks6-w
• Other: https://maps.app.goo.gl/pGLvUQ6kqSYed3Nr7?g_st=i