• Facebook
  • Youtube
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Flickr
  • Slideshare
  • Rss
  • Donate
  • Subscribe
SBDC Tampa Bay
  • Home
  • Solutions
    • Certifications
      • Business Certifications
      • Minority-Owned Business
      • Woman-Owned Business
      • Veteran-Owned Business
    • Consulting & Training
      • Training
      • Training Calendar
      • Consulting
      • Schedule a Consultant
    • Business Solutions
      • Growth Acceleration
      • Government Contracting
      • International Trade
      • Starting Your Business
      • Disaster Preparedness
      • Student Teams
      • Organizational Development
  • Resources
    • Business Resources
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Insights
    • Blog
    • Media Inquiries
  • About Us
    • Mission / Vision
    • Consultants
    • Meet the Staff
    • Meet Our Clients
    • Partners / Affiliates
  • Training
  • Results
    • Success Stories
    • Economic Impact
  • Locations
    • Tampa
    • Hillsborough
    • Hernando County
    • Pinellas County
    • Highlands, Hardee, DeSoto
    • Polk County
    • Manatee
    • Sarasota
  • Contact
  • Schedule a Consultant
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
Blog

Former Navy team lives new entrepreneurial dream

Blog, Featured News, SBDC News, Success Stories

Healthy & Fresco of Hillsborough County

Healthy & Fresco of Hillsborough CountyWhen Israel Martinez and his friend Pablo Rosado retired from the Navy after 45 years of service between them, they had one dream they still wanted to pursue – to open up a restaurant.

With little more than a dream and a concept to focus on the health food craze, they turned to the Florida SBDC at University of South Florida for guidance.

“First of all, the first thing for any business is to create a business plan,” Martinez said. “We needed a business plan and we went to SBDC for help. Bill [Burnham] sat down with us and we talked about everything we wanted to do. It took five months because he was very meticulous about it. At the end of the day, we knew everything about our plan so we’re glad we did it that way.”

While they were in the planning stages, Burnham, a business consultant at the Florida SBDC at USF, encouraged Martinez to attend culinary school and to work in the industry to gain experience.

After culinary school, the idea snowballed into success. “After the business plan was completed, we started making the move to find the place and working with the bank,” Martinez said.

“We were glad to get an SBA loan. That’s what made it happen. We were able to find a restaurant. Now we’ve been open for about two and a half months.”

Today, Healthy & Fresco is a healthy alternative to the multitude of fast food options currently on the market. They offer options to build your own sandwiches, bowls, wraps and smoothies.

With Burnham’s help, they were able to secure a loan, find a location, purchase equipment, hire personnel and even wrote hiring and personnel guidelines and manuals. Healthy & Fresco currently has three full-time and 11 part-time employees on staff.

“This is just the beginning,” Martinez said. “We will definitely need more guidance as we go. I’m so glad that the SBDC is there to support us. The race just started, we are glad that they’re there to support us. We’re ready for the challenge.”

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
https://sbdctampabay.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Healthy-Pic-1.jpg 1501 2000 admin /wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Locked-Host-Logos-Horizontal-USF-Small-e1635274663378.png admin2019-11-01 14:54:442021-12-15 02:13:25Former Navy team lives new entrepreneurial dream

Categories

  • Business Essentials
  • Business Plans
  • Buying a Business
  • Certifications
  • COVID-19
  • Crowdfunding
  • Disaster Preparedness
  • Economic Development
  • Finance
  • Government Contracting
  • Growing Your Business
  • Healthcare
  • Human Resources
  • International Trade
  • Marketing
  • Press Releases
  • Radio and Podcast
  • Starting a Business
  • Success Stories
  • Success Stories Videos
  • Tech Commercialization/Tech Transfer
  • Veteran
  • Web and Social Media

Email Newsletters

Sign Up Now

Contact Us

Regional Office Contact Info

USF CONNECT
3802 Spectrum Blvd., Suite 201
Tampa, FL 33612

813-396-2700

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Florida SBDC Network

The Florida SBDC at the University of South Florida is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide partnership program nationally accredited by the Association of America’s SBDCs and funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida, and other private and public partners, with the University of West Florida serving as the network’s lead host institution. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for limited English proficient individuals.

Logos

Business Assistance

USFMuma

State Designated as Florida’s Principal Provider of Business Assistance [§ 288.01, Fla. Stat.]

© Florida SBDC at USF | contact webmaster
Doula finds permanent home as vision becomes realityBellies-2- Babies of Polk CountyWorth Fixing of Hillsborough CountyHusband and wife team turn hobby into new business
Scroll to top