Maria Albarca, Antojitos business owner, makes a menu item that consists of a mango and strawberry slushy combination.

Living the American dream, Mexican-born Tyler resident Maria Abarca has opened a food truck, called Antojitos, to satisfy snack cravings for East Texas residents.

Maria Abarca is the sister of Ruby Abarca, owner of the popular Ruby’s Mexican Restaurant, which is planning to open its fourth location after just two years in business. Maria has assisted Ruby with the restaurants, even creating recipes for the flavored water, or aguas frescas, she said.

Ruby was an inspiration for the food truck, which made its debut during the Rose City Fiesta at Bergfeld Park in August.

“I’ve always loved to make snacks and things like that,” she said. “My role model has always been her (Ruby), especially if you want to fight for something you want. She has always been our support in helping us succeed and have our own business, whether it’s a food truck or in the future, if God would like, a restaurant of Antojitos.”

Antojitos is the Spanish word for “cravings.” Menu items consist of “cravings” or snacks with Abarca’s special touch, such as mini pancakes, waffle on a stick, and popular Hispanic items such as mangonadas (spiced mango smoothie), chips preparados (chips with toppings), corn in a cup, agua frescas and hot Cheetos with cheese. Abarca said items can be altered to a customer’s liking to really fulfill their cravings.

Other items include fries topped with steak, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole and melted cheese, and tacos, quesadillas and enchiladas in the style of the Guerrero region of Mexico, she said.

Abarca appreciates the support the community has given her already. Amid a recent stint a the East Texas State Fair, she said it was a joy to call the business her own.

“I don’t even believe it myself that I’m here in the East Texas Fair,” she said. “I can’t believe it. The feeling that this is mine, and this is another step that God has helped me with. I’m very grateful for everyone who has supported and bought from us.”

Abarca said the business started with homemade candy concoctions still sold in her sister’s restaurants. The candy, including Gushers, Nerds and watermelon rings, is battered in chamoy, she said.

“That’s what I started with,” she said. “I have twins and I couldn’t work at that time and my husband was off work for several days and I thought, ‘What do I do? What do I do?” … I started (making the candy) without any money because a sister-in-law let me borrow money. We didn’t have any money. My daughters were newborns and I couldn’t work. My husband had only a few hours of work at his job, so I started doing that. My sister-in-law bought me everything and people liked it, it has its own touch and we’ve been selling them for three years now.”

Wanting more for her family also inspired her and pushed her to finally start a business, she said.

“I’ve always liked doing this but it was always the fear of, ‘It can’t happen, people are not going to like it,’ but it was for my family, my three daughters, and to give them a better life and to have my own business,” she said.

Abarca said she hopes to bring her truck to more events and eventually open a restaurant.

Find the business on Facebook under Los Antojitos Tx LLC.