Phoenix Coqui
By: Gabby Revilla
Phoenix native Alexis Carbajal is the proud owner of Puerto Rican food truck Phoenix Coqui.
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The 32-year-old was born to two immigrants from Mexico, and has always felt that he owes everything to them because of the struggles they faced achieving the American dream.
While attending ASU as a student, Carbajal had a zest for traveling and international studies. It was when he traveled to Puerto Rico in 2013 that he realized his true passion in life. While there, he was exposed to a variety of new things, including its food, culture, and a new love in current partner
Juan Alberto Ayala who also serves as co-owner and head chef.
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Fast forward four years, and Phoenix Coqui was born. Opened in June 2017, their food truck became an instant success. Customers are transported to Puerto Rico through its food, environment and variety of salsa and bachata music.
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Carbajal says that local business is very important to him. Phoenix Coqui is a member of Local First Arizona, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping local businesses startup. It is the largest in the country with over 3,000 local businesses participating.
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He said that if he wasn’t working in the food truck industry, he would like to work with youth, whether it’s teaching them cooking skills, how launch a startup, or anything else related to the field. He believes it is important to start kids off young with helping them realize their passions.
When asked about the situation happening right now in Puerto Rico, Carbajal stated that it is absolutely heartbreaking to see the lack of response to the tragedy, especially because they have such strong ties to the island. He feels the incident is being minimized by the media and is not being given the attention it should be. He also said that it’s a sad fact that many American citizens don’t realize that those who reside in Puerto Rico are Americans as well, and that this humanitarian crisis is being completely ignored. One thing they are doing as a business is taking donations and shipping supplies to Puerto Rico.
Whether Carbajal is working at his food truck, or helping beginning entrepreneurs, he says it is always important to never forget your roots and to always give back when you can.
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I created this photo/audio slideshow to showcase what a night at Phoenix Coqui is like.