Yuma restaurant owner named small business person of the year for Arizona

Ariz, YUMA (KYMA) - A Yuma restaurant owner has been named Arizona Small Business Person of the Year.

Ornelas has some advice for small businesses just starting their journey.

“Be consistent, get involved with your communities, support locals, help each other and keep working hard for what they dream," says Alma Ornelas, Owner of the Best Taquito.

She also expresses gratitude to the community she’s served for their support.

“I just want to say thank you because to be honest this award means a lot for me like I just mentioned, and it’s not just about me, it’s about everybody getting together," expresses Ornelas.

Alma Ornelas started her journey to success 17 year ago with just a food truck and a heart of service.

Ornelas describes what the process of starting a business was like, “well it’s a lot of long nights, a lot of hard work, be consistent it hasn’t been easy obviously.”

Ornelas now has two full service locations, one in Yuma and one in San Luis, Arizona.

“When you do something that you really love, and you work hard for it, I mean everything is possible," says Ornelas.

When she started her business she wanted to bring her culture to arizona and build opportunities for others.

“Being able to share all this and also to create a better life, also opportunities for all the people that are around me, and of course for future generations," says Ornelas.

Now Ornelas will be heading to Washington D.C. To be honored by the U.S. Small Business Administration.