Business / Economy

New Hollister company incentivizes customers to send churros to first responders with discounts

Priscilla and Mike Jones spent two years coming up with their vegan churro recipe.
Andre, Mike, Priscilla, Mia, and Makai Jones of Mmm Churros! Photo courtesy of Priscilla Jones.
Andre, Mike, Priscilla, Mia, and Makai Jones of Mmm Churros! Photo courtesy of Priscilla Jones.

Although Mmm Churros! has been in business for only two months, regular customer Alayne Lima already loves them so much she can’t help sharing them. 

“When the fires first broke out, I contacted them to see if they would take some out to the airport to the first responders and firemen,“ Lima said. “I ordered a couple dozen. Priscilla was pretty touched by that and she matched them with another dozen.”

For owners (and high school sweethearts) Priscilla and Mike Jones, it seemed like a good enough idea to keep it going. They are offering a discount on churro orders to anyone who wants to send a dozen or more to first responders at 12 different locations in the Hollister area.

Two dozen churros ready for delivery. Photo courtesy of Priscilla Jones.
Two dozen churros ready for delivery. Photo courtesy of Priscilla Jones.

Mmm Churros! has been two years in the making, with the Joneses working to perfect the recipe of their made-from-scratch vegan churros.

“We were inspired by Disneyland,“ Priscilla said. “We go all the time and they have all kinds of churros. We had a cherry one out there and we could not stop thinking about it. So for a couple of years, we worked on making the flavored sugars until we found a way to make them taste the way we like.”

They currently offer traditional cinnamon and sugar churros as well as strawberry, grape, green apple, watermelon and cherry flavors. 

“The traditional churro is the top seller,” Mike said. “but watermelon is my favorite.”

You can also order cotton candy in two flavors: pink vanilla and blue raspberry. “The cotton candy has been selling a lot,” Priscilla said. “We debated putting it on the menu at all, but people love it.”

The couple have been making and delivering 30 dozen a day. Priscilla and Mike both make the dough, then Mike does the frying and cooking. Orders are timed to deliveries so the churros are still warm when customers receive them.

Photo courtesy of Priscilla Jones.
Photo courtesy of Priscilla Jones.

While opening during the pandemic might have been an obstacle to some businesses, it was not an issue with Mmm Churros!

“We knew from the start that we would be a delivery-only business,” Priscilla said. “And the only real difference is having to do contact deliveries. But a lot of people are stuck at home now and I think they like a sweet treat right to your door.”

They have already built up a number of regular customers and are offering a loyalty program, with a free dozen churros when the card is stamped full. Under the California Cottage Food Law, they are limited in what they can offer—filled churros are off the menu for the moment—but they hope to change that by expanding their operation soon.

“We are actively looking for space to do a pop-up or to try to get a storefront on our own,” Priscilla said. “Once we find a commercial space, we will be able to do a lot more right away.”

For now, they are working close to capacity, enjoying every moment of it, and happy with the product they are making. 

“Our churros are the perfect blend of not too sweet and very savory,” Priscilla said. “You can eat ours without any sugar on them at all. People seem to like them. We’ve had an overwhelming response and business is booming.”

 

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Robert Eliason

I got my start as a photographer when my dad stuck a camera in my hand on the evening of my First Grade Open House. He taught me to observe, empathize, then finally compose the shot.  The editors at BenitoLink first approached me as a photographer. They were the ones to encourage me to write stories about things that interest me, turning me into a reporter as well.  BenitoLink is a great creative family that cares deeply about the San Benito community and I have been pleased to be a part of it.