NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — As the lunch rush begins, you'll find Karla Ruiz busy in the kitchen.
"The quesadillas and the mac and cheese is like our number one sell," she said.
Her restaurant, Viva la Vida, offers a twist on traditional Mexican cuisine. Housed in the Mesa Komal Café at Belmont, Viva la Vida is the first venture to use the space after it recently opened. Entrepreneurs like Ruiz will rotate through the program to get a taste of the industry.
"The importance of immigrant entrepreneurship in our city cannot be understated," said Professor of Entrepreneurship at Belmont University Jose Gonzalez.
The culinary incubator is a partnership between Conexión Américas, Belmont University and Sodexo.
"So, there are many foreign-born people who have moved to Nashville that are very entrepreneurial, and of course one of the areas in which they launch businesses is the food space," said Gonzalez.
It's giving immigrants like Ruiz the necessary experience to open their own businesses.
"I think I want to go Viva la Vida in a restaurant where people can have tacos with tequila, like a tequila bar with cervezas," she said. "Why not?"
The Café is officially open for business Sunday – Friday from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
