When Ana Torres was 18-years-old, she did something outside of her comfort zone. She left her mother and sister in Peru and came to Baraboo, Wisconsin for a work and travel program to improve her English.
She was studying psychology in Peru and the program required a second language. So in December 2006, she spent her school break working at a printing factory in Baraboo.
“I thought, ‘Oh maybe in further states, there are not too many Hispanic people so I can keep practicing more. But that wasn’t true. Hispanic people are everywhere,” Torres said.
She returned to Peru after her break was over. But, she still had big dreams of being independent and helping her single mom pay for college.
Torres always had an interest in business. To pay for college she sold beauty products in Peru. As a child, she sold homemade ice cream.
“My mom is in Peru right now. The other day, she sent a picture of my board that I had over there selling these products,” Torres said. “I just started to cry because it said, this is the beginning of everything.”
Ana Torres, owner of Las Milpas in Baraboo, Wisconsin, holds a photo of her ice cream sign. She used this to run her first business as a child in Peru. (Maria Brunetta/WPR)
Torres loved her time in Baraboo and returned a year later to work at the printing factory again. She met her husband, Adolfo Morales, there. But, they knew they could do something beyond the printing factory.
“I always had faith on ourselves. We can run our own businesses and do what we like and give other people the opportunity to have work, you know? (I want to) be able to tell my daughters that they can come with me to work with me,” Torres said.
The sign outside of Las Milpas restaurant and grocery store near downtown Baraboo, Wisconsin. (Maria Brunetta/WPR)
Now, Torres owns Las Milpas, a restaurant and Latino grocery store.
“In 2011, we opened with our savings. We saved our tax returns and all that stuff,” said Torres. “We opened the store from just…nothing. I remember there was only $350 in the cash (register).”
Inside Las Milpas grocery store in Baraboo, Wisconsin. (Maria Brunetta/WPR)
The business started off as a small grocery store but quickly grew. Customers asked for a meat counter, a bakery, a restaurant and more product variety. The uptick followed Hurricanes Maria and José when more Puerto Ricans came to Baraboo. Torres has also seen a rise in people from Nicaragua, Honduras and Colombia.
“If our community is getting bigger, we have to get bigger with them. We have to grow with them and give them what they like, because they are the customers they want,” Torres said.
For many who have moved to the United States from Latin America, Las Milpas can feel like a little slice of home. With a meat counter, Latin music playing over the speakers, freshly baked pastries and, of course, an array Latino products beyond just food.
“I love to see this aisle because it’s very colorful. (There’s) Colombia postoble (food), Ecuador … you can tell now that we have all these products, how much we grew.”
-
- A variety of snacks in Las Milpas in Baraboo, Wisconsin. (Maria Brunetta/WPR)
-
- A variety of drinks in Las Milpas in Baraboo, Wisconsin. (Maria Brunetta/WPR)
Las Milpas is not just a restaurant and grocery store but also a also has a food truck that can be found at many community events. They also have a party room that can be rented out.
Torres also helps others in her community find growth and opportunity.
Her sister, who is turning 25, came to the United States at age 19. She is following in Torres’ footsteps and is opening a Peruvian bakery at the corner of Las Milpas.
In the building behind Las Milpas, Torres is also working on renovating small apartments for employees who move to Baraboo but need help finding housing.
“Another challenge or concern for our community is (that it’s) growing. They are not able to make a history to rent apartments. Sometimes, I lost employees because they couldn’t find a good place to live,” said Torres.
Torres has served on the Board of Directors for the Baraboo Chamber of Commerce. She is an integral part of not only the Hispanic community but also the greater community in Baraboo and Sauk County.
Torres and her restaurant help others learn about the varieties of Latino cultures.
“We just need to tell the people that we are not we’re not only drinks or food,” Torres said. “We’re more than that. We’re history we’re traditions with our different words different languages.”
Las Milpas restaurant in Baraboo, Wisconsin. (Maria Brunetta/WPR)
For Torres, she couldn’t have gotten where she is without believing in herself and having the backing of her community.
“If we support and work together, we can get better things, of course. (I’m) so sure of that,” she said.
But the work is never done. Torres is always working on getting more products the community requests. She’s also expanding her restaurant menu to include more Latino flavors, like Peruvian and Nicaraguan dishes.
