Cha-Cha Sweets
“The SBDC gave me the confidence to dream bigger. I often tell people that Cha-Cha Sweets has been my real education. And with the SBDC and people like Anni beside me, they’ve helped me prove to myself that I don’t need a four-year degree to be someone in business.”
Angel Rodriguez knew before he graduated high school in 2020 he wanted to be an entrepreneur.
For Angel, it was not a matter of if, but when he would own his own business.
He enrolled in college after graduation and then left just days after the semester began, realizing he did not want to wait four years to get his business started.
At the time, Chamoy, a Mexican condiment that combines sweet, sour, spicy and salty elements, was gaining popularity beyond its origin in Latin communities. Angel decided to launch his own Chamoy candy company, based out of his home, naming it Cha-Cha Sweets.
“I honestly didn’t expect my business to be in candy, but I knew I wanted to start my career,” he said. “I hopped on a trend that was on social media at the time, because even then, I saw it as being more than a trend. I could see it being a long-lasting market. Now we’re five years into the business and the marketplace continues to grow for this type of candy.”
As an 18-year-old entrepreneur, Angel quickly learned how complex creating a packaged candy business could be. He reached out to the Solano-Napa SBDC for assistance and learned the center’s NxLevel Entrepreneurship Training program was open for enrollment.
Angel signed up to participate and was paired with Anni Minuzzo, a food industry veteran and SBDC advisor, for the intensive 11-week program. During their initial weeks together, he learned he would need registrations, certifications, licenses, objective market research, and access to working capital to be able to open and sustain the business. After NxLevel concluded, the two continued to meet regularly as Angel launched Cha-Cha Sweets.
“Anni already lived it, she already went through the same struggles I was going through, and that gave me the confidence to move forward because she was there to guide me,” Angel said. “I often tell people that Cha-Cha Sweets has been my real education. And with the SBDC and people like Anni beside me, they’ve helped me prove to myself that I don’t need a four-year degree to be someone in business.”
In the years that followed, with the support of his fiancé, friends and family, Angel received his Cottage Food Operators permit and managed his candy business from his home in Napa. Cha-Cha’s sales were primarily farmers markets, flea markets, pop-ups, catering, and events. His goal was to move out of his home, but he knew he needed the demand for his candy in order to be able to afford it.
Two important milestones happened in 2023 and 2024 for Angel and his business. First, he was part of the NorCal SBDC Dream Fund program and received a $5,000 grant towards building his business.
Then, the organizers of the extremely successful Bottle Rock musical festival in Napa decided to introduce La Onda, devoted to all things Latin, and asked Angel to be a vendor at the event. Cha-Cha’s presence there, along with an actively hip social media presence has rapidly increased their customer base, expanding the brand far beyond Napa.
With sales far exceeding production capacity. Angel moved his home-based kitchen operation into a warehouse in south Napa.
With Angel and his team’s hard work, marketing strategy, and quality products, Cha-Cha Sweets’ sales reached six-figures in only three years. He also transitioned the business from a sole proprietorship to an LLC. Angel is on a path to further success with plans to take the brand national within two years.
He plans to continue working with his SBDC advisors, including Anni Minuzzo.
“The SBDC gave me more than just funding,” he said. “The SBDC gave me the confidence to dream bigger.”
Learn more about Cha-Cha Sweets at chachasweets.com
