CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — A Chula Vista woman has come full circle, transitioning from cooking in her parents' restaurant on Third Avenue to opening her own establishment just down the street.
As part of Women's History Month, ABC 10News is highlighting Priscilla Curiel, the woman behind "Mujer Divina."
Curiel's culinary journey began on Third Avenue, where her passion for the culinary arts took root in her parents' restaurant. She spent years honing her skills there, learning every role in the establishment.
"I started working at my parents' since I was 19 years old," Curiel said. "I grew up in the restaurant business, and working at their place shaped me."
Curiel began with a recipe that has now become her specialty: Birria. She initially sold her homemade birria by taking orders on social media and delivering them across San Diego.
The experience eventually led her to open Mujer Divina, a unique coffee shop known for its signature birria burritos, right in downtown Chula Vista.
"Mujer Divina means divine woman," Curiel said.
The shop aims to empower other women in the neighborhood.
"I believe that every woman is beautiful and divine, and we all have something special to offer to the community and to this world," she said.
The path to opening her own business was fraught with challenges.
"It took me literally more than 10 years," Curiel said.
After numerous job rejections, she decided to create a job for herself.
"I started applying to other jobs and nobody hired me. I went to interviews, and then later, they would tell me no. So I said 'I wanna create a job for myself.'"
Despite the difficulties, Curiel finds it all worthwhile.
"The community has been amazing. We love the community," she said.
The combination of coffee and birria was a unique concept she meticulously researched to ensure no similar ideas existed.
Curiel hopes her journey inspires other women.
"Having so many closed doors, being a woman, to be honest, having my own business makes me really proud, and I hope it could be an example for other entrepreneurs, especially women," she said.
