Sundays at the Mar Vista Farmers Market are an Angeleno food lover's paradise. Aside from all of the gorgeous fruits and vegetables to choose from, there’s also a block’s worth of food stands that provide tasty offerings showcasing the fresh locally grown ingredients the market has to offer.
Meet Mercedes Rojas / Chef & Owner
We had the good fortune of connecting with Mercedes Rojas and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Mercedes, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
Throughout the years working in restaurants and hotels, I have been fortunate to have had the influence of some amazing mentors that taught me discipline and the ethics of hard work. I believe that you can do anything as long as you love it and it doesn’t feel like work. That is what working at the arepa stand means to me. It's part of my life and what I love to do. I believe combining that joy of cooking and having the discipline and good work ethics so that our team is excited to work with us is the perfect recipe for a successful business venture.
Get Venezuelan Street Food with LA Vibes at The Arepa Stand
PLAYA VISTA, Calif. — The Arepa Stand is a pop-up food stall that sells traditional Venezuelan cuisine with a twist at farmer's markets around L.A., like the one that takes place in Playa Vista on Saturdays.
Mercedes Rojas de Venezuela y de padres que siempre la influenciaron con muchas variedades comida y recetas caseras de su abuela.
Mercedes comenzó su carrera culinaria en Miami y continuó viajando por Estados Unidos trabajando en su carrera de cocina. New York, New Jersey y California fue donde pasó su mayoría de tiempo trabajando para grandes hoteles y restaurantes a los que ella admiraba.
Su último trabajo antes de abrir The Arepa Stand fue trabajando como Chef de Cuisine en Lucques Restaurant donde aprendió muchísimo bajo la influencia de Suzanne Goin. Ahora, Mercedes es dueña junto con su hermano Zeus del “The Arepa Stand” un concepto de arepas venezolanas al estilo de Los Angeles.