As a young child in his native Guatemala, Carlos Romero loved cooking with his grandmother. These early days in her kitchen instilled in him a lifelong love of cooking, later leading to a career and the pursuit of an entrepreneurial dream.
Moving to the United States as a teenager, Romero worked in a series of restaurants and eventually moved to California’s Napa Valley. Recommended by an acquaintance, he began work at The Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena and was subsequently offered a full scholarship for his study of culinary arts. Romero’s qualities as a chef and profound work ethic led to a job at one the finest restaurants in the country – 3-star Michelin and ranked #3 globally in “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” by Restaurant Magazine – The French Laundry, in Yountville, California.
Five years later, Romero and his wife relocated to Arkansas and his dream of becoming an entrepreneur really began to take shape. He reached out to the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at the University of Arkansas for help. Carolina Mejia, ASBTDC bilingual business consultant, walked him through the process of opening a business.
Providing Carlos with first steps of customer discovery plus connections with area suppliers, Mejia also aided Romero in creating a restaurant menu, gave advice on a logo and menu pictures as well as opening his Google Business account and profile along with social media accounts for the new restaurant.
Romero’s Cuisine Toque Latino opened in Springdale in November 2022 and offers salads, sandwiches, and specialty Latin dishes. 
With the help of Carolina and the services offered by ASBTDC, Carlos utilized his experience as a learning opportunity and is well on the way to fulfilling his dream.
“I sincerely thank Carolina for her professional help. I am grateful for her patience and support,” said Romero.
Romero’s Cuisine Toque Latino
1813B W. Huntsville Road | Springdale, Arkansas | 479.231.4891