Cheers: Creating A Craft Beer Business And Raising A Family

Sandra Quintana could write a book about the challenges of being a mother and an entrepreneur at the same time.

Quintana is the mother of four children and the owner of Cerveza Fiesta. Hoping to produce a Mexican-style craft beer in America, Quintana launched the family business in Chicago in 2018.

“Having a balance between your own company and your family is a challenge,” said Quintana.

Quintana remembers “the early days of Cerveza Fiesta were tough, especially when seeking clients and coordinating events. Weeks went by with little time for my children. Fortunately, they understood that Fiesta was not only a business, but a dream that was beginning to come true.”

Four years later, the businesswoman sees a promising future for her young company and feels proud of her “four wonderful children.”

They always try to help the company move forward, Quintana said.

“David, 16, is a great student who manages to stand out for his dedication. Then there is 14-year-old Alexander, from whose perseverance I learn day after day. Alexa, 10, is a beautiful girl, super confident, expressive and competitive; she always wants to move forward. Finally, there is Mario, who is 7. This boy adores family union,” said Quintana.

Quintana’s children supported their mother’s decision to embark on the business challenge, aware of her reality as a woman and a Latina. They understood that social conditions shouldn’t stop her or anyone else from pursuing their dreams.

“We did not create Cerveza Fiesta only with the dream of sharing [our beer] with our community and then expanding [the business] to reach different markets,” she said. There was also the hope of “motivating our children to understand that whenever they want to do something, they can act and find the means to set up a business.”

Like millions of businesses, the pandemic has impacted Quintana’s business, but that has not dampened her go-get-it spirit.

“I would love to say that Cerveza Fiesta is growing. But it is not. However, despite the negative effects of these times, we have stayed in business,” she said.

“We continue to reinvent ourselves, diversifying our product to move forward. Reinventing yourself is like starting over. Cerveza Fiesta — and Sandra Quintana — is as fearless as usual,” she said.

¿Ser madre de cuatro hijos y empresaria a la vez? was first published in Negocios Now.

(Translated and edited by Gabriela Olmos; edited by Fern Siegel)