Para la versión en español, haga clic aquí. | Carlos Barcenas contributed to this story.
When most people think about sushi, they picture the traditional Japanese dish made with rice and raw seafood, wrapped in seaweed. When Wendy Urquidez mentions it, she means Mexican sushi.
For the past few years, Wendy has been working to introduce this type of food to people in northeast Nebraska.
Owner of Sushis Wendy in West Point, Nebraska, Wendy was first struck with the idea of opening a business after missing the popular dish from home. She began researching how to start a business, as no one else was selling Mexican sushi in her area and she thought she could make a go of it.
“In 2009, I was craving Mexican sushi, which is usually found in Sinaloa, Mexico,” said Wendy. “They are very common there, but we couldn't find them anywhere here at that time. I always had the idea that one day I was going to teach myself how to make them and sell them. I started making them by myself, doing some tests at home, sharing them with family and a few people, and I would take them to parties to which I was invited, and that's how my customers started to get to know me.”
Mexican sushi is filled with meats like chicken, beef, pork, crab, and/or shrimp, as well as cream cheese and avocado, all wrapped in seaweed. Unlike Japanese sushi, this dish is fully cooked, fried, and breaded. Wendy also offers oven-baked sushi rolls.
She opened her first restaurant in 2017, then closed it five months later after she discovered that running an entire restaurant by herself was too much. She then looked into opening a business out of her home. With the help of staff from the Center for Rural Affairs and the West Point Chamber of Commerce, Wendy was able to get the information and permits necessary to open Sushis Wendy from her home in June 2021.
“I had the experience of starting a business in too big of a location, and that helped me think that a business from home could be possible,” she said. “It became a little more practical for me to be at home, as well as the fact that the town where I live is not too big. I realized that having a big business and spending seven days a week in it is not functional or profitable for me.”
Wendy had to add a separate kitchen to operate according to code. After saving money for a year, she bought a food truck to use for events.
“Wendy offers the only Mexican sushi in the area, and has the capacity to look for new opportunities and be innovative,” said Luis Franco, senior loan specialist with the Center. “She is a person that sees a gap and tries to find different ways/strategies to fill it in.”
Wendy has turned to the Center for educational resources, including on the Center’s social media pages, online and in-person training workshops, and attending the Center’s Women Entrepreneur Conference for the past three years.
In early 2024, she applied for a loan through the Center. In July, she received funds and was able to make upgrades to her food truck, including adding refrigerators.
“I struggled a lot to get my first loan from the bank,” Wendy said. “With the Center, it wasn't so difficult, so I highly recommend them. When they promote something, I always share the information because there are a lot of people who don't know where to start or where to go to ask for a permit and so on. I like to share that the Center is the place that has the correct information.”
One of the biggest challenges for Wendy, who speaks Spanish, has been finding ways to navigate the language barrier.
“The language is very complicated for me,” she said. “At first I was embarrassed when people came and sometimes I struggled to communicate, but I’ve lost a little bit of shyness. Now, I can say that I speak ‘kitchen’ English, and I've learned how to say the names of what I sell in English.”
Wendy runs her business by herself, with the exception of events, when her husband and son help her collect money and fry the sushi. She’s also amassed almost 2,000 followers on Facebook and grown her clientele via her promotional posts. A listing on Google Maps has helped customers discover her food as well.
The personal touch has been a successful way for Wendy to spread the word about her sushi too.
“When my daughter was at school, whenever the teachers had meetings, I would take them sushi trays for them to try,” she said. “I would always send two trays in December, which were for the elementary and high school. I became very well known to the teachers. I have also made trays as gifts for patients at the local hospital so they could try it.”
In the future, Wendy hopes to expand her business to a fully equipped restaurant where customers can dine in and be comfortable. Until then, she’s happy to keep sharing her food with all of her customers, new and old.
“I have a lot of American customers, and when people come here for the first time, they say it’s something they’ve never had in their life,” Wendy said. “They come back and say it’s really good and thank me for introducing them to something they’ve never known about or tried. My favorite part is serving people. I love being in contact with people when they come in, and I like doing what I do.”
Are you in need of financing to expand or upgrade your business? Contact your regional loan specialist. Find yours at cfra.org/lending-staff.
At a glance
Sushis Wendy LLC
Wendy Urquidez
553 S. Colfax St., West Point, Nebraska
402.380.4401
Hours of operation: Thursday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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