The roads in southern Hillsborough County are dark in the morning, and the only thing visible is the cluster of beaming lights at the corner of Sun City Heritage Park and US Highway 41. A number of men step out from their vehicles as quickly as they rush back in, as if time is not on their side. It’s 5 a.m. but this stop seems to make life easier for them as they head to their jobs. In the center of it all, there is a makeshift stand covered with pots and a petite woman at the ready. They call her the tamale lady.
Lindora Mejia wakes up at 2 a.m. every day and gets right to work to earn that title. She often feels tired and debates whether to ignore her alarm but pushes any weariness away. Having made her tamales the previous day, her first task is to steam them until they’re fully cooked. She places her heavy pots on the burner and turns on the stove. Her focus now is preparing the corn dough for stuffed “gorditas,” which is a corn bun filled with meat, beans, and cheese. They are one of the many popular items at her food stand. The assistant cook, Milagros Sustaita, arrives from a nearby apartment. Both women have mastered the art of preparation, working diligently and effortlessly around the tiny kitchen.
Mejia, who originally is from Chiapas, Mexico, learned to cook at a young age. Her mother worked in the fields, and Mejia stayed at home with her siblings.
“We were poor and couldn’t afford much,” she said.
This is where she gained her experience in cooking, often working with the only ingredients she had, beans and masa. She moved to the United States for a better future, but never did she realize that those ingredients would be the invisible string to her success.
Lindora crams her car with a variety of food and beverage coolers, even managing to fit a grill into the small SUV. Her goal is to be at Sun City Heritage Park at 5 a.m. to greet customers. Lindora sells tamales, tortas, gorditas, coffee, atole, and champurrado, all traditional foods and staple refreshments from Mexico. She is considered the saving grace of anyone who craves these items in southern Hillsborough County. She is well-known and liked among her patrons, but Lindora is reserved and levelheaded in her customer approach.
She is conscious that this is only her second year running the food stand, and any small business is prone to problems.
“It’s all about the prep work, but sometimes I feel like I can’t catch a break,” said Mejia. She feels like she is always in preparation mode.
A customer arrives and asks the price of one tamale, and later murmurs that it was less last week. Sustaita mentions that last week he had a pork tamale, which is why there was a variation in price from $3 to $6. The man laughs, agrees, and orders a dozen tamales to go. He pays cash and proceeds on his way. “Lindora has taught me how to deal with the clientele and work hard,” said Milagros. Customers try to haggle, but understand that this type of work is far from easy.
Lindora typically buys her ingredients weekly at a nearby superstore, but the increase in food prices has become an issue. Inflation has caused her to increase her food prices. Customers don’t necessarily enjoy the changes but appreciate the transparency, especially as they do not pay taxes at the food stand. Lindora also offers ‘buy now, pay later’ enticing more customers to the stand. Her food still manages to be more affordable than her competition and as a new line of vehicles arrive, it is evident that this food stand is not like any other.
“I’m in a rush in the morning, especially if a job site is far,” said customer Arturo Grimaldo. “She packs the food quickly, and the tamales stay warm all day.”
He frequents the location at least once a week. He mentions that on several occasions he has tried to stop past 8 a.m. but the ladies are gone by then. This is on purpose as the food stand conducts business in a public park which is not allowed, especially without a permit. Lindora’s solution to not get fined? Finish by the time code enforcement clocks into work.
Lindora looks forward to the growth of her business this year. She wants to purchase a food truck with her earnings. This transition would make preparation work easier. She currently has no food permit but plans to apply for one. She understands the importance of following food laws and aims to abide by them.
“I ask God to grant me good health and strength,” she says. “With his help, I know I am ready to do anything.”