Page 26 - Community Newsletter :: Spring 2021

Paleteria La Cachanilla #2
Oscar Aguilar is the owner of Paleteria La Cachanilla at the Valley Plaza on Main Street in El Centro. He has recently, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, opened a second location on Broadway and 4th Street in El Centro. What makes his 4th Street location really unique is that the new location features a drive-thru service to make picking up your favorite confection easy and quick.
Aguilar is from El Centro and knows that if he works hard and makes a great product, the people will support his businesses. Paleteria La Cachanilla opened at the Valley Plaza three years ago and has been doing very well, thankfully, this location is our foundation.” The one that keeps us alive with all this COVID-19 pandemic” Aguilar stated. The new location opened in October 2020 and according to Aguilar is doing very well, “our shop has maintained a constant blessing on a daily basis and has made it possible for us to provide for all of my employees with work and stability which is very hard to find right now.”
Paleteria La Cachanillia is based on a very popular concept that started in Mexico. Many stores of this type sell a variety of wonderful confections such as a variety of fresh flavored ice cream, aguas frescas, sundaes, popsicles, and raspados. “We live in a border town that
borders Mexicali”, Aguilar states, “we have all those Michoacanas in Mexicali. I remember every time we went to Mexicali we would stop at a Michoacanas and buy some agua fresca or paleta de nieve (ice cream).”
One might think that making all of these Mexican confections would be an easy thing to do, but experience tells a different story. “I have a good friend who has one paleteria and has helped me a lot. He has taught me where to go and what to do. He was fundamental for us to open. My goal since day one is to really deliver everything fresh and authentic, so we try and try until we get it right. It’s a real challenge to do authentic agua de horchata every day! Believe me, you really don’t want to do it yourself,” says Oscar.
Working with the City of El Centro has been the easier part of owning and operating two businesses. “I had to apply for three different types of business licenses, with the city. I really had no issues with the process or how it works,” states Aguilar.
Running two businesses during COVID-19 has been a learning process. “Honestly, I don’t think it’s just me. Its everybody coming back little by little from restaurants opening their patios and other mall businesses finding their way. I check the county website and check guidelines and see the procedures to open in a safe way.” he said.
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