Left: Barbacoa Jalisco. Right: Crispy Rellenos.

“It was crazy, that first week they closed the restaurants.” After building her business over nine years, Central Park North resident Erica Arteaga was hard-hit by the stay-at-home order. One by one, almost all of her 220 restaurant clients called to cancel their orders. Her inventory—specialty frozen Mexican foods, which she transports to Denver from her family’s farm in Aguascalientes, Mexico and family businesses in Houston—left her wondering: what do you do with 150 cases of chiles rellenos?

Liz González-Lara and Erica Arteaga saw an opportunity in the pandemic.

Arteaga’s good friend and Beeler Park neighbor Liz González-Lara had likewise lost her clients pretty much overnight. Her Larimer Square businesses, L Style Bar and Beauty on Location design intricate hairstyles and do professional makeup for photo shoots, weddings and other special occasions. But no one was getting an up-do so they could navigate at-home learning while juggling Zoom calls.

As the two entrepreneurs commiserated, a new business was born: Green Roots Meal Delivery. Green Roots delivers frozen carnitas, barbacoa, chicken tinga, black beans and other authentic Mexican flavors to homes around the metro area. Just thaw and heat when you want a break from cooking.

Restaurant clients are returning as the home-delivery list steadily grows. González-Lara and Arteaga take special pride in the large number of returning clients; as Arteaga’s father always said “only when they come back do you have a client.” To learn more or place an order, visit https://greenrootsmeals.com/ or call 303-952-6194