PFM recently interviewed Hedda Fay and asked her to share information about herself and Eunice- the team that is Masa’s LLC.
Tell us about who you are and where you’re from. Have you always lived in Arizona?
Eunice was born in Ecuador and moved here as a child with her family. She lived in California most of her life, prior to moving to Prescott 12 years ago. Eunice maintains a close relationship with her family in Ecuador and in the United States. She lives here in Prescott, near her family and friends.
I was born in Champagne, Illinois. I’ve lived in Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, Oklahoma and Arizona. Prescott Valley is my home, with my husband and pets.
We try to incorporate our family heritage into our food and products. You will find some South American influence as well as European and American influences in our baked goods and hot food items. As foodies and lifetime kitchen people, we bonded over our love of cooking and eating. We will try almost anything and have. When we are in the kitchen, it is a place we can create food from our hearts. We do that at our market booth as well.
What do you sell at your booth?
We sell homemade baked goods featuring organic, natural and locally sourced ingredients, and real food–not food products or mixes.
In addition to our delicious baked goods, we now offer hot food breakfast items. We make breakfast panini, root cakes, fried cheese sandwiches and wraps. We are in the process of expanding the menu, using Arizona made sausage and beef, so stay tuned….
How long have you had your business?
We have been in business almost one year. The idea to open a restaurant was born 8 years ago. Food brought Eunice and I together as friends when we were neighbors years ago. I was looking for some Abuelita’s and could not find it. Eunice, my neighbor, took me to Carniceria Latina and the rest is history. We have been cooking and eating together since. We look forward to many successful years cooking together in the future.
Tell us about how you get ready for the market.
It starts usually at the beginning of the week; cleaning tablecloths, conducting inventory of our items, looking at what is in season etc., updating signs, cleaning all our cooktops, pans, utensils, organizing our bins, ordering supplies, printing labels, contacting our suppliers–there is always something to do!
We pride ourselves on using compostable or recycled packaging. Our clamshell boxes, forks, knives, plates, cups, & lids are all made from plant material and are compostable. We also have bottle boxes made from recycled water bottles and our bags for our treats are made from recycled plastic. It has taken time to find these options that are affordable. Our commitment to the planet and our bodies goes beyond our baking and cooking. Eunice and I spend a considerable amount of time sourcing the highest quality ingredients and we could not use plastic or Styrofoam for our products. That would not fit who we are or what we believe in.
Once we have sourced our ingredients and planned for the week, it is time to bake! The baked goods we sell at the market are made the night before, by hand and with love.
What’s special about your business?
Eunice and I have cooked our whole lives. From the time we could stand in our Oma/Abuelita’s kitchens, we were washing vegetables, peeling potatoes, scrubbing, chopping, rolling etc. Eunice and I have a combined 92 years of culinary experience. That is a lot of kitchen hours. We are passionate about our food and making sure it is flavorful, healthy and whole. Our customers are very special to us, they are a part of our business. Having a connection with our customers each week makes it enjoyable.
What are your plans for the future?
We plan on continuing at the market, and hopefully one day have our own brick-and-mortar bakery with coffee and a commercial kitchen, where we could teach people how to cook and eat for themselves. It is empowering connecting people to food and supporting local industry and food artisans. Everyone needs to eat and we are literally what we put in our mouths. Nowadays people are far removed from their food and nutrition. We would like to bring that back to our community.