Two decades ago, Saul Soto’s uncle, Cris Romero, opened a store selling Mexican candy. Five years later, Romero bought an ice cream shop, learned how to create the sweet treat from the seller, and La Flor Michoacana was born.
Now, with Romero having expanded the business to locations in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, Melrose Park, Villa Park and soon, Oak Park, Soto is preparing to take charge of the location coming to Brookfield at 9211 Broadway Ave. near Eight Corners.
Soto said he convinced his uncle that they should own a new location rather than leasing it, like they do in their other locations.
“That’s when I was looking in Brookfield, and I really liked Eight Corners,” he said. “I liked the activity, and Brookfield, in general, is a great neighborhood.”
He said they’ve been working with the First National Bank of Brookfield to finance the location and that Romero has been showing him the ropes of how to run his own business. So far, it’s been a lot of work with the village to ensure the location is up to code before a contractor can turn it into their next ice cream shop, Soto said.
While this is Soto’s first time running a shop, he said becoming an entrepreneur runs in his family. His uncle, of course, started La Flor Michoacana, and Soto said his parents have owned small businesses for much of his life, from a cell phone store to a shoe store.
“It’ll be my first business, and I’m really excited for the opportunity. Hopefully, it’ll last a lifetime, and we can bring everything that I know from my uncle into the community.”
Soto said he chose Brookfield due to growing up in the region. As a graduate of Morton West High School in Berwyn, he said he knew students who attended Riverside Brookfield High School.
“Even up to now, I know a couple of people that live in the Brookfield area, LaGrange Park area, LaGrange,” he said. “Originally, I went, and I saw that there was only one similar shop … It’s also an ice cream shop, but I don’t believe they sell the extras.”
While the other shop is even named similarly — La Michoacana de Brookfield at 9102 31st Street — Soto’s “extras” will, include candy, of course, alongside sweet corn elotes, fried chicharrónes, or pork rinds, and even yogurt dishes, too.
Soto said he was excited by the location he had chosen because of the proximity to other businesses and community spaces, including S. E. Gross Middle School.
“I like that there’s a bunch of public parking as well. I expect that the business would be like an in-and-out type of business. So, people come in, get their ice creams or whatever product they’re going to buy, and they leave. We will be having some seating, but it will be limited,” Soto said. “I kind of scoped out the area, and I’m like, I think this place would be great.”
Soto said he’s currently working with architects and contractors to ensure he has the proper permits for work that needs to be done. His goal is to open the store by Aug. 1, but he said the store would open no later than Sept. 1 if they miss the August date.
“We’re pretty excited to be opening in Brookfield, and we’re hoping that we could make a difference with our ice cream,” he said. “We’re hoping to get open; that way, we could be part of the community and start serving everyone.”
