Meet Jessica White Rosas of La Casa De Rosas & Market Mercado

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica White Rosas.

Hi Jessica , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
We are a husband & wife team. We met in NYC, Rodrigo learned the culinary experience from the ground up over 15 years in the city and i spent 10 years there building my eco fashion label Jwhite Original. We moved to Northern MI in 2020 during the pandemic to be closer to my family. With our move up here we were uncertain where we were going to lay our roots, we were considering moving back to my home city Detroit or Traverse City.

After many opportunities, divine timing and doors opening up for us here in Indian River, this is where we have
remained creating, collaborating and building.

In 2021 we opened our Sustainable shop Market Mercado. Over the past 4 years this space has housed over 70 artists & makers, a curated selection of secondhand & vintage, green living & wellness offerings and has been the home design studio for Jwhite Original.

In 2022 we launched La Casa De Rosas Food Truck at Northland Brewing Co.
Our trailer has turned into one of the best places in Northern MI to get real authentic Mexican street food, often selling out in the summer.

These businesses were created to be together and we were so happy that last June Market Mercado moved and is now right next to the food truck!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Opening small businesses from scratch is not the smoothest of roads. You have to be courageous to take big leaps and risks. It is answering when opportunity knocks and having faith when there is no certainty in outcomes.
It is hard work, one step at a time. It is adapting to constant change, making mistakes, learning and growing through every experience.

Rodrigo and i work really good together, supporting one another in our creative passions and as partners.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Our food truck La Casa De Rosas and our shop Market Mercado are right next to each other at the Northland Brewing hub.

La Casa De Rosas stands out from many, Chef Rodrigo is bringing true authentic recipes from his home in Puebla, Mexico. His colorful menu is inspired by his Mom Luisa’s home cooking and he introduces new palettes to Northern Michigan!
La Casa is known for its delicious home made salsa’s, hot sauce, hearty soups, street tacos, elote, fajita bowls and more! Seasonal & weekly specials are not to be missed, often made from locally grown ingredients. A lot of love is put into each dish and our small but mighty food truck is packed with lots of flavor.
Come early and avoid the lines this summer!

Market Mercado is a special shop with a sustainable approach, we showcase handmade goods, secondhand & vintage finds, wellness and green living offerings. We are a great place to shop for rare and one of a kind gifts.
Each purchase supports a large community of artists, makers and growers. Majority of our goods are made locally and we have a collection dedicated to the artisans we visit in the mercado’s of Mexico.

Market Mercado is also home of the Jwhite Original fashion studio, we create each garment here at the shop utilizing eco conscious methods through up-cycling textiles, producing zero waste collections and using water based inks.

Come out for the perfect afternoon or evening visit!
Sit outside and enjoy a plate of mouth watering tacos, wash it down with a delicious craft brew from Northland and then venture over to browse our artisan collections and do a little sustainable shopping!

This summer enjoy live music on weekends and the Indian River Night Bazaars with a nice selection of vendors on the Brewery grounds!

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Food trucks are the future with raising rent, cost of food, cost of living etc. I think they were looked at as a trend over the past 15 years but it is a business model that is here to stay.
It allows start ups to experiment with business ideas and menus without breaking the bank.

We see independent retail shops closing every day. It has become very hard for these small businesses to compete with the giant corporate online platforms.
Although shopping and getting everything you want from a click of a button is easy, there is something very irreplaceable about visiting a Ma & Pa shop, purchasing something handmade and in person. It is a valuable experience!

We hope to see the rise of more small businesses and the return of independent retail as many people are looking for connection and community, not just living on a screen.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lacasaderosas.com
• Instagram: @lacasaderosas | @market.mercado
• Facebook: @Lacasaderosas | @market.mercado