Sister Power: How Aquas Chicas DFW Earned Our Start.Pivot.Grow. Grant to Go Mobile

From farmers market side hustle to mobile beverage business - a dynamic sister duo brings authentic aguas frescas to North Texas

Posted by Start.Pivot.Grow.

The Power of Strategic Partnership

Through our Start.Pivot.Grow. program, made possible by our partnership with The UPS Foundation, Integrality, and Wells Fargo Foundation, we're proud to have disbursed $10,000 in grant awards to help five small businesses overcome critical business hurdles. Today, we spotlight Vicki and Sophie, the dynamic sister duo behind Aquas Chicas DFW, whose journey from side hustle to mobile beverage dreams exemplifies the power of family entrepreneurship and strategic growth planning.

A Vision Born from Sisterhood

"Aquas Chicas literally was a vision that we've been manifesting since we were 15 years old," explains Vicki, co-founder alongside her sister Sophie. "We both started working when we were 15, and we knew we were going to be our own bosses. We knew we were gonna eventually start a company, start a business where we were both gonna do something amazing together."

This entrepreneurial spirit lay dormant for years until the perfect opportunity emerged. When pop-up markets and small businesses began thriving across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the sisters recognized their moment. "We were seeing that small businesses were thriving under a canopy tent, and not necessarily like you have to have a brick and mortar," Vicki recalls.

Finding Their Niche

The decision to enter the beverage industry came naturally. Sophie brings a strong background in restaurant hospitality management, providing the operational expertise needed to execute their vision. Together, they identified a gap in the market for authentic, high-quality aguas frescas with a modern twist.

"We were keeping tabs on what other small businesses were doing, especially minorities. We loved seeing the minority community grow in the small business world," Vicki explains. "We were like, okay, what can we do? Do we wanna tap into food? Do we wanna tap into drinks? And eventually we were like, we gotta get into the drink world."

Authentic Tradition with Modern Innovation

Honoring Cultural Heritage

Aguas frescas, translated as "fresh fruit waters" in English, represent a beloved traditional

Mexican beverage. The sisters understood the cultural significance of what they were creating, especially operating in Oak Cliff, a heavily Hispanic and Latino area of Dallas.

"Being in Oak Cliff where it's very Hispanic heavy, Mexican heavy, Latin heavy, we wanted to do justice to the drink, but we also wanted to do it with a twist where it was our own creation," Vicki explains.

Creating Their Signature Approach

What sets Aquas Chicas DFW apart is their commitment to natural ingredients and reduced sugar content. "We use more of the fruit, the natural sweetness of the fruit, and we add sugar as needed," they explain. "It's still a really nice refreshing taste and still kind of true to what the origin of a Mexican agua fresca is, but it's more of the refreshing part."

Their innovation led to the creation of unique offerings like the "Topo Chica" - half Topo Chico mineral water blended with choice of agua fresca, creating a bubbly, refreshing drink with significantly less sugar than traditional recipes.

The Testing Phase

Before launching officially, the sisters spent considerable time perfecting their recipes and approach. "We went to Kiest Park, tested out our recipes, tested out our setup, and tested out how well we work together," Vicki recalls. "We just gave out a lot of agua fresca and got people's opinions because agua fresca is a traditional beloved drink from Mexico."

This methodical approach to recipe development and customer feedback proved crucial to their eventual success.

Building Business Through Community

The Made Markets Program

Aquas Chicas DFW found their home base through the Made Markets program at Dallas Farmers Market - an initiative designed to help smaller businesses gain platform exposure on weekends. "It's been a really phenomenal program because as a new small business, it really gives us a chance to be in action every single weekend, meet their guests, but also help us logistically figure out any weak points," Vicki explains.

The program provides more than just a venue; it offers a testing ground for business operations, menu development, and customer relationship building. "This whole trial made market program, we hope it can lead into having a permanent spot here next year."

Expanding Beyond the Market

From their farmers market base, Aquas Chicas DFW has expanded to multiple venues across North Texas:

• Dallas Arboretum

• Klyde Warren Park

• Scape in The Colony

• Various catering opportunities

"Catering wasn't even an option or an idea for us until somebody was like, 'Hey, we wanna book you to come to our job and serve drinks,'" Vicki laughs. "And we're like, 'Oh yeah, yes, we could do that. Let's add catering to the list.'"

The Mobile Challenge

Understanding the Limitations

While their popup success has been encouraging, the sisters recognize the limitations of their current model. "Right now, the sisters are limited by their pop-up setup, which makes it difficult to reach events and expand their customer base," as business advisor Cynthia Nevels observed during their consultation.

The challenge isn't just logistical - it's also psychological. "There's been a lot of markets where money's not coming through, sales are low, and we start to question, okay, what can we do to drive more sales?" Vicki admits. "That's the challenging part that mentally, it's really hard for us."

The Mobile Vision

Their dream extends far beyond the farmers market circuit. The sisters envision serving at major venues like:

• AT&T Stadium and Texas Live

• Dallas Zoo as a permanent vendor

• Dallas Arboretum in an expanded capacity

• The State Fair of Texas (a top three goal)

"Not only will it secure a concession stand that will verify our work and our business and our drink, but financially it would help us, it would help our family," Vicki explains about their State Fair aspirations. "It would help employ our family to do something big with us."

Strategic Business Insights

Learning Customer Relationship Management

During their consultation with business advisor Cynthia Nevels, the sisters received crucial education about building sustainable customer relationships beyond social media.

"You have to have a means with a CRM system - customer relationship management," Nevels explained. "When you're collecting information at the point of sale, you can keep them warm over time by communicating with them as to where you're going to be, what your drinks are, educating them on the beverage."

This revelation was transformative for the sisters, who had been relying primarily on social media for customer communication.

The Website and Booking Infrastructure

The consultation revealed another critical need: professional booking capabilities. "There are so many companies that book brands like this to come out to their corporate sites, but if it's a difficult process for them to book with you, or you're not mobile just yet, then being able to at least capture that information so you can stay warm with them until you get to the point where you make the big announcement that we have wheels now and we're rolling."

The Grant Impact: Accelerating Mobile Dreams

Strategic Support at the Perfect Moment

Our Start.Pivot.Grow. grant addresses Aquas Chicas DFW's most critical growth barrier: mobility. The funding provides essential capital toward their mobile van investment, enabling them to expand beyond fixed popup locations.

"Listen, every single small coin, whatever it is, it all builds up to something bigger," Vicki responded upon learning about the grant. "We continue to tell each other that. Our savings account might be small today, but we are gonna put the work, we're gonna put the hustle, and it's gonna grow."

Beyond Financial Support

The grant package includes more than funding. The sisters also received seats in our 10x by 2025 Growth Plan Strategy Bootcamp - a two-day intensive covering:

• Growth strategy development

• Marketing strategy implementation

• Profitability decision-making

• Action plan creation

"That sounds like this conference may be the best way to help us stay ahead of the game," Vicki noted, understanding that education and strategy are as crucial as capital for sustainable growth.

Family Business Aspirations

Building Generational Opportunity

The sisters' vision extends beyond personal success to family empowerment. "We could bring in our nieces, our cousins, our moms, our aunts, anybody to come and really turn it into a family business," Vicki explains.

This family-centered approach reflects broader values about community building and economic opportunity creation within their network.

Cultural Bridge Building

By bringing authentic aguas frescas to diverse North Texas markets, Aquas Chicas DFW serves as a cultural bridge, introducing non-Latino customers to traditional flavors while honoring the heritage of Latino communities.

Their "over the top popup drink experience" creates cultural exchange opportunities at every farmers market, festival, and catering event.

Lessons in Entrepreneurial Resilience

Managing the Emotional Rollercoaster

The sisters demonstrate remarkable honesty about entrepreneurial challenges. "It's very easy to get discouraged towards the main goal of our business and what the next phase of our business is," Vicki admits when discussing slow sales periods.

Their approach to managing discouragement involves constant mutual support and vision reinforcement. "We haven't lost faith in our business even though we've had some really bad markets and sales."

Competitive Market Navigation

Operating in the competitive food and beverage industry requires strategic differentiation. "When you come to the farmer's market, you're gonna find 5, 8, 10 other drink vendors, and we wanna be that vendor that stands out," Vicki explains.

Their strategy focuses on creating "more of a drink experience" rather than simply selling beverages, using bright lime green tenting, creative presentations, and unique flavor combinations to capture attention.

Learning from Multiple Sources

While the sisters consume business content from various sources, they recognize the value of personalized guidance. "We look at a lot of things on TikTok and social media, but this right here in person and hearing how you break it down is so much easier than seeing something on TikTok," Vicki noted after their business consultation.

The Competitive Advantage Strategy

Differentiation Through Experience

Aquas Chicas DFW positions itself not just as a beverage vendor but as an experience provider. They add elements like:

• Chamoy and boba toppings

• Fresh fruit garnishes

• Popsicle additions

• Spice options for customization

"We wanted to add in like chamoy, boba, to give it more of the over the top, adding more fresh fruit, adding popsicles, adding spices to give it more of that out of the box agua fresca look and feel."

Health-Conscious Innovation

Their Topo Chica creation addresses growing health consciousness among consumers concerned about sugar intake. "People are so worried about their sugar intake, and we did a lot of markets where people were not drinking our drinks because they're like, 'Oh, we've had aguas frescas. They're so sweet, they're so sugary.'"

This innovation demonstrates market responsiveness and customer-centric product development.

Future Vision and Growth Strategy

Short-term Objectives

With grant funding secured, the sisters can focus on:

• Mobile van acquisition and setup

• Website development with booking capabilities

• CRM system implementation

• Enhanced customer data collection

Long-term Aspirations

Their ultimate vision includes:

• State Fair of Texas concession stand

• Major stadium and venue partnerships

• Permanent installations at tourist destinations

• Family business expansion with multiple employees

Sustainable Growth Model

The transition from popup to mobile operation represents more than convenience - it's a scalability strategy that allows them to serve multiple markets, respond to demand fluctuations, and build brand recognition across North Texas.

Why Strategic Partnerships Matter

The Right Support at the Right Time

The Start.Pivot.Grow. program demonstrates how targeted support can accelerate business growth at crucial moments. Rather than general funding, Aquas Chicas DFW received specific assistance for their identified barrier: mobility constraints.

Educational Component Value

The combination of funding and education through our bootcamp program addresses both immediate needs and long-term capability building. This dual approach maximizes grant impact by ensuring recipients have both resources and knowledge to succeed.

Community Investment Impact

When sister entrepreneurs like Vicki and Sophie receive strategic support, the benefits ripple through their community. Success creates jobs for family members, introduces cultural products to new markets, and inspires other potential entrepreneurs.

Conclusion: The Power of Family Entrepreneurship

Vicki and Sophie's journey with Aquas Chicas DFW represents more than a business success story - it's a testament to the power of family vision, cultural pride, and strategic patience. Their evolution from teenage dreamers to pop-up entrepreneurs to mobile business owners demonstrates how the right combination of determination, strategic thinking, and timely support can transform entrepreneurial aspirations into thriving enterprises.

The Start.Pivot.Grow. grant enables these sisters to take the crucial step from location-dependent operations to true mobility, unlocking opportunities at major venues and events across North Texas. This support comes at exactly the right moment, when they have proven their concept, built a customer base, and developed the operational knowledge needed to scale successfully. The sisters purchased their first vehicle (above) with the help of The Payoff grant funds sponsored by The UPS Foundation Febraury 2025.

Their story offers powerful lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs: the importance of testing and refining products, building authentic customer relationships, staying true to cultural heritage while innovating for modern markets, and maintaining family bonds throughout the entrepreneurial journey.

From farmers market tent to mobile beverage service, from family recipe to business empire - Aquas Chicas DFW proves that with sisterhood, strategic thinking, and the right support at crucial moments, extraordinary transformation is possible.

As they prepare to take their "over the top popup drink experience" on the road, their journey reminds us that behind every successful business are entrepreneurs who refused to give up on their vision, who honored their heritage while embracing innovation, and who understood that sometimes the sweetest success comes from sharing it with the people you love most.

Want to learn more about our Start.Pivot.Grow. program? Visit our website to discover how we're supporting entrepreneurs who are changing the world, one innovation at a time.