5 Minutes with Aliz & Maritant of I Love Pig

In our 5 Minutes with an Entrepreneur series, we spotlight the stories of Michigan-based food and farm entrepreneurs bringing heart, culture, and creativity to their communities. 

For Aliz Mendoza, owner of I Love Pig, it all started with a craving. Pregnant and searching for an arepa in Flint, Michigan, with no options in sight, Aliz and her mother-in-law teamed up to bring the flavors of their roots to life. What began as a passion project in her home kitchen quickly evolved into a vibrant gastronomy business that blends family traditions with bold, joyful flavors. 

From crispy, flavor-packed arepas to authentic Cuban sandwiches and Mama’s garlic-cilantro dressing, I Love Pig is more than a meal—it’s a celebration of culture, community, and connection. 

Keep reading to hear from Aliz and Maritant Peña, Operations Manager at I Love Pig, about how the business is built with love, how Flint’s community helped it grow, and why every “It’s delicious!” fuels their team’s fire. 

What was the spark behind your business? 

I Love Pig started with a pregnancy craving. Aliz was expecting her first baby and desperately wanted a Venezuelan arepa, but there were none in Flint. She cried (a lot), and that’s when the idea hit: If I can’t find one, I’ll make one! And just like that, I Love Pig was born right alongside the baby bump. 

What motivates you?  

We’re motivated by the smiles of our customers, especially when they try our Mom’s Dressing and joke about drinking it with a straw. But more than anything, we want people to experience our culture through food. Eating at I Love Pig is like sitting at the table in a Venezuelan home: full of flavor, warmth, and love. That feeling of sharing a piece of who we are is what keeps us going. 

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made that others should avoid?  

One of the biggest mistakes we made was trying to do everything ourselves for too long; cooking, packing, selling, managing—all of it. We were exhausted! We’ve learned that asking for help and building a team is not a weakness; it’s the only way to grow. So, if you’re starting a business, don’t wait until you burn out to delegate. You don’t have to do it all alone. 

What’s the biggest ah-ha you’ve had?  

Our biggest ah-ha moment was realizing that our sauce, Mom’s Dressing, was becoming more popular than the arepas! People were dipping everything in it, asking to buy extra, even shipping it to family out of state. That’s when we realized we weren’t just selling food, we were creating an experience people wanted to take home. It opened our eyes to new possibilities and inspired us to dream even bigger. 

Five years from now, where do you hope to be?  

Five years from now, we hope I Love Pig is a household name, not just in Flint, but across Michigan. We dream of having multiple locations, our Mom’s Dressing on grocery store shelves, and a strong team that includes other Latina women pursuing their dreams. 

We also want to lead by example in sustainability, continuing to use eco-friendly packaging and inspiring other small businesses to care for the environment, too. We believe that when we work together, we are more powerful. Food can create joy, connection, and real change… one arepa at a time. 

What’s the biggest challenge facing small good food businesses?  

One of the biggest challenges small good food businesses face is scaling without losing quality. When everything is handmade with love, like our sauces and arepas, it’s hard to keep up as demand grows. Add to that the high cost of packaging, labor, and limited access to funding, and it becomes a real struggle. But we believe that with community support, creativity, and a lot of heart, it’s possible to grow without losing what makes you special. 

What key qualities should an entrepreneur possess?  

An entrepreneur needs resilience, creativity, and a big dose of patience. You have to believe in your vision, even when things get hard—and they will get hard. It also takes humility to ask for help and learn as you go. Especially for immigrant or minority entrepreneurs, courage is key: courage to speak up, to take risks, and to create space where there wasn’t any before. 

What’s one lesson or piece of advice you’ve learned that you’d pass onto other entrepreneurs?  

One lesson we’ve learned is: Don’t wait for everything to be perfect to start. If we had waited for the perfect kitchen, the perfect packaging, or the perfect English, I Love Pig wouldn’t exist today. Start with what you have, do it with love, and improve as you go. Progress beats perfection every time. 

Want to see I Love Pig in action and support Michigan’s rising food entrepreneurs? 

Join us at the annual Michigan Good Food Fund Business Pitch Event on May 6 in Lansing. This event is the kickoff event for the 2025 MSU Product Center’s Making it in Michigan conference and tradeshow. 

Come to network, sample local flavors, and cheer on Aliz of I Love Pig as they compete live for a chance to win up to $5,000 in cash prizes, powered by Lake Trust Credit Union, Fair Food Network, and MSU Center for Regional Food Systems. 

Register now to attend and be part of a night celebrating good food, great ideas, and the entrepreneurs bringing them to life.