Honoring Aminta Calderón: Mother, Entrepreneur & Keeper of Salvadoran Flavor

This Mother’s Month, we celebrate Aminta Calderón, a Salvadoran mother whose strength, flavor, and perseverance have nourished a community. Alongside her every step of the way is her daughter, Rosa Margarita Calderón, who has supported her mother’s journey with love and dedication.

Aminta arrived in San Francisco in December 1995 with her three children. In El Salvador, she ran a wholesale business for 24 years, but due to rising violence and theft, she was forced to leave everything behind. Determined to rebuild, she immediately began selling food while working during the day, always keeping her dream of owning a business alive.

In 2001, she started selling pupusas from a microbus, on the streets and at the Crocker Amazon field. In 2005, she began selling from a food truck in the Mission District. From 2006 to 2015, she ran a restaurant for 11 years at the well-known mercadito on 22nd and Mission. From 2016 to 2022, she moved her flavors to San Mateo, where she opened her own restaurant until the property owner sold the storefront. She returned to selling on the streets until finally, on 2022, she opened the doors of her new location on 24th Street, in the heart of the Latino Cultural District.

Today, with Rosa Margarita by her side, Aminta continues to serve the traditional flavors of El Salvador, made with heart and heritage:

Traditional pupusas

Chicken sandwiches (panes con gallina)

Sweet corn atol (atol de elote)

Fried yuca with pork (yuca frita con chicharrón)

Aminta is the embodiment of what it means to be a hardworking, loving, and resilient mother. Her daughter Rosa honors that legacy every day by standing with her and helping the dream thrive. This Mother’s Month, we celebrate women like Aminta—who feed not just families, but entire communities—with strength, soul, and flavor.