Today we’d like to introduce you to Yazka Cantu.
Yazka, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Padrino’s Pops is truly a generational business.
My great-grandfather had the opportunity to purchase a paletería in Mexico in the mid-1970s. At the time, his family was living in extreme poverty, and he saw the paletería as an opportunity to build a better life for them.
My grandfather, Geronimo, was one of 13 children. He actually had to leave school in the third grade to help his parents work so they could provide for the family.
When my grandfather reached his early twenties, my great-grandfather passed the paletería down to him. Eventually, that one small paletería grew into multiple locations owned and operated by different members of our family.
That business completely changed the trajectory of our family. My grandfather wasn’t able to finish his own education, but because of what he built, his children had opportunities that he never had. My aunt, my uncle, and my mom were all able to go to college and eventually become doctors.
In 2012, we moved to the United States. My mom decided she no longer wanted to pursue her medical career, but she wanted to bring a piece of home and our family’s tradition with her. That’s how Padrino’s Pops began here in Tennessee.
Since then, our mission has been simple: to share a taste of our culture through every paleta. We still make our paletas the traditional way—by hand, with real fruit and locally sourced ingredients.
I’m 25 now, and my grandfather has been in this business for over 50 years. I’m also proud to say that the same family tradition that put my mom and her siblings through college helped put me through college too. I graduated in May 2023, entered the corporate world, and after three years realized that my passion was really here—working with my family and connecting directly with our community through Padrino’s Pops.
Today, you can find our paletas in local stores and at the Franklin Farmers Market every weekend. We’re also proud to partner with places like the Nashville Zoo and the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga.
When I look at what started as one small paletería that my great-grandfather purchased simply to feed and provide for his family, and what it has become generations later, it’s really special.
Paletas have helped generations of our family receive an education, build careers, and create opportunities that I don’t think my great-grandfather could have ever imagined.
Padrino’s Pops isn’t just a business to us. It’s our family tradition, our culture, and a story that we’re continuing one paleta at a time.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One of our biggest challenges when entering the Nashville market was simply educating people on what a paleta actually is.
When most people hear “popsicle,” they think of artificial flavors, food coloring, and frozen sugar water. But when you try one of our paletas, you immediately realize it’s completely different. We make them with real fruit and natural ingredients, and you can actually see and taste the fruit in every bite.
In the beginning, it was difficult to communicate that difference. A lot of people assumed we were selling just another colorful popsicle. It really wasn’t until they took that first bite that they understood what made a paleta special.
After 12 years in business, we’ve been able to educate our customers about the quality of our product and build so many wonderful relationships within our community. We’ve also connected with local businesses and suppliers who share our passion for natural, locally sourced products, and those partnerships have helped us continue to grow.
On a personal level, one of my biggest challenges was deciding whether I wanted to continue the family business or follow the more traditional path after college. I think anyone who grows up in a generational family business understands that curiosity. I wanted to know what it was like to have a corporate job—to go into an office, clock in and out at the same time every day, and not always feel like the business followed you home.
I spent three years in the corporate world, and I’m incredibly grateful for that experience and everything it taught me. But I realized I missed working alongside my family, connecting directly with my community, and being part of something generations of my family had worked so hard to build.
In 2026, I decided to come back to Padrino’s and bring what I learned from my corporate experience with me. For me, it wasn’t just about choosing a career path. It was about continuing to build my family’s story while giving back to the community that has supported us along the way.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Padrino’s Pops ?
Padrino’s Pops is a generational paletería business built on more than 50 years of family tradition. Our recipes have been passed down through generations, and we continue to make our paletas the traditional way—by hand, with real fruit and locally sourced ingredients.
What sets us apart is the quality and authenticity of our product. We don’t use artificial flavors to recreate the taste of fruit—we use the real thing. We take pride in creating a product that not only tastes good, but also gives our customers a taste of our culture and the tradition we grew up with.
Today, you can find Padrino’s Pops at local stores, community events, the Franklin Farmers Market, and through our catering services. We’re also proud to partner with organizations such as the Nashville Zoo and the Tennessee Aquarium.
What I’m most proud of is that even as we grow, we haven’t lost what made Padrino’s special in the first place. Every paleta is still connected to the same recipes, values, and family tradition that started more than 50 years ago. For us, it’s more than a frozen treat—it’s a way to share a piece of our family and culture with our community.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
It’s not easy. It takes a lot of commitment to keep going, put yourself out there, and introduce your product to a new market. But with a family business, the reward is so much greater when you get to see your family succeed because of something you’ve all worked together to build.
When we first started, I think we had a real fear of failure. We were introducing a product that many people in our area had never experienced before, so naturally, we were afraid of rejection.
Looking back, I wish we had leaned more on our local food vendor community. There are so many small business owners in Middle Tennessee who have already gone through the same challenges and are incredibly kind and willing to share their experiences and offer guidance. I wish we had asked more questions and built those relationships earlier.
My biggest advice would be: don’t be afraid to ask for help, and don’t let the fear of failure keep you from putting yourself out there. There’s a whole community of people who want to see local businesses succeed.
Pricing:
- $5 per pop
- catering – $5 per pop + $50 for the cart
- Fundraisers – we give back a percentage of all of our sales.
- We offer school and hospital discounts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://padrinospops.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/padrinospops/
