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The owners of Angelica’s, Quinto Sol, Pickled, and Alhambra Irish House each took different paths into business ownership but shared a common goal: building community while staying rooted in their cultural identities and personal passions. Though Women’s History Month came and went with the turning of the calendar, these business leaders remind us that the work continues all year.
While some of these business owners built their brands by confronting misogyny and demanding respect in male-dominated environments, others have prioritized uplifting fellow women — creating platforms for local female artists and entrepreneurs and helping women regain their confidence.
ANGELICA’S
Angelica Solorzano-Cuschieri found her passion for food watching her mom cook for their family of 10 in Autlán, Mexico. That deep-rooted love for family gatherings and traditional flavors would later define her journey as a restaurant owner.
“I always used to love to see my mom cook,” she said. “Food is not just about eating — it’s about bringing people together.”
Solorzano-Cuschieri moved to the United States when she was 15, eventually settling in Redwood City with her husband and three children. She first ventured into the culinary world by opening a bistro in Redwood City in 2006 and became the first woman in her family to be a restaurant owner. When she broke the news to her family, although excited for her, they told her it would be challenging to make it as a woman in the industry.
Early on, she found herself underestimated by male colleagues, particularly chefs who doubted her knowledge and skills. She recalls moments when her decisions were questioned more than those of her male counterparts as people told her, “Oh, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“They don’t give you respect right away,” she added. “You have to really work hard to earn it.”
In 2013, she took another leap and expanded her bistro into a full-service restaurant, now called Angelica’s. She started running the place with her husband, offering live entertainment and a menu with mostly American food.
But like countless other businesses across the globe, the pandemic hit Angelica’s hard. It could no longer host large entertainment groups, which brought in a significant portion of the revenue, and she feared she might have to shut down the restaurant.
Faced with an uncertain future, she decided to transform the restaurant. “My son told me, ‘Mom, you cook best when you’re making the Latin food you love.’ So we changed everything — our menu, our recipes, even the ambiance.”
According to Solorzano-Cuschieri, the shift from an Americanized menu to one deeply rooted in Latin flavors is one of the biggest reasons behind the restaurant’s success after COVID-19. She curated a new menu focused on Mexican food and flavors from various Latin cultures.
Dishes like her mother’s traditional mole dulce found their way onto the menu, paired with proteins like duck and lamb. She infused every dish with the flavors she cherished, creating a menu that was both personal and unique in her perspective.
“When I cook, it feels like I’m cooking for a big family,” she said. “I think that’s why people connect with it.”
Karan Bhatta, who has been a server at Angelica’s for more than three years, said the owner’s trust in her employees sets it apart from any other place he has worked.
“If you’re passionate about it, go for it. People will always try to put you down, but you just have to keep your head high and work hard,” Solorzano-Cushieri said in her message to women aspiring to start their own businesses. “Eventually, you’ll get there.”
QUINTO SOL
Helena Sol’s journey began thousands of miles away in Puebla, Mexico, where she grew up before immigrating to the United States at age 14. After graduating from Santa Clara University and working at Apple, she returned to Mexico for a few years before settling permanently in the Bay Area with her husband and children. That return marked a turning point that would change her life.
In 1992, while visiting family and preparing to head back to Mexico, Sol’s husband spotted a small sandwich shop for sale in a newspaper. On a whim, they stopped by, and within hours, they were signing papers.
“When I made that left turn,” Sol said, “somewhere in my spirit, I was hesitant… because I thought this could change my life. And it actually did.” That sandwich shop would become the foundation for their first restaurant in Palo Alto.
With no initial staff, Sol and her husband ran the restaurant entirely on their own. In the early days, the business operated with the original setup — salads and sandwiches weighed at checkout. But something didn’t sit right.
“This is not what we eat,” she added. Eventually, they shut down for renovations, added a kitchen, and reopened as a Mexican restaurant — reflecting their cuisine and culture.
During the early days of business, Sol faced skepticism — not just as a newcomer in the restaurant business but as a woman in the industry.
“Some of the vendors were very aggressive … I felt like I really needed to stand my ground,” she said. “People thought I wasn’t the owner — that I was just managing the place.”
Eventually, she found a way to confront the disrespect.
“I would literally go up to them and say, ‘If your mother was in the workforce … or your sister … or someone you love — your wife — would you want them to be treated like this?’” she said.
She recalls these conversations as eye-opening for others. Suddenly, the idea of a woman in leadership wasn’t abstract for them — it was personal.
Sol’s culinary passion came from her homeland and family tradition. Her grandparents ran a restaurant in Puebla, and although she had once taught literature and English in Mexico, she found her calling in the draw of gathering people around the table.
“I wanted people to find their way back to the table,” she said, referring to how drive-throughs and busy schedules have changed how people eat. “That was the dream.”
Her confidence grew as she expanded her business — first in Palo Alto, then in Mountain View, and finally in Redwood City in 2012, where she designed Quinto Sol from the ground up with her husband and opened it alongside her daughter, Alexa Sol, who manages the restaurant.
Several years later, Alexa echoed the difficulty of finding balance as a young woman in leadership.
“I had to manage a team of 30 people that are older than me … that know things that I don’t know,” Alexa said. “It’s not just being a woman — it’s being a woman of color, a woman of this type of background, younger than everyone.”
Alexa Sol added that earning the respect of both staff and customers required a careful balance of confidence, firmness and emotional intelligence, which she developed by following in her mother’s footsteps. She said what makes Quinto Sol stand apart is that sense of family.
“When you come in here, you can see the mom, you can see the dad, you can see the sister,” she said. “That’s so hard to find nowadays.”
For Helena Sol, success comes not just from having a good idea, but from believing in it wholeheartedly and being willing to work through the challenges with courage and consistency.
“Stay with your dream and don’t give up. Just have the discipline and the love and the devotion to go for it,” she said in her advice to aspiring businesswomen.
PICKLED
More than two decades ago, Dayna Marr saw a gap in the local market for contemporary women’s clothing and set out to fill it. She saw an opportunity to bring fresh, stylish and accessible clothing to a community she thought lacked boutique options.
“I wanted to offer something that was new and different — clothes you don’t see at the mall,” she said.
Marr’s path to entrepreneurship was shaped by decades in the fashion industry. After starting as a department manager at Nordstrom, she was promoted to buyer by age 25 and traveled regularly to New York to meet with designers and vendors. That experience, she said, taught her not just about trends and merchandising but about building relationships — an approach that now defines Pickled.
“I always loved clothes,” Marr said. “I started sewing when I was little.”
Eventually, she switched to manufacturing and designing her own line, which she sold to Nordstrom. “But I got to a point where I thought, ‘I’m ready for my own store,’” she added.
Thinking back to the boutique’s opening, Marr recalls working until 2 a.m. in the early days — ordering merchandise, designing the layout, creating the logo and naming the store. The name came to her instantly: “When something is pickled, it transforms. That’s what I was doing — bringing together all my experience in buying, designing and merchandising, and pouring in some passion.”
Unlike high-end boutiques that focus on luxury brands, Marr said Pickled carries a variety of price points and a wide range of items — from denim and casual wear to jewelry and gifts. But what truly sets the store apart, she said, is the personal attention and connection her team offers.
“We see women who come in and immediately start picking themselves apart — ‘my hips,’ ‘my arms’ — and we just try to shift that,” Marr said. “We help them focus on what they love about themselves. How does this outfit make you feel? That’s what matters.”
She believes every woman deserves to feel confident, and sometimes, all it takes is the right outfit to bring that out.
Today, as retail continues to evolve, Marr said she is committed to keeping Pickled a space where women can discover their style and reclaim their confidence.
“A lot of people will project their own fears onto you,” she said in her message to aspiring businesswomen. “Trust yourself — and tune out the noise.”
ALHAMBRA IRISH HOUSE
When Erika Barry first stepped into the historic Alhambra building in Redwood City, she and her husband, Eric, were instantly drawn to its old-world charm and rich architectural history. Today, they run it together as the Alhambra Irish House, serving authentic Irish fare.
Originally from the Czech Republic, Barry moved to the Bay Area in the late 1990s, where she met her Irish-born husband. After opening their first pub, St. Stephen’s Green in Mountain View, the couple expanded their vision to Redwood City, officially launching Alhambra Irish House in 2019 — just one year before the pandemic hit.
Housed in a historic 1896 building that once served as a saloon and upstairs theater, Barry said the restaurant pays homage to its roots. The couple chose to keep the name “Alhambra” as a nod to the space’s legacy.
“It was really hard,” Barry said, recalling the early days of opening the business. “We didn’t have a regular customer base yet. And then with COVID, everything shut down.”
Determined to stay afloat, Barry and her sons personally delivered meals while trying to build relationships in the community.
Once the lockdown was lifted, Alhambra began hosting weekly events — from live Irish music and karaoke to line dancing, art pop-ups and Sunday family brunches with local performers. Barry said she’s especially proud of creating a space where people of all ages, including children and non-drinkers, feel welcome. “We serve mocktails, fresh juices, and have a kids’ menu. It’s not just a pub — it’s a place for everyone,” she said.
Beyond food, Barry said she uses her platform to elevate women and immigrants in business. She frequently hosts art markets to showcase local creators in her restaurant. “It’s important we support each other,” she said. “Especially after COVID, women want to connect and collaborate.”
Barry said that despite the restaurant industry’s traditional male dominance, she found strength and support in her community. “Redwood City has been amazing. People here don’t care where you’re from,” she said.
Great story of our restaurants history.