Meet Jiomarys Alers | Owner & Chefa

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jiomarys Alers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jiomarys, what principle do you value most?
Authenticity is very important to me accompanied with the intention to heal and bring joy to others. Our Bangara slogan is- It’s a feeling!- It’s important to me that when you have your first bite, it makes you dance and that it touches your soul. I want it to bring memories back to when your abuelita, mamá, and/or auntie’s authentic Puerto Rican cooking was done in their kitchen during the holidays. I want it to transport you to those beautiful nostalgic feelings and thoughts that connect you and bring you pure joy and satisfaction. It is important that we show our gente de la isla and Caribbean family that we can make adjustments, we can have a cruelty-free meal that satisfies without giving us high cholesterol, hypertension, heart attacks, etc. We can make a simple change in the oils we use, we can have more greens, we can have oyster mushrooms or jackfruit as our meat source, we can play around and have fun creating meals without compromising the true textures and flavors of our cultura. If it doesn’t make me dance, I don’t make it!

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. 
My desire to veganize these Puerto Rican dishes is my driving factor. I, like my mom, have the ability to be creative and make anything from scraps, from scratch and leftovers. I love to play with combinations and cut recipes in half too. If I read a recipe and it has way too many steps or too many ingredients, I don’t always include all of the ingredients and I just may add other ingredients and/or remove steps because in my mind it’s not necessary, why make it that way? If it fails, I learn and if it comes out better than I thought, it’s a win for me! We have been trial and erroring our business since the beginning. We literally keep on keeping on. We pivot. We grow. We stretch. We redirect. We refocus. The food business is a lot of work and it’s not a luxurious one either. There’s a lot of sweat, time, money and tears invested to make this business happen and the love and joy we receive from our customers is what keeps us going.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh! That’s easy! I would definitely hit up Wynwood Walls for an art/murals experience, even check out the Miami Selfie Museum. While in Wynwood, I would check out one of my favorite restaurants, Love Life Cafe- they have so many options! For my vegan mac and burger, I’d go to World Famous House of Mac. The Chocolate Chip Bakery is filled with lots of yummy goodies. The Salty Donut offers one vegan donut which is incredible! I’m such a foodie. haha. I’d possibly go to Sobe Vegan in Miami Beach or Fort Lauderdale too. I would def go surfing for an hour at Margaritaville and/or do some wake boarding at Amelia Park or go jet-skiing in Key Biscayne or some snorkeling at Peanut Island. I’d probably go to Cuba Ocho for some Salsa dancing and nightlife too. A stand-up comedy show or a rooftop movie day or night would be pretty cool too. I’m easy, days at the beach chilling with the sun, palm trees and breeze is also a fav!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give credit and thank to mi mamá, Marilyn, for teaching me at a young age how to take care of myself, take care of my home and take care of my tummy and teaching me how to cook and be a master at inventions. Growing up, at times, it was financially challenging and my mother knew just how to make a meal out of scraps and leftovers, she was quick to think and solve problems and even make something better than the last, with a smile, with pride and amor. I also give credit to my bisabuela who we lovingly and respectfully called Mama Vieja and my abuela Ana for also showing me how to make authentic alcapurrias and pasteles. Those hands labored so much. They also taught me how to make limbers. Yum! To my sister, Vimarys, my first bestfriend, because she’s always had a passion for cooking and baking and has always been open to trying so many different cultures’ recipes and loves playing in the kitchen and does it with such enjoyment, patience and love.
I’d like to thank our miracle child, Amaia Kayra, for being one of the greatest gifts of my life and being the reason why Bángara exists today.
I would love to thank my husband, Rafael, for being the brains while I’m the creative. For being my greatest supporter and believing in me. For being consistent and keeping me focused and being my greatest encourager. I love you baby!
I’d like to thank my mother-in-love, Margie, for also being a firecracker in the kitchen and loving to show me some trick of the trade, for being so giving and non-judgmental and having such a deep love of serving others. I know she would be proud of her son and I today.
To my cousin, Junito, for bringing us to the Farmer’s Market and encouraging me to try it out there first. That was the first step!
To Stan and his wife, Tracy, for allowing us to be vendors at his market in Coconut Grove, FL on Saturdays. They have been doing this for over 30 years. They help local farming and businesses expand and grow.

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