Meet Melissa Arias and Alexis Lara | Admin/Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Arias and Alexis Lara and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa & Alexis, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
We were right in the heart of Covid, we were looking for something to keep us busy on weekends since everything was shut down and that’s when our creative juices started flowing!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
We both have 9-5 jobs aside from diving into Platter up Buttercup. It’s hard to pin point exactly what we’re most proud of because it’s been such a whirlwind of emotions and stages into becoming what we are now and we’re not even close to being done. I think the highlight of who we are is that we’re both women who just want to be more, do more. We would be lying if we said it’s been easy, there’s days that we question every single detail. The biggest lesson we’ve learned is to look at our competitors with respect and admiration. We respect the hustle, we welcome criticism, we want to continue to grow, the creativity cannot be limited. I know it might sound simple but we just went for it, from one day to another we started putting together combinations that made sense and looked delicious. Next thing you know, we’re creating logos, buying inventory! The rest is history. I guess what we would want the world to know about us is that we’re two tiny girls with really big dreams.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Because we are in the middle of a pandemic, it’s really hard to determine where the fun is these days. Pre pandemic I would suggest going out to brunch in Wynwood, Las Olas and even Boca Ratón! We are Miami girls so we usually gravitate towards our Hispanic culture. From grabbing a cafecito in Hialeah, to partying it up in Miami Beach.

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?
We would like to give a huge shoutout first and foremost to our moms! They have been a huge part of our growth and ideas. They have helped during our busiest time, and made sure to put everything aside to help us fulfill what felt like the impossible. We would also like to thank our partners Bryan and Malcolm. They have been our helpers and cheerleaders throughout this entire process.

Instagram: @platterupbuttercupboca

Image Credits
Adriana Christie Paul Huzeinga Malcolm Cardona-Spence Bryan Lara Edelmira Lara Alex Lara Robert Christie