Meet Valerie Ramos | Val’s Seafood Kitchen

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

Hi Valerie, career-wise, where do you want to be in the end?
Thank you so much for having me. I would say for Val’s Seafood Kitchen, it would be to have my own small business store front. Somewhere, where you can can sit down, enjoy your meal with family and friends. Sometimes it seems as if that would be impossible, other days it seems as if I can really make it happen. When I was little, I was kind of always organized and one of the things I wanted to be is an interior designer. I could vision myself in a place, decorated, nicely put together. If I could have the opportunity on doing just that, building my own store front. That would be my ultimate goal for my business.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I believe Val’s seafood kitchen is different from others because All have our own touch. When you go to a grocery store, you see so many different bread options. There is Nature Valley, Wonder Bread and Mrs..Bairds etc. Why are there so many different types and they all still are on the shelves? Because each bread has their own taste, their own touch to it. Val’s seafood kitchen has just that. My own touch.

Val’s seafood kitchen started with just a thought in my head. I was out of PTO at my job, my days off I was using were all unpaid and I was trying to figure out a way to make some extra money. I had only made seafood a handful of times and had people asking if I sold it. I thought to myself, maybe that’s something I can do. My first time having orders, I had 26 orders. After that day, I realized maybe this is something I could really do. I started off wanting to just sell to make enough money for what I didn’t have, then I seen what I could really do. So I continued doing it over the weeks. I started seeing people sharing my food, talking about my food. That was something that made me feel elated. Because no one I had known in my life at that moment, was doing what I was doing. I felt proud of myself. When having a small business, you go through many trials and tribulations. Is it easy? I don’t feel like it ever really gets easy., we as people grow and learn something everyday. That is what I have learned overtime. Is that we keep learning. There’s never a “I know it all” moment I’ve went through because we continue to grow everyday. Whether it’s with my business or myself. There have been many times where I have wanted to give up. I don’t get as many orders as I want or I feel like I’m not in the position I want to be in with my business. However, I have learned we all have our own timing. Just because one business just opened up there first location after one year of being in business and they are thriving, doesn’t mean I’m not thriving. Just because I do not have a store front or have 25 customers a day, doesn’t mean I’m not thriving. It’s all in God’s timing. Being patient, as my time will come. I look at my children and they see me. They ask me, mom do you have seafood deliveries today. That right there along, that simple question, tells me I’m showing my children what is POSSIBLE. I’m juggling life, work, children, wanting to build a small business so my kids can look up to me and say my mom did it. We did it, because with my kids I wouldn’t be where I am at now. The only thing I would want the world to know is I’m coming. I am coming for that store front. I am coming for that day someone is telling there friend “let’s go to Val’s seafood kitchen”. I want it and if you want something you have to go out and get it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would say I love going places with my children or going out with the few friends I have and going to a nice restaurant. Vidorra is a nice upscale place in deep Ellum. I like to take my children to a park in downtown. It is called Klyde warren park. Very nice area, you can let the kids play in the water, have a bite to eat and just relax.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
One person that has been by my side from the beginning, is my mother. Whether it was tasting my sauce, telling me what type of butter I should use for my customers so they don’t get high blood pressure lol, watching my children as I go make deliveries, go to events and coming to my events to support me. Without her, certain things would have been complicated for me to accomplish when it came to my business.

Instagram: Valerieramos4194

Facebook: Val Ramos

Other: I also have a tik tok which is ceciliaramos290813