What in the Dominican Republic is known as yaniqueque has various references and there are many ways to consume it. At first it was just a round disk of fried wheat flour.

For decades it has been part of the Dominican food culture. There is no exact date, but more than four decades have passed since, probably due to the exploitation of tourism in the country, this food began to be stuffed with meat, cheese, vegetables, ham, and eggs.

What is irrefutable is that very few Dominicans resist trying it in some of their presentations. Its high demand among the population, mainly among those looking for a quick and easy meal to take away or to consume in an informal environment, has generated a series of businesses that provide a daily livelihood for thousands of Dominicans.

The yaniqueque as sustenance

This business has become a very popular microenterprise, generating jobs and resources for thousands of families, but also does not require a high investment to set up.

Statistics establish that there is a high rate of informality in the Dominican labor market. According to the Central Bank, of the 4,200,000 jobs that exist, more than 2,150,000 are in the informal sector, that is, 51%. One of the main concerns is that they do not receive the labor benefits that the Dominican Social Security System grants to formalized workers.

According to statistics from official organizations such as the National Council for the Promotion and Support of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (Promipyme) and Banco Adopem, around 20% of informal jobs, that is, 430,000 workers, They are dedicated to service, a sector in which fast food street vendors are located.

The newspaper el Dinero wanted to get to know some of its main actors more closely. On this occasion the protagonist is Chabela, a single mother who decided to start this business 11 years ago. Despite the obstacles he had to overcome in the first months, he managed to position his small business on Charles Sumner Avenue in the Los Praditos sector, in the National District.

She is a fighting woman, completely dedicated to the work with which she has supported her family alone and that due to the little help she has, she only works until 12 noon. Until that time, Elízabeth Ramos, Chabela's real name, sells an average of 400 rellenos or empanadas, whose prices will depend on the ingredients contained in their preparation.

Explain that, with two ingredients, which could be chicken and cheese, the product costs RD$40.00; With three ingredients, its price goes up to RD$50 and RD$60, although it can reach RD$75 for a complete filling, that is, the one that contains chicken, beef, egg, ham and cheese. The cheapest one costs RD$25 with a single ingredient.

To make her products and so that she never lacks supplies, Chabela buys in bulk: 200 pounds of chicken breast at RD$80 each, equivalent to RD$16,000; for 200 pounds of beef at RD$95, you must pay RD$19,000; 600 eggs that cost RD$5.50 each, he pays RD$3,300.

Ramos sells around 400 refills for an average price of RD$40, equivalent to RD$16,000 per day, totaling RD$384,000 per month. To this must be added the income from the sale of juices, which cost RD$30 and RD$40 and their daily sales reach eight gallons of juices, that is, about 100 total glasses. This represents income of RD$3,500 to RD$4,000 for six days a week, that is, a gross sale of RD$91,000 pesos per month. Between the juices and the yaniqueques, this microenterprise generates around RD$475,000 each month.

Chabela pays RD$37,000 a month in wages, she invests RD$89,700 a month in flour, which added to the expenses of other inputs such as oils, meats and seasonings, amounts to about RD$260,000 pesos. The net earnings of this small business reach up to RD$215,000 per month, which represents 45%.

Ramos plans to increase the price of his “rellenos” as of September 30, due to the increase in all the products he uses in his business. “Everything is more expensive. The pound of chicken that I used to buy at RD$60 and RD$65 now costs RD$80; beef is RD$95 a pound, the catchup is very expensive, the six-pound bar of cheese, which used to cost RD$550, now costs RD$600, that is, $50 pesos more expensive. Everything is going through the roof,” says Chabela.

Good products

Elízabeth Ramos maintains that the products she uses are of high quality because that is very important to her. “I always try to buy the best. If it's chicken, I only buy breast and the ground beef must be the best there is; the vegetables are organic and always fresh”, he assured.

Although for Mrs. Chabela the business is progressing well, she believes that it is not better due to the mismanagement of finances.

Like Mrs. Chabela, thousands of men and women are dedicated to selling the popular stuffed yaniqueques or empanadas, which has become their source of income, allowing them to bring food and cover basic needs that a family demands .