FAHM Feature: Hella-Halo Is Not Your Average Food Truck
In 2015, Pipo Carrasca had an idea: what would it be like to have a local halo-halo cart? At that point, he worked construction full-time in the Bay Area, and there just wasn’t enough time for the idea to be anything but that. Fast forward to 2018, Pipo was laid off from work, and he and his wife Kelly found themselves in uncharted waters.
“At this point, a month in of being jobless, our backs were against the wall,” Pipo said. “I talked to Kelly about giving it a shot. We did, and it quickly became our weekend endeavor for the first year and a half.”
Pipo and Kelly found instant success as tent vendors selling halo-halo, a traditional Filipino dessert with the Carrasca’s personal modern twist. They describe it simply as, “Not your Lola’s halo-halo.” Soon, the cart and tent set-up became too small to match the growing menu and the couples’ numerous ideas. To be more mobile, they decided on their next big goal: owning a food truck. But before the Carrascas could even purchase a truck, they hit a roadblock.
“In the midst of wanting to own a truck, the pandemic happened,” Pipo said. “Locked down and with limited things we could do, we had to figure something out. People needed their halo-halo!”
The small business shifted to offer pick-up and delivery options for areas of Sacramento, Roseville, El Dorado Hills, Folsom, and Natomas. Their versatility paid off. Over the first spring and summer months of the pandemic, the Carrascas saved enough money to purchase their first truck. Since then, Pipo described a blur of busy days filled with halo-halo, family, and rest when they can find it.
While rest days may be rare to come across, excitement for the future keeps the businessowners energized as they finalize plans to open a brick-and-mortar. This is a special milestone for Pipo, who is carrying on his own family’s business success in Sacramento.
“A lot of people may not know that my inspiration for opening Hella-Halo is because of my late grandma, Mama Viola,” he said. “She used to own a restaurant in South Sacramento off Florin Road, across from South Gate Plaza.”
The restaurant in question was named “Halo-Halo.” Pipo is not only paying homage to his grandmother’s legacy through his business endeavors, but also to their family’s heritage. He said, “Being raised in a Filipino household, I had a different taste for things than any of my peers. I loved halo-halo growing up, and still do, and I attribute that to my Pinxy heritage.”
Pipo remembers starting Hella-Halo’s Instagram page in January 2019, with a simple goal in mind: “Make it happen!” As their online following grew, so did Pipo’s inspiration to work even harder. In April of the same year, the Carrascas hosted their first pop-up with Sacramento local Joe Luna from Boy’s Bakery (@joyboybakes).
“The community came out for us in a major way. We were slated to be there for two hours but sold out in about one,” Pipo explained. “The community has played the biggest role in our little glimpse of success.”
That little glimpse will likely continue to grow, as the truck has now been up and running successfully for more than a year. As a locally owned and operated Fil-Am food truck, Hella-Halo is sharing their cultural diversity and richness with the Sacramento community.
Pipo said, “It’s a labor of love, and we truly enjoy everything about it, especially the friends and family we’ve made along the way.”
Follow Hella-Halo’s social media pages to find their locations each week:
Website: hellahalo.square.site
Instagram: @hellahalo_sac
Facebook: Hella Halo Sacramento
Twitter: @HellaHalo_Sac
TikTok: @_hellahalo_
Contact: hellahalosac@gmail.com
Read more stories about our Sacramento AAPI-owned small businesses:
FAHM Feature: How Kandelita Company Turned a Pandemic Hobby into a Business
FAHM Feature: “Big Pivot Energy” Keeps Berry&Thyme Tenacious
Jesse Wen Takes a New Approach to Sweets and Success