yoyosbotaneria.comYoyo’s Botanería is a love letter to Mexican street food culture.
Tajín rims dust the edges of plastic cups. Old-school jams like “La Niña Fresa” blast overhead. Teens pose with their marquesitas in front of a hot pink mural while abuelas dig into biónicos. Walking in, I felt like I’d just crashed a party. Every element—each chamoy-drizzled drink, every crunch of a Takis-crusted snack—is a tribute to the food vendors of Diana Ramirez-Jasso’s childhood.
Officially opened on Friday, April 18, Yoyo’s Botanería marks a bold expansion from its roots as Yoyo Treats, the 12-by-6-foot snack kiosk Jasso launched in 2019. Craving more space, Jasso embarked on what would be a long road to secure a permanent restaurant location. But even with the new address, Jasso wants to assure everyone that the vibe is unchanged: still brimming with the Mexican hospitality that keeps her customers returning.
“I just hope to bring more joy to this community,” Jasso said.
While the Bay Area boasts a rich tapestry of Mexican food offerings, many of the dishes at Yoyo’s Botanería are unique to the restaurant. The latter half of the name, “botanería,” comes from the Spanish word botanas, meaning “appetizers.” These range from simple snacks like chips and dip to more elaborate options like empapelados, a popular street food where ingredients like corn, butter, cheese, meats, vegetables and seasonings are wrapped in foil and grilled.
One of the most popular items at Yoyo’s is the marquesita, a sweet, crunchy lovechild of a crepe and an ice cream cone from the sizzling streets of Yucatán. Jasso fondly remembered eating them as a child, saying they were the treat she missed the most and the one that inspired her idea to open the restaurant.
So of course, I had to try one for myself.
My dessert arrived: a golden, wafer-thin roll, its crispy edges curling around a sweet filling of Nutella-drizzled strawberries. It was love at first bite. I took a mouthful, the crispness of the wafer giving way to the gooey chocolate that dripped onto my fingers. They were flying off the press, and I watched Jasso move nimbly, pouring the batter with clockwork precision before adding her fruity filling.
Luckily, I was able to use the hot pink napkin the dessert was wrapped in to clean my sticky fingers. And then it hit me—there was hot pink everywhere. Hot pink accents on the walls, hot pink trays, even the hot pink apron Jasso wore. Intrigued, I asked her about it, and she explained the color’s significance. It’s rosa Mexicano, or “Mexican pink,” a vivid shade often found in Mexican art, fashion and décor. She wanted to bring that cultural element to her space.
“It’s a very Mexican color,” Jasso said, smiling warmly. “I wanted to make my guests feel at home.”
Curious about how the marquesita sparked Yoyo’s journey, I asked Jasso to share her story.
When Jasso moved to the Bay Area in 2015, she couldn’t find any restaurants selling the cherished snack of her childhood.
Like many Mexican children, Jasso grew up on botanas. She’d walk the streets of Aguascalientes, stopping by ice cream shops that offered many of the snacks she now sells, including marquesitas, empapelados, and duros preparados: crispy, fried wheat snacks coated with tangy, spicy seasonings.
When Jasso moved to the Bay Area in 2015, she couldn’t find any restaurants selling the cherished snack of her childhood. She and her husband, Diego Cuevas, tried different spots with similar offerings, but none captured the magic they remembered from back home. So Jasso decided to be the change she wanted to see—launching a business selling traditional Mexican snacks like the ones she loved during summers in Aguascalientes. She pitched the idea to Cuevas, and eventually, he came on board.
“He was the first person to believe in me,”’ Jasso said.
Four years later, the couple opened their first snack bar, naming it “Yoyo’s Treats” after their now nine-year-old son Nicolas, whom the family affectionately calls “Yoyo.” Along the way, Jasso discovered that many others shared the same sense of “loss” over the street food snacks they grew up with.
Yoyo’s Treats found success, but as the business grew, the small, shared kiosk Jasso operated from could no longer keep up with customer demand. One of the main complaints was the lack of parking, and Jasso hated having to turn customers away because there was nowhere to park. So she set out to find a space of her own. Her new location in Hayward is just a few blocks down from her original one in San Leandro.
When asked about being the CEO, Jasso gives a quiet chuckle and quickly shifts the focus to her family. With tight finances, including the need to cover rent before the restaurant even opened, she hasn’t been able to hire staff. Instead, her family steps in daily, keeping the business running alongside her.
On opening day, I watched the family work like a well-oiled machine: Jasso at the helm, rolling out marquesitas by the dozen; her husband crafting colorful drinks; her brother and his girlfriend tag-teaming the register; her stepmom pitching in wherever needed; and little Yoyo, eyes wide beneath a blue LA Dodgers cap, scanning receipts and learning the ropes. Everyone plays their part.
“I’m nobody without them,” Jasso said.
But the familial vibe goes beyond the kitchen; it defines the entire space. I spoke with local Latina entrepreneur Vee Vargas, who shared a Tamarico with her partner—a drink made with Tamarind Jarritos soda, lime, tajín, chamoy and a tamarind stick. Vargas said she loves seeing a fellow Latina succeed in business and that she can “taste” the care put into the food, similar to the Mexican dishes she grew up with.
“I saw my childhood in those photos,” Vargas said, recalling the moment she looked at the food images on the menu.
As customers stream through the doors of Yoyo’s Botanería, some reliving childhood memories and others discovering these flavors for the first time, Jasso is already thinking about what comes next. She hopes to renovate the patio to host parties and further establish her brand in the community through food trucks.
“This is just the start,” Jasso said.
It’s just the start for me too, as I’ve now developed an affinity for Mexican street food bites. I’ll probably be getting another marquesita on my next lunch break. Or two.
Yoyo’s Botanería
Tue-Fri: 11:30am–8:45pm
Sat-Sun: 12–8:45pm
closed Mon
20925 Mission Blvd., Hayward
510.274.5107
