More than just pancakes
Founded in 2021, but our journey started long before.
Athens Mini Pancakes started on the east side corner of Athens, GA in a predominantly immigrant Mexican community, called Pinewoods. Its co-founder, Gonzalo Gonzalez came to the U.S. at the age of six, and grew up witnessing his vibrant community selling tacos, pupusas, and all kinds of local food vendors. After college, Gonzalo returned to his hometown of Athens, and alongside his partner, Andrea and his family- Athens Mini Pancakes came into a realization.
Gonzalo was inspired by a family trip to Gatlinburg, TN where he noticed pancakes advertised at almost every other storefront downtown. Later, he read that the South was the number one consumer of pancakes nationwide. At this moment, he and his wife, Andrea, decided to invest in their very first mini pancake grill. This was a very intimidating purchase for two recently first generation graduated college students.
The pancake machine soon arrived and the next step was to decide what they would add to their mini pancakes. The entire family met at their mom’s kitchen to experiment with as many mini pancake combinations as possible. While most of the combinations did not make it on their menu, many of them are still available today. For instance, Gonzalo’s sister, Nancy, helped create the 3-leches sauce used in four of their classic mini pancake stacks.
On June 24, 2021, they created an Instagram page, and on June 25 they set up a couple of tables and a 10X10 tent in Pinewoods. The family members took turns handing out flyers and waving down cars to promote the newest treat in Athens. The following weekend they did it again, and then again, and then again. People came back, and they started telling more people. They received such positive feedback that they decided to make a commitment to open every Friday & Saturday night for a few hours.
Gonzalo and Andrea did not have a trust fund or generational wealth to fund their business, but with determination, consistency, and a dream, they soon invested in an empty trailer. They continued to sell their mini pancakes and built their food trailer piece by piece. As time passed, AMP continued to grow, they soon realized that another step forward was needed. Through countless hours of work after their 9-5s, they searched tirelessly for a way to bring Athens Mini Pancakes to its new home. With the help of their surrounding community willing to work with them, they made this dream into a reality.
Gonzalo and Andrea take great pride in their ability to switch from Spanish to English to accommodate the diverse community they serve. They are proud of their roots and backgrounds, but also their ability to understand the American way of life. They are grateful for the support they have received and excited for what's to come.
As you can see, Athens Mini Pancakes is rich in history and it’s in HUGE part to you! See you soon!