How Arepitas Paisas and PayJoy Brought a Family Dream to Bogotá

Meet Marcela
‍

Marcela Perdomo López is 35 years old, a mother of three, and the kind of entrepreneur who built something out of sheer determination. She's originally from La Hora, Caldas — warm-weather country — and moving to Bogotá wasn't easy. The cold alone was enough to make her question it. But Marcela is not someone who stays in bed.

She came, she stayed, and she got to work.

The Challenge

Being a mom and an entrepreneur at the same time means the responsibility never stops — and there's never quite enough of you to go around. Marcela knew that better than anyone. For years, she and her family poured their energy into other people's businesses. At some point, they asked themselves: why not build our own?

The answer was Arepitas Paisas — a food cart business rooted in the culinary tradition of their hometown. Arepas are a way of life in Caldas. So why not bring that to Bogotá?

A New Way to Pay
‍

They started with one cart. Then three more. Each family member took one and ran with it. As the business grew, so did the need to stay connected — with suppliers, with customers, with each other. Marcela needed a phone.

A friend told her about PayJoy. The process was simple: bring your ID, go through the evaluation, choose your phone, and you're done. Marcela has now gotten two phones through PayJoy — the first one she paid off completely, and the second one, which she got for her daughter, she's still paying off. No complicated paperwork. No barriers she couldn't clear.

Measuring the Growth
‍

Arepitas Paisas is no longer just an idea — it's a family operation running across multiple carts in Bogotá. Marcela manages it all while raising three kids, keeping her home together, and showing up every single day. The motivation hasn't changed: when her kids say "Mom, I need this" — she wants to be able to say yes.

She's not just building a business. She's proving something — to herself, to her family, and to anyone watching.