She Turned Snacks Into Sanctuary: How Diana Ramirez-Jasso’s Botanería Became a Beacon for Community
When Diana Ramirez-Jasso first dreamt up Yoyo’s Botanería, she didn’t just imagine elotes and tamarind sodas. She imagined music, murals, and multigenerational laughter. She imagined family. And she made it happen, one lovingly prepared botana at a time.
Today, Yoyo’s isn’t just a treat stop in Hayward. It’s a space rooted in memory, migration, and joy. And at the heart of it all is Diana, a first-gen jefa whose story is just as flavorful as the snacks she serves.
Yoyo’s Botanería is built on kinship, not transactions
According to Diana, kinship is the business model. “It means creating a harmonious environment that fosters deep connections with our staff, customers, and community,” she told FIERCE. “It’s about cultivating relationships that resemble an extended family.”
That vision comes from her childhood in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Her father ran a small store called “MiClub,” which became more than just a cyber café. It was where customers became friends and neighbors gathered to talk and pray. Diana, her siblings, and her father were at the center of it all.
Now, that spirit lives on at Yoyo’s. “From the start, my entire family has been deeply involved,” she explained. Her husband perfects recipes, and her brother built the website. Similarly, her sister painted the mural. Her dad does photography. Even the name comes from her son’s nickname.
Diana sees her customers as an extension of that kinship. “When people walk in, they aren’t just customers,” she said. “They become part of this rebirth of ‘MiClub’ in the heart of Cherryland.”
The flavors of this Botanería are straight from Aguascalientes
Before Diana was a business owner, she was a kid with cravings. After school, she would head downtown to the Jardín de San Marcos, where the jicaletas and chaskas became her earliest culinary memories.
“My mom’s homemade snacks, such as the Taquito Cup, also hold a strong influence on Yoyo’s unique flavors,” she said.
But it wasn’t just taste. It was texture, place, and rhythm. It was the joy of eating in public, surrounded by community. Now, Diana brings that same energy to the East Bay. “These simple, delicious street foods and homemade treats… represent the cherished memories and authentic tastes I’m now bringing to life,” she explained.
Building the Botanería came with real hurdles, and even more heart
Launching a brick-and-mortar is hard. Doing it as a bilingual, Latina mom is even harder.
“Honestly, every step from idea to opening… felt incredibly difficult,” Diana said. There were permits to navigate, construction delays, and funding issues. But the biggest hurdle was internal: “Overcoming my own self-doubt and truly believing I could make it happen.”
Still, she pushed through with help from her community. She credits organizations such as Mandela Partners, Uptima Co-op, and Real People’s Fund for their support. She also credits her family and the friends who backed her Kickstarter.
“They always reminded me: ‘If you’ve made it this far, you can keep pushing.’ Their belief became my fuel.”
This Botanería is a hub for música, cultura, and alegría
From day one, Diana envisioned Yoyo’s as more than a snack spot. She wanted a place for joy, for color, and creativity.
She modeled it on her hometown of Aguascalientes, which hosts the largest fair in Mexico. “I always envisioned Yoyo’s as a little piece of this vibe in the East Bay,” she told us.
That’s why you’ll see murals, pop-ups, and eventually live music. “We don’t just serve food,” she said. “We serve alegría, cultura, and comunidad with every dish and every interaction.”
Yoyo’s Botanería is a love letter to memory and migration
The building that houses Yoyo’s was abandoned for years before Diana transformed it. Now, it’s a sensory experience full of color, warmth, and history.
Her work proves that a Botanería can be more than a business. It can be a vessel for belonging. A space for rebuilding. A place where the past and present meet, in the form of chamoy-covered snacks and stories shared across generations.
“It’s not just about food,” Diana said. “It’s about memory, belonging, identity, and preserving our culture by living it.”
And Yoyo’s? It lives, breathes, and builds culture every single day.
