LeeAnna Fresquez’ parents, Lenny and Linda, began instilling an entrepreneurial mindset in her when she was only eight years old.
When she received money as a gift for her first Holy Communion, her father placed it in a savings account. And as the funds accumulated, he encouraged her to invest the money in the stock market. Finally, after the money sat in the stock market, Fresquez withdrew it and used it to purchase a gumball machine to place at her father’s Village Inn restaurant. Each month, she would go to the restaurant to collect the quarters from the machine and to refill it, thereby entering the vending business at a young age.
“This was as my parents are growing. It’s a tangible example of how they were learning to manage their money,” said Fresquez. “They were very present in having me do that as well — just instilling that entrepreneurship from a young age.”
Fast-forward to her adult years, and Fresquez has taken the lessons learned from her father and mother and used them to become president of the family airport concessions business, Fresquez Companies. Today, the company operates 21 restaurants and 16 brands in New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado at Denver International Airport, (DEN).
“For me, I was knocking at (DEN’s) doors since 2010. We didn’t get a contract until 2016 — talk about chipping away and knocking at the door and just showing up and being visible,” said Fresquez. “Across the scale at DEN a lot of people were familiar with our company and family and what we were looking to create.”
After finishing college, Fresquez worked for a Denver accounting firm before returning to Albuquerque in 2008 to help operate Fresquez Companies.
“I told my dad if we want to grow (the business), then I’ll join,” she said.
Fresquez Companies has certainly grown and today, it operates several concessions at DEN, including Wendy’s, Dunkin Donuts, Anne’s. Schlotzsky’s, and Tia’s Authentic New Mexican Eats.
Outside of her work in the family business, Fresquez, along with Halfmoon Empanadas CEO Pilar Guzman and Gonzalo de la Melena created Emerging Airport Partners, an LLC. Together, the group opened up Halfmoon Empanadas at DEN last May, a Miami-based business that serves artisanal empanadas. Halfmoon Empanadas kiosk is located on Concourse B near Gate B37 and serves authentic Argentinian-based recipes with a hint of Mexican flavors.
As for her future work at DEN, Fresquez said there are some requests for proposals that she has her eye on.
Fresquez Companies also operates airport concessions at Albuquerque International Sunport and at El Paso International Airport. For more information about Fresquez Companies, visit https://fresquezcompanies.com.
