While visiting relatives in the Imperial Valley Lupe Villa would find herself frequently stopping at her favorite snackfood place. </p><p>“I would think, ‘When is somebody going to bring something like this to Los Baños,’” Villa said. “I waited for three years and I thought, ‘Oh no, I have somebody. I’m going to do it.’”</p><p>About two weeks ago Villa opened Raspados Cuchis on Mercey Springs Road near Premiere Cinemas. The Los Baños location is the company’s 10th shop, most of which are located in southern California and Arizona. </p><p>The business features multi-flavored snow cones, shakes and various traditional Mexican snackfoods. </p><p>Villa’s husband, Ray, encouraged his wife in her efforts to open the business. </p><p>“I told my wife why don’t we try something different, something natural,” Ray Villa said. “Something that makes you feel like you’re at home, like when you order something you’re making it yourself.”</p><p>Saturday people rushed into Raspados Cuchis seemingly seconds after a Spanish-radio spot aired live from the location.</p><p>Villa said she is not surprised at the response the business has received since opening. Like her husband, Lupe Villa credits the authenticity of the food.</p><p>"It’s something different. We make it homemade,” she said. “We have people coming in and saying ‘oh my goodness I remember when I was 10 years old, this taste.’”</p><p>Lupe Villa, who teaches sixth grade at Henry Miller Elementary School, has a staff of 10 to help run the shop while she’s away from the business. But she is not afraid to help in whatever capacity is necessary.</p><p>“I don’t ask anybody here to do something I wouldn’t do,” Villa said while mopping up a spill, before she took a drive to get ice to refill the machines.</p><p>Lupe Villa stresses the importance of education in life and is hoping to eventually set up a scholarship through the business. Many of her employees are working while going to school. </p><p>Aside from being a teacher, Lupe Villa has an educational background in business and spent 12 years as a hydro-electrical mechanic in Santa Nella.</p><p>Her former job taught her how to work with others.</p><p>“I learned a lot from working with a team, because those are huge machineries you can’t do it by yourself. It’s a team effort,” Lupe Villa said. “It taught me a lot. That’s where my team (concept) was put together.”</p><p>Madalena Guerrero, an employee at Raspados Cuchis, joked that the only reason the business wasn’t brought to Los Baños before now is because Lupe Villa hadn’t yet formed the idea. </p><p>Livier Villa, Lupe’s mother in-law spent Saturday snapping pictures to commemorate the business’ grand opening. Livier Villa works at the business and said it is starting to get repeat customers.</p><p>“There’s been a very nice outcome. Once they</CL> taste the flavor they come back,” she said. </p><p>Lupe Villa is not concerned about the failure of many businesses that have been located in the same shopping center as Raspados Cuchis. And opening the business during a bad economy is something she is counting on being a positive. Lupe Villa uses her personal experience as an example.</p><p>“Myself, I travel less. If we want something from somewhere else, we want to go but we can’t because of the economy,” Villa said. “It’s cheaper to get it here.”</p><p>Enterprise staff writer Corey Pride can be reached at 388-6563 or cpride@losbanosenterprise.com