Local teen goes from high school graduation straight to the kitchen with new business

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — A local Guilderland High School grad wasting no time getting his future started. Seventeen-year-old Mateo Sánchez cooking up a storm with a passion. Just one week after graduating high school, the ambitious teen set up a Hispanic-inspired café bearing his name—Cafe TEO.

"It feels amazing and just sharing it with people is, like, one of my favorite things," he says in an interview with NEWS10's Mikhaela Singleton.

Mateo opening up shop inside his mom’s event bakery business, Delicias Latina, on Delaware Avenue in Albany. Three weeks later, and the business is going strong even seeing repeat customers. Mom, Elaine Escobales Bonifacio, says the idea for Cafe TEO came up after Mateo had been helping out in the bakery.

"He hated frosting the cakes," she laughs. "I think he finally realized that, yes he does love the kitchen, he does love the environment, but not in the bakery aspect of it. And so when we started talking about café stuff, you know, I just asked him what does this look like for you?"

So with a palate and a plan all his own, Mateo landed on pressed sandwiches and lattes inspired by his grandfathers on both sides of his family. Both worked as chefs when they first immigrated to the United States.

The young entrepreneur wants the Capital Region to savor what Latin America and the people of his culture have to offer.

"It really just tells a story and goes back with like the flavors and the roots of where the food came from. It also brings family together which is always a blessing," Mateo says.

After splitting his time in high school, the BOCES Culinary Arts program, a part time job and planning the business—even enrolling in Hudson Valley to major in engineering—Mateo is the walking embodiment of hard work pays off.

"A very proud moment," Escobales Bonifacio remembers of the day she watched her son walk across the graduation stage.

"Just imagine your 17 year old graduating with honors from school and from technical school, and just jumping into one of his passions."

And he doesn’t intend for Cafe TEO to fall on the back burner. Mateo already has bright ideas for what his business can become.

"Hopefully open another location where I can have more room and have people sit down and eat and chat," he says.