Owner of Marshall store keeps tradition of making piñatas alive

Published 10:46 pm Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series of stories spotlighting Marshall-area businesses owned by members of our Hispanic community.

In many Hispanic parties, especially for children’s birthdays, one tradition is always present – piñatas. With a stick in hand as they eagerly await their turn, children line up to hit the piñata and wait for a gusher of candy to ensue.

For the past two years, Zenny Gomez has sold custom-piñatas at her Marshall business, Piñatas Corita.

Inside the store at 1100 North Franklin St., a variety of piñatas fill the shelves. Whether it’s characters from television shows such as Bluey, characters from movies, traditional star-shaped piñatas or even those that look like numbers, Gomez can make whatever a customer wants.

“I learned (to make piñatas) when I was young,” Gomez said. “In Mexico, you always celebrate (with a piñata), especially during Christmas, Three Kings Day, birthday parties, so I was the one that made the piñatas for our celebrations at home.”

When she was younger, there weren’t tutorials to teach how to make piñatas, so Gomez learned her trade and honed it over the years.

“I first worked at home, and then after an opportunity for this building opened up, that’s when we got the building to make our business a bit bigger,” she said.

Gomez also sells flower bouquets, eternal roses, candy arrangements, party decorations and rents tables and chairs for events.

Her son, Jesaid Banuelos, helps her operate the store.

Gomez said she has customers all over East Texas and even parts of Louisiana. Most of her business comes from customer recommendations.

She said many visitors who come into the store are surprised by her inventory.

“A lot of people are surprised, because from the outside it looks like a simple business, and once they come in, they react like, ‘Wow, I didn’t know this was here,’” Gomez said.

The name Piñatas Corita is a small homage to her home state in Mexico – the state of Nayarit on the western coast of Mexico.

One of the indigenous groups of the state is the Cora, and the little character in the store’s logo is dressed in traditional attire of the Cora people.

Gomez dreams of growing her business and expanding it.

“In the future I hope to have branches, to have other stores in other towns, bigger stores,” she said. “That’s my vision for the future, God willing.”

Even though the struggle of being a small business owner can be challenging, Gomez said she enjoys running her own store.

“It’s nice to have your own business because that way you feel like you have ownership of your time in the sense that everything you are accomplishing is for you alone,” she said.

Most importantly, she continues to make piñatas because she loves doing them: “Cuando tu amas lo que haces, no es un trabajo.”

Translated, that means: “When you love what you do, it is not a job.”

Piñatas Coritas is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

A week’s notice in advance for custom orders is preferred.

Contact the store at (626) 375-0183.