Reynosa entrepreneur finds new growth in Korean corn dogs after closing hardware business
Maricruz Johansen and her son, Norberto Cruz Johansen, owners of Banderillas Coreanas Buck’s, expanded their food-truck business with a permanent storefront in Reynosa. Courtesy of | Banderillas Coreanas Buck’s

REYNOSA, Tamaulipas — When five major oil and gas customers left the Mexican border city, Norberto Cruz Johansen’s hardware business went with them.

But the 30-year-old electronic engineer didn’t stop there.

About 10 months after closing his hardware store in 2025, Cruz Johansen moved into food trucks. Then the Korean corn-dog concept followed, eventually developing into Banderillas Coreanas Buck’s, which opened a brick and mortar location last week at Puerta Grande Plaza Salmo 91 in Reynosa.

For Cruz Johansen, the transition was less about recovering from a failed venture than remaining open to whatever opportunity came next.

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