Consider the empanada.
Much like the taco, it’s a hand-held platform for all manner of flavors, if you don’t mind straying from the script. So many things can be delicious, stuffed into a golden baked crust, savory or sweet. And it’s the perfect light meal or snack on the go.
It is the right time for empanadas, or so argues Andrew Jaffe, who joined Maria Empanada as CEO in October.
Jaffe comes to the five-unit Denver-based empanada brand from Snooze A.M. Eatery, where he was chief marketing officer. He helped grow the boozy brunch concept from 19 to 70 units, so he knows a bit about growing restaurant chains.
And Maria Empanada needed a veteran to light the fire of growth.
Maria Empanada was founded in 2010 by Lorena Cantarovici, who emigrated from Buenos Aires in 2000 with $300 and the hope of experiencing what was once the American Dream. (Some might argue the American Dream still exists. I’m not sure I agree, but that’s another column.)
Cantarovici first launched a catering business from her home and converted garage. That led to the opening of the first brick-and-mortar empanada spot offering a variety of flavors, as well as fresh juices and, in some locations, wine served in adorable penguin-shaped (pingüino) white porcelain carafes.
Early on, Maria Empanada won an investment from venture capital firm The Colorado Impact Fund.
Three more brick-and mortar units followed, all company owned. And last year, the chain opened its first airport location at Denver International Airport.
Maria Empanada's original location in Denver. | Photo courtesy of Maria Empanada.
It’s an inspiring story of female entrepreneurial leadership, said Jaffe, who described himself as “a girl Dad,” and husband and son of female leaders.
But Maria Empanada is in a “’tween” stage as it considers its growth path.
Jaffe, who was brought in to help set the brand on that path, sees 2026 as a foundational year. “We’re future-proofing the brand,” he said.
He sees tremendous opportunity for nontraditional outlets, not only in airports, but also college campuses and even concert venues. Maria Empanada is working on a deal to bring the brand to the famed Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado, this summer, for example, and has opened in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Stadium, where the Colorado Rapids play.
“What we’ve proven out in the nontraditional channel is, in a place like an airport, this format—the empanada—is just perfect. People need that convenience, they need that grab-and-go, they’re in a rush, they’re juggling things with their hands,” he said. “The empanada in that environment absolutely shines.”
There is also a simplicity of operations.
The empanadas are made in a commissary kitchen and baked in restaurants, where the waft of flavors becomes a marketing tool and guests can see the empanadas in the case with their “perfect imperfection,” said Jaffe.
Even with that model, scale can be a challenge.
In 2023, Cantarovici reportedly publicly apologized for rising prices and poor quality of the chain’s empanadas after experimenting with equipment designed to help seal the dough. The equipment required thicker dough, which she said ate more like a cracker than the soft, pillowy bite guests were used to. So the chain went back to the original recipe and shaping the empanadas by hand.
Since he joined the chain, Jaffe has been working on developing the menu, experimenting with more global flavors for limited-time offers, alongside the more authentic classic empanadas.
The winter menu, for example, included an Italiana empanada, stuffed with sausage and marinara sauce; as well as a classic breakfast empanada filled with egg, bacon and cheese.
In mid-April, a new Miso Chili Crisp Steak empanada will launch. And the chain is building out its vegetarian options. There are four vegetarian empanadas now, but they’re adding a street-corn-inspired fifth, with roasted corn, cotija, black beans and hatch chilis.
The menu, of course, also includes a variety of sauces, like chimichurri and a chipotle-spiked asado grill, as well as dessert empanadas and alfajores, which are a cookie sandwich made with shortbread around a layer of dulce de leche or other fillings.
Empanadas are growing in popularity nationally, according to data from Restaurant Business sister brand Technomic. Over the past five years, empanadas on restaurant menus have grown by more than 4%.
But it’s not only about the food. Jaffe is also working to ensure Cantarovici’s original intent of creating “Buena onda” (“good vibes” in Spanish) in each outlet remains a central value as the brand evolves.
There are no plans to franchise at this point.
“We want to get the business model sound. And then we’ll start to understand what are those other opportunities for growth as we go forward, and what’s the right balance of company owned, versus franchised,” Jaffe said. “I do anticipate us crossing that bridge. But not in the near term.”