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Setting up a casa de empanadas – Start guide, tips and tricks

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Start with an empanada house

In many areas of the world, empanadas have become the ideal meal to accompany every occasion whether it is: a snack, the main meal, meetings with friends, a snack for work… in short, empanadas are the friends for every occasion. That’s why opening an empanada house is a business full of success and profit.

If you are interested in this business idea and you are looking to start your own business, then stay until the end. In this section we will see everything you need to take into account and the steps to create and set up an empanada house.

Let’s get started!

Food and beverage business theme here

First steps in an empanada house

In addition to a wide variety of empanadas, you will want to expand the offer to include other related products, such as salty cakes, spring rolls, trisognes and, of course, a delicious variety of desserts that you can prepare in individual molds. Some ideas include: cheese cake, rogel, black forest, among many others in which sweet empanadas will not be missing. A little secret? Don’t let your customers miss the Martin fierro: cheese with quince jelly.

Do a market study that will allow you to know the demand of your public, the types of empanadas they enjoy the most, identify your competition, know the prices that are being handled in the market and other key aspects to create operation strategies.

In addition, make a business plan that allows you to get an approach to the amount of money you need to invest. Consult the value, rent or conditioning of the premises, the supplies and utensils you need, the fryers and their accessories, as well as the person or persons in charge of the empanada house initially.

First steps in an empanada house

How an empanada house works

Well, an empanada house refers to a place that specializes in offering empanadas, with a variety of combinations, formats and presentations that manage to attract the attention of the public.

There are several key strategies that we must take into account when opening a business like this, especially because we currently face a lot of competition. According to this you can implement:

Happy hours: you can apply them when it’s time to leave the office and you’ll see how your clientele increases.

2×1 Thursdays: (or any other day of the week when there is not much movement) When the flow of customers decreases, we have to invent something that will irresistibly attract customers and potential customers, and this is one of the best ideas for this.

Executive menu: it’s about creating a simple menu, not abundant or scarce and at a very reasonable price. In your case it could be three salty empanadas, a sweet and soda, for example. You can make combos aimed at different customer profiles and tastes.

Empanadas House Requirements

The authorities in the field of opening companies will give you the necessary permits to set up an empanada house. Get this done as soon as possible and get busy with what will really make your empanada house such a profitable business that you won’t believe it. Find out everything you need to know and have with the regulatory entities in your area.

For this venture, the place is a convenient hybrid between a shop that only sells and a restaurant. In other words, it turns a shop exclusively for sales into a small, cozy, warm establishment with tables and chairs where customers have the opportunity to sit and treat themselves to a snack with the flavor of the day.

Don’t forget that preparation is one of the key points, whether it’s you or someone you hire to take care of that area. Knowing how to cook well will be the cornerstone of your business, as well as the seasoning and creativity in every product on sale.

How do you promote an empanada house?

A local promotion implies not only handing out flyers and having posters near your business, but also a decoration that at first sight will make an impact on your public, a good sign with a novel name that will attract attention.

Another good way to expand our possibilities, is having a presence on the web, since many people often leave comments and references of the places they visit, and offering a good service, surely more will come who want to try your star products.

Key tips for opening an empanada shop as a business

Because variety is taste, we recommend that you offer not only different tastes, but also different types of dough, such as: pizza or bread dough, philo dough, wholemeal dough, flavoured dough (cheese, spices, etc.) Except for pizza or bread dough, all others include a small percentage of fat, which can be fat itself or lard.

How an empanada house works

Don’t be satisfied with just offering meat or fish

chicken, cheese and vegetables, but of each, it offers an even greater variety. For example: chicken with vegetables, chicken with curry, chicken and pineapple, chicken with cream of leek… and so on, so your customers will surely come back to try the others and not be left with the desire.

Don’t forget the accompaniments for the empanadas and arepas. Offer delicious sauces to accompany and a drink for each client, whether they are carbonated drinks, juices or water bottles.

Weak points: if we do not calculate the costs that the assembly of this type of business could generate, we may find ourselves with one of the most frequent obstacles: not having money to… That is why with prudence you should acquire only the really necessary and basic elements to start, as well as quote them respectively to get an idea of how much you are going to need initially.

Keep in mind that less is more and later you can acquire other types of equipment that enhance your business. Always look for ways to differentiate yourself in a market with so much competition nearby.

Advantages: we can not deny the delight of enjoying a good empanada, so it has become one of the foods with more sales in the market, especially for those who more than just offer baked dough, offer ingredients that manage to catch and captivate the palate of customers.

This is a business idea that we can explore a lot. For example, you can start an online sale within your own city, taking products home, making empanadas to order for events, etc. Plan very well each option to start your business.

Success stories 

Nowadays, it is this type of food that has monopolized the food sector and that is why it has become one of the best places to start a business that seeks to differentiate itself from the rest, and although it is not easy, many businessmen are aware of this and have managed to consolidate themselves as the most important market leaders.

Project the future of your empanada house and start today.