We had the good fortune of connecting with Ana And Pedro Figueredo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi ANA AND PEDRO, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
my husband and I are from Venezuela and spite we have been for 7 years in the Spanish food industry we wanted to bring a different concept to the city, we saw the possibility to introduce our Venezuelan cuisine since both of us love cooking to our family and friends and also there were not Venezuelan food around and if you want to get it people from Columbia area had to travel to Charlotte. We did some research and contacted Columbia small business office to have a better perspective of what we wanted to achieved and they guided us in performing our project.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Our story started in 2017, I was a Spanish teacher and Pedro an Orthopedic graduated in Venezuela, he was trying to find a job and companies were saying he was over qualified, that is why he decided to leave his high profile and started his own business with paella being the staple dish in the family for almost all occasions. We found in the united States the perfect multicultural opportunity to get people know the traditional Spanish paella and the evolution of the dish, adapted to the palate of the south in the united States. We have been the only Paella business around the city and After 7 years of success we decide to start with a different concept getting back in our Venezuelan roots that is why we opened in 2023 Arepa South, the only Venezuelan restaurant in Columbia area, during all this year we had overcome a lot of challenges specially in 2020 when most of food business closed because of COVID, we sat and planed different strategies that were not the best of all but kept us close to our customers and our business could survive. We have learned so many lessons but the most important is the love of what you have to put into this business, you must love what you do and always put the customer at first place, be consistence and patience the best will come. We want the world know that there is not impossible, our brand has been built from scratch and all dreams are possible if you want it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If you are visiting the area it is a big Must to go to Soda City Market on Saturdays from 9 to 1 you will find the best multicultural experience and find the best Paella in town, the chef Pedro cooks on site so you will get fresh and delicious food around the corner. If you are looking for Latin American food you will find Arepa South by Paella South, the only Venezuelan restaurant in the city, it is a wonderful place to gather and get the best service.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
To our 3 daughters, Veronica, Valentina and Vanessa who have helped us in all the process, they are decision makers and made us better everyday. They are the reason of what we do everyday. Love you

Instagram: @arepasouthsc

Facebook: arepasouth

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