In 2009 we met, from all places in the NYC subway! She is Dutch, he is Colombian, it doesn’t get more New York than that!

As many other New Yorkers we moved to Brooklyn when we had our kids. Looking for more space, we found this hidden gem call Prospect Lefferts Garden, a lively and multicultural neighborhood. In PLG we discovered Puerto Rican empanadas, and it became our place to eat on the weekends or during the week.

After 20+ years living in bustling NYC, we moved to bustling Rotterdam. At a smaller scale, but with the same big city vibe. Our kids were homesick and were missing Brooklyn and moreover they were missing empanadas. As the foodies we are, we decided to make them ourselves. After many empanadas iterations, the kids approved. We followed the Latin vibe that where one person eat, many can eat! And we invited our neighbors and friends. They tasted them and told us – you need to sale these!! The entrepreneurship kicked in, we tested on Kings Day, and it was a hit. Then we took another step, the Oogsmarkt. The feedback was amazing and we continued from spring into winter. In less than a year, we were doing catering, festivals and since January 2025 we opened at Station Bergweg for a 2 month stay. 

We love our Brooklyn Empanadas journey here in Rotterdam, also known as the Dutch Brooklyn!! h Welcome to Brooklyn Empanadas!!