{"id":406373,"date":"2026-09-21T17:34:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T17:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/406373\/"},"modified":"2026-09-21T17:34:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T17:34:12","slug":"venezuelan-star-carupano-kitchen-to-open-brick-and-mortar-restaurant-this-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/406373\/","title":{"rendered":"Venezuelan star Car\u00fapano Kitchen to open brick-and-mortar restaurant this fall"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Car\u00fapano Kitchen, the mother-daughter-run Venezuelan sensation, is getting ready to open its first brick-and-mortar this fall. The Foodie Labs star has secured a location for a restaurant at 1040 4th Street North, and the team is anticipating a mid-November debut.<\/p>\n

The restaurant is named for the small coastal town of Car\u00fapano in Venezuela, where the family is from, and the regionally-inspired dishes have become fast favorites. The handmade, gluten-free arepas are the star of the menu, though the Car\u00fapano team offers plenty more than that. Andrea Osorio (Car\u00fapano\u2019s founder) and her mother, Dian Cede\u00f1o, also make fantastic empanadas, soups from family recipes, tequenos, and other rotating specials.<\/p>\n

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The November opening will mark exactly one year since Car\u00fapano debuted at Foodie Labs (515 22nd St S), where they quickly became something of a cult sensation. It\u2019s also proof of concept for the business incubator that is designed to help budding chefs build a following and grow enough to open a full brick-and-mortar. <\/p>\n

Indeed, Car\u00fapano and Osorio have used the last year to experiment, gauge the tastes of guests, and fine-tune their offerings. By moving into a larger space, the restaurant will expand on its goal of serving all diets, creating what Osorio calls a place \u201cwhere EVERYONE eats!\u201d It\u2019s a destination for the gluten-free, vegan, meat lovers, soup fiends, and those, like me, who just love any form of fried dough bursting with fillings and flavors. <\/p>\n

Even today, that accessibility is a key part of the menu. Not only is everything at Car\u00fapano fresh and handmade, but the corn-based arepa and empanada doughs are gluten-free, while all of the housemade sauces are dairy-free and vegan. There are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options, and the menu is largely allergen-friendly.<\/p>\n

Between all of our team at I Love the Burg, we\u2019ve had pretty much the entire menu, though I\u2019ll give a big shoutout to one dish in particular: The \u201cLa de Chicharr\u00f3n\u201d arepa. A regional staple around the town of Car\u00fapano, the arepa itself is made with a fried pork belly-stuffed dough and then filled with \u2018queso de mano,\u2019 a Venezuelan cheese similar to mozzarella. We order ours with a side of grilled and sliced Venezuelan chorizo and a housemade hot sauce. 10 out of 10, would (and have) eat again.<\/p>\n

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The most popular arepa on\u00a0the menu<\/a>\u00a0is the shredded beef and gouda, while the steak arepa and \u201cThe Queen\u201d (stuffed with avocado chicken salad) are top sellers, as well. With so many fantastic Venezuelan and arepa spots in the area, it\u2019s a fun culinary journey to work your way through the different regions and specialties of the country at each local spot.<\/p>\n

And of course, you can still catch all that great food between now and November at Foodie Labs, where they are open Wednesday-Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm, as well as occasional pop-ups around town. <\/p>\n

Car\u00fapano Kitchen brought something new to the area when Osorio, her partner, and her mother took a chance just under one year ago at Foodie Labs. Osorio says that opening was equal parts exciting and terrifying. The response in the 10 months since has proved they made the right choice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt felt like putting our favorite family recipes on display for people to critique, and to our surprise, people have loved it,\u201d Osorio said. \u201cSome have never tried Venezuelan food before and simply love that we have gluten-free and vegan options. On the other side, we also get all of the Venezuelans away from home that say our soups remind them of their grandma\u2019s soup (the biggest compliment you can give us). Or that they come to Car\u00fapano Kitchen when they are feeling homesick, sad, or actually sick. Our food is Venezuelan soul food at its core.\u201d<\/p>\n

Be sure to follow Car\u00fapano Kitchen on Instagram<\/a> and stay tuned to I Love the Burg for updates on the big opening of the new spot.<\/p>\n

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