The American Dream: Starting and Growing a Business as an Immigrant Case Study: Maria Empanada

Abstract

This case details Lorena Cantarovici’s experiences with starting and growing her award-winning restaurant: Maria Empanada. While visiting a friend in Colorado, Lorena (an Argentinian immigrant) fell in love with the mountains and stayed. Homesick for her childhood empanadas, she made empanadas and sold them to her friends. To meet increasing demand, she opened several restaurants. Lorena addressed the pandemic by closing some restaurants and changing her business model. The case provides insights into issues immigrants might encounter when starting and growing businesses in dynamic environments while maintaining the values of their homeland cultures. Much of the following is based on our interview with Lorena Cantarovici and Victor Arango.