By LOIS KINDLE
Marcela Torres is a testament to the adage that hard work and persistence pay off. It also makes a difference when your dreams are supported by friends.
Thanks to the Enterprising Latinas’ Business Development and Workforce Training programs, the former school teacher was able to take an entrepreneurial idea and turn it into a thriving new business called Sabrosito Latin Fusion.
Torres makes and sells 10 different combinations of her own special style of empanadas, which are a fusion of Columbian and Puerto Rican flavors, and her own organic Columbian hot sauce.
Sabrosito Latin Fusion sells made-from-scratch, original recipe empanadas that are a delicious blend of Columbian and Puerto Rican flavors, representing the countries of origin of owner Marcela Torres and her husband, Jose, respectively.
“My journey started right in the middle of the COVID 19 pandemic,” Torres said. “I was working as a teacher and was laid off during the quarantine with no pay. I got worried about our finances, but one day I decided to apply one of the lessons my mom taught me when I was a child – work hard and never give up in difficult times.”
The Columbian native began brainstorming and thinking about cooking something from home to sell. With encouragement from her husband, Jose Aldorno, a chef from Puerto Rico who advises her, she decided to fuse flavors from both cultures and began making empanadas and hot sauce.
“I spent countless hours working on my recipes and experimented with different fillings and crusts until I found the perfect balance of both Colombian and Puerto Rican flavors,” she said. That is how Sabrosito Latin Fusion was born.”
Torres said it wasn’t easy at first. She wanted to keep moving forward, but she wanted to do it right by following the laws and regulations and obtaining all necessary certifications.
If you enjoy empanadas, you’ll want to try any of the 10 different combinations Sabrosito Latin Fusion owner Marcela Torres makes ‘with love,’ using original recipes fusing Columbian and Puerto Rican flavors.
Sabrosito Latin Fusion also sells its own brand of organic, Columbian hot sauce.
“Thank God I found Enterprising Latinas,” she said. “They were my lifesavers.”
The Wimauma-based nonprofit organization turned out to be just what Torres needed.
“We guided Marcella through her entrepreneurial journey here,” said Nathalie Warren, her coach and trainer. She learned to think critically and completely about sound business practices, including costing and pricing, making sales projections, developing a budget, marketing and networking. We encouraged her to bottle her hot sauce and sell it to the public.
“Marcella is incredibly good at marketing her business. Enterprising is in her nature,” Warren continued. “And her made-from-scratch products are a high quality and delicious fusion of Columbian and Puerto Rican cooking.
Last year, Torres’ empanadas were voted the People’s Choice Best Empanada in the Tampa Bay Times Best of the Best Awards.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Marcela Torres and her husband, Jose Aldorno, work weekends together selling Sabrosito Latin Fusion empanadas and hot sauce at area vendor markets, pop-up events and some local catering events, especially in South Shore.
Torres briefly tried selling her empanadas and hot sauce out of a small, neighborhood café in Ruskin; however, she decided to go in a different direction. She’s currently in the process of obtaining her catering license, and she hopes her next step will be to obtain licensing to sell frozen empanadas to distribute to restaurants and other businesses.These days Sabrosito Latin Fusion has become popular selling its products at area vendor markets, pop-up events and some local catering events, especially in the South Shore area.
For more information or to place an order, email sabrositolatinfusion@gmail.com/, visit Facebook or Instagram, or call Torres at 813-679-4760 or 813-668-5380.