Interview with Arepeland
What made you start a business in the food industry (what problem are you solving or niche are you filling)?
Arepaland was born as an idea from a group of Venezuelan friends living in Australia for more than 20 years. After innumerable delicious dinners enjoying the Arepas – one of the most hidden treasures from Venezuela – and a real desire to bring this to Melbourne. We decided to establish a food business to share this wonderful dish with all the food lovers that enjoy healthy, tasty and good food.
We spent time thinking of the best way to start our food business and decided on a food truck, as it meant we could cook and serve the meals fresh to our customers. It also lets us introduce our Arepas to lots of different people through social events and markets across Melbourne.
Are you a solo business owner, family run business or partnership?
Arepaland is a Melbourne based business owned by myself, my wife Jincelest and Alex my good friend for more than 12 years. We define our business as a partnership where we all contribute with different skills and resources creating a balance in the business.
What kind of food do you make?
We make Arepas which are a bread-like patty made from maize that we cut in half to make a pocket to add various fillings. Our fillings include shredded beef or chicken, black beans, different cheeses and extra toppings such as avocado, tomato and onions. We also make two traditional Venezuelan sides: Tequenos, a white cheese wrapped in pastry dough; and Yuca chips, which are similar to a potato chip as Yuca is a root vegetable also known as Cassava.
Who is your target market?
Anyone who likes good quality and healthy food with lots of flavour. Most of our Arepas have meat, however, we have a vegetarian option with feta cheese and black beans and also a vegan option with avocado, black beans and plantains
How do you sell your product?
We currently have a food truck which we use to visit the different food trucks parks and markets in Melbourne. We also operate from a marquee or private kitchen depending on the type of event and location.
What was the trigger for contacting The Business of Food
Early in 2017 we were looking for professional support to open our food business as we all come from a different professional background. The Business of Food was able to provide support and guidance through the whole set up and registration process.
Where can we buy your product?
You can find us at different markets like South Melbourne Market and Hank Marvin market. We are also at large Melbourne festivals like the Johnston Street festival and Casablanca festival. We post info about where to find us on our Facebook Page and we are currently working to develop the catering side of our business, so we will share info about that on our website and other social media channels.
Have you got any tip(s) for someone launching their own food business?
If you are planning to open a food business my advice is to start small and only with the basics. After you start working you will find out which are the real things you need for your business, as every business you will learn something new every day, always remember to improve every day, having a food business is not easy. You will need to spend a large number of hours and make some important investment to make your business successful, but your effort will pay off later - just keep working hard and with passion.