Cristina Miller and Federico Ahualli were both born in Mendoza, Argentina. After getting married, they lived in Venezuela and Brazil for several years. Then, they moved to South Fayette in 2003 with their two boys, Nicolas and Lucas. When sharing their empanadas and other authentic Argentinean dishes with friends at parties, their friends recommended the idea of selling their empanadas.
They are Argentine Empanadas, which are hand-sized savory pies made of wheat flour, filled with ground beef, ham and cheese, chicken, corn and many other delicious fillings. The most popular fillings in Argentinean empanadas are beef and chicken, spiced with cumin, paprika, onions, and other seasonings. Empanadas can be eaten baked or fried and are paired best with Argentinean chimichurri sauce. Empanada Company also sells frozen trays to bake or fry at home, and sells to restaurants and bars
In 2019, the idea of the Empanada Company was born. After two long years that included a pandemic, many technical problems, and a lot of renovation work, the Empanada Company became a reality. The Small Business Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh has been working closely with Federico and Cristina over the years by providing business consulting, resource information and training at no cost.
“SBDC supported us during the whole process giving us the right contacts among banks, consultants, and technical help, which were critical to reach our success,” said Miller and Ahualli.