Historically, migrants around the world have gathered around a table. Whether to keep their traditions alive, celebrate big moments, or find comfort during hard times, food is deeply linked to cultural identity. It represents a people’s heritage, history, and values. Although those statements are not unique to Venezuelans, the Venezuelan arepa has found a permanent home in the capital of the United States, exemplifying the power of food to connect the diaspora.

Gabriela “Gaby” Febres lived in Miami since she was a kid after her mom, born and raised in Maracaibo, got an opportunity to move to the United States. When Febres graduated from high school, she left for Washington D.C. to study audio engineering at American University, one of the most prestigious universities in the area. Most of her friends were from other countries during this time, and she had no strong connection to Venezuela other than her family back in Florida. After finishing college, she planned to move to New York or California and search for a job. However, one night she attended a bar in Arlington, Virginia, close to D.C., to watch a soccer match. Venezuela played against Chile in the Copa América, and she went with her only Venezuelan friend. 

It was 2011. That night she met Ali Arellano, a Venezuelan already established in the city, who had a side business selling Central American products to convenience stores catering to Latinos. They agreed to meet again to watch the next game, and Febres decided to partake, as she longed for this sense of community. Soon she discovered that Ali was not selling Venezuelan products yet, even when there was an untapped potential to cater to the diaspora she was a part of. They talked about working together. A week later, the pair started distributing queso guayanés, queso telita, queso de mano, and other typical Venezuelan dairy products to the markets Ali was already serving, but also to a group of Venezuelan people who were eager for a taste of home. Through word of mouth and social media, they established the beginning of a very loyal customer base that has followed them since.

What started as a friendship became in 2014 a partnership that spans four locations, a warehouse, and event catering services that have reached even the White House. 

Fast forward over 10 years, they co-own Arepa Zone and Antojitos de Tu País, the most successful arepa business in the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia) area. Their success as Febres says, is rooted in providing the Venezuelan community with a sense of belonging through meaningful food and the pair’s hard work. 

As soon as they started delivering their products door to door, the business was built and sustained by the then-small Venezuelan diaspora’s needs: to find the foods, ingredients, and “antojitos” that brought them joy away from home. These products, available in specific areas of Florida such as Miami, were not found in the DMV stores, so Arellano and Febres quickly realized their business’ potential.

Eventually, people who bought these products began to request full meals that were representative of our culture, not only to eat them themselves but also to share them with other foreigners and locals in the DMV.

The expansion of Venezuelan food is deeply linked to our growing presence in the United States, which nearly tripled since 2010, according to the Migration Policy Institute, precisely when Arepa Zone saw its biggest growth. After successfully selling their antojitos via door-to-door services, the pair acquired a food truck in 2014 that served arepas, cachapas, and tequeños, among other products. Apart from the small Venezuelan diaspora, their first customers were mostly college students, consultants, and multilateral organization workers from diverse backgrounds. 

Back then, Febres would spend up to two minutes explaining what an arepa was, what it was made of, and what made it so special. Eventually, she had to adapt their menu to make it more “internationally friendly” by installing a “McDonald’s style” system. Every menu item had a number to facilitate people’s ordering process and not make them pronounce every name. 

However, they quickly pivoted and understood that education was directly related to their mission: to provide meaningful food and connection through Venezuelan food, for Venezuelans and non-Venezuelans alike. It was a success. To this day, Gaby’s biggest shock and pride comes when people from very diverse backgrounds go into the store, order a reina pepiada or a cachapa with their “broken Spanish”, and bring other people from different cultures who quickly become arepa lovers. Once, they might have had a Venezuelan friend who brought them to the restaurant, but now they’re spreading the word of the arepa on their own.

Despite serving a diverse audience, Arepa Zone keeps expanding options for Venezuelans and being the default meeting point for celebrations and occasions within the Venezuelan community, such as Copa América and gatherings during the Venezuelan elections. When asked if her food has suffered any modifications due to the large international influence and their location, Gaby defaults to saying that they keep getting closer and closer to their roots by offering even more specific products, such as pan de jamón, mandocas, and pepitos. However, their customer base and the menu item’s biggest fans are not exclusively Venezuelan.

Since a few months ago, they have seen an uptick in the number of Venezuelans that line up outside their restaurants and now work as food delivery drivers after coming to the US under diverse circumstances. They also come in as patrons and enjoy the food as well.

As the Arepa Zone story began with a Copa América match, the Cup is just one of the many excuses patrons use to visit one of their four locations or the warehouse to enjoy a bite that makes them feel closer to home. Whether to celebrate a goal from La Vinotinto or mourn yet another electoral loss, now the arepa is also part of those moments as Venezuelans find and shape our identity in Washington D.C.