The Empanada Shop was founded by Ruben & Charlene Frias. Ruben was born in Monterrey Mexico his family moved to Chicago when he was six years old. He grew up making authentic Mexican empanadas with his Abuelita and years later while working as a Creative Director at Disney, his passion for cooking took over and he and Charlene launched The Empanada Shop in 2014. Ruben was dedicated to honoring the heritage of his family recipes, pairing braised meats with Mexican chiles and authentic spices from various regions in Mexico. Charlene was interested in bringing to market a better-for-you, organic empanada that tasted more like the authentic recipes Ruben and his mom were making at home without the added fillers and additives of most frozen Mexican food.
