Today we’d like to introduce you to Angie Orozco.
Hi Angie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
The Journey: My mother raised me strong in Bogotá, teaching me love and how to chase a dream. My father left for the U.S. when I was little, but he gave me a glimpse of a world beyond Colombia. Mom said I’d see America as an adult, and she was right. That first trip to New York in 2009 ignited something in me. I studied photography in Colombia for 4 years, but when I traveled to those New York streets, it was called to my lens. It was back and forth for years to keep my immigration status, but in 2015, I leaped. I started with art – photos selling on the streets; I learned a technique called “photo-transfer onto wood,” I started working at Union Square and went to Soho and Times Square. It was tough, and my English was broken, but I sold some pieces. Jackson Heights became my home base, and I was itching to create something even then.
The Arepa moment: In 2019, I was back in Colombia visiting family. My mom cooked 40 arepas for me to share with my dad and my roommates and for my breakfast. – 40 of them! I had the idea to freeze one to see what happened, and six months later, it tasted like home. I’d always eaten arepas, but suddenly, I craved to make them myself. Mom taught me over video calls, I tracked down a little corn mill, and ‘Arepaz Colombianas’ was born.
Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
The vision: It’s more than corn and fillings. It’s about my culture, that word in my name – ‘paz’ – peace. I want people to eat these arepas and think of the heart of Colombia. I started with 25 arepas, friends tasted, feedback flowed, and everyone loved it, but the pandemic hit just as I was launching. But you can’t stop a dream, even with the world upside down.
I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Arepaz Colombianas?
From the Streets to the Stalls. Flushing Meadows, Jackson Heights, now a bar in Bushwick called “Our Wicked Lady” – it’s been a journey of trial and error, buying machines, making it official. There were days on empty streets, tears mixing with the corn dough. But here I am, legal, growing, and proving that no matter where you’re from, New York will give it a taste if you have something good to share.
Do you have any big plans?
Keep working hard, growing the Arepas business with the same love as always, with more experience, and anxious for what the future will bring. I want to apply to different food markets in NYC and continue the family legacy while remembering my main dream as a photographer. One of the goals that brought me to NYC is to study film.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arepazcolombianas
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Arepazcolombianas
Image Credits
© arepazcolombianas © ankaorolo
