How Pana Food Truck started to sell Angepas | Entrepreneur

German Sierra, founder of Pango Food Truck In Santa Cruz, California, never thought that his desire for comfort food from childhood would cause him to build a flourishing company with a loyal supporter and the distinction of Yelp’s Top 100 Food Trucks.

“My brother and I came to the United States in 2016 [from Venezuela]”He says.” There were no arepas. We actually eat Arepas in Venezuela every day, so we needed them. My brother said, “Hey, why don’t we make Arepas and take them on the street, and maybe people will buy them?” “

Armed with foil wrapped with foil and homemade Venezuelan juices, the brothers settled outside of a supermarket. They have not sold any. A police officer stopped them and asked for a permit that they did not know they needed. Instead of giving up, Sierra gave the food away and he kept looking for a way forward.

Related: they built their first restaurant with their ‘bald hands’. Now they have 380 locations.

‘Sometimes there is a small miscommunication between entities. Sometimes the health department will do that [have] Different rules than the city, “says Sierra, who describes the challenges he encountered to get his business off the ground.” There are specific places to park. You cannot park everywhere because there will be competition with restaurants. “

As a company with one nuclear offer, Sierra had to sell the value of Arepas to customers who had never heard of them.

“It was difficult in the beginning – and [is] Still difficult – to convince people why we have no other dishes, “says Sierra.” We wanted to concentrate on Arepas [so] There is no confusion of what we are selling, and it is memorable. “

Small adjustments, such as mentioning arepas such as “chicken” or “beef” on the menu, helped to introduce the dish to American dinners and reduce confusion without losing cultural authenticity. “When customers come, they want decisions of 30 seconds-no half an hour to sort out the menu and get something“Says Sierra.

Related: he grew his small company to an operation of $ 25 million by following these 5 principles

As the word spread, Sierra concentrated on making connections with customers, linking education about food with free samples to encourage repeated visits. In the beginning he acknowledged that an excellent customer experience was more likely to choose Pana over another restaurant.

“I didn’t just want to be in the food truck business,” he says. “I want to be in the heart -warming company because the food warms up your heart. That is the emotion I want to create every time.”

Pana has been celebrating in business for six years now and continues to grow while he remains faithful to his roots. In 2025, Sierra and his wife, Gabriella Ramirez, opened their first physical restaurant in the center of Santa Cruz. “It was not a success overnight, and we are still growing and improving,” says Sierra. “We are just a baby, and there is so much that we can change and improve.”

For Sierra, every Arepa is a chance to share a piece of house and to convert what he calls ‘a Arepa -Rijk, one arepa at the same time’.

Related: These brothers changed a 2-man operation into one of the most trusted companies in their region. Here is how.

After he has made a desire for Arepas in one of Yelp’s Top 100 Food Trucks from 2025 and opening a Brick-and-Mortar, the advice of Sierra for current and future entrepreneurs is clear:

• Start small but stay consistent. Breek overwhelming challenges in smaller steps and undertake to appear for your customers every day.
• Adjust your audience while staying authentic. Customer training Can help your audience understand new offers and grow goodwill in your community.
• Lead with generosity. Warm service and meaningful interactions are just as important as what is on the menu. Customers not only return for taste, but also for connection.
• Think of the big picture. For Sierra, selling ispas never was about food-it was about creating heart-warming experiences. Any platform, whether it is a food truck or restaurant, can be a vehicle Share your mission.
• Play the long game. Building something meaningful takes time, patience and passion. If your company is not an immediate success, investigate the steps you need to take to achieve smaller goals that take you closer to your vision.

View the above episode to hear directly from the German Sierra, and subscribe to Behind the review For more of new entrepreneurs and reviewers every Wednesday.

Editorial contributions by Jiah Choe and Kristi Lindahl