Travelin’ Empanadas: From Argentina to Costa Rica

Fiamma and Rubín, began by selling Empanadas on the beach

Empanadas are part of human history and have as many variations as there are countries where they are made. Legend has it that they arrived in Argentina in 1810 thanks to Spanish immigrants, and since the 20th century, they’ve been sold as a street snack. Two hundred and twenty years and a pandemic later, two Argentinians, Fiamma and Rubín, came to Costa Rica, drawn by its nature and economic opportunities. They decided to make a living by making empanadas and selling them on the beach in 2018: “From day one, it was a business; we knew this was going to grow,” said the founders of ‘Fiaru’—a name born from the combination of their names.

The Perfect Quick Eat

The first empanadas were fried and made in the kitchen of a hostel where they volunteered. As the business started to grow, beyond making empanadas for money, Rubín, the cook, wanted people to eat something tasty, healthy, and of high quality. One day a customer ordered frozen empanadas and cooked them in the air fryer. He sent them a photo and the next day brought one for them to try. That’s when it clicked, and there was no turning back. They made some adjustments to the recipes, got their first air fryer, and they found the perfect recipe for a successful business.

Premium Flavors

Paying homage to their roots, Fiaru’s first flavor was “the traditional” Argentine: beef with olives. The demand for new flavors began to grow, and always intending to satisfy their customers’ palates, they ventured to include new flavors in their menu and transitioned from fried to air-fried while maintaining the flavor and juiciness. This offers a lighter snack with quality ingredients that even nutritionists recommend based on their customer’s reviews. Between recipe and recipe, they created “la pura vida,” a delicious blend of Argentina and Costa Rica. Slowly, they managed to create a range of 60 flavors, both classic and special, all of them delicious, of which 20 are kept available in their empanada house. Every month they release a special edition, like shrimp, serrano ham, and the famous Mexican. This is to offer new options, keep the menu fresh, and see if there are new potential customers. If an empanada becomes highly favored, they add it to the menu, replacing one that’s not as popular at the moment.

The Empanada House

‘Fiaru,’ with a solid customer base and a luxury product, opened its first pilot location in 2021. On February 25, 2023, they officially opened their restaurant in Jaco Walk. “We started with nothing, just the location, Fiamma, a smile, and empanadas in a single display case. Rubín would ride home on an Uber bike, make empanadas, and return to the store with freshly made ones, repeating this up to 10 times a day,” the owners recall. The success was remarkable. Thanks to dedication, good practices, and a great team, they managed to expand and have a beach kiosk and an independent production center. Now, everyone can enjoy empanadas from Monday to Monday, 8 am to 8 pm. If you want to take them home, you can order through UberEats, WhatsApp, or buy them frozen.

As expected, big dreams deserve to expand, and delicious empanadas deserve to reach new places to make more palates happy. The vision of bringing Fiaru to more locations will be a reality. Soon, empanada lovers in San Jose will have the pleasure of enjoying this Jaco-born business.