Ariel Barbouth was born in Argentina but spent most of his life in the U.S. During a visit to Argentina, Ariel rediscovered empanadas and decided to bring the concept back to NYC with a mission: bridge cultural differences through the iconic empanada, a convenient and delicious handheld pie made up of flavors from all over the world. He and his wife, Leni, invested $9,000 to start the company, opening a small kiosk in Times Square, followed by food trucks and pushcarts, with plans to expand their brand to additional locations throughout the Northeast.