How Did We Get Here?

Roy Peleaz and his wife, Kathy, are no strangers to taking a chance, just like you are about to do - but you will have their help and experience to guide you...

When they started Island Empanada in 2011, it was a lifelong dream of Roy's, but not necessarily under the most ideal circumstances. Roy had a successful career for 15 years with Aramark, but then, in a slew of layoffs in 2009, the senior manager found himself without a job. While at Aramark, he had managed countless hourly employees and managers from Tampa to Toronto.

We have mastered the art of making empanadas

Roy always loved to cook and learned from his mom the secret sofrito sauce which is the staple of Puerto Rican cooking. After experimenting and cooking various types of empanadas, making all of his friends and family taste each variety until he found the right combination of spice, meats, and vegetables. With his wife Kathy and his daughters' assistance, they created that unique and authentic flavor combination. The rest - as they say - is history!

Today we serve 31 varieties of empanadas including vegetarian, vegan and dessert flavors. We also offer daily lunch and dinner specials that keep customers coming back, day in and day out. We designed our menu to be affordably priced, which caters to families of all income levels. Our empanada restaurants serve mouth watering, original empanada creations at lunch, dinner, and catered events giving you many opportunities to create a loyal following of customers in your local community. The best restaurants become an active part of the community and that is exactly what we want you to do with our support, guidance, and our brand.