Maspanadas: Building an Empire One Empanada At A Time

Union Kitchen Accelerator Member MasPanadas, a local empanada company founded by Margarita Womack, is building an empire one empanda at a time! Margarita launched her CPG brand with the goal of creating a delicious, easy, and nutritious option for busy people like her and her family. Born and raised in Colombia, Margarita spent her childhood in her father's kitchen, learning about traditional Colombian foods. In 2017, she joined the Union Kitchen Accelerator and started the journey from catering company to CPG business! Margarita worked closely with the Union Kitchen Accelerator team on their mission, strategy, and products to find clear direction.

Margarita is not only just an experienced entrepreneur, and an empanada goddess, but also has a PhD from Princeton University in Biology and an MBA from Georgetown University... WOW! By leveraging the Union Kitchen Accelerator and Ecosystem Margarita was able to take an idea and turn it into a market ready product. Leveraging that very same Ecosystem, Margarita was able to dominate the regional market, own her own manufacturing, and scale to a national level. The demand for her empanadas grew rapidly, and Margarita's commitment to providing delicious, nutritious, and convenient meals has led to the development of a brand with an estimated valuation of approximately $15 million.

Owning her own manufacturing has allowed Margarita to control the quality of her product and makes her the caption of her own ship. In order to keep up with the demand for empanadas, MasPanadas opened two manufacturing facilities in Rockville, MD, totaling 18,000 square feet of production space, where they will produce 15 tons of empanadas weekly. These state-of-the-art facilities enabled MasPanadas to produce their empanadas on a larger scale without compromising quality or flavor. MasPanadas successfully scaled its sales nationwide, making its empanadas available in grocery stores, specialty food shops, and online marketplaces across the country, including major retailers like Whole Foods, and Mom's Organic Market.

MasPanadas is an example of how owning manufacturing and following a phased approach to growth allows companies to have stronger margins and in turn achieve profitability fast and more consistently than their peers. 

MasPanadas stands as a shining example of the power of passion and strategic collaboration. Margarita Womack's unwavering dedication to her brand, combined with her growth path through the Union Kitchen Accelerator, has allowed MasPanadas to become a powerhouse. With their delicious empanadas captivating taste buds far and wide, MasPanadas continues to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs and delight empanada enthusiasts everywhere.