Today we’d like to introduce you to Fernando Gonzalez.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Papelón ArepaBar began as a simple dream and a big curiosity. In 2019, we realized that Metro Detroit had very few Venezuelan food options, and we wondered whether our cuisine could find a space here. That summer, we set up a small table at an outdoor market in Mexicantown, Detroit, and with the help of social media we began inviting the community to try our arepas and cachapas. That’s how Papelón ArepaBar was born: humble, handmade, and filled with heart.
After that first test run, we bought our first trailer —only 10 feet long— and spent a full year selling every weekend while both of us kept our full-time jobs. We had no days off, but we had a tremendous amount of passion.
The pandemic forced us to pause, but it also pushed us to dream bigger. In 2020, we decided to invest in a new 14-foot food truck and relaunch the business. In 2021, just two weeks after our daughter was born, we opened our window again. The response was so strong that Fernando had to leave his job to dedicate himself fully to the kitchen, while I balanced my corporate role, new motherhood, and the business for almost eight months.
By the end of 2022, we took another big leap: we commissioned a second, larger food truck —a kitchen built exactly the way we always wanted— and we were offered the opportunity to open a small Venezuelan market. That’s how Papelón Market was created: a space that brings together a Venezuelan grocery, a café, and a fixed food-truck station. We opened in June 2023, and since then the community around us has continued to grow.
And perhaps the most beautiful part is that today it’s no longer just Fernando and me. Over time we have built a team that truly feels like family. We are proud to have team members who have been with us for three and four years, growing alongside us and contributing their talent to this project. It brings us so much joy to know that through Papelón we are also creating opportunities for others to grow personally and professionally.
Today we operate two food trucks —one stationed permanently at Papelón Market and another dedicated to corporate events, breweries, festivals, and private bookings— and in January we will open our second storefront in Ferndale at Pavilion Street Market, a collaborative space featuring several emerging kitchens.
What began as a single table at a small market has now become a community, a family-run business, and a story of perseverance that we continue to write every day alongside our team and our customers.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has definitely not been smooth, and our journey has been filled with challenges that have shaped who we are as business owners and as a family. One of our earliest and biggest lessons was learning how to work together as a couple while keeping personal and professional life separate. Fernando oversees all operations and the culinary side of the business, while I manage structure, organization, marketing, administration, branding, merch, and every detail behind the scenes. Finding balance and harmony in those roles took time, patience, and a lot of communication.
Another significant challenge has been building a business in a country where we have no family support. As immigrants, navigating parenthood while growing a food business from scratch has been incredibly difficult. When we first started, we were both working full-time jobs while operating the food truck on weekends. Sleep was a luxury, and the pressure was constant.
Financially, the journey has also required courage. We had to take risks, invest money we didn’t always have, and take on loans to be able to grow. Believing in our vision—even during uncertain moments—was essential. Sales are not always steady; there are great weeks and very slow weeks, and through all of it, we have always prioritized making sure our team is taken care of.
Another ongoing challenge is balancing our personal life with the demands of a food business. This industry requires full availability, long hours, and constant problem-solving. At times it feels like the business needs us 24/7, and finding time for ourselves, our daughter, and our home life has been one of the hardest parts.
Despite all these challenges, we’ve experienced rapid growth because we have consistently chosen to believe in our dream and take calculated risks. And one of the greatest rewards is seeing how our team embodies that same passion—how they carry our story to our customers through their service, their work ethic, and the love they put into the food.
Every challenge has made us stronger, more resilient, and more grateful for the community that supports us.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
In our business, I specialize in building structure, strategy, and brand identity. While Fernando leads all culinary operations, my role focuses on creating the systems, organization, and long-term vision that allow the business to grow. I oversee everything from marketing, customer experience, and design direction to administration, project management, merchandising, and our overall brand strategy.
My professional background plays a big role in how I approach the business. I studied Industrial Engineering and spent many years working in project management within the automotive industry, as well as in logistics and business development. That experience taught me how to optimize processes, manage complex operations, and build scalable systems—skills that today allow our company to operate with solid structure while still maintaining the feeling of a warm, family-owned brand.
Fernando, on the other hand, is a trained accountant, but his entire career has been dedicated to the hospitality industry. He has spent years mastering kitchen organization, customer service, team leadership, and operational structures within the food world. His discipline, high standards, and passion for hospitality are the foundation of the culinary experience we offer. Together, our skill sets complement each other perfectly—his expertise in food operations and my background in business, processes, and brand building.
One of the things I am most proud of is how we have transformed a small passion project into a multi-location concept with a loyal and diverse community behind it. I love creating brands that feel alive—where every detail tells a story. Whether it’s our menus, our storefront design, our social media presence, or our merch collections, I make sure everything reflects who we are and what we stand for.
What truly sets us apart is our commitment to authenticity and hospitality. We don’t just serve food—we share a piece of our culture, our memories, and our identity. People often tell us that our brand feels warm, familiar, and full of heart, and that is intentional. We work with purpose, and we treat every customer interaction as an opportunity to create connection.
I am especially proud of the team we have built—people who have grown with us and who carry our mission with the same passion and love. At the end of the day, my work is about creating experiences, building community, and designing a brand that not only represents Venezuela, but also inspires others to believe that with discipline, creativity, and heart, they can turn a simple idea into something meaningful.
What’s next?
In the near future, our biggest focus is the opening of Pavilion Street Market in January. It’s an exciting multi-kitchen project where we will offer a full Venezuelan menu, including dishes that are not available at our other two locations. We see this new venture as an opportunity not only to expand our culinary offerings, but also to learn from other talented chefs and contribute to a collaborative environment that inspires growth, creativity, and innovation within the local food community.
Another meaningful part of our growth has been supporting other Venezuelan food businesses that are starting to emerge across Michigan. We have become distributors of specialty products for several of these new ventures, and it fills our hearts to see more people sharing our culture through food. We are proud to play a small role in helping others get started, and we hope to continue expanding this side of our business as the community grows.
Looking further ahead, our long-term goals include strengthening and formalizing our brand even more. We want to standardize our processes, refine our operational systems, and build a structure that allows us to scale in a healthy and sustainable way. In the future, we would love to explore franchising opportunities or strategic partnerships that could help bring Papelón to new cities. Our dream is to open more locations across Michigan—and eventually beyond.
At its core, our vision for the future is about expanding thoughtfully while staying true to what drives us: sharing Venezuelan food, culture, and hospitality with as many people as possible, and uplifting others along the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Papelonarepabar.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/papelonarepabar
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/papelonarepabar
