Starting an Empanada Empire w/ Latin Bites

from Restaurant Hoppen · host Hurrdat Media

Nicole Izquierdo has deep memories of her grandmother making empanadas in Colombia for the family before moving to the United States, and that recipe is so great that, just a few months into dating, Julio De Silva encouraged her to start a business! That has evolved into the Latin Bites food truck that Nicole and Julio now operate together, introducing Omaha to the brilliance of Colombian cuisine. Hear their story and learn more about the realities of food truck life in our great conversation! If you've never tried Colombian food, this episode might be your sign. And if you've never tried Latin Bites? Dan has a few recommendations: empanadas, salchipapas, and those massive arepas. 🌮🔥 📍 Latin Bites 2105 Q Street Omaha, NE 🌐 Latin Bites: latinbitesne.com 👍 If you enjoyed the episode, LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and let us know in the comments: What's your favorite thing to order from Latin Bites? This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠!  Follow Restaurant Hoppen for more conversations with the chefs, restaurateurs and food creators shaping Omaha's incredible dining scene. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro: How Dan Discovered Latin Bites 02:00 - From Homemade Empanadas to a Food Truck 05:00 - Food With a Piece of Your Soul 08:00 - How Nicole & Julio Met 12:00 - Starting a Business Three Months Into Dating 15:00 - The First Bite That Changed Everything 18:00 - 350–400 Empanadas Every Weekend 20:00 - The Machine That Changed Their Production 23:00 - Why a Food Truck Made Sense 27:00 - What Makes a Colombian Empanada Different? 30:00 - Carrying On a Family Recipe 33:00 - Latin Bites' First Food Truck Service 35:00 - From Empanadas to Salchipapas & Arepas 38:00 - Pande Bono & Giving Back to Colombia 40:00 - How Word-of-Mouth Built Latin Bites 42:00 - The Scotty Eats Effect 45:00 - Can a Couple Run a Business Together? 47:00 - The Secret Behind Their Success 48:00 - The Future of Latin Bites 50:00 - What Customers Should Know About Food Trucks 52:00 - Why They Love Feeding Omaha Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Sep 10, 2026

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Starting an Empanada Empire w/ Latin Bites

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