The Empanada’s Box

Diego Nuñez has worked in restaurants all his life, and owning his own food business had always been in the back of his mind. Out of all the cuisines to focus on, Diego chose something close to his heart. His family owned a pizza restaurant that also sold baked goods and empanadas when he was growing up in Argentina. He learned how to expertly make empanadas from his parents and older brother Gustavo, a trade he would perfect and use to launch an incredibly successful business many years later.

He immigrated to the US from his home in Argentina in 2000 and continued working in restaurants in the states, perfecting the art of the empanada over the next 20 years. In 2020, Diego, his wife, Fabiana, and his nephew, Lucas, launched The Empanada’s Box. 

At the outset, their business functioned around outdoor markets, where they quickly developed a band of guests who turned to loyal customers and eventually regulars who would see The Empanada’s Box through many milestones and an impressive amount of growth in just a few short years. “In the beginning, it was just me, Diego, and Fabiana,” Lucas says. “We were doing everything ourselves. Now, we have about 10 employees across our locations.”

In their first big step forward, The Empanada’s Box joined Findlay Kitchen, which gave them access to licensed commercial kitchens, equipment, and lots more space. This allowed them to increase their production as they continued to see more and more traffic at their booth on the weekends. Not far down the road, they took their next step by securing residency in the Findlay Launch Storefront Accelerator Program.

As a Findlay Launch Resident, The Empanada’s Box gained access to a storefront they would operate out of for the next year. Their time in the accelerator program gave them a glimpse into storefront life—how to staff a restaurant, engage their customers, expand their product selection, and so much more. Most of all, it gave them a proof of concept that would be the key to open many doors down the road.

“After graduating from the Findlay Launch program, we really wanted to stay at Findlay Market, but most of the spaces we found were white-boxed,” Lucas says. We didn’t have the resources at the time to do a full buildout—we needed a working kitchen—and eventually found the perfect spot in Covington. We’ve been there for over three years now, and it’s been the foundation of everything.”

Since opening their shop in Covington, they’ve returned to the Findlay Market District to open a permanent storefront here on Elm Street, just a block down the street from Findlay Kitchen. Scaling twice in three years is a testament to The Empanada’s Box’s commitment to their product, their customers, and creating spaces where people can feel at home. In turn, their customers have shown up for them every step of the way.

“Our growth has been pretty organic,” Lucas says. “We’ve stayed focused, reinvested as much as possible back into the business, and leaned heavily on word of mouth and community support. We try to be super consistent with our product and customer experience, and I think that’s helped us build trust. We also stay really hands-on with everything—from operations to marketing—which keeps us connected to what’s working and what needs to improve.”

As they’ve continued to grow, the Nuñez family has stayed connected to their roots. They still regularly pop up at Findlay’s Outdoor Market on the weekends, an homage to their humble beginnings, but they’ve also diversified their revenue streams over the years to create a more balanced structure. “It has helped us grow in meaningful ways. While our storefronts are the core of our business, these other channels have allowed us to reach more people and add stability to our operations,” Lucas says. “Each one plays a part in keeping our business dynamic and resilient year-round.”

The Nuñez family has worked incredibly hard to bring this dream to fruition. Not only have they built a successful small business that honors their roots, they’ve created a community that has supported them from day one.

“The Empanada’s Box has changed our lives in so many ways. It’s been our creative outlet, our livelihood, and a source of pride,” Lucas says. “It’s also given us a stronger sense of purpose—something that’s ours, that we built from the ground up. While running a small business isn’t always stable or easy, it’s given us a kind of security we never had before. We’ve grown so much personally and professionally through it.”