Arepas maker plans to be part of 3rd Street Market Hall
An arepa option is planned for Milwaukee’s new food hall in The Avenue, 275 W. Wisconsin Ave.
The sandwiches — often consisting of beef, pork or chicken, or black beans and plantains, stacked onto a split white-corn masa flatbread with cheese and sauce — have risen to popularity over the years amid an increase in Wisconsin’s Venezuelan population.
Leo Farfan, who owns a food truck called Anytime Arepa with his wife, Maria Salas, is among the Venezuelan immigrants. The couple came here with their two teenage sons two years ago, leaving everything behind.
They started Anytime Arepa in 2018, selling arepas at farmers markets and small events, as well as catering private events. After taking a rotating slot at Zócalo Food Park on South Sixth Street for about a year, they secured a full-time slot.
Now, they plan to open a second location as an indoor venue at the 3rd Street Market Hall.
“It’s exciting. We cannot believe it,” Farfan said. “My wife and I, we’ve been working very hard for four years, and now we see these results.”
The new restaurant location — under an 18-month lease — will allow the couple to expand their menu options.
Farfan said they will keep the popular build-your-own arepa option, where customers choose their own meat, cheese, sauce and vegetables.
The choices include: beef, pork or chicken; cheddar, jack or feta cheese; black beans and plantains; and garlic, avocado or spicy salsa.
Farfan teased some new additions to the meat selections, including a fish similar to tuna and asado. They will also offer some gluten-free options.
While arepas are their specialty, Farfan said also they plan to offer a dessert and possibly two other meal selections
A beef arepa is seen at Anytime Arepa food truck. It includes shredded beef brisket, black beans, plantains, feta cheese and avocado salsa. at their new location. Farfan said he wanted to keep the new items a surprise, but that the meal would have something to do with corn.
Each menu item at Anytime Arepa is a family recipe — and it will continue to be that way.
“It means everything for us, especially for my wife. She’s the one behind the magic in the flavors,” Farfan said. “For us, it’s about honoring our flavors, our culture.”
By expanding Anytime Arepa, Farfan hopes to spread the word about Venezuelan culture and food.
Prices for arepas will remain at $10 to $11.50. The hours of the new location at the 3rd Street Market Hall are yet to be determined, though Farfan said it will be open seven days a week.
The entire food hall, which will feature a central bar and about 24 vendors, is expected to open in September. The Milwaukee Economic Development Corp, a nonprofit business lender affiliated with the City of Milwaukee that helped fund the project, said the market will provide 128 full-time jobs within two years.