Maria Cano, or better known by her followers as the Sainted Arepa Lady, has been in the food cart business for a long time, selling delicious arepas that many in the area of Jackson Heights and surrounding areas have learned to love. For those who do not know what arepas are, they are a delicious corn flatbread patty and they can be filled with anything from shrimp to meat. Arepas can also be eaten for breakfast, fillings can include eggs and cheese. These are treats native from Colombia and Venezuela. Maria, a native Colombian, has made these famous in Queens.
She has had this business on the streets for decades. Her, along with her team have been coming out every Friday and Saturday at the same corner of Roosevelt Ave. to please the late night crowd anxious to eat her tasty delicacies that definitely don’t disappoint.
Her business has been so successful on the streets, that now they are expanding business and are opening a restaurant sometime in the spring of this year. This space will be 300 square feet which will include take out and a seating area. Her son Alejandro explained the concept and said "We want to help my mom more, and the only way to do that is with a permanent location. The cart's permit only runs from April to October, and we can't quit our jobs for something temporary."
She has had success on the streets for so many years, opening a restaurant will be new territory for her so we will have to wait and see how she can prove to be just more than a street vendor and be successful in the restaurant scene. If you want to try these delicious treats, you can try them at Roosevelt Ave. and 79th st. in Jackson Heights, Queens.
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