Gabriela Febres: Building a Lasting Taste of Venezuela in D.C.

If you’ve spent enough time in Washington, D.C., chances are you’ve enjoyed Arepa Zone. Its growth reflects both the staying power of the business and the appetite for international cuisine that makes the region’s food scene so distinctive. But in a restaurant market as expensive and competitive as Washington, building a business is one challenge. Sustaining it, expanding its reach, and keeping customers coming back for more than a decade is another. For co-founder Gabriela Febres, the journey is a story of cultural connection, entrepreneurial persistence, and growth. 

Born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, and raised largely in South Florida, Febres moved to Washington to study audio engineering at American University. She had no plans to enter the food business. But more than a decade ago, she found that Venezuelan products and familiar foods were difficult to find in the region. The gap was about more than ingredients. For Venezuelans building lives far from home, familiar flavors offered a connection to traditions and comforts left behind.

In 2011, Febres met Ali Arellano, a Venezuelan entrepreneur already distributing specialty food products to Latino markets. They began bringing Venezuelan cheeses and other traditional products to customers across the region. Word of mouth and social media helped them build a following. When customers began asking for prepared meals, they saw an opportunity to expand beyond products and bring Venezuelan cuisine to more tables.

In 2014, that opportunity became Arepa Zone, starting with a food truck serving arepas, cachapas, tequeños, and other Venezuelan favorites. The business grew into restaurants, food stands, and catering, with a presence at prominent venues including Nationals Park and Audi Field. Each step expanded the brand’s reach, introducing Venezuelan cuisine to new customers while building on the loyalty of those who had supported it from the start.

Febres and Arellano also developed Antojitos de Tu País, a business focused on Venezuelan specialty products and ingredients that can be difficult to find locally. Together, the ventures reach customers in different ways, from people seeking the flavors they grew up with to diners discovering Venezuelan food for the first time.

That growth is particularly notable in an industry known for thin margins, intense competition, and high operating costs. In Washington, where restaurant operators must contend with expensive real estate and complex regulatory requirements, a good concept alone rarely guarantees longevity. Building a presence across restaurants, food service, and specialty retail requires more than a popular menu. It demands persistence, careful decisions, and the ability to adapt as customer needs and business conditions change. Arepa Zone’s evolution over more than a decade reflects that work.

The business’s success also illustrates how cultural familiarity can become a commercial strength. Febres and Arellano understood the demand for Venezuelan foods because they knew what those flavors meant to the people seeking them. But the brand’s growth depended on reaching beyond that initial community and earning a place in the region’s wider dining scene. A taste of home became a gateway for others to discover a cuisine and culture they might not otherwise have encountered.

Febres’s story is about more than bringing Venezuelan food to Washington. It is about building a business that has endured in one of the region’s most demanding markets while contributing to the international food culture that makes D.C. so distinctive. Through Arepa Zone and Antojitos de Tu País, she has helped introduce more people to Venezuelan cuisine while demonstrating how cultural roots, an understanding of customer needs, and entrepreneurial persistence can create lasting opportunity. That combination of business achievement and community impact earns Gabriela Febres a place among LEN’s Top 10 Latino Voices of 2026. 

All Top 10 Voices were nominated by an independent selection committee.