Pikanadas

Bold Latin Flavor. Built for Real Communities.

Bring an Already-Loved Concept to Your City

Pikanadas didn’t start as a franchise plan. It started with a family hand-folding empanadas in a Worcester kitchen, determined to bring real Latin American street food to a neighborhood that hadn’t tasted it before. The second location in Clinton proved the demand wasn’t a fluke. Now Pikanadas is opening the model to franchise owners ready to bring that same energy somewhere new.

BRING PIKANADAS TO YOUR CITY, START YOUR FRANCHISE JOURNEY TODAY.

A Menu People Actually Crave

This isn’t generic “Latin-inspired” fare. It’s the Beef & Cheese Empanada, made with seasoned ground beef and cheese, then handcrafted fresh for every customer. What makes Pikanadas unique is the ability for guests to customize their own empanada by choosing from a variety of fresh, high-quality ingredients and fillings, creating a meal made exactly the way they want it.

It’s Yaroa, our signature Loaded Fries or Loaded Sweet Plantains, topped with your choice of seasoned chicken, seasoned ground beef, or a mix of both, finished with melted cheese and our signature sauces. It’s golden tostones, and a Dubai Chocolate Strawberry dessert with crunchy kataifi that customers post about before they even finish eating it. The menu sells itself; your job is opening the doors.

A System Already Working

A franchise owner stepping in today isn’t betting on an idea. They’re stepping into operating systems, supplier relationships, and a training program already proven across two locations.

Built to Travel

Hand-folded empanadas, loaded yaroa, and crave-worthy desserts translate easily, whether the location is a suburban strip or a busy commercial corridor.

A Trainable, Repeatable Operation

The kitchen workflow and customer experience are structured to be taught, not improvised, so a motivated owner can step in, learn the system, and run it with consistency from day one.

Born in a Worcester Kitchen, Built on Family Recipes

Pikanadas was founded by Katherine and Juan Castillo in 2024 with a mission to bring authentic Dominican and Latin American street food to communities looking for bold flavors and unforgettable experiences. Every empanada is still handcrafted with care, and every recipe is inspired by family traditions rather than a corporate test kitchen.

What began as one storefront grew into something the community kept coming back for. The menu expanded from empanadas into chimis, yaroa, pastelitos, and tequeños, each one carrying its own piece of the Dominican street food tradition. By the time Pikanadas opened a second location in Clinton, it was clear the concept wasn’t just a neighborhood favorite; it was a business ready to grow.

Pikanadas is now structuring that growth through franchising, giving new owners the chance to bring the same hand-made food and the same family-built systems into their own communities, while keeping the culture and quality that built the brand in the first place.

Built for Hands-On Owners Who Love Food and People

Pikanadas is looking for franchise owners who want to run a real, hands-on quick-service business, not a passive investment. The right owner shows up, leads their team, and treats the food the way the Castillo family always has: as it matters.

Ideal Franchisee Profile:

Comfortable in a fast-paced, customer-facing restaurant environment

Genuine appreciation for Latin American food and culture

Strong organizational and team-leadership instincts

Committed to consistency, cleanliness, and brand standards

If you want to bring something people actually crave into your market, and you’re ready to be in the building making it happen, Pikanadas wants to TALK TO YOU.

You Won’t Open Alone

Pikanadas built its training program around one principle: a franchise owner should never have to guess. The system covers everything from the empanada fold to the register, so every location delivers the same food, the same way, and every time.

Phase I , Initial Training

New owners spend one to two weeks training at a Pikanadas location, working hands-on in a live kitchen alongside the team. This covers food prep, customer service, health and safety standards, inventory control, point-of-sale systems, and the day-to-day culture that makes Pikanadas Pikanadas.

Phase II , On-Site Launch Support

As opening day approaches, a Pikanadas trainer comes to you. They help with staffing, setup, and a guided soft opening, working the floor with your team until the location is running smoothly on its own.

Ongoing Field Support

Support doesn’t stop at opening. Pikanadas checks in monthly during your first quarter, then bimonthly through the rest of year one, then quarterly after that, plus ongoing marketing guidance to help drive customers through your door.

Bring the Empanada to Your Community

Pikanadas franchise partners are hands-on owners who want to run a food business their community will actually love, not just visit once.

Start Your Pikanadas Franchise Journey TODAY.

To get started, fill out the franchise form.

This is not a franchise offering. A franchise offering can be made by us only in a state if we are first registered, excluded, exempted or otherwise qualified to offer franchises in that state, and only if we provide you with an appropriate franchise disclosure document. Follow-up or individualized responses to you that involve either effecting or attempting to effect the sale of a franchise will be made only if we are first in compliance with state registration requirements, or are covered by an applicable state exclusion or exemption.