Blog
August 19, 2021

Half Moon Empanadas Expands To Broward County With New Location

Half Moon Empanadas

Photo Credit: Half Moon Empanadas

Miami’s Best Empanadas Expands With Its 12th Location At The Shops At Pembroke Gardens

Half Moon Empanadas continues to expand and overtake the South Florida empanada market with its 12th location in Pembroke Pines, Florida. The Grand Opening will be on August 28th, 2021, in their new store located within Misha’s Cupcakes location at The Shops At Pembroke Gardens. Everyone is invited to celebrate the occasion with free empanadas all day long!

Half Moon Empanadas was created by Pilar Guzman Zavala and Juan Zavala in August 2008. When they opened their first location in Miami Beach they aimed to become a competitive takeout-centered restaurant like many pizza and burger chains in the United States. However, it was not as profitable as they had imagined. It wasn't until they participated at a street food festival and sold out of all their empanadas that they realized they needed to change their selling strategy. Soon after, they started to sell Half Moon Empanadas via a cart stand at a college campus and quickly perfected their new on-the-go sell strategy.

Fast forward 13 years, they are now famously known for their fresh never frozen oven-baked empanadas and has 12 retail locations in venues including Miami International Airport, the University of Miami, Florida International University, MIMO, Jackson Health Hospital, The Main Commissary in Miami with a grab-and-go retail window, (ventanita) and more.

The famous empanadas are made from scratch with artisanal dough and quality ingredients, ranging from sweet and savory flavors - not only are they delicious, but they are a healthier alternative to the fried empanadas we are accustomed to in South Florida. The menu includes an array of empanadas ranging from traditional beef to a breakfast- bacon, egg & cheese empanada, even sweet options like Nutella-filled empanada and Dulce de Leche empanada. The delicious artisanal empanadas are sold individually or in packs of 6, 12, or 24. They also serve coffee, teas, and soft drinks.

The Pembroke Pines store is a project Pilar Guzman and her team hold dear to their hearts, as she decided to open side by side Misha’s Cupcakes, a fellow women entrepreneur who offered them an opportunity to collab and conquer.

After nearly a year of challenges due to Covid-19, Half Moon Empanadas beat all odds and continued to grow through South Florida with the Grand Opening of their 11th location in Jackson Health Hospital this past May 2021. The empanada giant doesn’t plan on stopping its expansion plans anytime soon, the new Pembroke Pines location is the first store in Broward County with many more on the horizon.

The Pembroke Pines location will be celebrating its grand opening on August 28th with a 12-hour celebration. To secure your free empanada, make sure to reserve your spot by clicking this link, and selecting a time slot from 10 am through 10 pm. The giveaway is limited to one empanada per person present, until supplies last.

For more information, please follow instagram.com/halfmoonempanadas on Instagram or visit their website at https://halfmoonempanadas.com

ABOUT HALF MOON EMPANADAS

It all started with a trip to his native Argentina when Juan Zavala came up with the concept of Americanizing the famous Argentinian empanada. A concept that came to fruition in August 2008 when Zavala and his wife, Pilar Guzman Zavala opened Half Moon Empanadas in the heart of Miami Beach. Fast forward to today, Half Moon Empanadas has become a staple in the South Florida community with 12 locations. Although these empanadas are proudly Argentinian, they are made with a hint of Mexican flair to represent Pilar’s Mexican roots. The business is led and operated by its original owners, Pilar Guzman Zavala and Juan Zavala, who aim to expand the brand and spread hand-held satisfaction throughout the country one empanada at a time.

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