Delia’s Empanada Cafe located at 113 South Warren Street, continues its commitment to preparing varieties of traditional appetizing Puerto Rican dishes despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
After closing the cafe five months following its grand opening, due to the unexpected pandemic, Delia’s Empanada Cafe, an establishment reminiscent of Old San Juan, has been delighting palates of Trentontians since reopening on June 2nd. The cafe’s Founder and Developer, Jose Pantoja, admits that business has slowed down, but is hopeful that things will turnaround.
“It started a little slow because once you open up business again after being closed for a little while, you have to generate business and get your name back out there…it’s been a drastic change in the business, it’s not what it used to be,” says Pantoja. “But you know we’re hanging in there, trying to hang on as long as we can to see what happens in the future.”
Jose Pantoja, who retired from the Trenton Police Department after 20 years of service in 2018, decided to open up a Puerto Rican cafe in his hometown named Delia’s Empanada Cafe in 2019.
Delia’s Empanada Cafe features wide selections of cultural foods ranging from traditional Spanish dishes of rice, beans, chicken, and beef. The cafe’s prime specialty is focused on empanadas, with all different kinds of flavoring and fillings stretching from sweet, spicy flavors to classic and unique flavors excellent for customers.
With Delia’s Empanada Cafe being a newly established food service in Trenton, Pantoja and his employees aim to maintain staying open despite the pandemic, while providing people and customers with great service and high-quality food for as long as they can. With faith that COVID-19 cases decrease, the cafe seeks to return back to the normal fast-paced environment that existed before the pandemic.
