# Lorena Cantarovici

> Lorena Cantarovici is the Buenos Aires-born founder and owner of Denver restaurant company Maria Empanada. After careers in banking, accounting and auditing in Argentina and Mexico, she moved to Denver, learned the restaurant trade, and began selling empanadas made from family recipes. She built the operation from a garage and a tiny Lakewood shop into a five-location Colorado business with airport and stadium service, while preserving hand-finished pastries, codified processes and a culture she calls buena onda.

- **Role:** Founder and owner of Maria Empanada
- **Organizations:** Maria Empanada, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Stanford Latino Entrepreneur Leaders Program
- **From:** Buenos Aires, Argentina
- **Nationality:** Argentine
- **Education:** Degree in accounting, Institution not publicly identified, Master's degree in marketing, Institution not publicly identified, Mexico, Small-business education program, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses at Babson University, Latino Entrepreneur Leaders Program participant, Stanford University
- **Known for:** Named the U.S. Small Business Administration's 2017 Colorado Small Business Person of the Year., Raised $3.5 million in Series A funding from the Colorado Impact Fund in 2017., Built Maria Empanada from home and garage production into a five-location Colorado restaurant company.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2000** — Worked in banking in Argentina, becoming the youngest branch manager in her bank's national network, and later worked as a bank auditor in Mexico.
- **2000** — Moved from Argentina to Denver after initially planning a short stay to improve her English.
- **2010** — Developed a formal business plan with Small Business Development Center support and began growing empanada orders from home.
- **2011** — Opened Maria Empanada's first small storefront in Lakewood, Colorado.
- **2014** — Moved Maria Empanada to a 3,500-square-foot South Broadway location in Denver.
- **2015** — Maria Empanada appeared on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
- **2016** — Opened a second location in the Denver Tech Center with support from an SBA-backed loan.
- **2017** — Named Colorado Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration and raised $3.5 million from the Colorado Impact Fund.
- **2019** — Featured in a full episode of the PBS series Start Up.
- **2025** — Maria Empanada opened at Denver International Airport and donated 6,000 empanadas for distribution to 750 families through five Denver-area nonprofits.
- **2026** — Maria Empanada marked 15 years with five locations and service at Dick's Sporting Goods Park; Andrew Jaffe was publicly identified as CEO while Cantarovici remained owner.

## Achievements

- Named the U.S. Small Business Administration's 2017 Colorado Small Business Person of the Year.
- Raised $3.5 million in Series A funding from the Colorado Impact Fund in 2017.
- Built Maria Empanada from home and garage production into a five-location Colorado restaurant company.
- Featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2015 and PBS's Start Up in 2019.
- Completed Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses at Babson University and participated in Stanford University's Latino Entrepreneur Leaders Program.
- Opened a Maria Empanada concession at Denver International Airport in 2025.
- Led a 2025 donation of 6,000 empanadas for distribution to 750 Denver-area families through five nonprofits.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Maria Empanada marked its 15th year with five locations, including Denver International Airport, plus service at Dick's Sporting Goods Park; Cantarovici was publicly identified as owner.
- **2026-03** — A Spanish-language restaurant-industry profile described Maria Empanada's airport and soccer-stadium expansion and featured Cantarovici with her mother Maria.
- **2025-11** — Cantarovici and the Maria Empanada team donated 6,000 empanadas to five nonprofits for distribution to 750 Denver-area families.
- **2025-07** — Maria Empanada celebrated the opening of its Denver International Airport concession on Concourse A.
- **2025-03** — Cantarovici led an empanada-making master class pairing three empanadas with Argentine wines at Maria Empanada.

## Links

- Website: https://www.mariaempanada.com/
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lorena-cantarovici-3536354
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mariaempanada
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maria_empanada/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/mariaempanadadenver/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/lorena-cantarovici
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-27