Carlos Gutierrez is another example of a corporate employee who decided to get out of the rate race and become self-employed. Carlos had been in corporate finance for the past 20 years and had no prior experience in the food industry. That is why he sought the help of a chef to get the business up and running.

At the beginning a brick and mortar resto was also considered, but the tandem of Carlos and his wife who both run La Parilla decided to try and make a name for themselves first before venturing into a traditional restaurant. “Once we have some sort of following, we can try to open up a store. There are actually several trucks we know that after a year and a half or two have gotten enough clients to start a store.”

Chorizo Arepa with gooey melted cheese and guacamole dip

The next step was buying a food truck. “UsedVending.com was a great resource for me, not knowing anything about food trucks. I knew what I wanted, but didn’t know how much I should spend. Used Vending gave me so many different options, so once I saw what was out there I kind of made a price I wanted to stick to. So that’s exactly what I did and I was able to find a great truck. Haven’t had any problems with it since. I would recommend Used Vending to anyone who wants to get into the food truck business. And the service was excellent.”

You can also order a platter of chicken arepas for parties.

It was Carlos’ wife who provided the recipe for the Arepas that they sell. An arepa is a flatbread made from cornmeal and paired with cheese and different kinds of meat. La Parilla make the Columbian styled arepa that are stuffed instead of having the meat on top. The truck has several types of arepa that is filled with either pork, beef, chicken, or chorizo. They even have a Hawaiian arepa with ham and pineapple; while the vegetarian option has avocado, tomatoes, and cheese. For those who want something more traditional, they also do a mean hamburger. The truck is a regular fixture during weekends at Mr. Frosty’s in 6 First Ave, Norwalk. They also started doing food truck festivals lately and Carlos confides that this is where the money is.

La Parilla’s Beef and Vegetarian Arepas

Having a one of a kind and uncommon cuisine is definitely an advantage and Carlos also shares another tip, “Make a simple and quick menu. Quicker prep time means more customers you would be able to serve. Two to three minutes per order is just right”.
For bookings and advance orders you can reach them at 203-939-5955 or check out their locations via the La Parilla’s FB or follow them @Carlos44865747.