Nibble graduates open Venezuelan restaurant!

That’s right, there’s are two new restaurants in town: Nibble Kitchen and Carolicious, a Venezuelan eatery located within Aeronaut Brewery —both grew out of the Nibble program. Now here’s the delicious story of Carolicious…

4 years ago Carolina Garcia and Carolina Salinas, natives of Caracas, Venezuela, joined the SAC’s Nibble Entrepreneurship Program. They were stars, from the beginning: attending all workshops, vending with Nibble at countless local festivals and farmers markets — and going on to attend a Food Biz 101 course at Commonwealth Kitchen where they were runners up in the final business pitch competition. They also have been incredible supporters of our Nibble program, always lending a hand to other Nibble entrepreneurs and being huge advocates in helping make the new Nibble Kitchen at Bow Market a reality (they will continue to vend with Nibble at the restaurant every Saturday from 11am-3pm).

“Las Carolinas” make arepas, classic Venezuelan street food. Their arepas are especially tasty thanks to the signature basil sauce!

While vending with the Nibble program years back, we encouraged Garcia and Salinas to shift their focus from cookies and sweets to their delicious arepas — corn-based patties stuffed with a variety of fillings and topped with their signature basil sauce. Quickly, “Las Carolinas” and their Venezuelan street food developed a cult-like following. While vending arepas with Nibble at Aeronaut Brewery a few years back, the pair got the idea to one day open a restaurant there. Now, after years of hard work and dogged perseverance, they’ve achieved this incredible goal. Now, “Carolicious” restaurant is permanently located within the Aeronaut building.

“The process took a lot of patience,” Carolina Garcia reports, “especially understanding the licensing process, but it has been so worth it. The rewards have exceeded our expectations.”

The entrepreneurial duo reports it has been particularly worthwhile to see their clientele grow. “We see customers from back when we vended at festivals; we also see plenty of young people and college students from Harvard and M.I.T.,” says Garcia. “It’s also nice to see people from Venezuela come in. They are thrilled to be able to eat food that reminds them of their country.”

Carolicious restaurant also sees VIPs from time to time, including Mayor Curtatone, who has been a long-time fan of the dynamic pair.