Even with some mentors advising against it, Pilar Guzman persisted in expanding her Miami-based small business nationally. Today, her venture, Half Moon Empanadas, delights taste buds across the US, especially in airports, with even more expansion planned.
Through trial and error and incredible determination, Guzman, a Mexican-born mother of two with a master’s degree in finance from Georgetown University, discovered the recipe for success in Miami. Her vision is to see her company’s artisanal empanadas become a household name across the nation, similar to the ubiquity of the American burger.
It wasn’t a smooth journey. Founded in 2008 during the financial crisis, Half Moon Empanadas almost shuttered early on. Guzman learned a tough lesson about cash flow management from a failed South Beach location. More recently, the pandemic forced her to close all but one of her 13 Miami locations, including profitable spots in Miami International Airport. Despite the dire situation, she and her husband and business partner, Juan Zavala, chose to continue paying their 11 salaried managers because “it was the right thing to do.” Today Half Moon Empanadas, has 22 stores throughout the country, 11 of them in airports.
This double blow didn’t defeat the business. Over the past two years, Guzman has implemented new systems and processes, strategically grown her team, and developed a plan for significant expansion. “We’ve been very successfully growing in airports,” she says.
Airport locations are a major part of the company’s growth strategy. In some airports, they license locations from big operators; in others, they build and operate them independently. Last May, Half Moon opened a self-operated location in the sprawling Denver airport. “It was a big challenge because it’s the fourth largest airport in the country. Building a store across the country taught us a lot about operations and distribution.”
Read: Jessica Alba-Actress-Philanthropist and 1.7 Billion Dollar Entrepreneur
Guzman faced skepticism from industry insiders who claimed Half Moon’s success was solely due to Miami’s Latino population. “I said no, we’re going to prove everybody wrong.” And prove them wrong she did: “We are today the best-selling kiosk in the Denver airport.”
Last year, Half Moon also opened in Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and set up shop in airports in Palm Springs, Minneapolis, and Phoenix through licensing deals. “There’s a very high barrier for smaller operators to grow in airports,” she explains. Pilar shared these insights during a panel on supplier diversity success at the ICIC Conference, organized by Santander Bank. She emphasized that Half Moon’s success was “a team effort.”
Half Moon Empanadas is just getting started. This year, they’re adding a fourth location at Miami International Airport and eyeing deals in Washington DC, Austin, Raleigh, Chicago, and Nashville. “By the end of 2024, we’ll be in 13 airports and 19 locations.”
Beyond airports, Half Moon is expanding into universities, hospitals, and convention centers. Locally, their empanadas are available at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, the Miami Beach Convention Center, and multiple locations at the University of Miami and Florida International University. The company operates two commercial kitchens in Miami’s MiMo and Little Haiti neighborhoods and maintains corporate offices in the metro area.
A key to this expansion is growing the team and refining processes. “It’s been really hard to keep up with the growth,” Guzman admits, adding that she’s focused on finding the right talent. Recently, she brought in external experts for finance and operations, but she remains committed to promoting from within. Her staff is about 75% women and 95% Latino. “Preserving the DNA of the company is why I do what I do.”
Guzman’s passion for her empanadas is matched by her dedication to her team. “Our people drive the brand, the numbers, and the business. You believe in your people, and you make them see what they’re good at,” she says.
When hiring, she looks for individuals who match Half Moon’s resilient and creative culture. “We dream of becoming the new food category for empanadas in the US, and my people believe that. If you don’t share that mentality, you won’t fit in.”
Balancing growth with maintaining company culture has been a learning curve. “I try to be very diligent about protecting our culture,” she says, emphasizing the importance of hiring the right people. Guzman has also learned the value of strategic pauses. “It’s important to take time to think and observe from the top. You never stop learning as an entrepreneur.”
This year, Guzman aims to achieve strong financial results while ensuring the right team and processes are in place for continued growth. Looking ahead, she hopes to invest in other women-led businesses, giving back to the entrepreneurial community that has supported her journey.
“Last year we sold about 3 million empanadas, half in Miami and the other in the rest of the country,” says Guzmán, Half Moon Empanadas, which is among Inc.’s 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in the U.S.
The Mexican-American businesswoman was recently included among the most prominent business women in the United States. The Female Founders 250 list, compiled annually by Inc. magazine, “honors 250 women whose ideas and innovations in different industries contribute to making the world a better place.”
