“WESTCHASE, WE’RE HEADED YOUR WAY!” began a Facebook post published by local empanada franchise Mr. Empanada in mid-September. “Big news! Mr. Empanada Town & Country is officially making the move to Westchase in May 2027!”
Plan review paperwork submitted by D&A Fernandez LLC shows the new Mr. Empanada opening at 13026 Race Track Rd in Tampa, matching the address given in the Facebook post.
“Our new home will be right on the corner of Country Way & Race Track Rd, next to Aldi in Hampton Lakes Plaza… A new neighborhood. A new chapter. And plenty of empanadas to go around.”
Co-founded by Audrey Perez, Mr. Empanada serves up the beloved Latin pastries in nine locations, including the current Town & Country location moving to Westchase.
“Empanada (from the word “Empanar”) is a Spanish word generally meaning baked in pastry, pie or turnover,” explains the Mr. Empanada website. “However, the empanada is by no means exclusively Spanish. Featured in the cuisine of every New World country as snacks, hor d’oeuvres, appetizers or street food, empanadas are crescent-shaped turnovers made from different kinds of dough, and stuffed with well-seasoned combinations of meat, chicken, seafood and vegetables, or fruit mixtures and dessert elements. Through the ages almost every nationality developed its own empanada culinary concept making the food’s appeal truly international. The English call them pasties. In the Caribbean they are called Pastelitos. The Italians have the Calzone.”
Get ready for Mr. Empanada, opening in Westchase in Spring 2027!
You can keep up with all things Mr. Empanada by following @mr_empanada on Instagram.
