In the vibrant culinary landscape of Miami, a new player is making waves, blending traditional Venezuelan flavors with modern operational efficiency. La Chula Foods, co-founded by Elias Issa (Elias Alfredo Issa Marciales), is quickly gaining recognition for its delectable mini fried arepas, a cherished family recipe brought to the U.S. market. For Issa, this venture is not just about food; it’s the latest chapter in a distinguished career defined by a relentless drive to optimize, innovate, and build sustainable systems, a philosophy deeply rooted in his engineering background.
Issa launched his professional career in 2012 as an Operations Engineer at a family-owned gas station. Here, he quickly showcased his knack for hands-on management, significantly improving safety procedures and implementing highly efficient inventory systems. Later that same year, he ventured to Bogotá, taking on a challenging role as an Operations Field Engineer with Latina Energy Colombia. This position saw him deploying specialized downhole video cameras and working across various Latin American countries, from Colombia to Peru. This international exposure further broadened his understanding of the importance of meticulous quality documentation, clear client communication, and continuous innovation in complex geological operations.
His leadership capabilities truly blossomed in 2014 when he became Operations Manager at Inmobiliaria Mar C. A., overseeing a portfolio of gas stations and an automotive dealership. In this role, Issa was instrumental in transforming operations through data-driven strategies and innovative business models. His initiatives led to substantial enhancements in inventory management and a significant reduction in equipment failures. Beyond efficiency, he championed environmental responsibility, integrating infrastructure projects that implemented energy-efficient systems, showcasing his consistent commitment to sustainability.
The shift to the United States marked a new phase in his career. Here, Issa transitioned into consulting, leveraging his extensive operational expertise to help diverse companies streamline their processes. A particularly impactful project arose during the tumultuous COVID-19 pandemic, where he guided Casera Healthy Food through a critical transformation. By leading the development of new ready-to-eat meals, he enabled the company to not only survive but thrive amidst unprecedented challenging circumstances, underscoring his ability to adapt and innovate under pressure.
The Birth of La Chula Foods: A Culinary Engineering Venture
It was in 2021, building on a lifetime of operational excellence and a deep-seated love for his heritage, that Issa co-founded La Chula Foods in Miami. The inspiration was profoundly personal: a beloved family recipe for mini arepas that had been a staple at gatherings for generations. Issa took on the role of Chief Operating Officer in 2022, where he meticulously oversees manufacturing processes, supply chain management, and rigorous quality control, seamlessly applying his engineering acumen to improve product sustainability while ensuring strict compliance with food safety standards.
Miami has one of the largest Hispanic and Latin populations in all of the US. According to Wikipedia, the Latin demographic makes up roughly 69% of the total population of Miami-Dade County.
When asked about the genesis of La Chula Foods, Issa explained, “La Chula Foods began as an entrepreneurial vision—a desire to turn a family recipe into a scalable, high-quality food business. With years of experience in operations, process optimization, and product development across multiple industries, I saw an opportunity to combine my technical expertise with my passion for Venezuelan cuisine. The idea was to create mini, cheese-filled arepas that are frozen and ready to heat at home, offering convenience without compromising on authenticity.”
He emphasized, “Launching La Chula Foods in December 2021 was about more than sharing a beloved dish—it was about building a sustainable, growth-oriented business, applying engineering principles to every stage of production, and creating a brand that could stand out in a competitive market. This entrepreneurial journey has allowed me to innovate, lead a team, and turn a cultural tradition into a thriving business venture.”
The choice of Miami as La Chula Foods’ home base was no coincidence. “Miami is the perfect place for La Chula Foods because of its cultural diversity and vibrant culinary scene, which embraces a wide variety of international flavors,” Issa states. “The city has a large Hispanic community that is familiar with and appreciative of authentic Latin American cuisine, creating a strong local audience for our Venezuelan arepas. Additionally, Miami’s dynamic food culture, combined with its access to distribution channels and supportive business environment, provides an ideal platform to launch, grow, and scale a brand that celebrates heritage while appealing to a broad, multicultural customer base.”
Flavor and Foundation: The La Chula Difference
La Chula Foods’ core product, the Arepa Bites, are gaining acclaim for their distinctive flavor profile. Issa elaborates, “Our Arepa Bites stand out flavor-wise because they combine authentic Venezuelan recipes with high-quality ingredients to deliver a rich, satisfying taste in every bite. The cheeses we use—Gouda, Havarti, and Queso Blanco—melt perfectly inside the crispy, golden exterior, creating a molten, flavorful center that contrasts beautifully with the slightly crunchy cornmeal shell. Each mini arepa is carefully crafted to balance texture, seasoning, and natural flavors, ensuring that every bite is consistently delicious and reminiscent of traditional homemade arepas. This attention to flavor and quality sets our product apart from other frozen offerings on the market.”
The success of La Chula Foods is also deeply rooted in its co-founding team. La Chula Foods was co-founded by Issa and his brother, David Elias Issa Araque. “We complement each other’s expertise to build a strong and well-rounded company,” said Issa.
He highlights their division of labor: “I focus on operations, process optimization, and business management, leveraging my background in chemical engineering to ensure production efficiency, regulatory compliance, quality control, and strategic growth,” said Issa. “My brother David, as Head Chef, leads product development and innovation, crafting new flavors and formulations, improving ingredient profiles, and ensuring that every arepa meets the highest standards for taste, texture, and health.”
David also contributes to sales, distribution, and long-term strategic planning, bringing over 40 years of culinary and entrepreneurial experience across Venezuela, Spain, and the United States. “Together, our partnership balances technical operations and culinary expertise, ensuring that La Chula Foods delivers delicious, high-quality, and convenient frozen arepas while scaling the business successfully.”
The product’s origin lies in a treasured family tradition. “La Chula Foods is based on a family recipe that comes from our home, unique to our household and not something we’ve seen elsewhere,” Issa recounts. “These mini arepas were a beloved snack and canapé at family gatherings and parties, so memorable that guests often recall them years later. I don’t remember the first time I tried them—they’ve been part of my life since I was a baby—but I vividly recall the joy on the faces of friends and family when they tasted them for the first time, and the way we would always rush to cook more because they disappeared so quickly at our parties.”
The pivotal “aha” moment for the business, however, was not the first taste, but rather the discovery of scalability: “The ‘aha’ moment for the business came later, when we figured out how to produce these mini arepas with a machine rather than by hand, transforming a cherished family treat into a scalable, high-quality product that could be shared with a much wider audience.”
The Entrepreneurial Journey: Challenges and Rewards
Building a business from the ground up, even with a strong foundation, comes with its unique set of challenges. “One of the biggest challenges in building La Chula Foods has been realizing that the idea is just the beginning,” Issa admits. “Even with a winning product, there are countless aspects to consider to turn that idea into a successful business. From marketing and branding to ensure people know and love your product, to logistics and supply chain management to guarantee timely delivery and consistent quality, each element requires careful planning and execution. Scalability adds another layer of complexity—designing processes that can grow efficiently without compromising taste, quality, or safety. Balancing all these moving parts while maintaining the integrity of the product has been one of the most demanding yet rewarding parts of building the business.”
Issa also sheds light on the often-unspoken realities of entrepreneurship. “What nobody tells you about being an entrepreneur is that there are no guarantees—success is never certain, and every day brings new challenges,” he reflects.
“It requires incredible hard work, persistence, and problem-solving across areas you might never have imagined, from operations to marketing to finance. Despite the difficulties, it is also extremely rewarding. Watching a company grow from the ground up, seeing your original ideas come to life, and creating something that delights customers and creates opportunities for others is an unmatched joy. The highs and lows are intense, but the sense of accomplishment and the ability to make an impact make it all worthwhile.”
Throughout his diverse and impressive career, Elias Alfredo Issa Marciales’s core objective has remained steadfast: to design systems that are efficient, safe, and sustainable. His unwavering belief that processes can always be improved has been the guiding principle behind every endeavor, from optimizing gas station operations to empowering companies through consulting, and now, bringing authentic Venezuelan flavors to new markets through La Chula Foods. It is this philosophy that enables him to not only help businesses overcome challenges but also to consistently create tangible value for consumers and communities alike.