A Colombian food business that started after its co-owner lost her job during the pandemic has opened its first sit-down restaurant on Broadway in Malden. Antojitos Gourmet now occupies a storefront at 251 Broadway near the intersection of Eastern Avenue, serving dishes like empanadas, tamales, bandeja paisa, lechona, and buñuelos alongside dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering options.
According to Patch, the business traces back to 2020, when co-owner Yenny Alvarez lost her job during the pandemic and began building what would eventually become Antojitos Gourmet. The Malden location is owned by Alvarez and Jose Portillo, the outlet reports. Before settling into a permanent address, the pair grew the operation through catering gigs, food fairs, sales to other businesses, and frozen products sold directly to customers, a trajectory Boston Restaurant Talk also notes, adding that those behind the business started out as caterers for several years before opening the restaurant.
From Pop-Ups to a Permanent Broadway Address
The new restaurant sits a few miles north of Boston, on Route 99 just north of its intersection with Route 60, per Boston Restaurant Talk's report. That report, which cited a post in the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group, said the Latin American eatery was open in Malden as of this week. The menu leans into Colombian staples, with the same report noting dishes like ceviche and arepas alongside the empanadas and tamales already confirmed by Patch.
The move from pop-up and catering outfit to full storefront mirrors how Antojitos Gourmet still presents itself online. The company's own site describes itself as offering products with authentic Latin flavors, more than snacks and catering, and highlights trays and boxes full of flavor meant for celebrations and gatherings, according to Antojitos Gourmet's website.
Frozen Snacks, Gift Cards, and Delivery Beyond Malden
Beyond the new dining room, the business has built out a broader product line. Its website promotes a line of frozen snacks that customers can prepare at home, alongside tamales, fiambres, lechona, and other traditional preparations, the company notes on its site. Antojitos Gourmet also says it delivers to East Boston, Lynn, Chelsea, and Revere, extending its reach well past Malden's borders.
The company has also leaned into gifting, offering gift cards that let recipients choose their own favorite products or flavors, per the same site. Combined with catering and frozen offerings, the storefront appears to be the latest chapter for a business that spent several years building its customer base before putting down roots at a fixed address.
