El Manjar LLC

My name is Ely Marbella Arriechi. I am originally from Caracas, Venezuela, and 11 years ago I arrived in the United States with my husband and our two sons, who were only 4 and 9 years old at the time. We left behind the life we knew and arrived carrying something very special with us: a suitcase full of dreams and the hope of building a new life together.

I am an Occupational Therapist by profession, and my career had always given me the opportunity to do something I truly love: connect with people. When I came to this country and was unable to continue practicing my profession, I knew I wanted to find another way to keep doing what had always been so meaningful to me — connecting with others.

And I found that connection through another one of my greatest passions: cooking.

One day, I found my way to the Asociación Latinoamericana de Mujeres Emprendedoras, where I had the opportunity to take the first steps toward turning that passion into something more. And that is how El Manjar was born — from my love for Venezuelan food, my memories of home, and my desire to share the flavors I grew up with here in Georgia.

Today, El Manjar is especially known for our fresh corn cachapas, Tres Leches cake, and Venezuelan pineapple cake. We also prepare other favorites such as tequeños, empanadas, pastelitos, and traditional Venezuelan sweets.

One of the things that makes me happiest about El Manjar is seeing how food can bring people together. When I started, I thought Venezuelans and other Latinos would be the ones who connected most with what I was making because those familiar flavors could remind them of home. And they did. But then something wonderful happened: American customers and people from many different cultures began trying our food too. Many had never even heard of a cachapa before, and today they come back because they love them.

El Manjar is based in Hoschton, Georgia, and you can find us at local markets, festivals, community events, as well as through private orders and catering.

For me, El Manjar is about much more than selling food. It has given me another way to do what I have always loved: connect with people. It allows me to share a little piece of Venezuela, preserve the flavors and traditions I grew up with, introduce our culture to people who may be experiencing it for the first time, and create new memories with the community that has welcomed my family and me.

Perhaps that is why our motto means so much to me:

El Manjar — A memory in every bite.