Quebracho Empanadas

by Quebracho

2020 – 2024 GONE FOREVER

Gone. Quebracho shut down in August 2024, a year after winning the food division of the MN Cup startup competition. Some Minnesota grocers' local-partner pages still show the brand, but the empanadas are no longer made.

Last verified Nov 9, 2026

An Argentine interpreter in Minneapolis cooked her grandmother's empanadas out of homesickness, sold them at a farmers market, then froze them for the grocery aisle. By 2024 they were in about 350 stores. Then the money ran out.

🧾 One more thingThe brand is named for the quebracho, an Argentine hardwood whose name means 'axe-breaker'. Founder Belén Rodríguez pitched nearly 200 investors in seven months and raised $15,000, because investors had moved on to AI.

Filed under: Frozen & Dairy · the ’00s & later

🎲 Remember another one 🛒 Test your memory

📅 Timeline

2018Belén Rodríguez began selling empanadas at the Linden Hills farmers market, starting with $1,000 of savings.
2020In May the business became Quebracho Empanadas, a full-time frozen wholesale brand.
2022The empanadas were in about 30 Twin Cities stores.
2023Rodríguez won the food division of the MN Cup.
2024Quebracho announced in August that it was shutting down after failing to raise funding.

❓ People also ask

Why did Quebracho Empanadas close?

It could not raise money. Founder Belén Rodríguez told Twin Cities Business she pitched nearly 200 investors over seven months and raised only $15,000.

Where were Quebracho Empanadas sold?

In frozen aisles across the Upper Midwest, about 350 grocery stores by 2024, up from about 30 Twin Cities stores in 2022.

🧾 Sources

Twin Cities Business, Quebracho Empanadas Shuts Down (2024)
American Immigration Council, Argentinian Cook Starts Food Business in Minneapolis (2022)

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