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After several months of searching for a location, Arepa Lady reopened on October 6 on 37th Avenue near 78th Street in Jackson Heights, reports The Jackson Heights Post. Queens residents have been anticipating the street food classic’s return since the developer behind a seven-story mixed-use apartment complex received the necessary permits to raze the old location on 77-02A Roosevelt Avenue last summer.
Maria Cano, a former judge and the restaurant’s founder, has been making arepas in Queens since she fled violence in Colombia roughly three decades ago. She started Arepa Lady as a modest food cart before upgrading to a brick-and-mortar shop in 2014 due to popular demand.
The menu at the new shop features the same hearty arepas bursting with fillings like cheese, chorizo, chicharron, and carne asada that made the original location so popular. Cano’s son and current restaurant owner, Alejandro Osorio, reportedly has plans to expand the menu to include additional vegetarian and seafood options.
