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Two Micro Businesses Band Together to Deliver Empanadas and Pie During the Pandemic

Quebracho and Vikings & Goddesses Pie are sweet, savory, and stronger together

A hand holds three empanadas, cut open, including spinach, beef and potato, and chicken
Quebracho empanadas are available for order and delivery to bake at home
Quebracho [Official]

Within the collapse of the hospitality industry in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, small food businesses have had to get creative with business models in order to keep functioning. Smaller, start-ups in particular are forced to find new ways to reach customers, without the benefit of farmers markets or pop-ups. Quebracho and Vikings & Goddesses Pie are supporting each other by teaming up with online delivery for both empanadas and fresh-baked pie.

Belen Rodriguez and Rachel Anderson first met when they were both operating stands at the Linden Hills Farmers Market. Rodriguez sells savory empanadas, charcuterie boards, pate en crote, and more savory items. She combines her Argentina roots, with techniques learned cooking at Francis Mallmann’s 1884 Restaurante and on the line at The Bachelor Farmer back when Paul Berglund led the kitchen.

Belen is smiling, standing on green grass, wearing a red plaid shirt with a white undershirt
Belen Rodriguez knew that when COVID-19 hit the Twin Cities, her business would need to get creative to survive
Quebracho [Official]

Her empanadas were part of the wave of those savory little pies that seemed to flood the Twin Cities market last year. Quebracho’s popular pop-ups were known for selling out quickly. “When when COVID-19 hit and we knew our businesses were going to take a hit we started exploring ideas about how we could bring our food to people,” said Rodriguez. “[Rachel] offered to sell my parbaked empanadas on her website, and I started selling her decadent pies in mine.”

Three pies with chocolate hearts between them
Order pecan pie, honey chess, and more for delivery around the metro area
Vikings & Goddesses Pie [Official]

Rachel Anderson is a pastry chef who has worked in several prestigious kitchens, including Bellecour, before landing inside the former Salty Tart cafe in St. Paul’s Lowertown. Her Vikings & Goddesses pies were garnering attention as her own business, while she worked for the True Stone Coffee Cafe that had recently opened, before the pandemic hit. “I was honestly a bit cocky going into this pandemic. I was a pastry chef for Octo Fishbar and True Stone, had built up our wholesale accounts, and was just doing Vikings & Goddesses business on the side since it wasn’t market season or the holidays.” The statewide shutdown was a shock at first.

“I curled up and stared at the TV for a while, but knew I had to get up and think about those that I worked with and how I could use my business to get them some money and something to do,” said Anderson. Her work includes a whole array of pies like pecan, key lime, honey chess, and more.

Rachel is smiling at the camera, wearing a pink sweater
Rachel Anderson of Vikings & Goddesses Pie went from incredibly busy to wondering what her next move would be when the pandemic hit
Vikings & Goddesses [Official]

The two are both available for a sweet and savory crust-wrapped meal, plus Quebracho is currently donating 15% of its proceeds to Second Harvest Heartland.

Quebracho delivers on Sundays, with orders needing to be placed by Friday by 5 p.m. Vikings & Goddesses deliver Tuesdays with orders needing to be placed by Sunday at 10 p.m.