The Arepa Place, a familiar name to the local food scene, is moving into the former CWC space in Wyoming.
Chris and Isis Arrieta-Dennis, owners of The Arepa Place, a restaurant that specializes in Colombian and Venezuelan fare, recently purchased the building at 1517 Springfield Pike, CWC owners Kelly Trush and Karen Klaus said Tuesday.
It’s a full circle moment for all involved. CWC, back in 2018, hosted The Arepa Place as an occasional popup guest, prior to the restaurant debuting its first brick-and-mortar location at Findlay Market that same year.
CWC closed in October following a three-year run. Trush and Klaus continue to own and operate Station Family + BBQ on Wyoming Avenue.
“I am so proud of what we built at CWC. And we are so, so grateful for the community that sprang from it,” Trush said. “We know for sure that Chris and Isis will thrive in this community.”
The Arepa Place got its start in 2016 in the Findlay Kitchen, a restaurant incubator. Isis Arrieta-Dennis, who is originally from Colombia, and her mother, are responsible for all the restaurant’s recipes. Chris Arrieta-Dennis is also a Spanish teacher at Wyoming High School.
The menu in Wyoming will mirror the Findlay Market location. Dishes include the Great Arepa, with beef, chicken, chorizo, black beans, cheese and fried plantains; Vegetarian Arepa, with black beans, cheese and fried plantains; Arepa De Huevo, a deep fried arepa with egg and ground beef; and empanadas, filled with ground beef, cheese, chicken, or potato and eggplant.
From the bar, the restaurant will serve various Latin-inspired drinks and cocktails.
The Arepa Place is planning to open the first week of November.
