A freshly made chicken salad arepa with beef empanadas and cheese tequeños sits next to a hot cup of coffee on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 at Como Arepas in Columbia, Mo. Entrees like these were introduced to the menu after founder José Rojas missed the traditional tastes of Venezuelan cuisine.
Como Arepas began operating inside Aroma Coffee House in October of 2022. The owners, Jose and Yumivia Rojas, wanted to create a welcoming atmosphere and give CoMo a taste of their Venezuelan cuisine.
A sign waves in the wind on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 at Como Arepas in Columbia, Mo.
lee en Español: themaneater.com/move
Across the street from Hickman High School on N. Providence Road, Como Arepas has been housed in Aroma Coffee House since it started in October 2022. In April 2023, the owners of Como Arepas, Jose and Yumivia Rojas, began renting the facility to celebrate their Venezuelan culture through food with cachapas, arepas, empanadas and much more.
A sign reflects off the front windows on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 at Como Arepas in Columbia, Mo.
Jose moved to the United States from Venezuela in 2019, joining his cousin to work at an engineering firm. He got his degree from Universidad La Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho, where he met his wife, Yumivia, before he began working for Venezuela’s largest steel corporation, SIDOR and she began working at Edelca-Corpoelec, an electric energy company.
After about 12 years of working at SIDOR, Jose realized he wanted to move to the U.S. as soon as he got the opportunity. Jose also had a reason to leave, as an imbalance of political powers has led to a decline in oil production and hyperinflation has caused the living conditions to worsen in Venezuela. Since 2014, over 7 million Venezualans have fled the country as it faces its worst economic crisis in history. While a large portion of these migrants relocate to nearby countries like Colombia or Peru, thousands have also resettled to farther nations like Argentina, Spain and the U.S.
The Rojas were able to come to the U.S. through Temporary Protected Status, a program that allows migrants who come from unsafe conditions in certain countries to live and work in the U.S..Because of the poor social and economic conditions in Venezuela, the Department of Homeland Security has led the program that has removed or returned over 253,000 individuals to 152 countries since May 12.
The transition wasn’t easy for the Rojas. Getting used to the new language and different cultural attitudes, Jose had to learn to adapt to Columbia and American culture. But that didn’t mean he was going to forget his Venezuelan roots.
José and Yumivia Rojas pose for a portrait on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 at Como Arepas in Columbia.
“I have always said that one does not have to stop being what they are, but adapting to the place where they are,” Jose said.
When Yumivia Rojas came to the U.S. in 2021, they both continued to feel like there wasn’t enough Venezuelan culture represented in Columbia. The only Latino restaurants were Mexican, and they observed a stereotype that Latino culture was just grouped with Mexican culture.
“For us it was very important to make our culture known, because it seemed like everything to the south, many people see it as everything being tacos,” Jose Rojas said. “Honestly, we wanted to show more about the culture and to show that in each region, even within Venezuela, there are differences.
With Como Arepas, they could showcase the taste of Venezuela along with its own unique culture while fostering a community for Latin American students in Columbia.
“There are students that are coming from Latin America that want to be reminded of that food from their mom or grandma,” Jose said. “So for us one of the goals is that people can come to a place where they can eat food that reminds them of their country.”
Hickman senior Jenna Ruleman plans her next move during a game of Uno on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 at Como Arepas in Columbia, Mo. Materials for various board games and card games are all available for guests to use at the restaurant.
Still, there have been obstacles since they took on the location in April, as business has been especially slow during winter break. They’ve taken the time to try and address new ideas and plan on having some kind of promotion soon to encourage customers.
Jose and Yumivia believe it’s important to celebrate and acknowledge Latin culture, especially through events like Hispanic Heritage Month. MU’s Association of Latin American Students honored Hispanic Heritage Month on September 29 with the Hispanic Heritage Festival in Memorial Union, catered by Como Arepas and other local restaurants.
In addition to supporting local events, Jose and Yumivia also have paintings by local artists up for display on the walls with contact information and price tags in case a Como Arepas customer is interested in purchasing these art pieces.
A couch and stools eagerly await customers on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 at Como Arepas in Columbia, Mo.
“It’s important that people support all of the [activities] that have to do with other cultures, absolutely everything, because there is always someone that needs something from their culture,” Jose said. “So if you don’t give entry to certain cultures, then you don’t give people the opportunity to go there and feel included.”
Edited by Alex Goldstein | agoldstein@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Jackson Cooper and Grace Knight | gknight@themaneater.com