When Jorge Crespo arrived in Trinidad to study English in 2012, he never expected that one day he would be the owner of a restaurant on the island.
Crespo, a 26 years old from a family of business owners in the Venezuela City of Guarenas, came to T&T in 2012 to improve his English and then return home. Unfortunately, the situation in Venezuela deteriorated and he decided that he would make T&T his home.
He started off doing different courses as a graphic design artist and was able to get jobs in this area in T&T.
His first stint selling food was last year when the Venezuelans were registering to work in T&T. Crespo would go to the registration points every day and sell Venezuelan homemade snacks like empanadas and pastelitos and drinks to his compatriots.
The reaction he got was so overwhelming that he decided to open a restaurant full time on Ariapta Avenue next to one of T&T’s most famous watering holes, Smokey and Bunty Bar.
With savings from past jobs, he invested in the new food business.
His restaurant, Las 3 Papas Best Food was opened on October 12, 2019 and he quickly grew a clientèle.
"In 2019, I brought my mother and sister here and we decided to start a family business. In Venezuela, my mom was in charge of my uncle’s business which is a photography studio and graphic designs. After selling food at the Venezuelan registration site, we did catering from home. We then decided to rent this place where we are now," he told the Sunday Guardian at the restaurant on Ariapita Avenue.
Apart from opening a restaurant to sell Venezuelan food, he also hopes to promote Venezuelan culture as he will be playing Venezuelan music and starting other initiatives to teach Trinbagonians about Latin American culture.
He said business has been good but the COVID-19 pandemic hurt his business like many others that were temporarily closed.
However, the business has begun to improve since they were allowed to reopen the last few weeks and he has the help of his mother and his brother at the restaurant.
He wants to make Las 3 Papas Best Food the best Venezuelan restaurant in T&T.
The menu includes, arepas, empanadas, pastelitos, cachapas and patacón which reflect foods from Venezuela’s diverse regions.
"Our goal is to continue to offer people a taste of Venezuela and make them happy."
Crespo said that having a Venezuelan community here has contributed to the society as Venezuelans are hard-working people who have helped raise productivity.
"Venezuelans work from morning to night to earn money to send back to Venezuela. The Trinidadians know they must also work hard or else hard-working Venezuelans will take those jobs. There are lazy people in all countries. Even in Venezuela some people just rely on the Government for everything instead of working."
He advised other Venezuelans in T&T not to waste their time but to work hard and invest their money.
Like many other Venezuelans, he said if the problems in Venezuela are solved, he would return home.
"Of course, it is my dream to return. My dad is there. I have a very big family there. If things change and there are opportunities, I will take the chance to return."
He also said Venezuela was a diverse country–on his father’s side he has bloodline from Germany and Spain, while on his mother’s side, they have Colombian heritage.
It is from this position he is able to understand the world and appreciate different cultures like that of T&T.
"I grew up seeing people everywhere. I have friends with grandparents Portugal, Argentina, Colombia, so we never grew up with racist or xenophobic views. We Venezuelans always embrace everyone," he said.