For Rinconcito Paisa, it all started with a bus — a chiva, the heartbeat of the countryside, rumbling through the steep streets of Medellín.
But it wasn’t a dream drawn up in some business plan or mapped out on a chalkboard. It was something real, something lived — a journey built by a woman with nothing but her hands, her heart, and the memories of home riding shotgun.

She never set out to open a restaurant.
When she boarded that flight from Medellín to the States, she carried only what could fit in a suitcase — family recipes passed down by whispers, the sound of vallenato in her veins, and a fierce determination to make a new life. Staten Island wasn’t the goal. It was simply the next stop on a journey that life itself was navigating.

At first, it was the grind.
Early mornings cleaning buildings, late nights taking shifts others didn’t want.
She moved quiet, head down — but the flavors of home kept chasing her: the crackle of chicharrón, the sweet smell of fresh arepas, the slow bubbling of frijoles that could make you feel hugged from the inside out.
Friends, neighbors, even strangers started asking:
"¿Dónde encuentro un pedacito de Colombia?"
"Where can I find a little piece of Colombia?"
It started small. Backyard gatherings.

Sundays where the smell of home cooked food drifted through the block like an invitation. Tables pulled together. Kids playing soccer with soda bottles.
And every bite she served felt like planting a flag — We are here. We are proud. We are sabor.
It wasn’t long before someone said, "You could open a spot. You could feed a whole neighborhood."
It sounded crazy. She hadn’t come here to be a businesswoman. But sometimes the dream doesn’t ask permission — it demands to be lived.
And so Rinconcito Paisa was born.
A small place. A powerful spirit.
The logo? That chiva bus isn’t just decoration.
It’s her journey.

It’s the long road from the mountains of Medellín to the streets of Staten Island.
It’s all the colors, the music, the family recipes she refused to leave behind.
It’s every mile traveled, every risk taken, every flavor-packed plate that says, “Bienvenido a casa.”

Today, Rinconcito Paisa isn’t just a restaurant — it’s a living, breathing piece of Colombia, parked right here in New York.

A place where strangers turn into familia, where every meal carries the spirit of resilience, flavor, and a woman's unbreakable dream.
Because sometimes, you don’t chase the dream.
The dream drives a chiva bus straight into your life — and you better be ready to cook.