Business & Tech

Island Empanada Adds New Choices, Answers Customer Desires

Owner Roy Pelaez answers suggestion box requests, has progressive attitude with new business.

Island Empanada has only been open four months and word has spread like wild fire about the delicious specialty shop.

Located in the same shopping center as Waldbaum’s and Strathmore Bagels in Ronkonkoma on Portion Road, store traffic has increased and so has the desire for customers to voice their every food wish in the suggestion box at the store.

“It’s a huge hit,” said owner Roy Pelaez, a Sachem alum. “We’re trying to listen to the customers. I don’t have all the answers, so I ask them.”

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

The latest addition to their collection of already unique and tasty empanadas is a pulled pork empanada, with meat that has marinated in special sauces for 24 hours and cooked for another six.

When you’re done savoring the main meal, cool down with an Oreo empanada, stuffed with Oreos, fluff and chocolate syrup, and then draped with ice cream and more chocolate syrup. Simply put, it’s out of this world.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

If you’re not a chocolate fan, try the apple pie empanada, a la mode. It’s equally as fascinating.

Pelaez said they’ve recently launched a customer appreciation card, so that after nine visits you get a free lunch of two empanadas, rice and beans and a drink. That was also an idea from the suggestion box.

Within two weeks they’ll start serving mini and baked empanadas. Thanks to multiple suggestions, they will soon be selling breakfast empanadas and Pelaez said his staff went wild when they taste tested the chorizo and egg combination.

“We have a lot of things going on,” Pelaez said. “We’re trying to keep it moving, keep it changing and interesting.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here