Lake Street Rotary partner Los Andes Bistro on Lake Street donates 100 Thanksgiving Meals 
 

By Katy Campbell

 

Giving back to community has become a Thanksgiving Day tradition for the year-old Los Andes Latin American Restaurante on Minneapolis’ West Lake Street. Owners and a staff of six showed up at 6 a.m. on the holiday, volunteering to prepare and pack warm, delicious South American buffet donated to feed 100 people. Rotary helped connect the bistro to the non-profit Avivo to share food with its clients in transition with housing, jobs and mental health recovery. South American chicken spice stew, homemade beans and a cold pasta vegetable salad comprised the meals enjoyed at Avivo on Thanksgiving Day.

 

“They do understand struggle,” Guillermo Quito said of his employees who have immigrated and together have worked to recover the business from several setbacks. First the pandemic struck and severely delayed building construction, postponing for months a scheduled February 2020 opening of the bistro. Then the building was damaged during civil unrest following the death of George Floyd. An artist’s colorful spray-painted rendering of mountain landscape and animals of South America has since transformed what was spray-painted graffiti. All of that occurred during the bistro’s first operating year.

 

Quito, who owns the business with his brother Christian and brother-in-law Victor Pacheco, has emerged successfully in business by offering customers a go-to place to enjoy food of Ecuador, Peru and Columbia, watch international soccer games, enjoy live dance music like the Kings of Cumbia, and more. Behind it is a palpable spirit of good will and generosity by the family of owners.

 

“The more we give, the more we can be a blessing to those outside,” said the humble Quito. Though Thanksgiving was not part of his youth in Ecuador, he embraces a tradition of family. While cooking for Avivo, the restaurant was open for business, but had a shorter work day. Later that evening was Los Andes’ own celebration. Quito and partners treated all staff and their families to dinner and bowling and arcade games at Bryant Lake Bowl to celebrate Thanksgiving. Uber gift cards were even part of the offering. No one had to cook for the extended family to celebrate the holiday. “This is a day you spend with your family,” Quito said.

 

Rotarian Seth Tenpenny of Uptown Minneapolis Rotary Club, a partner in the Lake Street Council Rotary Partnership project, helped identify Avivo as the designated charity. “Guillermo wanted to serve south Minneapolis and we had some connections to Avivo, so we reached out and connected the dots,” Tenpenny explained.

 

Los Andes hopes to reach out and give again for the Christmas holiday season. In 2020, a Facebook post offering free meals by the bistro led Quito’s crew to areas of Lynhurst and an association serving the Latin community.

 

“This year, we want to focus. To give people a chance to sit down, be warm and eat,” Quito said.

 

Los Andes is located at 607 W. Lake Street. Www.losandeslatinbistro.com. Follow them on social media. #losandesmn.