Plaza Latina takes your taste bud on a trip through Latin America

A plaza near Finch Avenue and Weston Road will take you on a road trip through Latin America.

Plaza Latina, tucked away on Milvan Drive, features more than 35 shops and restaurants that represents 12 countries throughout the region.

Martha Quintero and Tito Gallardo own two of the booths in the food court, but they have very different stories of how they got there.

“I came here just to visit my son’s godparents, and they mentioned there was an empty spot, and my husband said, ‘Let’s try it, let’s do natural fruit juices.’ So since then we’ve been here,” explained Quintero.

“I took over [for] my uncle, he retired in 2010 so I’ve been here since then,” said Gallardo. “I didn’t know anything about Ecuadorian cuisine, but I have some staff and I learn from them.”

Their businesses are a family affair for both of them. “My aunt is there, and then my wife comes in the afternoon … everyone that works here is just family members,” shared Gallardo.

“This has brought the family closer together … it has brought my kids a roof, food on the table. They got their education and two of them are now parents. So that makes me feel like I did something good. My husband and I, we did something good with family,” added Quintero.

But it’s also about the family both Quintero and Gallardo have made at Plaza Latina. “Plaza Latina, it’s a little hometown … this is a family atmosphere. Ninety per cent of the families here own it. Most of them are families, and have their kids grow up here,” shared Quintero.

“It’s like a whole community where everyone comes together,” said Gallardo. “We get along with everyone and we try to help each other, and we’re in the same boat, all of us.”

While the COVID-19 pendemic slowed them down, the community they built helped them get through the tough times and continues to thrive.

“I see the community comes all together on the weekend when its busy, big families come in. It really makes me happy,” said Gallardo.

“Every weekend, we have new faces coming in … people that live in Oshawa, we have customers from Barrie, Innisfil, Brampton, Brantford, Scarborough, Markham. This has really brought the community together,” added Quintero.

Plaza Latina not only attracts people who are looking for a familiar taste of home, but also those hoping to try something new.

Watch the original documentary, Veracity: The Melting Pot, Sunday June 16 at 10 p.m. ET for more on the restaurants that shape Toronto.