Get to know Anita Lopez!

 

Anita runs an amazing Portuguese catering company called Cinco Estrelas. She is passionate about good food, family and her community. This week she has been working hard on a generous donation of lasagna, shrimp turnovers, codfish cakes and delicious corn bread for Burnaby Hospital front line staff to enjoy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

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How was the idea for your business was born? 

• I was a stay at home mother, and I loved spending time with my son. The idea to start my own catering company came from wanting to spend as much time with my son as possible, while still generating some kind of income. Having said that, my family use to own a restaurant called Cinco Estrelas Restaurant many years ago, and it was a big part of my childhood. I thought it would be a great idea to introduce the same experience to my son. 

 

What’s the best thing for you about being an entrepreneur? 

• With being a self-employed caterer, I am able to spend most of the week with my son, who comes with me to do my grocery shopping for my events, I mostly work on the weekends which is a great work-life balance for me. 

 

Favorite cafe in Vancouver? 

• A Portuguese Cafe on Kingsway and Victoria called Serra Bar Cafe. They serve the best European coffee and the owner is very nice. I like to support my Portuguese community. 

 

Which food would you want to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island? 

• I think I could survive off of Portuguese Buns and Butter until someone came to save me! 

 

What was the first dish you learned to cook? 

• I learned to cook omelettes and other typical breakfast dishes at our family-run restaurant back in the day. I think I was 12 years old at the time.

 

Who inspires you the most? 

• There are too many people who inspire me to just name one. It took many people to get me to where I am today. My parents, my husband and my son are some of the biggest inspirations. 

 

What are your goals for 2020? 

• To be the best Portuguese Caterer in the Vancouver Area!
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• Career highlight so far? 

• The amount of support I’ve received from my community has been outstanding. The positive feedback I get only fuels my passion even more.