Popular empanada and pastry shop Belén de la Cruz will open its fifth location inside the Beltline Kroger on Feb. 14.
The dedicated counter inside the store at 725 Ponce De Leon Ave. will offer nine Argentinian-style empanadas including beef, cheesy beef, chicken, chicken cheese, spinach, Caprese, mushroom and ham and cheese. There will also be a rotation of pastries with offerings like flan, tres leches square and dulce de leche cookies.
Belén de la Cruz, a Buenos Aires native, started building her eponymous empanada empire after relocating to Atlanta in 2015. The former marketing professional began hosting cooking classes in her kitchen complete with “naughty aprons” and wine, and soon attendees were asking how to purchase her empanadas, which were inspired by her mother and grandmother’s cooking.
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
In 2020, she transitioned from a cottage bakery to her first brick-and-mortar in Johns Creek. She has since expanded with three more locations in Marietta, Senoia and in multi-use development the Works in Atlanta’s Upper Westside area. The Beltline Kroger location is one of two planned openings in 2024, with a second set to open later this year in Savannah.
“Kroger is huge for us,” De la Cruz said. “But that doesn’t change anything in our operation or the way we do things.”
Belén de la Cruz Empanadas & Pastries will be open from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily inside Kroger.
725 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta. belendelacruz.com.
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