Empanadas United
Empanadas United is a delivery-only virtual restaurant brand founded in Philadelphia in 2023, selling hand-crafted empanadas via Grubhub, UberEats, DoorDash, direct website ordering, corporate catering, a nonprofit fundraising program, and transit-hub vending machines, now owned by Virtual Dining Concepts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Empanadas United does
Empanadas United is a delivery-only virtual restaurant brand founded in Philadelphia in 2023, specializing in hand-held empanadas. The company sells five core flavors (Chicken & Cheese, Beef & Cheese, Apple Pie, Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza, and Breakfast) in single 2-packs, 6-packs, 12-packs, and 20-packs, accompanied by ten dipping sauces. Orders are prepared in shared commercial kitchens and fulfilled exclusively through third-party delivery platforms (Grubhub, UberEats, DoorDash) and a direct website storefront built on the order.online widget. The company holds a registered trademark for the Empanadas United brand and has no mobile app, public APIs, or disclosed proprietary technology beyond its virtual operating model.
The business generates revenue from four streams: direct-to-consumer food sales (one-time individual and bulk orders), corporate and event catering (custom-quoted, 24-hour lead time), a fundraising program for schools and nonprofits (organizations retain 40% of sales, 72-hour lead time), and automated vending machine sales piloted at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia beginning in fall 2025. Specific menu pricing is not publicly disclosed; catering and fundraising are quoted on a custom basis. The company was acquired by Virtual Dining Concepts (VDC), a restaurant operator with 30+ years of experience, in April 2025, and is now operated as part of VDC's virtual restaurant portfolio with a stated 2025 sales projection exceeding $24 million.
Empanadas United's customer base is primarily long-tail individual consumers ordering for home delivery, supplemented by enterprise catering (Amazon Philadelphia is a named testimonial customer), institutional fundraising buyers, and transit-hub travelers using vending machines. The company operates in the Northeastern United States with stated plans to reproduce empanadas nationally through local bakery partnerships and to expand vending machine presence in additional transit hubs.
Empanadas United firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Empanadas United
- Legal name
- Empanadas United, Inc.
- Website
- https://empanadasunited.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Empanadas United is a delivery-only virtual restaurant brand founded in Philadelphia in 2023, selling hand-crafted empanadas via Grubhub, UberEats, DoorDash, direct website ordering, corporate catering, a nonprofit fundraising program, and transit-hub vending machines, now owned by Virtual Dining Concepts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Empanadas United industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Virtual Restaurant / Food Delivery
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Meal Prep & Subscription Virtual Kitchens (THAFAJAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Restaurant Meal & Prepared Food Delivery (CRAFAFAB)
Keywords
Where Empanadas United is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Empanadas United business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct Food Sales: Sale of empanadas directly to consumers through delivery orders. Standard orders include 2-pack empanadas with sauce, plus larger bundle options (6-pack, 12-pack, 20-pack). Each order includes choice of sauce.
- Catering Services: Corporate event catering with empanada party trays and individually packaged options. Requires 24 hours advance notice. Custom quotes provided based on event size and requirements.
- Fundraising Program: One-day fundraising sales events where organizations sell empanadas and receive 40% of sales. Requires minimum 72 hours lead time. Partners with schools and nonprofits.
- Vending Machine Sales: Automated vending machine sales at transit hubs. Machine located at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia operational since fall 2025. Profitable unit driving broader expansion plans.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual empanada orders (2-pack) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bulk pack options (6, 12, or 20 empanadas) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Catering custom quotes |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Empanadas United product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Empanadas United is a delivery-only virtual restaurant brand that prepares and sells hand-crafted gourmet empanadas in five flavors (Chicken & Cheese, Beef & Cheese, Apple Pie, Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza, and Breakfast) through shared commercial kitchens, fulfilling orders via third-party delivery platforms (Grubhub, UberEats, DoorDash) and direct website ordering. The brand also offers corporate catering services, a fundraising program for schools and nonprofits, and automated vending machines at transit hubs.
Product overview
Empanadas United is a delivery-only virtual restaurant brand founded in Philadelphia in 2023, specializing in hand-held empanadas with creative flavor twists. The core product lineup includes five distinct empanada flavors: Chicken & Cheese, Beef & Cheese, Apple Pie, Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza, and Breakfast. These are sold as individual 2-packs with sauce choices, or in bulk packaging options of 6, 12, or 20 empanadas. The company operates as a virtual restaurant, preparing meals in shared commercial kitchens and partnering with third-party delivery platforms (Grubhub, UberEats, DoorDash) to fulfill orders. Beyond delivery, the brand offers catering services with party trays for events and a fundraising program for schools and nonprofits. The company was acquired by Virtual Dining Concepts in April 2025 and has recently expanded into empanada vending machines at transit hubs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Gourmet Empanadas
- Catering Service
- Fundraising Program
- Empanada Vending Machine
Quantifiable outcome
- Profitable vending machine unit at 30th Street Station
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Empanadas United
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles8 records
Empanadas United technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Empanadas United partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Virtual Dining Concepts (VDC)coreVirtual Dining Concepts acquired Empanadas United in April 2025. VDC is a restaurant industry leader with over 30 years of experience feeding diners worldwide. The acquisition aligns with VDC's strategy to expand its virtual restaurant portfolio, with Empanadas United projected to exceed $24 million in sales in 2025.
- GrubhubcoreThird-party food delivery platform partner enabling order fulfillment and delivery to customers. Empanadas United operates as a delivery-only restaurant utilizing popular delivery services.
- UberEatscoreThird-party food delivery platform partner enabling order fulfillment and delivery to customers.
- DoorDashcoreThird-party food delivery platform partner enabling order fulfillment and delivery to customers.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Empanadas United competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Brinker International: Brinker International (Chili's, Maggiano's) launched ItsJust Wings as a virtual brand. As a parent operator of comparable virtual concepts and a broad casual-dining incumbent, Brinker is relevant for understanding how scaled incumbents approach the virtual restaurant space Empanadas United competes in.
Direct peers
- Wow Bao: Wow Bao is a virtual/ghost-kitchen brand of Asian steamed buns operated by VDC, with multi-channel distribution through third-party delivery and ghost kitchens. It shares Empanadas United's exact operating model (delivery-only, VDC parent, multi-SKU bundles) and competes within the same VDC portfolio for the same on-demand customer.
- Wing Zone: Wing Zone is a virtual restaurant brand focused on flavored wings, also operated under the Virtual Dining Concepts umbrella. It shares Empanadas United's delivery-only architecture, third-party platform distribution, and bundled pack SKUs, making it the closest sibling peer within the parent company's portfolio.
- MrBeast Burger: MrBeast Burger pioneered the delivery-only virtual restaurant model with a single anchor personality brand. It is directly comparable to Empanadas United on product-led ghost-kitchen model, third-party delivery partnership, and menu-bundle structure (2, 6, 10+ packs).
- BurgerIM: BurgerIM is a fast-casual and ghost-kitchen franchise model distributing through delivery platforms with bundled offerings. Comparable to Empanadas United on virtual-kitchen/ghost-kitchen footprint, third-party delivery channel reliance, and bundled pack SKUs.
- Ghost Kitchen Brands: Ghost Kitchen Brands operates a multi-brand ghost-kitchen platform running several delivery-only virtual restaurants from shared kitchens. Directly comparable to Empanadas United as a virtual brand portfolio player using shared kitchens and third-party delivery for fulfillment.
- Rotisserie Italia: Rotisserie Italia is a Virtual Dining Concepts delivery-only brand serving Italian rotisserie meals. Shares Empanadas United's operating parent, delivery-only channel mix, and bundling approach, making it a direct portfolio peer in the VDC stable.
- Its Just Wings: ItsJust Wings is a virtual brand launched by Brinker International (Chili's parent) operating delivery-only through DoorDash. Comparable to Empanadas United as a delivery-only virtual concept with a single category focus, leveraging parent infrastructure for scaling.
Others
- Kitchen United: Kitchen United operates shared commercial ghost-kitchen facilities where multiple virtual restaurant brands prepare delivery-only meals. As the infrastructure layer powering Empanadas United's virtual restaurant operations, Kitchen United is an enabling peer shaping the brand's delivery economics and kitchen footprint.
- CloudKitchens: CloudKitchens (Travis Kalanick's venture) operates shared commercial kitchen infrastructure that virtual brands license for food preparation. It is enabling infrastructure for Empanadas United's delivery-only model rather than a direct competitor, but materially relevant because its economics shape the brand's cost base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Empanadas United social profiles
Digital presenceEmpanadas United financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Empanadas United leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Empanadas United funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Empanadas United M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Empanadas United
What does Empanadas United do?
Empanadas United is a delivery-only virtual restaurant brand that prepares and sells hand-crafted gourmet empanadas in five flavors (Chicken & Cheese, Beef & Cheese, Apple Pie, Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza, and Breakfast) through shared commercial kitchens, fulfilling orders via third-party delivery platforms (Grubhub, UberEats, DoorDash) and direct website ordering. The brand also offers corporate catering services, a fundraising program for schools and nonprofits, and automated vending machines at transit hubs.
Is Empanadas United a public or private company?
Empanadas United is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Empanadas United founded?
Empanadas United was founded in 2023.
Where is Empanadas United based?
Empanadas United is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Empanadas United make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Direct Food Sales are the primary driver. The others are catering Services, fundraising Program and vending Machine Sales.
Who are Empanadas United's main competitors?
Brinker International is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Wow Bao, Wing Zone, MrBeast Burger, BurgerIM, Ghost Kitchen Brands, Rotisserie Italia and Its Just Wings. Others are Kitchen United and CloudKitchens.
Does Empanadas United have an API?
No public API is recorded for Empanadas United.
What industry is Empanadas United in?
Empanadas United's product category is Virtual Restaurant / Food Delivery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAJAI, Meal Prep & Subscription Virtual Kitchens, with a secondary code of CRAFAFAB, Restaurant Meal & Prepared Food Delivery. Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5812.