Savoring the Flavors of Puerto Rico: Bori Café Brings Authentic Cuisine and Coffee to Hampstead

In a heartwarming story of culinary homecoming, the owners of the popular WilmiRicans food truck are set to launch a new venture, Bori Café, in Hampstead, North Carolina. This grand opening marks a significant milestone for the Puerto Rican natives, who are eager to share the rich flavors and traditions of their homeland with the local community.

Bringing a Taste of the Caribbean to Southeastern North Carolina

Expanding from Food Truck to Brick-and-Mortar Café

Itzia Maldonado and her husband, Luis Vargas, first introduced their Puerto Rican cuisine to the Wilmington area in 2022 with the launch of their WilmiRican food truck. The mobile eatery quickly gained a loyal following, serving up authentic dishes and beverages at local breweries and neighborhoods. However, the couple recognized the need for a permanent home to provide their customers with consistent access to their beloved offerings.

Bori Café: A Culinary Homecoming

The new Bori Café, located at 14280 Highway 17, will serve as the permanent base for the WilmiRican food truck, allowing customers to enjoy the truck's menu items with the added convenience of a brick-and-mortar setting. The café's name, "Bori," is a nod to the affectionate nickname for Puerto Rico, reflecting the owners' deep-rooted connection to their homeland.

Bringing the Flavors of Puerto Rico to Hampstead

The café's menu will feature a range of nostalgic Puerto Rican delights, including the popular quesitos, a cream cheese-filled pastry that Maldonado and her team make from scratch. These familiar flavors are designed to evoke memories of home for Puerto Rican transplants and introduce the unique culinary traditions to the local community.

Authentic Puerto Rican Coffee: A Signature Offering

Bori Café's coffee selection is a true reflection of Puerto Rican culture, where strong, fresh-brewed coffee is a staple. The café sources its beans from Café Lareño, a family-owned coffee business in the mountains of Puerto Rico, where the beans are grown at an elevation of 3,000 feet, resulting in a more pronounced and enhanced flavor profile.

Expanding the Coffee Experience

Hector Escobales, Maldonado and Vargas' business partner, brings a wealth of coffee expertise to the team. Escobales, who previously worked in the vending machine coffee industry and is a self-taught latte artist, is excited to introduce different styles and types of coffee grains to the café, including caramelized flavored coffee that falls between medium and dark roasts.

Fostering a Sense of Community

The launch of Bori Café is not just about serving delicious food and coffee; it's about creating a welcoming space for the community to gather and connect. The café's design and layout will allow customers to relax and enjoy the authentic Puerto Rican ambiance, with plans to eventually offer beer and wine, further enhancing the social experience.

A Homecoming for the WilmiRican Food Truck

The WilmiRican food truck, which had previously served the Wilmington area, will now find its permanent home at the Bori Café location, with the exception of its monthly appearances at Waterline Brewery's Latin Nights. This move aims to provide customers with a consistent and reliable access point to the truck's beloved offerings.

A Shared Passion for Bringing Puerto Rican Cuisine to Wilmington

The journey to Bori Café began when Maldonado, Vargas, and their fellow Puerto Rican nursing program participants moved to Wilmington in 2020. Longing for the flavors of home, they started a small frappe and piña colada truck, which eventually evolved into the full-fledged WilmiRicans food truck. The success of the truck and the growing demand for authentic Puerto Rican cuisine in the area paved the way for the launch of Bori Café.

A Culinary Homecoming and a Community Celebration

The grand opening of Bori Café this Saturday marks a significant milestone for Maldonado, Vargas, and their team. It's a celebration of their culinary homecoming, a chance to share the rich traditions and flavors of Puerto Rico with the Hampstead community, and an opportunity to create a welcoming gathering place for all to enjoy.