Small Business Recognition – THE TORTA HUT

Elizabeth Pridgeon

After weeks of preparations, last month a new culinary facility opened in Orange Walk: The Torta Hut, located just off Queen Victoria Avenue alongside the Youth for the Future building.

Joint partners, Ian Carillo and Luis Urbina, decided that the Mexican speciality of ‘tortas’ are well liked by hundreds of Belizeans travelling to the Mexican side every week.  And while traditional Mexican tacos have for decades been widely available to Orangewalkeños, there are few establishments serving tortas as a tasty alternative.  And so business partners Ian and Luis decided to open up a food outlet specialising in tortas, to cater for the increasingly international taste-buds of local clientele.

And the response to their initiative has been encouraging: while they began with just chicken and beef tortas, they were quickly required to provide seafood and pork varieties too, due to popular request.

The pair first caught the attention of local residents when they began clearing a formerly abandoned street corner, and now instead of the age-old litter problem that locals were accustomed to, there are brightly painted chairs, and not a shred of rubbish in sight. Add to this the delicious smells wafting from the ‘hut’ and it is easy to understand why they have received such a warm welcome. Hygiene standards go far beyond the physical cleanliness though, as customers are able to wash their hands in an outdoor washbasin provided on site before dining.

Except for Wednesdays, when The Torta Hut closes for restocking, the establishment is open every day, either to eat on the outdoor chairs and tables provided, or to take away.  Two shifts, from 7:00am until 1:00pm, and then again from 5:00pm until midnight, ensure that Orangewalkeños can get their fix of tortas whenever they please. There is also one of the finest arrays of home made pepper sauces and jalapeño accompaniments available anywhere in Orange Walk, to spice up all dishes.

The entrepreneurial pair is well-travelled, and appreciates the value of giving ‘that little bit extra’ to customers.  So aside from top quality tortas, people can also pick up local information from The Torta Hut, and the facility intends to become a key tourist information centre for international visitors, distributing maps, brochures, BTB travel guides, and connecting visitors with local tour operators on demand.

And once the initiative gets truly underway, it seems there will be no stopping the pair: they have plans to introduce more features on the menu, including shrimp cocktails and more extensive seafood options, alongside more varieties of juice and soft drinks.  They also intend to introduce a locally brewed provision-bark tea (with excellent medicinal properties), alongside their more popular green tea and lemongrass tea alternatives, which on a hot day will be sun-brewed on the premises for customers to try.

The Torta Hut represents a breath of fresh air for Orange Walk taste buds, and the initiative looks set to become a hit with locals and visitors alike. So when tacos are just a little too ‘routine’, head down to The Torta Hut for a quirky alternative.

| | | | | |