
Our Story

Our Mission
El Sur's mission is to bring people together and create lasting memories over shared, authentic food. Not only are our empanadas handmade, we only use the best ingredients from local purveyors who share our emphasis on quality. After we make them, our empanadas are delivered with speed, reliability, and convenience, directly to your door and ready to bake.

From Our Founder
Marianne is the founder of El Sur. Marianne holds a degree in International Relations from the University of the Pacific and attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. In 2012, she started El Sur, a business inspired by making and eating Argentinian empanadas with her family. She leads El Sur's vision, culture, and development and is active in the SF food scene, and volunteers for La Cocina and CUESA (Center for Urban Education of Sustainable Agriculture).

Our Recipes
Our Team

Marianne Despres
Founder
Marianne is the founder of El Sur. She is a first-generation American with roots in Argentina and France. Marianne is active in the SF food scene and volunteers for La Cocina and CUESA (Center for Urban Education of Sustainable Agriculture).

Rodrigo Araya
Business Manager
Rodrigo is El Sur’s COO and leads operations at El Sur. He hails from Chile and spent his twenties working and studying in Argentina.