From Local Flavors to Corporate Tables: Empowering Caño Martín Peña Through Economic Growth for its Restaurants
Project Sponsor: ENLACE
Team Members: Colin Chandonnet, Mena Youssif, Iain Spearance, Myrrh Khan
Project Advisors: John-Michael Davis, Jessica Santos-López
Project Files:
Interview with Ana’s Limber
Abstract: The Caño Martín Peña (CMP) community in San Juan, Puerto Rico possesses a rich cultural and culinary heritage, yet its local restaurants face challenges in reaching a broader customer base. This project, sponsored by Proyecto ENLACE del Caño Martín Peña, aimed to bridge the gap between CMP restaurants and the neighboring financial district, fostering economic growth through strategic partnerships. Our team employed a multi-method approach through a series of interviews with CMP restaurants coupled with interviews and surveys with companies in the financial district to understand their lunch preferences. We developed a scalable conceptual model for a food delivery system that provides a lunch-time delivery system of CMP restaurants for financial district employees.
Executive Summary
Background and Project Goal
San Juan, Puerto Rico, grapples with severe economic inequality, with a Gini Index of 0.59, comparable to countries like South Africa and Brazil. This disparity is starkly visible between Milla de Oro (MdO), the financial hub known as the “Wall Street of the Caribbean,” and the neighboring Caño Martín Peña (CMP) communities, where 63% of residents live below the poverty line (Figure A). The CMP communities struggle with low graduation rates, high unemployment, and understaffed businesses, exacerbated by recent disasters including Hurricane Maria in 2017, COVID-19, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in 2025. The Caño 3.7 is a local non-profit organization that supports the CMP community, and it consists of three community-led groups: the G-8, the Community Land Trust, and the ENLACE Corporation, collectively known as Caño 3.7. The ENLACE Corporation is a semi-independent public entity that works directly with the members of the community, and it contributes to the local economic growth through job training, financial literacy courses, and support for small business owners, promoting long-term stability and resilience in the area (Orensanz, 2021). Despite ENLACE’s revitalization efforts, a gap remains in connecting CMP with MdO. Our project’s goal was to work directly with ENLACE to bridge this gap by building economic partnerships between the CMP restaurants and MdO customers. Specifically, we developed a conceptual model and business plan for a sustainable food delivery system designed to increase revenue streams for CMP restaurants, leverage digital platforms and local delivery networks, strengthen community ties, and promote equitable economic development.
Methods and Limitations
Map of the CMP and its Eight Communities
We adopted a learn-by-doing approach, which allowed us to explore the feasibility of a food delivery system through hands-on implementation rather than hypothetical analysis. This method involved familiarizing ourselves with the Caño Martín Peña (CMP) community and its unique challenges, followed by incremental steps to assess partnership opportunities with local restaurants and Milla de Oro (MdO) customers. Our research was guided by three key objectives, as illustrated in Figure B below. By actively testing and refining our ideas, we gained valuable insights into the program’s potential and challenges, ensuring that our recommendations are grounded in practical experience. We conducted semi-structured interviews with four CMP food establishments (one home kitchen and three restaurants) to explore their operations, challenges, and willingness to expand to MdO (Figure D). Additionally, we surveyed 31 MdO individuals and interviewed four MdO employees to explore their interest in purchasing food from CMO restaurants and learn about their lunch preferences, budgets, and delivery expectations (Figure C). We also gave 150 pamphlets to MdO individuals that provided information about our project and the restaurants we were working with. After collecting and analyzing the data from interviews with both CMP restaurants and MdO employees, we developed a conceptual business model and made efforts to initiate a delivery system, Hecho Para Llevar, meaning “Made to Go,” that delivers food from the CMP restaurants to MdO customers. A key limitation of our study was the small sample size of four food establishments, representing only a fraction of the over 40 restaurants in CMP. While this focused approach allowed for in-depth analysis and stronger rapport with participants, it may not fully capture the diversity of challenges and opportunities across the broader restaurant community. Additionally, external disruptions, such as an ICE raid during our project timeline, created unforeseen challenges, impacting community engagement and highlighting the vulnerability of CMP residents. Despite these limitations, our findings provide a foundational understanding and actionable insights for scaling the initiative in the future.
Results
The findings from our study reveal significant insights into the challenges and opportunities for connecting CMP restaurants with MdO customers. CMP restaurants are primarily small, family-owned businesses that face operational challenges, such as limited staffing, financial constraints, and reliance on local customers. Despite these barriers, they expressed interest in expanding to MdO through a shared delivery system, provided they receive adequate support. The three key themes that emerged from our interviews are the strong family-oriented nature of these businesses, their deep commitment to serving the CMP community, and the diverse operational models they employ to adapt to their unique circumstances. (Figure D). These insights underscore the potential for collaboration while highlighting the need for tailored solutions to address their specific challenges. MdO customers demonstrated a clear preference for affordable, high-protein meals like creole cuisine, with a willingness to spend $10−$15 on lunch. Timely delivery is critical, with 42% of respondents willing to wait only 10-15 minutes. Social media and word-of-mouth are the primary ways MdO employees discover new restaurants, highlighting the importance of digital marketing and community-driven outreach.
Sponsor Photo Post Final Presentation
We were also able to observe three common themes from the four interviews we conducted (Figure E). The proposed Hecho Para Llevar delivery system connects CMP restaurants with MdO customers through a scalable and sustainable model, offering both individual lunch orders and catering services. The CMP restaurants and MdO customers would be connected through a delivery manager, who would coordinate lunch orders and deliver them between restaurants and clients. For individual orders, customers can place requests via the “Hecho en el Caño Martín Peña” website by 10:30 AM on weekdays, specifying a preferred delivery time between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Both the delivery manager and restaurants receive automatic notifications, ensuring efficient preparation and delivery. The delivery manager collects orders from CMP restaurants, attaches receipts, and delivers them to MdO via a 2.3-mile route that takes approximately 14 minutes. Catering orders follow the same procedure as individual orders, with the exception that the catering order must be placed three days in advance and that there is a specified minimum gratuity. During payment, customers can round up payments to support Caño 3.7 community projects, while a feedback section on the website ensures continuous improvement and community engagement. This dual approach creates a flexible and scalable system that meets the needs of both CMP restaurants and MdO customers. We created a mockup website using Figma to simulate taking orders, which we presented to the developers of the “Hecho en el Caño Martín Peña” website (Figure F). Economic projections for the Hecho Para Llevar program demonstrate its potential to generate a promising income source for CMP restaurants and the delivery manager.
Based on the survey results and the proposed delivery system, we estimate that each restaurant could receive an average of five to 15 individual orders per day from MdO customers, with an average order value of $12. Under conservative estimates, each restaurant could receive five individual orders daily, generating $53 per day ($1,103 monthly), while an optimistic scenario with 15 orders daily could yield $158 per day ($3,308 monthly). The delivery manager’s earnings, including delivery fees, service fees, and tips, could total $26 daily ($536 monthly) in the conservative scenario and $77 daily ($1,607 monthly) in the optimistic scenario. Catering orders further enhance revenue, with restaurants earning an additional $1,438 monthly and the delivery manager $692 monthly from two weekly orders. Combined, the system could generate $2,540−4,745 monthly for restaurants and $1,225−2,296 for the delivery manager, depending on order volume. Factoring in gas expenses of approximately $9.50 monthly, the delivery manager’s annual earnings are projected to exceed the average income in CMP ($11,964), highlighting the program’s economic viability and potential to support community growth. Implementing the Hecho Para Llevar system presented several challenges that highlighted the complexities of bridging CMP and MdO. Finding a reliable delivery manager was a significant hurdle, as the role required someone with access to a vehicle, familiarity with the area, and the ability to manage logistics efficiently. Additionally, identifying restaurants with both the capacity and interest to participate proved difficult, as many CMP businesses operate with limited staff and resources. While some restaurants expressed enthusiasm, others were hesitant due to concerns about increased workload and operational costs. Furthermore, uncertainty remains about whether MdO employees will consistently place orders, as initial interest does not always translate into sustained participation. These challenges underscore the importance of ongoing support, clear communication, and adaptive strategies to ensure the system’s success and scalability.
Recommendations and Conclusion
To enhance the scalability, sustainability, and impact of the Hecho Para Llevar program, we recommend expanding participation to more CMP restaurants and launching a robust marketing campaign. ENLACE should identify and onboard additional restaurants, prioritizing those offering diverse cuisines to reduce competition. Collaborating with local health authorities to ensure compliance with safety standards and hosting workshops for restaurant owners will further support their integration into the system. As order volumes grow, hiring additional delivery personnel will be essential to maintain timely and reliable service, creating employment opportunities within the community.
A strategic marketing campaign leveraging social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, along with in-person outreach and flier distribution in MdO, will drive awareness and engagement. ENLACE should also provide digital marketing workshops to CMP restaurant owners, equipping them with the skills to manage their online presence and attract customers. To build trust with MdO