Photo by Marco Flores
By Antonia Rivera
For three years, sisters Debora Saavedra and Zarina Boardman hauled pots, pans, and ingredients from fair to fair, bringing the flavors of Chile to Nebraska. Today, they finally have a permanent home for their dream.
A Dream That Started on the Road
Las Chilenas Café opened its doors in 2025, but it represents years of sacrifice and determination. Their business LLC was born in February 2022, after Saavedra and Boardman came together with the purpose of bringing Chilean flavors to Nebraska. Their story reflects the growing entrepreneurial spirit among Latinas in Nebraska who are transforming the local gastronomic landscape while facing the unique challenges of being mothers, immigrants, and business owners in a competitive market.
“I started Las Chilenas Café with the desire to share the flavors of my homeland and create a space that represents our Latino identity with pride,” Boardman said. But the road to success wasn’t easy.
Pop-Ups, Licenses, and Long Days
From the beginning, Saavedra and Boardman worked hard to make their product known. They spent a lot of time at fairs, churches, and offices doing pop-ups. They had to pay for commercial kitchen space and different licenses to do catering. All of that was very expensive, but necessary for the well-being of their business. During that time, they never stopped working. Since they had parallel jobs, sometimes they didn’t spend much time at home.
“It was crazy, but family has been fundamental,” Boardman said. She is grateful to have a husband who supports her and never discouraged her, even when she got pregnant just as she decided to open a brick-and-mortar location. She already had two children, ages 15 and 10. Similarly, Saavedra is thankful for her family’s support, especially her husband, who took care of her son, who is autistic and was only 6 years old when they started the business. It took years of sacrifice before their efforts began to bear fruit.
A Permanent Home at Last
Today, Saavedra and Boardman have an established location. They no longer have to carry their supplies from one place to another. Their customers know where to find them and they are finally beginning to build their identity.
“Over time, our challenges have changed in a gratifying way. Working hard to make our culture known has transformed into joy seeing our customers explore and fall in love with Chilean flavors,” Saavedra said.
She is proud of the homey atmosphere she has built with her sister. “We didn’t want something very ostentatious, very fancy,” Saavedra said. When you enter Las Chilenas Café, there are black armchairs, the walls are painted in green tones, and there’s art by local artists. It feels like a home. Beyond commercial success, the partners see the café as a deeper achievement.
Two Sisters, Two Strengths
In addition to honoring their beloved Chile, Boardman and Saavedra created a space where they can succeed using their talents. Saavedra takes care of the kitchen and creating high-quality products, while Boardman handles all the administrative work, marketing, and human resources. They exchange ideas with each other, but each one focuses on her area of expertise.
Community Over Competition
For these partners, it’s important to succeed in an environment where there are other female entrepreneurs. “Instead of putting each other down as women, supporting each other is fundamental,” Boardman said.
In their free time, Saavedra and Boardman love trying other foods and even visit businesses that sell similar dishes. They also like to invite their neighbors from the surrounding establishments to try their food. They exchange recipes and advice.
“It’s an act of humility to share with other people. I have a friend who also sells empanadas. I’m not afraid that maybe hers might taste better than mine. When one stays in their comfort zone, everything stays the same, but when you have healthy competition, it drives you to be better and more creative,” Saavedra said.
Building a Legacy for Their Children
For Saavedra and Boardman, who are sisters first and business partners second, success is measured not only in profits but in the legacy they are building for their children. As Boardman said:
“You have to unlearn in order to re-learn entrepreneurship; you have to study and let yourself be guided by others, so you don’t make the same mistakes. You have to be resilient and support each other.”
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