A local entrepreneur cut the ribbon on her new business, bringing a little bit of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic to Erie.

A new restaurant, called Empanissah, opened Sunday afternoon in downtown Erie.

The menu includes a fusion of home-style American dishes and Latin cuisine, with empanadas as the specialty.

This grand opening was a dream years in the making, according to the owner.

Anissah Sanchez, Empanissah CEO, said, "I started cooking years ago after watching my grandfather and my mom always cooking in the kitchen, making sure we always had food to eat. It was always just interesting to me. I've always been a big artsy person, so food was my way of expressing myself through art. Then I started selling plates when I got older."

From there, Sanchez said that she made a name

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