Help Guajiro Rebuild

Help Our Favorite Cuban Spot Guajiro Cuban Comfort Food & El Patio Rise After Historic Flooding

Dear Asheville family and friends,

Our beloved Guajiro, a staple in the River Arts District, has been devastated by the historic flooding caused by Hurricane Helene. Today, Guajiro’s food truck was completely submerged in floodwaters, which have continued to rise throughout the day. Floodwaters are expected to keep rising until the French Broad River crests this evening. What was meant to be a celebration of their upcoming 2nd anniversary in October has now turned into a heartbreaking disaster. Their insurance does not cover flood loss, and Chris and Joel are in shock and devastated. Their bar, El Patio, which only just opened in April, is also flooded—the entire Cotton Mill Studios Building has been overwhelmed with water intrusion up to the second floor as of late this afternoon.

Guajiro is more than just a food truck. For two years, they’ve served up mouthwatering Cuban cuisine, providing a place of comfort, warmth, and community. Our newly formed Asheville Cuban Social Club (Cubans in Western North Carolina) just held its first meeting there, Casa Soul has been hosting their Salsa Nights there. Their meals are affordable, making it a haven for locals, artists, and visitors alike who come to the River Arts District to eat, laugh, and share stories.

But now, they are faced with the unimaginable task of deciding if they can start over—completely from scratch. With the truck and equipment destroyed, and El Patio needing extensive repairs, they are unsure if they can make it back from this. If they do, they don’t know how long they’ll be out of business or how they’ll take care of their incredible employees who rely on this small business for their livelihood.

We are a group of local Guajiro customers together with Chris’ family and we are reaching out to you, the amazing community that Guajiro has served and loved so dearly, to ask for help in raising $75,000 to help rebuild, recover, and take care of their staff during this uncertain time. Funds will be used to replace the food truck, refrigeration, equipment, and paying our staff. This is a small portion of what they will need to rebuild but every donation, big or small, will help bring Guajiro back stronger than ever.

Let’s come together to make sure Chris and Joel return Guajiro and El Patio to their rightful place in our community. We can’t imagine the River Arts District without them. We need Nana’s black beans, we need their Cuban Food back.

Please consider donating and sharing this with your friends, family, and neighbors. We have seen the power of this community time and time again, and we believe in it now more than ever.

With love and gratitude,

Yami, Jenny, Jannette, Jaime, Marlene, Alexis, and many other loyal customers who have urged us to set this fund up.