Gil initially advocated for a full-service, fine-dining model, but Vermut recognized the versatility of fast casual. She adds that while it took a while to educate the public, Pica Pica now has a strong following it was even featured on an episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.” “Because it’s an unknown cuisine in the Bay Area, … it has really helped to be very singularly focused,” Vermut says. Originally, Vermut and her father planned to serve a wide variety of Venezuelan fare, but the 400-square-foot Oxbow unit (which she calls the “airport model”) forced them to streamline their menu to focus on arepas-hot corn-patty pockets stuffed with hearty fillings like beef and plantains or spicy chicken and Mozzarella. The developer was looking for one-of-a-kind, owner-driven concepts for the Oxbow Public Market in Napa Valley - and just like that, Pica Pica was founded.

Only about a week later, they met with an area developer, whose past collaborations included San Francisco’s renowned food hall, the Ferry Building. Now residents of the San Francisco area, the two hatched a plan to keep the family tradition alive while introducing the Bay Area to Venezuelan cuisine. Gil was referring to their family’s roots in Venezuela, where he owned many fine-dining restaurants. “‘Well, what are you going to do to stay connected to your heritage and your family? And how are your kids going to know where you come from?’” Vermut says, recalling her father’s words. Eight years ago, when Adriana López Vermut gave birth to her first child, her father Leopoldo López Gil posed an unexpected question.

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