The idea behind Don Chava’s Spoon came from a dream, back when he lived in Managua, Nicaragua, Said Perez says. That dream became a reality on June 26 — World Refugee Day — on the side of Roosevelt Boulevard in Eugene.
Perez’s family sought refuge in the U.S. in 2024 after years of political and economic instability in Managua, and moved to Eugene in November 2025. They are currently working with the Refugee & Immigrant Services Program to settle more permanently into the community. Their RISP case manager, Nancy Salgado-Villegas, has helped them land on their feet and helped publicize their food cart. Salgado-Villegas also served as a translator for the interview with Eugene Weekly.
“I want to say it was really bumpy at first, because they had just arrived here. They were living family to family,” Salgado-Villegas says. “But once they got stable, they hit the ground running.”…