Janz Van’s Ilocos empanadas went viral online, but after Malden’s Board of Health shut it down, she’s looking for a permanent spot to sell her popular Filipino street food.
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When Ilocos empanadas took over social media, one Malden woman thought it’d be a good money-making opportunity to give the people what they want: a Filipino street food that was missing from Massachusetts.
Janz Van was right. Hundreds of customers began reaching out to her via direct messages, some driving across state lines or willing to pay more than the asking price, just to get a bite of the viral snack. What ensued for Van was her own virality, then a letter from the City of Malden’s Board of Health that told her to cease food business operations out of her apartment…