Our Story
Cafe Guarani is the story of family, tradition, perseverance, and a lifelong passion for food.
Our story begins with Liliana Rodas de Araujo, who discovered her love for cooking at just six years old while working alongside her family at their diner, Rincon Alegre, in Coronel Oviedo, Paraguay. As a young girl, Liliana made empanadas by hand and took them to the Cruce Internacional bus stop to sell. For ten years, she woke up at 2:00 in the morning and worked twelve hour days alongside her parents. Through their determination and sacrifice, the family eventually saved enough money to move to Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay.
There, Liliana and her family operated the cafeterias at the University of Medical Sciences in Asuncion and the University of Veterinary Sciences in San Lorenzo. It was during this chapter of her life that Liliana married Victor Araujo, the son of Ofelia Schmoll de Araujo, a respected chef and culinary instructor at the Institution of Culinary Arts of Paraguay.
Ofelia, born in Argentina and of German and Italian descent, became one of the most influential people in Liliana's culinary journey. Recognizing her talent and dedication, Ofelia took Liliana under her wing as her primary apprentice and passed down generations of culinary knowledge, techniques, and treasured recipes.
Under Ofelia's mentorship, Liliana discovered a particular passion for pastry and cake decoration. The two worked side by side on countless culinary projects, including catering an event for Pope St. John Paul II in the mid 1990s. The experience and knowledge Liliana gained from Ofelia became an important part of the foundation she would eventually build her own culinary career upon.
After years of working alongside Ofelia, Liliana and Victor moved with their five children to Pacific Grove, California. Liliana continued pursuing her passion for pastry, working at several local bakeries and beginning the challenging process of rebuilding her career in a new country.
When recognition in the culinary industry proved difficult to find, Liliana temporarily stepped away from professional kitchens and began a new career as a phlebotomist at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. For thirteen years, she dedicated herself to caring for others while continuing to develop her passion for baking and cake decorating in her free time. During those years, Liliana's talent began gaining recognition through her online business, Liliana's Cakes. What started as a passion became a growing community of customers who appreciated the craftsmanship, creativity, and personal touch she brought to every creation. At the age of sixty, after thirteen years at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Liliana retired and returned to her first love: food. That passion ultimately became Cafe Guarani LLC.
Today, Cafe Guarani represents the culmination of Liliana's remarkable journey, from a six year old girl selling empanadas at a bus stop in Paraguay to a mother, grandmother, pastry artist, and business owner carrying forward a lifetime of culinary traditions. And this journey continues as a family.
Liliana now runs Cafe Guarani alongside her husband Victor and their three children, Sebastian, Denisse, and Santiago. Together, they are building upon the traditions, recipes, and values that have been passed down through generations while creating something uniquely their own.
For Liliana and her family, Cafe Guarani is more than a cafe. It is a celebration of heritage, family, perseverance, and the belief that food has the power to bring people together.
Every recipe carries a story. Every creation reflects a tradition. And every guest who walks through the doors becomes part of the Cafe Guarani family.