Las Muns, the rapidly expanding Spanish empanada concept with over 50 European locations, has officially launched its first North American operation at Toronto’s Brookfield Place, marking a significant milestone in the brand’s global growth strategy.
The company, which has built its reputation on quality-focused, visually distinct empanadas across Spain, Italy and Portugal, over the past decade, has established its inaugural Canadian location steps away from the Hockey Hall of Fame in the downtown PATH system.
“When we took that first bite, we could actually see the ingredients on the inside. It wasn’t like this ultra-processed paste,” explained Nawal Khokhar, Head Chef of Las Muns Canada, describing the family’s first encounter with the brand during a Barcelona vacation two years ago. “You can see the chives that have been hand-cut and put into these mixtures, you can see pieces of mushroom… the authenticity of the taste was something that was super exciting for us.”
That chance discovery in a Barcelona park led Khokhar and her husband Mohammad Ibrahim, now Director of Operations, to pursue bringing the concept to Canadian shores—despite initial resistance from Las Muns’ European leadership.
“When we reached out to Las Muns, the CEO initially responded with, ‘Well, no, it’s a European brand. We want to maintain the European-esque feel of it,'” Khokhar recalled. “We’re not taking no for an answer… we want this.”
After multiple trips to Barcelona and extensive discussions with Las Muns’ co-founder Mariano Najles and Diego Rojas, the Canadian team launched a commissary kitchen in Stoney Creek last October. The facility now produces 100% Canadian-made empanadas that maintain the European quality standards while catering to North American palates.
The brand’s selection of Brookfield Place for its market entry was strategic, leveraging the location’s proximity to Union Station and the Hockey Hall of Fame to capture diverse customer segments throughout the day.
“We wanted to make sure that we were in a place that was close enough for the masses,” Khokhar explained. “The PATH in general is a really great location. You’re steps away from Union Station. So anytime you’re coming into the downtown core, you’re literally a two-minute walk away from Las Muns.”
The location operates from 8 a.m. to accommodate morning commuters seeking breakfast options like steak and egg or bacon and cheese empanadas, paired with locally roasted Detour Coffee from Hamilton. The business model extends beyond the traditional PATH lunchtime rush to capture evening commuters looking for take-home dinner solutions.
“At six o’clock you’re heading home, you haven’t thought about dinner, you haven’t thought about what you’re going to feed the kids,” Khokhar noted. “They’re grabbing boxes of fours or boxes of eights and taking them home so they can feed their families.”
The empanadas are available both warm for immediate consumption and refrigerated for customers to take home and reheat in 5-8 minutes.
@tofinancialdistrict Toronto foodies, this is your sign to try the hottest new empanada spot in The PATH! 🥟🔥 Las Muns just opened in Brookfield Place, bringing their famous handmade Argentinian empanadas packed with bold flavors. From classic beef to the must-try Cheeseburger empanada, every bite is fresh, flaky, and full of flavor. If you're looking for a quick, delicious lunch in the Financial District, this is your sign. 📍 @Las Muns | @BFPLTO Brookfield Place #TorontoFood #Empanadas #ArgentinianFood #TorontoEats #FoodieFinds #torontofinancialdistrict ♬ HOUSE OF LUX – DannyLux
Working with Avison Young‘s retail team of Ali Baker, Calvin Holland, and Caitlyn Micuda, Las Muns has ambitious growth plans for the Canadian market. The company is currently negotiating with landlords to secure second and third locations, targeting a late summer or early fall opening timeframe.
“For locations, we’re looking into Toronto first. We’re thinking of opening our first couple of stores in Toronto core and then expand into suburbs,” explained Ibrahim. While the initial concept targeted the office-heavy PATH system, future locations will likely include more community-adjacent street-front spaces to expand beyond the lunchtime customer base.
The Canadian operation, led by Khokhar and Ibrahim, holds exclusive rights for expansion throughout Canada, with a clearly defined ownership structure that positions them as the market’s primary operators.
“Right now we are the Canadian operators. We are looking to focus on expanding across Canada,” Khokhar explained. Their relationship with Las Muns Spain has evolved beyond a typical franchise arrangement into a strategic partnership that may influence the brand’s entire North American strategy.
The team remains committed to their Canadian identity. “Our focus will always be Canadian made, Canadian owned. And hopefully, even as we expand into other areas., we’ll still use our Canadian based commissary kitchen” Khokhar added.
Khokhar, who previously held a senior management position at a Canadian IT company for 11 years, describes the venture as the culmination of her professional journey. “It was the first time that I felt like my love for food, my passion for process, my understanding of people would allow me to bring everything that I’m good at together.”
Her husband Ibrahim, who has a background in construction and entrepreneurship and actually built the Las Muns store himself, has been encouraging her entrepreneurial spirit for years. “He’s always been on me to start something on my own. He’s always like, ‘You’re so creative, you’ve got to do something on your own,'” Khokhar shared.
Las Muns’ early success has been bolstered by strong social media engagement led by Marketing Lead Noor Huddah, who has focused on building an online community rather than simply promoting the product.
“I try to keep an engaged community online. Posting stories, replying to people’s comments, replying to their messages,” Huddah explained. “I try to always be there and always respond and be a human behind the brand. At the end of the day, we’re not just selling a product, we’re selling an experience”.
The strategy appears to be working, with Khokhar noting, “We get repeat orders every single day. People have been coming back. That’s our success.”
Beyond business growth, the Las Muns team emphasizes their commitment to local impact. “Our goal is to involve ourselves in our community thoroughly to make sure that we can help support other initiatives,” Khokhar stressed. “If you’re looking for some support in any which way, shoot us an email, reach out to us on Instagram. We want to be here for our community like they’ve been here for us.”
The brand joins a growing international food scene at Brookfield Place, which has recently welcomed concepts like Zen Kyoto, Colaba Junction, Pigeon Coffee, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Forest Hill Farmhouse, and Tiger’s Cup Bap as part of the property’s evolving tenant mix. Under Beauleigh‘s exclusive leasing mandate, Brookfield Place continues evolving its 2.6-million-square-foot complex to serve both the Financial District’s daytime office population and the area’s expanding residential community.
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Dustin Fuhs is the Editor-in-Chief of 6ix Retail. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of Retail Insider, Canada’s most-read retail trade publication. He has over 20 years of experience in the retail, marketing, entertainment and hospitality industries, including with The Walt Disney Company, The Hockey Hall of Fame, Starbucks and Blockbuster.
Dustin was named as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024 and 2025.