What started as a temporary work gig for owner Betsy Papachristou quickly turned into a full-time passion. “When I finished university my brother and sister-in-law were the owners of El Pipil and asked me to help out,” Betsy recalls. “I never left.”
El Pipil has been in the same location on the Danforth since opening in the 1980s. Betsy’s brother and sister-in-law took it over from the original owner in 1995 and Betsy became the sole owner in 2004.
When it comes to running El Pipil, Betsy combines what she learned from her family with her own solid qualifications. “I have a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Toronto,” she says, adding, “It's not just about liking what you are selling and having a good eye for aesthetics – you need to have strong business sense in order to thrive.”
