116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Nechus brings Ecuadorian, Colombian food to South American fusion restaurant in Cedar Rapids
NewBo City Market opening adds new flavors to local Latin American offerings
Aug. 6, 2025 6:00 am
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CEDAR RAPIDS — One of Cedar Rapids’ latest openings is bringing new Latin American flavors from south of the border.
South of the equator, in fact.
Nechus, a South American fusion concept in NewBo City Market, opened at the helm of a trio of new restaurateurs from Colombia and Ecuador on June 27.
Owners Vanessa Valles, her sister Bianca Valles and brother-in-law Juan Madrid, who have lived in Cedar Rapids for five to 10 years, wanted to offer something new to the restaurant scene.
“We saw a lot of food is from Central America, but we said ‘Why not South American food too?’” said Vanessa. “It’s a dream for us.”
If you go:
Address: NewBo City Market, 1100 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids
Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday
Website: Find Nechus on Facebook under Nechus Foodcr
Phone: (319) 202-7114
Details: Find South American fusions spanning Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and more. Entrées average $10.
On the menu
On the menu is food from Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru and adjacent countries — or a fusion of more than one. Through all family recipes that they’ve been cooking their entire lives, the owners are serving from the heart.
The nuanced niche is one of the first restaurants in Cedar Rapids to specialize in a span of South American cuisine, rather than Central American or Mexican.
Salchipapas combine influences from Ecuador and Colombia with a novel presentation of fries topped with sausage, corn, bacon, cheese and a house sauce.
Patacon, a sandwich with beef or chicken between fried pieces of plantain, delivers the Caribbean coast of Colombia with a smothering of coleslaw salad, smoked ham and mozzarella cheese.
“It’s not a sandwich for us, but people associated it with sandwiches,” Vanessa explained. “It’s more like a hamburger.”
Another offering from Venezuela may satisfy your sweet tooth through unexpectedly savory means. Cachapas, sweet corn flour pancakes, are topped with cheese and butter.
Empanadas are made Venezuelan style with beef, chicken or cheese. Or, opt for Columbian style, which adds potatoes to the filling.
Arepas is a stuffed ground maize dough flatbread with plenty of meat and hearty fillings like cheese, black beans, avocado or mayo. Thanks to the dough’s base, it’s gluten-free.
A new dish, Causa Limeña, brings Peru into the mix with a subtle layer of mashed potatoes, shredded chicken and avocado.
If you just want a snack, try the tequeños from Venezuela — a different type of fried cheese stick served with creamy cilantro sauce.
“We wanted to offer the best so people can try other kinds of food,” Vanessa said. “When we prepare the food, we imagine it’s for us.”
The restaurant’s name is her nickname — a play on words in Spanish that became an inside joke in their family.
In staying connected to their roots, Vanessa said they’re also keeping an eye on the food trends happening in South America. Their vision includes growing the menu to help Cedar Rapids discover more South American cuisine, with time.
Vanessa said she hopes others learn more about their roots as they promote multicultural inclusion in the city.
How it happened
After years of working in administrative and manufacturing backgrounds, sisters Vanessa and Bianca, plus Bianca’s husband, Juan, went to NewBo City Market with nothing but a vision and the recipes they’d been cooking their whole lives.
“We learned to cook from our families, and we use original recipes that came from our families,” Juan said.
But after getting to know the small business incubator and its focus on multicultural businesses, they knew they would have a shot.
While they had some experience working in restaurants, none of them had owned a business before. Business coaching from NewBo City Market and a few grants helped make it possible. Through the nonprofit’s program, The Hatchery, they also received rent discounts.
“It’s very hard to get a bank loan for a new business,” Madrid said. “You usually need a few years of business income to qualify.”
Like many restaurants, it’s a dream come true for the family. But unlike some entrepreneurs, they remain community minded. As they grow, they hope to further embed themselves into the community to help others achieve their dreams, too.
Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.
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