Earlier this month, a food truck serving Guatemalan cuisine opened in Oakland Park’s Virginia Square.

Located near the intersection of N. Oakland Street and Wilson Blvd., Portal Maya is intended to be the community’s “gateway to the Mayan world,” owner and founder Bayron Cisneros told ARLnow.

“There’s a large Hispanic community from Guatemala and we thought maybe we could bring that touch of Guatemala,” said Cisneros, an Ashton Heights resident who immigrated from Guatemala. “One of the things we also want to do is teach people about our country and get them interested.”

Cisneros founded the truck after working for 28 years at Capital One, where he provided financial services to the Hispanic community.

“I was always told to always find your passion, and if you love it, it doesn’t feel like work,” Cisneros said. “Even though we work from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., it doesn’t feel like work… We want to see people happy. Even at the bank, I loved what I did… but now I love bringing the flavors to Arlington.”

With a menu full of made-to-order family recipes from Cisneros’ aunt, Adit Vicente, the truck is the product of strong cultural pride and family ties.

The name refers to the truck’s foray into Guatemalan cuisine, but is also a nod to Cisneros’ daughters Maya and Eva – nicknamed “Portal” for their love of food and new experiences. The company’s logo, designed by Cisneros’ wife’s doctoral students, features symbols representing the geography of Guatemala.

Cisneros believes Portal Maya fills a gap in the Hispanic cooking scene in Northern Virginia.

The truck’s specialty is Garnachas: five crispy tostadas with beef cubes, garnished with tomato stew sauce, parmesan, jalapeños and Guatemalan pickle salad.

“My whole family loves this dish,” Cisneros said. “Every time we sell it so far, everyone says they love it.”

The truck also serves corn tortilla tacos (carne asada, chicken or spicy chorizo) and a carne asada plate with rice, refried beans and pico de gallo.

Cisneros shared a desire to expand the menu in the future after the initial offering is perfected. One goal is to add a vegetarian option.

He is also coordinating with family members to see if the truck can source authentic spices from Guatemala to serve tamales this winter.

Cisneros had originally hoped to open Portal Maya in January, but the opening was delayed after the food truck was damaged in a fire during renovations at a store.

Despite these challenges, Cisneros said he has received support from many people across the country, especially from the food truck community. Notably, David Peña, the executive chef of La Tingeria in Falls Church, sold Cisneros the Portal Maya truck himself.

“You can tell the community isn’t thinking, ‘Hey, another truck is coming to take our business away,'” Cisneros said.

Looking to the future, Cisneros shared his dream of eventually expanding the food truck and finding a nonprofit partner to give back to the Arlington and Guatemala communities.

“Our plan is to have more trucks at some point,” Cisneros said. “The idea is: If everything goes well, who knows what the future holds?”

The food truck in Oakland Park is open Tuesday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Customers can find more news on Instagram.