Taste-testing food from Toma at Busch Gardens with Manolo Gonzalez Vergara
Sofía Vergara and her son Manolo Vergara’s partnership with Busch Gardens allows Toma to bring Latin American flavors to more guests.
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Guests who visit Busch Gardens Tampa Bay during the Christmas Town event, which runs through Jan. 5, 2025, can experience the flavors of Toma, a brand that first debuted at the park earlier this year during Howl-O-Scream.
On Dec. 5, 2024, we attended a Busch Gardens media event, during which we spoke with Toma co-founder Manolo Gonzalez Vergara, taste-tested Toma food, and learned Toma will open a permanent quick-service culinary collaboration with Busch Gardens in 2025.
What is Toma?
Toma was created to share the best of Latin cuisine with the world. It began with Sofía Vergara’s love for Latin food and her son Manolo Gonzalez Vergara’s passion for cooking. Together with hospitality executive Sam Nazarian, Toma was established. Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens marked this product’s first entry into the Tampa market.
“I can’t wait for Toma to be available at Busch Gardens,” Manolo Gonzalez Vergara said in a press release earlier this year. “It’s maybe even more exciting than their roller coasters! Toma is the perfect food for theme parks because it’s handheld, can be eaten quickly and is delicious — the perfect combination.”
“I am so excited that Toma will be available at Busch Gardens. I know people will love it — it’s fun and delicious food in the perfect, fun setting,” says Sofía Vergara.
This company specializes in empanadas. At Busch Gardens, they sell savory and sweet empanadas. Also, during Christmas Town, we had chicken croquetas from the Toma holiday cabin. The Toma website indicates they also produce pandebono, a Columbian cheese bread, creamy cilantro salsa, and arepas.
Where did the name “Toma” come from? According to Manolo Vergara, “My mother’s nickname is Toty. Mine is Manolo. TO-MA. TOty, MAnolo. Toma also means take, or drink, in Spanish, so we loved that.”
Regarding how the responsibilities are shared between Manolo and his famous mother, Sofía Vergara, Manolo said, “I handle the food, my mother handles the overall aesthetic, vibes, and creative direction!”
According to the official Toma blog, it is probably good that Manolo does the cooking. Manolo was asked the following question: “If Sofía is cooking dinner, what are you hoping she’s making?” His one-word response was: “Reservations.”
What does this mean for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay guests in the future?
Photo courtesy of Busch Gardens
During the media event, we learned that a permanent Toma quick-service location is expected to open at Busch Gardens in 2025. Until then, we hope to see the temporary Toma food and beverage booth during events like Mardi Gras and Food & Wine at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Guests should expect to hear more about this exciting partnership in the next few months.
A love letter to Latin cuisine
Photo by Jon Self
According to Sofía Vergara, Toma aims to be a love letter to Latin food. What creations did we experience during the media event? We were able to sample several of the Toma food offerings. We tried three flavors of savory empanadas, two croquetas, and a dessert empanada.
Manolo Gonzalez Vergara came to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for this media event. Friends, family, and co-workers supported him during the event. We spoke briefly with him and the Toma chief operating officer, Mary Wolff.
In that conversation, we learned a few things about Toma. Manolo told us that his inspiration for this Latin American food line was simple: hunger. He expressed that he could not find great tasting empanadas. This led him to create his own.
He also told us that partnering with Busch Gardens Tampa Bay was a no-brainer. Busch Gardens guests move around and are on the go, and he thinks the Toma empanadas make a great on-the-go food option.
We asked him what his favorite item in the Toma lineup was. He said the chicken in salsa verde empanada.
Our thoughts from the Toma event at Busch Gardens
We sampled all the food offerings several times. Of course, we had tried several of these items previously during Howl-O-Scream and Christmas Town. The cheese and onion empanadas were our favorite items offered during the special event. We thought they paired well with the salsa rojo.
Photo by Jon Self
In addition, the mini chocolate hazelnut empanadas provided a solid flavor with the right amount of sweetness. Though we doubt any personal trainer would approve of the dietary choice, we had several of these during the event. These dessert empanadas are currently available at the Toma holiday cabins during Christmas Town.
Photo by Jon Self
Overall, the flavor and texture of the Toma empanadas deliver what guests should expect from a South American-esque empanada. These will make a lovely addition to the Busch Gardens food lineup.
However, we have some concerns about the Toma food products. Though theme park food prices keep rising, the price point of one savory empanada for $9.99 and two for $13.99 might steer guests away from them for more traditional theme park fare. The desert empanadas are smaller, but guests currently receive three with an order.
Also, while chatting with colleagues, we agreed that the empanada portion size was a little small for the current price point.
Still, in fairness, we have no idea what the pricing will be when the permanent Toma quick-service location opens, which is expected to happen in 2025. Guests may be able to purchase Toma products in the future with the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay all-day dining plan, but we do not have that information at this point.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
We thank Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for inviting us to the special event. Christmas Town at Busch Gardens runs through Jan. 5, 2025. During that event, guests can buy some of the Toma food offerings at the holiday cabin. For more information about Toma, please consult the food company’s website. For more information about Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, guests may also consult the theme park’s website.
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