Ohana may be Hawaiian for family, but on Toronto's Bloor Street the word is becoming synonymous with Colombian fare. A new café specializing in Latin American snacks, Ohana is a cozy neighbourhood spot offering a range of refreshments throughout the day. 

"Our specialty here is pandebono. I learned how to make them before I arrived in Canada," says Valentina Arzayus, who runs Ohana with her husband. "It's a baked good, originally from Colombia. It's like our most popular bread in Colombia."

A chewy, cheesy, naturally gluten-free bread made with tapioca starch and cheese, the Colombian snack is uncommon in Toronto. "People know empanadas, but pandebono is new," she says.

Wanting to share her Colombian traditions, Arzayus began selling pandebono from her home when she arrived in Canada in 2024. 

The popularity of her baking eventually led to a frozen line, dubbed Ohana. Available at the café, at local Latin American stores and certain No Frills locations, each package features beloved pandebono immortalized as a mascot named Bonitto. 

Opened at the start of 2026, Ohana the café is Arzayus' first brick-and-mortar shop. "When I came here, to Canada," she says, "my goal was to run a business."

The name, she admits, is not Colombian. "I feel embarrassed telling this story, but it's sweet," she laughs. "About 10 years ago, my mom created a WhatsApp group between her and me and my sisters, called Ohana. In honour to them, I kept the name. It's from Lilo & Stitch, it means family. … We want everyone to feel like family here."

Pop inside, and you'll find a concise menu of lunch and brunch plates, sweets and snacks, including waffles and sandwiches made with the café’s signature bread.

"The original recipe is with costeño cheese," says Arzayus. "Here it's too difficult to find, but the most similar is feta cheese, so I modified the recipe. It was awesome, because it tastes better than the original. More creamy inside."

An all-day thing in Colombia—"People have it in the morning, for breakfast, or late afternoon, 4 or 5 p.m.," says Arzayus—Pandebono ($3.95) is available at the café from opening until close. Served two per order, with a sidecar of guava jam, they're bouncy and warm, with squishy, soft, savoury insides.

Pressed into a waffle pan, the same dough is used to make a variety of additional dishes. For breakfast, it's garnished with Greek yogurt and granola or bacon and a generous glug of maple syrup. For dessert? Ice cream, fruit and Nutella match every salty bite with enough sugar for perfect balance.

Loaded with ham, melty cheese and paprika sauce, the Sandwich Special ($16.50) is pandebono reinvented as a full meal.  

With coffee being "the second most important thing here," Ohana serves a range of classic drinks, from Americanos to foam-capped Cappuccinos ($4.50). For a small premium, opt for the team's private label, medium-roast Colombian Pink Bourbon beans, with notes of chocolate, citrus and tropical fruits.

Seasonal drinks that counter hot temps with refreshing ingredients, Strawberry Matcha ($7.50) and Passionfruit Soda ($7.50) are equally bright and juicy. Opt for the first, if you crave a hit of caffeine.

With its filling of fruit paste and mild, milky queso fresco, the team's soft-baked Guava Cookie ($4.50) is a tempting riff on the popular Latin American pairing. 

A space for the community to gather, Ohana unites people over nostalgic Colombian eats, products from local businesses, and salsa workshops. That participants catch their breath over fresh pandebono should come as no surprise. 

Ohana is located at 2100 Bloor Street West, Unit #5B.