TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)- El Cafetal Bakery and Restaurant in South Tampa kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month by sharing the love that goes into making their dishes from different Hispanic countries.

El Cafetal Owner Jonathan Ovalles and his staff have been cooking up Cuban sandwiches, empanadas, sweet bread and several other treats in the restaurant’s cozy kitchen for about six years.

“It’s the heritage that we share with the community. I like having that taste of home,” Ovalles said.

In 2013, Ovalles and his family migrated to the United States from Venezuela, where his passion for food led to him owning his own restaurant.

“I could say that’s always been my motivation,” he said.

A dream of Ovalles was to own a restaurant in the U.S. one day. A few years after moving with his family, his dream came true.

“With the desire to move forward, to start again from nothing, like many Latin families,” Ovalles said.

Ovalles now owns El Cafetal and Guac n Cheese Mexican Grill, both restaurants are located in South Tampa.

This Hispanic Heritage month, El Cafetal Owner said he wants to encourage Hispanic Americans to chase their goals.

“It takes a lot of work, strength, and sometimes sacrifice, but try it. We have to dream too, right?”

El Cafetal is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and you can find their full menu on their website.

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 to celebrate and honor the contributions Hispanic-Americans have made to the history and diversity of the United States.