Written by Evelyn Mytka, Contributing Writer
When Luis Cruz arrived in Canada from Colombia, he quickly noticed something missing.
The tropical fruits he grew up with were easy to find back home, but in Canada, fruits like lulo, soursop and passion fruit weren’t as readily available in the same natural, convenient form. And when Luis did find some of those familiar flavours, they didn’t always taste the way he remembered them.
For someone with years of experience in international trade and logistics, that gap looked like more than a craving for a taste of home. It looked like a business opportunity.
Luis began thinking about how he could combine his professional background with his Colombian roots. The result was Latin Fruits, an Edmonton-based business bringing natural frozen tropical fruit pulp to restaurants, grocery stores, and other food businesses in Canada.
“Latin Fruits represents something more to me. It’s a connection between Colombia and Latin America to Canada.”
A Taste of Home
For Luis, tropical fruit has always been connected to more than food. The flavours are part of Colombian culture and his own memories of home.
That connection became even more noticeable after moving to Canada. Luis found some tropical fruit products in Latin grocery stores, but they didn’t always have the natural flavour he remembered from fresh fruit in Colombia.
With a professional background in international trade and logistics, Luis already understood many of the pieces involved in bringing products from one country to another. In Colombia, he had worked in importing and exporting, supplier relationships, international transportation, pricing, and negotiation.
Latin Fruits gave him a way to put that experience to work while building something that felt personal.
“I wanted to create something that could represent Colombia and Latin America, while also becoming a Canadian company with a long-term vision,” Luis said.
Today, Latin Fruits imports frozen tropical fruit pulp made without added sugar, artificial flavours, or preservatives. The products are designed for restaurants, hotels, Latin grocery stores, smoothie and beverage businesses, and other food service customers looking for a practical and consistent way to use tropical fruit.
Turning an Idea Into a Business
Luis had experience in international trade, but importing food into Canada brought an entirely new set of requirements.
After registering his company in Alberta, he began working through Canadian food regulations, import requirements, suppliers, cold-chain logistics, storage, labelling, and distribution.
“Having a good idea is only the beginning.”
Obtaining the licensing required to import food was one of the early hurdles. So was learning how the Canadian market worked while continuing to improve his English.
Luis had arrived in Canada knowing very little English. At the same time he was learning the language, he was trying to understand a new business environment and introduce products that many potential customers had never tasted before.
That created another challenge: explaining what Latin Fruits offered and why someone might choose frozen fruit pulp.
Rather than waiting for customers to find him, Luis began approaching restaurants, stores and other businesses directly and offering samples. The goal was simple: let people taste the difference for themselves.
Finding Support in a New Business Community
While researching how to start a business in Alberta, Luis found Business Link Alberta online and connected with the team.
Starting a business can involve a lot of questions. Doing it in a new country can add another layer of uncertainty.
“When you are starting a new business in a new country, you do not always know how to ask or where to find the right information.”
Luis was also able to connect with a Business Link Alberta strategist who spoke Spanish, making it easier to ask questions and explore the support available to him.
Through Business Link Alberta, Luis learned more about available resources, programs, and connections that could help him understand Alberta’s business ecosystem. He says the support helped him validate his idea, better understand the market, and identify his next steps.
For Luis, having somewhere to turn was particularly valuable as an immigrant entrepreneur building a business from the ground up.
From 300 Kilograms to a Canada-Wide Vision
Latin Fruits is still a young business, but Luis has moved quickly.
He registered the company in December 2025, spent the following months working through licensing requirements and completed his first import in June: approximately 300 kilograms of frozen fruit pulp. Latin Fruits now offers nine varieties: soursop, passion fruit, blackberry, lulo, pink guava, pineapple, tree tomato, mango, and strawberry.
And Luis is already looking beyond Edmonton.
His next goal is to expand into Calgary and eventually reach customers across Canada, including British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and the East Coast. He has already begun exploring opportunities in Toronto and Montreal.
For Luis, growing Latin Fruits means continuing to build on the experience he brought with him to Canada while sharing products and flavours that have always been part of his life.
With plans to reach more customers across the country, he’s looking forward to seeing where Latin Fruits goes next.
Connect with Latin Fruits
Learn more about Latin Fruits and explore their selection of frozen tropical fruit.
Website: latinfrozenfruits.com
Instagram: @latinfruitfrozen
Facebook: Latin Frozen Fruits Inc.
Building a Business in Alberta?
Whether you’re exploring a business idea, getting ready to launch or growing an existing business, you don’t have to figure everything out on your own.
Business Link Alberta offers free one-on-one support, market research, webinars and resources to help Alberta entrepreneurs navigate their next steps.
Connect with Business Link Alberta to explore the support available to you.
