How a Tampa restaurant is helping Venezuela earthquake victims

The devastation of two earthquakes in Venezuela is impacting the Bay Area, where locals are sharing firsthand accounts and others are stepping up to provide relief.

admin June 25, 2026 3 minutes read

TAMPA, Fla. – The devastation of two earthquakes in Venezuela is impacting the Bay Area, where locals are sharing firsthand accounts and others are stepping up to provide relief.

Venezuela Earthquake Impact

What they’re saying:

Lakeland native Brian Newman was on the sixth floor of his Airbnb in Caracas, Venezuela when two earthquakes – magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 — hit back-to-back on Wednesday.

“A lot of shaking. It’s hard to walk,” Newman remembers. “A lot of things were falling off the walls, falling down and breaking.”

It all lasted about a minute, he said, adding that he’s grateful he and his family are okay.

“So I’m going to stay put until it’s safe to travel and try to get the heck out of here once the airport opens,” Newman added.

The aftermath of back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday, leaving buildings heavily damaged and communities in urgent need of relief.

Tampa Restaurant Relief Efforts

Local perspective:

At Are Pitas on Fletcher Ave. in Tampa, the news hits close to home. The family that owns the restaurant has seen the pictures and videos coming out of Venezuela. Thankfully, they were able to contact loved ones living near the hardest-hit areas.

“They still felt all the earthquake and stuff, so it was really bad and some stuff fell over, but it wasn’t as bad (as other areas),” Valeria Barrientos, whose family owns Are Pitas, said.

The exterior of Are Pitas, a family-owned restaurant on Fletcher Avenue in Tampa. The establishment is stepping up to aid disaster relief by donating 10% of its sales to recovery efforts in Venezuela.

What you can do:

Are Pitas is donating 10% of its sales to recovery efforts in Venezuela. The family will also handle getting clothes and supplies donated by Bay Area residents to those who need it most.

Valeria Barrientos (left), whose family owns Are Pitas, interacts with customers. The Tampa restaurant is organizing community relief, accepting clothing and supply donations to send to those affected by the earthquakes.

“We want them to remember that even though we live on a separate, on a whole different continent, that we still remember them. Even if they live here or there, we want them to feel hope that everything’s going to be okay, because hopefully, everything will be okay,” Barrientos said. “And we just want them to know that we remember them and that they still have a very big part in our heart.”