Papi's Pizza Loma Partida
THE STORY
In the island community of Loma Partida, there are no roads. No power grid. No running water. And until recently, no formal employment for women.
So we built something from scratch.
Papi's Pizza, Loma Partida is a community restaurant built over the water in one of Panama's most remote Indigenous communities. It runs entirely off-grid — powered by solar panels, with water collected from rain catchment. The only way to get here is by boat.
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The restaurant employs Ngäbe women from the community, providing dignified work, steady income, and a space to develop real business skills. Women prepare and serve food, manage daily operations, and take leadership roles that didn't exist before.
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It started as a simple idea: what if women here could work, earn, and lead — right in their own community? Today, Papi's Pizza is proof that it's possible.
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"We didn't wait for roads or power lines. We built what we needed with what we had."
HOW IT WORKS
100% Solar Powered
Completely off-grid.
Rainwater Catchment
Fresh water comes from the sky.
Boat Access Only
There are no roads to Loma Partida.
Indigenous Women-Run
Employment opportunity.
The restaurant runs entirely on solar energy — panels installed on-site power everything from wifi connection to refrigeration.
A rainwater collection system provides all the water needed for food preparation, septic system, and daily operations.
Visitors, supplies, and the women who work here all travel by cayuco or boat across open water.
Indigenous Ngäbe women from the surrounding community make Papi'sPizza run smoothly.
THE IMPACT
Papi's Pizza isn't just a restaurant. It's the economic engine of a community that had none.
For the women who work here, it means a paycheck, new skills, and the dignity of formal employment — many for the first time in their lives. For the community, it means a gathering place, a source of local pride, and proof that sustainable development doesn't require waiting for outside infrastructure.
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The restaurant also serves as a training ground. Women learn food preparation, business management, customer service, and leadership — skills they carry into other areas of their lives and into their families.
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By the numbers:
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6 Indigenous women employed through the restaurant program
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Sponsor of local soccer team
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100% off-grid, (solar-powered, rain catchment) since opening
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Zero connection to any external power grid or water system
VISIT US
Ready to eat with purpose?
Papi's Pizza is located in Loma Partida, in the Ngäbe-Buglé territory of Loma Partida, Bocas del Toro, Panama.
The restaurant is only accessible by boat.
How to get here:
From Bocas Town or Almirante, take a water taxi or private boat to Loma Partida. Ask locally for Papi's Pizza — everyone on the island knows it. PanaBocas Express water taxi from Isla Colón — departures at 11:30am, 2pm, and 4:30pm. $8 per person each way.
Hours:
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 12pm–6pm
What to expect:
The best pizza in Panama, cold drinks, and a warm welcome — served over the water with amazing Caribbean atmosphere. Set in the indigenous fishing village of Loma Partida. When you eat here, 10% of your purchase supports Indigenous women's employment and community programs and 100% of tips go to the staff.
WhatsApp: +507 6302-2153
Coordinates: 9.15710° N, 82.17107° W
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Papi's Pizza is more than a single restaurant. It's a model for what community-led economic development can look like in remote, underserved regions.
What makes the model work:
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Built with existing resources (solar, rainwater, local labor) — no dependency on external infrastructure
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Generates earned revenue that supports ongoing community programs
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Creates formal employment where none existed
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Develops transferable skills in business, leadership, and food service
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Replicable in other off-grid island communities in the region
We believe this model can scale. With the right partners, we can bring solar-powered, women-run enterprises to other Ngäbe-Buglé communities facing the same challenges.
Interested in supporting or replicating this model?
