Miguel Puchol, entrepreneur of Mantequerias Pirenaicas and INSA Alumni Promotion 2015
A benchmark company in Gourmet Gastronomy located in Barcelona. Exquisite croquettes and a wide variety of omelettes
Our most sincere congratulations for your great professional success. Miguel, -At what point in your life did you decide you wanted to become an entrepreneur?
It was as a result of a personal experience, we had premises under our house and we didn’t want a business that didn’t interest us to set up there. We wanted to bring something quieter to the neighbourhood so we decided to open Mantequerías Pirenaicas a gourmet café offering breakfast and good omelettes.
It happened to coincide with my last year at INSA when we had to develop a Business Plan (business idea). I thought I could take advantage of this opportunity to develop my business plan by applying it to Mantequería Pirenaicas, given that I would have to dedicate a lot of time to the project.
How long did it take you to carry out the project and what feelings did you have when you started it?
As I said, the Business Plan was an accelerator for my strategy and set-up. The day after presenting the Business Plan, we opened the first premises! The sensations were motivating, with a lot of effort as I was working and studying at the same time, but at the same time we said to ourselves… let’s try it out and if it doesn’t work we’ll transfer it.
What do you consider to be the basic elements that an entrepreneurial project must have in order to be successful and grow?
At the moment, I would say contrast it with someone who has experience in the sector. In the end, not being afraid is another fundamental part.
I always explain that at that time I could work 100 hours a week without any problem. It’s a baby, there are many things that can go wrong, you have to be on top of it, you have to dedicate time to it.
Today there are many things I could do, for example, I could have an operations manager, but I have always liked to be there for my clients and with my team. Having a direct relationship with my team helps us all pull together in the same direction.
One of the sectors most affected by Covid 19 was the restaurant industry. What impact did the pandemic have on your business and how did it affect you? What opportunities or threats do you see in the current context?
It was a completely shock for us! we found ourselves in a situation practically at the limit: Payroll payments, drop in turnover, we were closed for three months due to the lockdown and zero income… We had to make a capital contribution to be able to meet all our obligations and maintain our great team. I still remember that we had to close on the 14th of March and the first decision we took on the 16th of March was to pay all our suppliers, it was a very good decision because afterwards we have achieved a closer relationship with our suppliers.
On the other hand, during the crisis, the opportunity for delivery came up, and now we have a shop that is exclusively dedicated to this. In fact, it has become a line of business almost as important as the main one.
What projects are you currently working on?
We are opening L’Italiano Perso, an Italian restaurant in two weeks, and we are working on another restaurant. This has been the year of most growth, if all goes well by mid 2023 we will have 6 locations operating.
Being your own boss has its advantages but also has disadvantages, what do you value the most and what is the most complicated thing about being your own boss?
It requires a lot of responsibility, decision making and little sleep. I think my retirement will be to throw the phone out of the window. It’s non-stop, between suppliers and things that come up on a daily basis, you are always connected.
On the other hand, you have the advantage of being able to do whatever you want, if I want to go on holiday for a week I don’t have to explain myself to anyone.
What would you say has been the best advice you have been given? What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of starting a business?
U A phrase that my grandfather taught me that says “I am too young to give advice and I am too old to receive it” In the end, each project is different and if you have passion and dedication you can succeed. As my catering management teacher told me: “on paper you do everything you shouldn’t do, but in your case it has worked for you”. In the end you have to surround yourself with people who encourage you to believe in your project.
Now that you have experience and it’s been years since you left INSA, have you applied much of what you learned there?
In the end the project has come from there, so I could say yes. Issues such as communication, customer acquisition, corporate image, are necessary aspects nowadays and give you a great differential value in any project. I also have to say that I had a great time; they are good years… How could they not be?