Lorea Olavarri Transcript
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Hi, everyone. You're listening to The Future Of Food Is You, a production of The Cherry Bombe Podcast Network. I'm your host, Abena Anim-Somuah. And each week, I talk to emerging talents in the food world and they share what they're up to, as well as their dreams and predictions for what's ahead. I love this new generation of chefs, bakers, and creatives, making their way in the world of food, drink, media, and tech.
We have a special episode this week coming to you from Mexico City. I've been spending a lot of time in this bustling city and getting familiar with the local food scene. Today's guest is Lorea Olavarri. Lorea is the chef, owner, and partner of three restaurants across Mexico City. Nero, a pasta bar, Er rre, a French-style bistro, and Margot, a daytime rooftop eatery offering classical French dishes. Lorea chats about her life and passion before transitioning to the hospitality industry, how she opened three restaurants by the age of 27, and how she hopes to gain more professional experience by staging at some dream restaurants. Stay tuned for our chat.
Thank you to Kerrygold for supporting The Future Of Food Is You. Kerrygold is the iconic Irish brand famous for its beautiful cheese made with milk from Irish grass fed cows. It's winter here in New York, and lots of other places as you know, and I love to brighten the season with my favorite Kerrygold Cheeses, Kerrygold's Cashel Blue farmhouse cheese has become a staple in my salads. The creamy delicious texture has that distinct blue cheese bite, and is the star of my kale and walnut salads. Soup season is also in full swing. Kerrygold has some great recipes on their site, and one I have in frequent rotation is roasted broccoli soup, with Kerrygold Dubliner, with Irish stout cheese. The sweet and nutty flavor and caramel notes take it to the next level. And then the sandwich of the season, of course, is grilled cheese. Upgrade yours with a Kerrygold reserve cheddar, which is sharp, strong, rich, and smooth. For us snackers out there, a personal cheese plate always hits the spot. Kerrygold Scalic, a rich and tangy sweet cheese pairs perfectly with tart apple slices, your favorite crackers, or a pickle or two. Look for Kerrygold cheese at your favorite supermarket, specialty grocery store, or cheese shop. Visit kerrygold usa.com for recipes, product information, and a store locator.
This episode of The Future Of Food Is You is brought to you by Oishii. Oishii is the company behind the world's largest indoor vertical strawberry farm, and their mission is to raise the standard of fresh fruit in America. Oishii berries are grown without pesticides and are perfectly ripe, fresh, and always in season. So, how did the brand come to be? In 2016, Oishii founders Hiroki Koga and Brendan Somerville brought seedlings of an Omakase Berry from the Japanese Alps to Jersey City. Now, their indoor vertical farms replicate a perfect day in Japan, complete with warm light, mild heat, and buzzing bees. Recently one of our producers, Londyn Crenshaw, was invited to a dinner to experience each of Oishii's berry varieties. She found the two strawberry varieties, Omakase, and Koyo to be very distinct from each other. She thought the coil berry was tart and complex with a firm texture, while the Omakase was creamy with a delicate sweetness. Think quintessential strawberry flavor. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm definitely going to be checking out my local Whole Foods for Oishii berries, so I can start adding them to my granola bowls in the morning. If you want to learn more about Oishii or see where you can find them near you, check out oishi.com.
Now, let's check in with today's guest. Lorea, thank you so much for joining us on The Future Of Food Is You.
Lorea Olavarri:
Thank you so much for having me. I'm very excited to be here with you.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Can you tell us where you grew up and how did food show up in your life?
Lorea Olavarri:
I was born and raised in Mexico City. Basically been here all my life, but was very lucky to go abroad with my family for some years. We had the opportunity to go to France, and then we also went to San Diego for two years. So I think that was very big part of me, because it opened my eyes to the whole world leaving Mexico for a little while, and I think food showed up in my life very naturally since I can remember inside my house. Since 8:00 AM we're talking about food and my kitchen is always smelling like we're cooking something like the smells in the kitchen. I remember since I'm little, we're always there, very present.
Also, I have a lot of influences from my grandparents, my parents. I never thought food was such a big thing in my life since now that I'm a restaurateur, because when I was little I saw it as a very natural thing. Talk about food all the time. In Mexico, Mexican culture is a lot about when you see someone, it's either to have lunch or breakfast or dinner, or to celebrate something, but in the end, food is always the main character of the event. It's the more important part of the event. When we were little, we used to go to my grandparents' ranch, which is an hour away from Mexico, more like on the countryside. I remember we went there, and 5:00 AM in the morning, we were milking the cows with my cousins. We learned how to kill bunnies even though it sounds very sad.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Rabbit's good.
Lorea Olavarri:
I love rabbit. For me, it's so normal eating it since we've been eating it since I can remember. But we also, I remember killing the sheep, learning how to clean the intestines, everything. So I think that part, going to the garden to grab the vegetables, I saw it as very normal. But then we started going so much because we started studying, we couldn't go as much like the city absorbed us and it stopped being such an important part of me and today that I realized that it was what made me be so in contact with the raw part of food since a very young age.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Is there a particular dish that's like an Olavarri family special?
Lorea Olavarri:
Well, I could name so much, but to name a few that work constant and a common at my house, more Mexican dishes, chile rellenos. My mom just loves them, so sometimes we tell her just stop making the dish so much. Also, chicken fried tacos, it's like flautas. Also, something called budin indio, which is that was very from my house, because you don't see it out there so much. Tipicas albondigas also with rice, very typical of Mexico.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah. What are albondigas for our guests who aren't-
Lorea Olavarri:
It's meatballs.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yes.
Lorea Olavarri:
Mulitas for breakfast. Chilaquiles. And we also have a lot of influence from my grandparents that weren't Mexicans. I'm the third generation here in Mexico, but we have a lot of French and Spanish influences, so like tortilla Tapas, spinach souffle was a very constant in my house. So yeah, recipes from all around, but mostly Mexican of course, since we grew up here. And a lot of European, Spanish, and French cuisine were very present in my life.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Before your life in food, you went to school for fashion and you had a small jewelry business. What was it like going to fashion school and then eventually starting a jewelry line?
Lorea Olavarri:
So yeah, I decided to study fashion. It's funny thing about it today, but it never crossed my mind that I could actually work on food. I never thought about it, since it was something so daily that it was something normal. So I was like, what am I going to study? And I love fashion, still do. So, I go study fashion. I studied here in Mexico at Centro, and I loved it. It was four years of a lot of learning. And I think it helped me so much for what I do today, the creative part and the concept is the building of fashion, has helped me so much to build what I do today.
And so, I started a jewelry brand two years before graduating. It helped me so much, because it was the first time learning anything to do with work. So, it was from building a brand, knowing what the DNA of the brand was going to be. Going to the historic center in Mexico to go look for materials, finding jewelers that would be willing to work in low quantity, small batches. Packaging, who was going to make my packaging. But they always tell you, "You can do a thousand with me." No, I needed a hundred, because it was fine jewelry. So yeah, it was interesting. It was my first time doing anything. The webpage, online selling, how to communicate to the client, how to gain their... How do you say, confianza?
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Confidence.
Lorea Olavarri:
Their confidence, how they could trust-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Their trust.
Lorea Olavarri:
Your product was what you were selling to them. So yeah, it was a great experience. It was my first time knowing and learning about anything that had to do with work. Also, first time working with people. First time employing someone, how to be a boss for the first time. So yeah, I learned a lot from that brand.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And you end up graduating during the pandemic, which obviously is incredibly tricky. But it seems like you slowly transitioned out of fashion into food, and you've developed this hobby for making pasta. I'm really curious, what was the fixation around pasta, and why, and how did you enjoy learning more about it during this time?
Lorea Olavarri:
So, I graduated middle of the pandemic. And like everyone, I had so much time on my hands and I loved cooking. So pasta, I had made pasta before. And every time I made pasta, the whole process of getting the flour out and making the pasta, it was so relaxing. So, I start making so much pasta in the pandemic and got fixated on it and I was like, “I'm going to become an expert on doing this. I love pasta so much." And everyone loved pasta so much. So I was like, "My family's not going to bother eating pasta every day, so let's do it." So, I start first going on YouTube to see the multiple recipes. There's so many ways to make pasta. So, I started watching so much videos like Italian nonnas making pasta.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah. Pasta Grannies and-
Lorea Olavarri:
Exactly. Of course, I got the book after Pasta Grannies. Such an inspiration. And it's so tough that book, because you look at the Pasta Grannies and they make it look so easy, and then you try and you're like, "What?"
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah, well, they have it in their hearts.
Lorea Olavarri:
Their hearts. And you see their arms, they're so strong.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
They've got the muscle memory too.
Lorea Olavarri:
Yeah, it's in their DNA, making pasta. So, I start making so much recipes and learning so much, and start doing my own conclusions and my own recipes. And since I started making so many pasta, we had to eat them with a sauce. So, the sauces came very naturally. I started making sauces, also got inspiration from a lot of books to make the sauces, but I think that part was easier, since I had cooked so much in my house. So I was like, I'm going to make an Amatriciana, but we're going to make it like our house way.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
The all of our specials?
Lorea Olavarri:
Exactly. The classic amatriciana, but I know my family's going to like it this way. They came very naturally, the sauces. So yeah, that's how I became obsessed with pasta.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And it sounds like, at some point your family got sick of the pasta and eventually you wanted to start making it for other people. What was the reception when you started giving pasta to friends or neighbors?
Lorea Olavarri:
See, I started to give it to my aunts, to my friends, very close friends, and they started spreading the word that I was making fresh pasta. And in the pandemic, everyone I think didn't want to cook anymore. So, I started giving to them. And at first, I thought everyone was so happy because I was like, "Of course my aunt is going to tell me it's amazing." But then, started spreading to more not that close people, and everyone started telling me, "It's so great that you're making fresh pasta, because in Mexico it's so hard to find fresh pasta-"
Abena Anim-Somuah:
For sure.
Lorea Olavarri:
"No one's doing it." So I was like, this is something new. People are loving it. People actually appreciate what fresh pasta is. It's another dish from dry pasta. So, people were telling me, oh, it's so great that you're doing it. And I started getting more and more pedidos.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Orders.
Lorea Olavarri:
Orders. And so yeah, that's how I started my tiny homemade business in pasta.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And actually recording in the neighborhood that you grew up in, Lomas. Lomas de Chapultepec. And you stumble into a space, just walking around, that now is your first brick and mortar store, first of three, which we'll get into. How did you find the space, and what inspired you to take the pasta business into a full service cafe and shop?
Lorea Olavarri:
So, I was walking around the neighborhood and in that neighborhood, it's a very residential area. There's only two or three blocks of commercial things. So, it's very hard to find a commercial space that's not taken. So, I was walking around the neighborhood and sadly because of pandemic, well lots of businesses closed. So, I was walking around, and I saw an open space and I was like, "Wow, first time in ages that I see a commercial space for rent in this neighborhood." And it was very close to Odette's Bakery. It's right around the corner.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah, down the block.
Lorea Olavarri:
So, I called her and told her that, "Would it be very crazy if I decide to open up fresh pasta shop near your bakery?" She was like, "Well, I don't know. Do you think it's a good idea?" And I'm like, "Well, I've been thinking about it and there's no places where you can buy fresh pasta in Mexico, so why not do it? I'm loving this."
Abena Anim-Somuah:
You're tired of driving around the city.
Lorea Olavarri:
And that was the first time I thought, maybe I can actually make a business out of food. It had never crossed my mind. And a very important part is that if Odette had already opened her shop, so if I hadn't seen the process of her building a business from scratch, a food business especially, because my family, we have no one close that has ever had food businesses or restaurants or anything to do with food. So, it wouldn't have been... Because Odette had already opened. I don't know if I would've done it with confidence, but she was like, "Look, I made it happen. You can do it too." She made me believe I could do it.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Let's take a quick break and we'll be right back. I have some great news. The Future Of Food Is You is going back on tour, and our first stop is in Miami. Team Cherry Bombe and I are hosting a live podcast event on Friday, March 8th, at Valerie Chang Cumpa's newest restaurant, Maty's. We'll have great talks and panels, snacks and drinks, plus networking. I'm excited to meet the folks who make up Miami's food scene and hope you can join us. March 8th also happens to be International Women's Day, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate than with the Miami Bombesquad. If you'd like to give a solo talk at the event, you can apply through the link in our show notes. Thank you to our friends at Kerrygold, Walmart, and OpenTable for making this store stop possible. Visit cherrybombe.com to get your ticket before they sell out. I'd love to see you there.
Can you tell us about Nero, and how you came up with the name? And also, what can people expect when they come into the space?
Lorea Olavarri:
It started out as just a pasta shop. So at first I opened, and it was only you went in, chose your pasta, and we recommended a sauce, or the client does their own combination, a selection of three cheeses, gourmet products. And what helped a lot was selling Odette's fresh bread and Nero, which gave me a lot of clients at first, so that was a huge big step to get to know me. And Nero comes, the name comes from mero de sepia, which is the calamari ink.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Squid ink.
Lorea Olavarri:
Squid ink. It's Squid ink which is what they use to... It's very common the nero tagliatelle, the pasta that's black, it's painted with squid ink. So I was like, I need to make it shorter. It can be called nero de sepia, has to be catchier. And also Nero means black in Italian, and I've always loved the color black. I always used to dress in black, so I was like, it's perfect. And fashion designers wear black, so I felt like I'm not leaving the fashion world behind. I love black.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yes, that's your uniform.
Lorea Olavarri:
Exactly.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
That's so fun. And obviously, it sounds like Odette has been a really big support and help to you. It's funny, I feel like when she came on the show, she also talked about that time when she did the order for Mr. Chow, and you were also another person that helped her. So, it's really awesome having that relationship. If you don't know who we're talking about, we're talking about Lorea's oldest sister, Odette Olavarri who has a bakery here in Mexico City, and she was also a guest on the show. So, other than your sister, what were other resources or people that you were relying on when you were trying to figure out how to build a space? You've come from home kitchen, to now having to buy professional equipment, to figure out what countertops to buy and things like that.
Lorea Olavarri:
At first, the space I went in and I was like, "There's no way I'm fitting in a store here," because the space was so little and so particularly distributed. So, I called Nassau, the architect that built Odette, which is now a very good friend. If it weren't for him, I don't think I would've been able to fit all the equipment in Nero. So yeah, the architect was a very important part because he structured it to make it work. And for the equipment, at first of course Odette was such a big help. She gave me so many contacts, but being at a different business, a pasta business, I had to find different equipment. So, the way I did it, since I had no one from the industry, Google where of find a pasta machine in Mexico City. So, I called everyone, all the contacts I saw. I went to see the machines, and then also I had a budget, so I couldn't go for the super expensive equipment.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah, whatever gets the job done.
Lorea Olavarri:
So, I had to make decisions, like maybe the pasta machine, I'm going to spend this much, and maybe the refrigerators are not going to be the brand I wanted. So, I had to make adjustments to fit to my budget. And to build the team, that's a really great part of Mexico. I started asking around to people, "Do you know anyone that will be interested or has experience running kitchens, working in kitchens, that would be interested in working in a pasta shop?" And so little by little, from mouth to mouth, the word got around and I made a team.
At first it was me and two others, so it was a disaster, because I thought, "Of course, I'm going to be there all day." My chef and another cook, so us three were going to make it. No, it was a disaster the first week. I remember at 3:00 AM cooking ketchup pepper for the first 10 days, and crying and saying, "I don't want my life to be this, cooking at 3:00 AM vodka sauces. No." I was so dramatic because I didn't sleep. So, now I understand, it wasn't going to be like that. But little by little I started building the team. And I was very lucky, because since day one I had lots of clients, so I could grow the team very fast.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
It's really nice going in there. It's very quaint. You have the pasta bar, but then you also have a full service menu with you know...
Lorea Olavarri:
Before I opened the store, I never thought it was going to become a fully operating restaurant because it was a store and outside three tiny tables, because I said, in case a client wants a glass of wine and some olives, or a piece of cheese. Wasn't going to be a restaurant at all. And as the days went on, the clients were like, "I can only order cheese, but how come you sell pasta and I'm not having pasta on your table?" And the idea started getting into me of putting pastas on the menu. But I had always heard my dad say, "The restaurant industry is horrible, because you're going to be your own slave, and the times are so hard and they steal from you." In my mind, it was the worst industry I could ever get into. So I was saying, "No, it's not going to be a restaurant. It's not going to be a restaurant." But then, instead of three tables, I had four and I had a focaccia with ricotta on the menu, and then I had more entrees. And then one day I was like, "I can't keep deceiving my clients."
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah, go big or go home.
Lorea Olavarri:
Yeah. I need to share my pastas, how I design them, because I'm always scared they're going to go home with my pasta and my sauce, and maybe they're going to cook it the wrong way or they're going to put water into the sauce to make it softer. I don't know. So I was like, "No, I need to give my clients the pasta the way I like it." And that's how the restaurant became what it is today, which is a fully operating restaurant. Now we have 10 tables.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Amazing.
Lorea Olavarri:
And the menu, well, I couldn't make it that big because we have, if you go into the kitchen, it's so small. Since it wasn't planned to be a restaurant, I had to make the space work, to give food to 34 people at the same time. So, I admire my kitchen team there, because they make miracles happen.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
A year and a half into opening Nero, get approached by... You're now a business partner with this idea to open a second restaurant. Can you tell us how those conversations started and what that concept ended up becoming?
Lorea Olavarri:
So Juanjo calls me one day and he's like, "Lorea, I need to tell you something." I'm like, "What?" "I want to open a restaurant." I'm like, "Okay, great. Amazing. How are you going to do it? You have no experience on it." He had never worked in the restaurant industry, and he had studied hospitality, but never did anything that had to do with any of that. So, one day he was so mad that he had been on finance and computers and he was like, "This is over."
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Quarter life crisis.
Lorea Olavarri:
Yeah, "I need to open my restaurant." And so, I was the only person that he knew who owned a restaurant. So he calls me and says, "I'm going to open it. Can we see each other to ask you some questions?" I was like, "Of course." So, we went to get a coffee and he was like, "I want to open a restaurant. I don't know if I want to do breakfast, lunch, dinner, have foie gras on the menu or chilaquiles for breakfast." And I was like, "First of all, you need to know-"
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Slow down.
Lorea Olavarri:
"You have to decide you're going to open for breakfast, for lunch or for dinner. Who are your clients going to be? Where is it going to be?" He was like, "I have the space. You need to come see it and tell me what you think about it." So I was like, "Okay, I'm going to go see it." So, I went to see the space. It was smaller than Nero. I was like, "There is no way. How do you fit a kitchen and clients in here?" So I was like, "Good luck with your restaurant and we'll see each other with your chilequiles and your foie gras on the menu.
aAnd so, he calls me again a week after and he's like, "I have some idea, but I want to ask you, where do you get a chef? How do you build a concept? How do you design the space?" And so, I gave him some advice, but by the third time he called me, I was like, "Juanjo, I can't be working for you. I love helping you, but I have to concentrate on my business, no." So I was like, "Of course I'm going to keep helping you, but I'm not going to design it for you."
And so, it was like we were synchronized and next time he called me, because I was about to propose it to him, but he called me first and he was like, "Lorea, I've been thinking about it. Do you want me by partner on the restaurant?" And so I was like, "Oh wow, okay." See, because I had already been thinking about proposing to him the idea of being partners. And that's how the deal was, he was going to operate it and I was going to do the creative side. So I built the concept, the menu, built the space. Because at first, I was only going to be designing the menu. And after that I told him, "I'm sorry, but I'm so controlling. I'm not going to be able to just do the menu and not know what chair my menu is going to be sitting in."
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah, like a zebra print next to your dishes.
Lorea Olavarri:
I was like, "Uh-huh, I need to know everything about the restaurant my menu's going to be in." So I was like, "If you let me, I design the concept, I design the menu, I design the space." So, that's what happened. And six months after the first call, we opened Er rre.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And what's Er rre for our guests who haven't had a chance to visit?
Lorea Olavarri:
So Er rre is this very small familiar little space in Polanco, which is an area of Mexico, where you go and you know the waiter is going to know you because it's a very neighborhoody place. It's a very bistro experience, elegant but not that elegant. And the food you have there is very bistro, but with my own touch to make it Er rre dishes. So, how I designed that menu, I was thinking a lot about my family este palate. Because it was like, Spanish and French influences. We're going to make it a bistro, so it has to be more on the French side. So, my idea was respecting the classic dishes like the French dishes, of course, with a little twist on the presentation or on the recipe, to make it more on my palate's taste. So yeah, that's what you get at Er rre, a very French menu, but with some touches to make it my personality.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And I will say, it's so funny, I go there once a month. I love getting the steak frites that you have on the menu with the cubed potatoes, which is a fun twist as opposed to the traditional-
Lorea Olavarri:
The cubed ones.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah. And then, you also have the incredible potato with the creme fraiche and the caviar on top, which is just divine, so.
Lorea Olavarri:
That has become the star dish.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah, that's your it dish. Yeah. I remember when we first started chatting, you told me about the story behind Er rre-
Lorea Olavarri:
Ah, si.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
... and the name.
Lorea Olavarri:
I love that story.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah. Why decide on a name like that?
Lorea Olavarri:
When I was building the whole concept, I wanted the name to have something that united Juanjo and I, so I was thinking, "What do we have in common? What do we have in common?" And in the end I thought about it and I was like, we actually both made a mistake. So Er rre, the verb error in Spanish means make a mistake. So I was like, he studied hospitality but did nothing with it. And for me it was like, I didn't study that and ended up being a restaurateur. So I was like, we both made the mistake. And I think it's something very beautiful that from a mistake that Er rre came up. So, it's a little message of saying, from mistakes, great things come and we all need to make mistakes to learn about them, and make great things about them.
And so when I decided, okay, let's do something with error, the way you write Er rre, the bistro name is E-R space R-R-E, which is not the correct way to spell error, but it's made on purpose so that when people say it or write it, they also make a mistake, because a lot of Americans know, or French people, they say "Error", or Americans go, "Errore." So, they make a mistake when they say it. So, it's part of making mistakes.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah. Feel good making a mistake, and then come eat all the delicious foods.
Lorea Olavarri:
Exactly.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah. I love that.
Lorea Olavarri:
Come makes mistakes.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
So, you're not done with restaurant building. Again, most people are like, "Okay, one restaurant, I've got it." You're like, "Okay, two, I'm feeling good." And then you get approached again a few months later, some change after, to open a third restaurant concept, Margot, which is in Roma. It's your first rooftop restaurant. What inspired you to initially become a consultant in that restaurant, and then eventually become a partner as well?
Lorea Olavarri:
My actual partners at Margot, they went to Er rre to have dinner and they loved the place. They were like, "The menu's so good. I love the bistro vibe, the service. The people are so nice." So they knew Juanjo, and they said, "Who designed the place, the menu?" And he was like, "Oh, I'll put you in contact with her." Because I had mentioned one to Juanjo like, maybe my dream is being a restaurant consultant and then not operating it.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
That way you're not crying stirring cacio e pepe.
Lorea Olavarri:
Exactly. So, the idea was, if the opportunity comes up to be a consultant, I would love to try and see if it's something I would like to do in the future. So, I met them at the space, and they had had the space for two years. And it was built to be a restaurant, but they never opened because none of them had ever had restaurants before, and none of them knew exactly what they wanted it to be. So, they invite me over. I go to the space, and it was such a beautiful space. It's all opened, it's a rooftop with a lot of plants everywhere. And since in Mexico we have such a great weather I was like, "Wow, this place, you need to start bringing people to see this."
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And there are very few rooftop restaurants, I feel like, for the most part.
Lorea Olavarri:
Very few because-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Mostly clubs.
Lorea Olavarri:
Exactly. See, that was a big challenge when designing the concept. Say rooftop and not imagine a club in Mexico, is very hard. Very hard. So, they invite me over. And so I go home, and start thinking about it. And I was like, "I don't know, because I have Er rre and I have Nero. I don't know if I'm going to be able to do it." But then I was like, "Er rre is going amazing. We were very lucky too. Nero is also on its feet, working." So for me, it was a great challenge, so I took it. And I was like, it's an opportunity to build again something from zero, but this time being in a very different concept. It wasn't going to be an Er rre. It wasn't going to be anything like Nero. So, it was building something from zero again.
So I said, "Yes, why not? Let's do it." And that's how I did what I did for Er rre, again. So I designed the concept, what it was going to be, the name, the menu. I designed the space also. And this one, it was a different challenge, because they had already built the space how they wanted it to be two years ago. So, the challenge was also not spending that much, and working with what they had and changing as little as possible, but making the concept that I had, work. So that was a challenge, but I think we made it work very well.
So, when I was about to finish the menu... And also, I built the team, the kitchen team and the manager, and I interviewed them and I showed them how the service was going to be, how to run everything on the restaurant. And when I was about to hand it over, the keys, "Here's your restaurant, thank you for letting me be the consultant," I couldn't sleep. I was like, "I'm just going to leave my little other baby, where I designed everything and just go away and not ever know about it again." So I thought about it, and I talked to my partner and said, "It's been amazing. I love the concept. I love everything about Margot. So, I would love to still be part of it in the future, to still go and check that the concept is what I had designed, and that the menu was still with the concept." Because I think it's very easy if the person that knows what it is goes, how can you develop new ideas if you don't have a concept very solid.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And you're not so in touch with it. Totally.
Lorea Olavarri:
Exactly. So they said, "We would love that. Of course we had thought about it, but since you were so clear in the beginning that you are only going to be a consultant, we hadn't proposed it to you, but we would be so happy." And that's how I became part of Margot officially.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
How did Margot's concept differ from both Er rre and Nero?
Lorea Olavarri:
Margot you go and the concept was like, it's like if you went to Margot's house, who is Margot? Nobody knows. There's people that say like, "Yeah, it's like coming to my aunt's house." There's people that say, "Margot's, she feels like my friend," because we wanted to put a picture of Margot or design a painting or something of her, and put it somewhere in the restaurant. And I was like, "No... Margot is whoever she wants to be for everyone."
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I love that.
Lorea Olavarri:
So it's like going to Margot's house, it's very different because it's a more daily space. In morning, which was also a challenge because breakfast is a whole other business. So it's breakfast, lunch, and yeah, it's more... I wouldn't want to specify it as that, but so you get an idea, more girly-ish.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Feminine.
Lorea Olavarri:
Exactly. More feminine, because in the end you're going to Margot's house. So, it's like all these little details, the little antique spoon, and you get a hundred is the cutlery and different plates. If you were at your house.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I've been twice now, and I love just going in the middle of the day, if you're in Roma running some errands. And yeah, it's really fun because I feel like the menu is, you've got some traditional French country fair things. You've got the little Cornish hen leg.
Lorea Olavarri:
Exactly.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
But then, you also have some fun quirky things that you would get at a friend's house, like the kerfuffle sandwich.
Lorea Olavarri:
The kruffle.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
The kruffle. I always trip on my words, but it's the croissant that you've smashed in a waffle press
Lorea Olavarri:
Exactly. It's a waffle croissant.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yes. With a nice bit of sweet cream on the side.
Lorea Olavarri:
That's Margot's signature dish.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And then, you've also got the ham and cheese waffle situation as well too.
Lorea Olavarri:
Exactly.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah. So, it sounds like a fun combination. But I'm really curious, when you think of all the three restaurants you've developed, what are some places you're getting inspiration from? Are there books that you're reading? Movies? Design?
Lorea Olavarri:
See, I think where I get the inspiration, for Nero for example, it was a lot... With my architect, I had a lot of back and forth ideas, and we want to make it a burlynish more cold space.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah, lots of concrete.
Lorea Olavarri:
Exactly.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Brutalist.
Lorea Olavarri:
So if you go in, it's very squared, very clean, very open. And for Er rre and Margot, I think the inspiration... The ideas, I get a lot of books since my... Naso were actually roomies.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
So cool.
Lorea Olavarri:
So, he has so many architectural books. So, I remember opening a lot of books and finding inspiration there, but also a lot from places I have been and love, since they're very European. In Mexico, it's hard to find those places. So lots of books, magazines, and also a lot of my taste, I think, of what I would like when I'm going to a place-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Where you want to go.
Lorea Olavarri:
Exactly. Where it would be, where I would decide to have lunch, if it existed. And that's Margot's.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I love that, because I feel like then in the way you do see your fashion degree come in handy, especially the way colors are contrasting.
Lorea Olavarri:
Super similar.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
The way that textures, especially in Margot, you have the benches that are almost upholstered with your cool aunt's... It could be your cool aunt, your fun grandma. And then Er rre, it's very sleek. It's like the place, your fun friend with the sleek haircut would go or something.
Lorea Olavarri:
And that, I think, is something that studying fashion gave me, because in fashion, especially in my career, they wouldn't let you do anything without having an explanation behind it. So, if you put the zipper, a plastic zipper or a metal zipper, why did you choose that? No. So, everything had a reason. And that I think translated to the restaurants, the design, because it was like, why are the tables at Er rre going to be wood and not be metal? So, everything has a reason behind it.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I feel like asking, "What's a typical week?" wouldn't do justice, how different and how much range you have. But obviously, your restaurants are in three different neighborhoods, in three pretty distinct parts of town. And Mexico City is not the easiest place to get through, especially during rush hour. So I'm curious, how are you able to maintain balance while also checking in on all your restaurants, and feeling like you have a good sense of what's happening? Because to manage one is a lot, and to not even manage three with different personalities, different staff, different ways of organizing and doing things, must be really tough.
Lorea Olavarri:
So first, I had to make peace with traffic. That was the first in Mexico City, but I actually enjoy so much, my music, my podcast. And also, I work a lot when I'm in the car. So, after making peace with that, I love my routine, because every week is very different. So, there can be a week where I go every day to one restaurant. I try to go at least twice a week to each one. But of course, Nero requires more of my time because I have no partners in Nero, so I do a lot more work. But I think, I'm able to have three restaurants because I have built very good relationships with the managers in the restaurants. So it's like, they're my right hand, and I trust them with everything that's going on. When I'm not there, I know they're there checking everything, so it's like if I was there.
So, there can be weeks that if we're doing specials for Er rre, which we change every month, I go there four days, more hours, or there can be weeks that I go to Margot's more, because we need to change something on the menu, or I just want to be there more, and check the staff and the service and the clientele. That's a very difficult part of not being able to go every day to the restaurant. The clients, they love seeing the owner there.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah, they want to know you.
Lorea Olavarri:
It gives a lot of charm. So, in Er rre and Margot it's easier, because I have partners. So, they're the face of the restaurant. But in Nero, and it's the one that's furthest away from where I live, so I try to be there as much as possible. But of course, it comes a time when you can't handle all of that.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah, it's really special that you've just been able to make peace with your reality, because I think you could also find yourself in this position where you're like, I'm just chasing my tail. I can never get it done.
Lorea Olavarri:
A lot of times it's like when I'm mad, "You have so much work and you're going to go crazy." And then I remind myself, "Did someone force you into doing three restaurants?" And I'm like, "No, you chose it. So now, enjoy it and go work and smile, and remind yourself why you're doing this, and how much you love it." I have to remind myself of that and be like, "Yes, I love what I do."
Abena Anim-Somuah:
The self-talk.
Lorea Olavarri:
Yes.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah, I love that. I also really love how realistic you are about your restaurant experience. You've never worked in a professional restaurant until you owned your restaurant, and it seems like you've been able to hire really impressive teams. How are you able to learn from the chefs, and managers, and staff that you're hiring when it comes to helping you understand your restaurant acumen, so to speak?
Lorea Olavarri:
So for me, coming into the industry with no experience at all from whatsoever. Not working there, or knowing anyone that was in the industry, it has been very interesting. At first, in Nero, it was a lot of learning by making mistakes. So, it took me twice the time to learn some things. But what has helped me the most, is the people that come work at my restaurants. I learn so much from them. It's like we make a good team because the not coming from a restaurant before, gives me a whole different perspective on everything, how you operate a restaurant and a lot on the culinary side. This specifically. I know how my dish has to look, and taste and smell. I know what the final product has to be. In my mind it's there. But for me, getting to that result takes me a lot more time that someone with experience.
So, that's where my chefs help me a lot. I'm like, "This has to be the result. I want to make this recipe, I want to make this dish. How would you get to that point?" So they tell me, "I would do it this, this, this way." And I'm like, "I would do it that way." And he's like, "But you're crazy. How would you do that to a chicken?" I'm like, "Have you tried it?" "No." I'm like, "Let's try it. Let's try it and see what works best." So, the merge of those two perspectives is what has made me see kitchen from a very different perspective than people that come from the industry.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I want to talk about the realities on running restaurants. You don't go to restaurants to make money. The profit margins are high, really expensive to run. There's a lot of stuff involved. How were you able to raise capital for your restaurants? And do you have advice for anyone that's thinking about trying to open the physical space or get creative in terms of the resources that they have? And I know that the infrastructure is also different in Mexico City, but yeah, I just would love to get perspective on that.
Lorea Olavarri:
Of course. I was very lucky, very, because for Nero, I had family support. I had a family loan. And that gave me, it's less pressure because you know you can pay it little by little, with not that much interest as a bank. So, I got very lucky. And for Er rre Margot, my partners were the investors. So also, I got very lucky. I could do my baby from their inversion. They trusted me with their money. So, I think I got very lucky. But if I were to open something and didn't have partners that were putting the money in, I think my advice would be, first of all, if you've never done something, start small, so your loan doesn't have to be that big. And first, you open small and when it's a success, then you can go bigger. So, you can ask people for loans, and you show them you're putting your money into this, which is a success, and I'm behind it, and I love it, and clients love it. So now, they trust they're putting their money into something that works.
And to start small, before going to the bank, for example, because it's very hard finding loans. I tried. My family was like, "We're going to give you the loan, but first you're going to do the whole process like we weren't. Go to the bank, ask for how much money..." To make me appreciate the opportunity I was getting. So, I went to the bank, and what they were going to loan was very little.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Peanuts.
Lorea Olavarri:
But it made me be so grateful that I had the opportunity, and realize how lucky I was. But I would advise asking loans, even if it's small to more people, to loved ones, because when you have a loved one give you money, it's because you know they really believe in you, and that gives you the impulse to work harder and to make it work faster. Because you want to give them their money back as soon as you can, to show them how grateful you are that they believed in you.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
There is power in starting small, and I think people always assume that there's overnight successes, but there's no such thing. Everyone works hard. You can't do it on your own. Takes a village.
Lorea Olavarri:
Er rre.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yes.
Lorea Olavarri:
Again, make mistakes.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Er rre is the mantra.
Lorea Olavarri:
And I think it's easier to make little mistakes at first and start small. If you see that your small business is not going great, it's easier to make it work, in comparison if you open something very big, to make it work it's harder.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
One of the realities of running restaurants in Mexico City too, is that there's a lot of allegations and reports when it comes to labor violations, and there's definitely a stratified class when it comes to staff being underpaid. And you've been really adamant on making sure that your kitchens are safe and supportive environments. How has this impacted the culture in your kitchens, and how do you think your attitudes towards these practices inspires the rest of the industry in Mexico City?
Lorea Olavarri:
Well, in Mexico and everywhere around the world, but in Mexico, I think it's a little worse. I don't know. Maybe I say it like that because I live here. But the industry, it's very normalized. Bad practices are very normalized. Low wages, extra hours, not being paid, doubling shifts, not having a personal life outside of work. For me, even if I love my job and I work very much, for me, it's very important to never let your personal life go. So, I try to give this to my employees, and showing and appreciating their work by paying well. Because in Mexico, what happens a lot is that they steal the tips, which they count on. It's like-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
You mean owners steal tips?
Lorea Olavarri:
Uh-huh. It's part of the wage, and they steal it for X or Y reason, but it's very normalized. And employees don't know that that's illegal. Since they don't know it, they can't come up to the bus and say, "Oh yeah, you owe me my tips." It has happened to me a lot that people come work with me and they're like, "Why do you pay so much in so little hours?" And I'm like, "No, wait." What I always ask myself is, "Would you be willing to make what your pasta maker does for that many hours, for what you're paying? If the answer is yes, it's that it makes sense." If it would be no, it's like you either are paying very low or they're working too much. So, I try to respect that as much, and show them that it's not wrong to be well paid. It's very funny. It sounds funny when I say it, but it has happened to me so much that they under appreciate their work.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I'm really curious to hear how you found community in the industry in terms of people that, not necessarily like chefs or anything, but other people in food that have inspired you, or made you feel good about what you're working on.
Lorea Olavarri:
For me, that has been a tough part since I'd never worked in a restaurant. The food community out there, for me, the process of knowing people has been slower. And also because what we were talking about, I'm so hard on this, the fair practices, that I've been neglecting going into the community. Because for me, it's very hard, even if you meet the chef, not at this restaurant, of course I'm going to be happy to. But I have to make sure the person I'm meeting is working towards a more fair practice, working community. I don't know how to say it.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Sustainable. More sustainable restaurant.
Lorea Olavarri:
Exactly. And I think as a community of the food industry in Mexico, we have to push towards having similar practices in all kitchens. Having a standardized practice that you can see in all kitchens, because having teams, most of the people that come work with me, have worked in other places. And you can see someone that came from a place where they were happy, their practices were good. And you see people that come from places that you've heard that are amazing, but it was the worst experience of their life. So, I think the community has to push towards being more fair and not having those differences behind kitchens. Because for me, what happens in the kitchen and in the operation, is what translates to the client experience.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
1000%.
Lorea Olavarri:
You can taste it. Even though you see it from the out outside, you're like, "Wow," the experience is not going to be good if the people working there are not happy.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I know you've talked a little bit about wanting to develop your culinary experience, maybe perhaps staging somewhere, or just getting more experience in other restaurants to hopefully inspire those that bring them back home to you. Obviously, you know we're huge manifesters on the podcast. So, are there any particular restaurants or places that you'd love to stag at some point, obviously outside of Mexico City, that you think would make you feel more confident in the kitchen?
Lorea Olavarri:
See, I think right now I'm happy with my experience in my restaurants, very happy. But I think the next project cooking in my head, to make it happen, I need so much more experience on restaurant management, first of all. And I think I can only learn that from people that I have been doing it for way more years than I have. And on the culinary side, I need to gain more experience on bigger restaurants, because my three restaurants are small.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I think each are under 50 seats, something like that?
Lorea Olavarri:
Under 40.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
40, oh wow.
Lorea Olavarri:
The biggest is 40. So, I would love to gain experience on a bigger restaurant and more elegant fine dining, because that's where my mind is going in my head.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
That's where restaurant number four is coming.
Lorea Olavarri:
I don't know. But yeah, I don't know why, but I know I want this, and I know I want to learn from fine dining. So, I would love to go to the classics like Le Bernardin. I would love New York, because I think New York is the mecca of fine dining since so long ago. And I can't go that far, because I still have businesses to run. So, I think New York would be a good idea. I also would love to go to 11 Madison Park, also because I would love to learn. I know he's very into vegetables.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Daniel Humm? Yes.
Lorea Olavarri:
And I would love to incline more on that, because I think that's the future where we all have to go. So, there at the Jean Jacque, any fine dining, elegant. And the places I mentioned, I think also have a lot to do with Er rre, on a bigger scale of course and more fine dining. But it's the kind of menu I would like to learn from.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Is there a dream guest that you'd love to visit Er rre, Nero, or Margot? If they just walked in, you would be-
Lorea Olavarri:
I would love, I really admire Lalo Garcia.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Who's the chef at Maximum Bistrot.
Lorea Olavarri:
Exactly. And especially of course because his menu and his skills as a chef, but also talking about fair practices. There's people that have worked at his restaurants that come to work with me, and they talk with a smile on their faces of their experience with him. So, I would love to meet him and ask him how he handles human relationships with his employees.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Lorea, thank you so much for joining us on the show. If we want to continue to support you, we're the best places to find you.
Lorea Olavarri:
On social media, as loreaolavarrip on Instagram, or Nero, or Er rre on Instagram. I still see the direct messages sometimes.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Awesome. Thank you so much.
Lorea Olavarri:
Thank you so much.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Before we go, our guest is going to leave a voicemail just talking to themselves 10 years from now. You have reached The Future Of Food Is You mailbox, please leave your message after the beep.
Lorea Olavarri:
Hola, Lorea in 10 years. I hope by now you've opened the restaurant of your dreams. I hope it's in Mexico City. I hope you have a great team. I hope you know everyone on your team. I hope your clients coming to your restaurant, and feel the vibe of you being there and of all your team being happy. I hope you're closer or you have somewhere you can go to the garden and grab your vegetables, and be closer to nature. I hope you're still very close to your family and to your sister, and you still call each other five times a day. I hope you've achieved your dream of studying more, of becoming an expert on vegetable cooking. And yeah, I hope you're very happy and still in the food industry, and making an impact on food in Mexico.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
That's it for today's show. I would love for you to leave a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to the show. Thank you to Kerrygold and Oishii for supporting our show. The Future Of Food Is You is a production of The Cherry Bombe Podcast network. Thanks to team at CityVox Studios, executive producers, Kerry Diamond and Catherine Baker, associate producer Jenna Sadhu, and editorial assistant, Londyn Crenshaw. Catch you on the future flip.