Ignacio Micieli: 30 years. From Carmen de Patagones
Gastronomic entrepreneur

VERONA RESTAURANT & COFFEE
ROMA BEER & FOOD

5 Why’s: Why, Who, Where, When, What, To whom?
On October 1, 2015, VERONA restaurant was opened in Carmen de Patagones. A place for the family, aimed at the middle / upper class with excellent distinctive dishes.
It all started in the city of La Plata as a food service and then culminated with the opening of the restaurant.
In 2017, ROMA opened a modern brewery in Viedma city in front of Patagones.

2. How did you come up with your idea and what do you find unique about your business?
There was always the idea of ​​opening a restaurant and a brewery with various gourmet dishes as well as different types of beer and simple dishes to accompany the drink. While they are not the only ones of their kind in the city, they are crowded.

3. If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out/ your younger self, what would it be?
As main advice I would say that you can't cover everything at the same time, the important thing is the creation of a good product, segment so that demand will be directed and above all form a good work team.

4. Do you remember the exact moment when you came up with this idea? Did it look silly in the beginning? How did you feel then?
The idea was always present, it could be realized by forming a company together with an accountant. It was never a silly idea, with patience we managed to open an excellent restaurant.

5. Did the society and the people around you tell you that you should stop being silly and you should find a 9 to 5 job like all the quot; normaly quot; people?
No, on the part of society there was always absolute support, maybe sometimes I doubt about where to place the restaurant and the brewery

6. What played the crucial role in your success: your formalor your non – formal or informal education?
My formal education, perseverance and a correct work team were the main factors to achieve success

7. Do you remember how many times did you decide to quit?
We never decided to give up this project.

8. After you came up with business idea, first 5 things you needed to to in order to put idea into practice ?
The main needs to start the business are: money, time, a good physical space, forming a team and having patience because everything takes time.

9. How many times you recognize you fail? Explain your failure and in the way you overcome them?
Several times I have failed, mainly due to problems with the work team and conflicting employees. I have always overcome these moments talking with each of them.

10. Tell me about your best and worst days at work.
My best days are when the two gastronomic spaces are working well, occupied with the maximum number of people.
The bad days are reflected in the face of economic problems and increases in products, this means that the quota of people we expect is not reached, the pace of work and the desire of the employees is lost.

11. What do you do when you’re not at work? (work-life balance)
In my free time I dedicate myself to travel within my country or abroad, I am permanently interested in knowing new things.

12. You have two teleportation devices. Where do you place them, and why?
I would teleport to Amsterdam and Thailand, they are heavenly places where I lived the best experiences.

13. What are you afraid of?
The only fear I have is to die

14. Who is or was your mentor?
I don't have or had a mentor.

15. How do you like to receive feedback? How do you like to give feedback?
I like to receive comments by word of mouth, expressing conformity or suggestions. I like to solve problems by speaking to solve them in the best way.

16. What was the newest thing you’ve learned?
With the passage of time I could learn to correctly express my ideas with employees, as well as, learn the procedure of creating new beers

17. What was the last thing you taught someone?
The last thing I taught were recipes, since I am a professor at the Viedma Cooking Institute

18. Every brand usually wants to stand out. And have this different style and looks and way of doing things. Is it important for you?
Surely every starting entrepreneur thinks of it highly, but once in it, it might be more about survival and essential things than this kind of visual fun. How is yours going? I seek the recognition of people for the quality of the dishes.

19. What do you look for in an employee/partner to be when hiring or partnering? What is a must to work with you?
In the employees I look for good predisposition and desire to work to be able to succeed

20. What are the challenges you have faced while growing your startup?
At the beginning of this process I had to deal mainly with serious problems with employees

21. From where you got the necessary funds to develop your start-up?
The funds were acquired from bank and family loans.

22. What are your expanding plans?
The idea is to tender a new restaurant, managing to expand the ROMA brewery, as well as renting a Hotel in Bariloche with a partner from the hotel sector.

23. What opportunities your start-up has at national and international level?
Thanks to our exquisite dishes we achieve recognition both in the local population and the tourists who visit our city.

24. Do you have plans in the future to expand your portfolio of products/services?
Yes, creating new gastronomic challenges. Cook in different places, constantly innovating the dishes offered

25. Did you ever consider to start a new business? If so, what would you do differently this time? In which industry/sector it would be?
Yes, I intend to open new frontiers in the hotel sector for young people, delegate more responsibilities. I have 20 employees in total