By Carolina de la Cajiga
Attitude, willingness, and self-confidence are hallmarks that distinguish self-made entrepreneurs. Hunger, desperation, and the desire to keep charging forward, regardless of the obstacles are often the spark. Guillermo Pruneda has encountered all these. He went from commercial pilot to cook, to restaurateur, and along the way lost everything.
For Pruneda, flying old airplanes that required a pilot’s skill was not work but excitement and passion. He lamented, «When I got promoted to modern airplanes that almost fly by themselves, the exhilaration vanished. My expertise ceased to have value, and I got bored.» Then, just as he pondered what to do next, he crossed paths with someone who offered him the opportunity to manage his businesses in the Yucatán. Pruneda spent 10 years running hotels and a tour operator company. This job allowed him to travel around the peninsula and, out of personal interest, learn about the Yucatán’s traditional cuisine directly from local cooks who still use the old techniques.
Then Pruneda decided to develop his own project. Together with his wife, Patricia, they opened one restaurant and then another, until they owned a chain of cafeterias and restaurants. To keep growing, they reinvested all their resources in the business. Everything was going superbly when the pandemic hit. The government in Yucatán, which probably had the strictest pandemic regulations in Mexico, ordered the shutdown of most businesses, particularly those dealing directly with customers. For the Prunedas, this was catastrophic. They couldn’t continue paying rent and salaries. Without income, they eventually went bankrupt, losing all they had achieved. «It was devastating. Unimaginable,» Pruneda says, still in pain.
He urgently needed to come up with ideas of what to do next. With his knowledge in the restaurant field and his unbound desire to get back on track, Pruneda selected Guadalajara for his next adventure. After Covid, though, opening any business was an uphill struggle, and he didn’t get the results he expected. From time to time, Pruneda came to visit his sister in San Miguel. «I fell in love with the town and noticed how quickly it had recuperated from the lockdown. My sister offered to help me start again. I accepted and began researching San Miguel’s gastronomic offerings. Fortunately, I found no Yucatán food here. I conducted surveys to test my cochinita pibil (smoked pulled pork Mayan style), lechon (suckling pig), and pollo en escabeche (marinated chicken). The results were encouraging. The second step was marketing my dishes. I decided that TOSMA, the organic market on the Ancha de San Antonio, would be the right place. I applied for a locale, and a month later was accepted. Immediately, I brought all my triques (stuff) from Guadalajara and began my new venture in this great little city,» Pruneda recalls with enormous relief.
The beginning was rough, as he expected. «It takes time to introduce unfamiliar, somewhat exotic flavors. But when the product is good, people open up and accept them,» Pruneda says, satisfied and somewhat surprised at the speed with which the news spread. Soon, I needed my own space. The search was challenging, as rents are exorbitant, particularly for a start-up business. I was getting discouraged when I found a place to open my first restaurant in San Miguel de Allende.»
Social networks have helped make his restaurant, Peninsula Mayan BBQ, known. «Customer recommendations to friends and family, and comments on email lists and social networks from the expat community have been so helpful. In addition, restaurant reviews on blogs like Don Day’s was essential,» Pruneda says gratefully. In addition to the delicious food, customers love listening to Pruneda share his knowledge of Mexican traditions and customs.
After months of anguish, the family is settling nicely in San Miguel. In the mornings, the Prunedas take their daughter to school, and from there they go to their restaurant to clean and prepare to open. Patricia tends to the restaurant while Guillermo returns home to cook and replenish inventory. He buys locally to support SMA’s economy, except for the unusual spices that give his dishes their unique flavor and aroma. Pruneda gets them fresh from the central market in Mérida, together with the unique wood necessary to smoke the stews for 12 hours, following the traditional Yucatán cooking methods. The aromas that emanate when he’s cooking range from mild to intense. Axiote (Bixa Orellana), the main spice, comes from a short evergreen tree with big violet flowers that produce hard, bright reddish seeds that have earthy, peppery, and fruity aromas with hints of mint. This seed is what gives Guillermo’s tacos and tortas that unique tropical color and taste–finger-licking good!
Pruneda foresees a prosperous future. He plans to grow by opening restaurants in other cities and states. «I want more people to try the exquisite dishes from Yucatán that are part of the culinary history of my beloved Mexico. Entrepreneurship is my passion, but I’m not alone. My family’s support and help have been vital throughout the journey. Who would have imagined what Covid brought? I had to come up with fresh ideas and rethink my strategy to start all over again. Nevertheless, I got back on my feet, though jumping through so many hoops was tough. I still highly recommend the entrepreneurship challenge––never give up!
You can find Pruneda at his restaurant Peninsula Mayan BBQ on Salida a Celaya 14 (next to the Mobil gas station), peninsula.sma@gmail.com, WhatsApp 999 738 5659, and peninsula.sma
Schedule: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 2-5pm.
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