End of the "Design The Restaurant Experience" Course

This week marked the the end of the “‘Design The Restaurant Experience‘” course, an event celebrated at the Disseny Hub Barcelona, in which the entrepreneurs presented the projects they have been working on for the past six months.

The participants in this course, an initiative driven by BCD and Plateselector with the support of the Barcelona City Council, are entrepreneurs who want to carry out a restauranteur or renovation project or give new meaning to their business through the application of design and its methods.

During the six-month period, the entrepreneurs have acquired skills and techniques for how to apply design, and a series of tools that will allow them to find creative and innovative solutions to their challenges. They have dived deep into topics such as their own conceptions of the idea of business, branding, innovation, interior design, the objective, the user experience, human resources, point-of-sale, internal management, communications strategy, and more. This content, summed up by various mentors who have advised the alumni from a culinary perspective, and in management too, have helped the entrepreneurs to get their proposals off the ground. Additionally, the participants have had the opportunity to get to know first-hand the experiences of professionals in this sector.

The attendees of the closing festival — an event put on with the support of Bodegas Torres, Sant Aniol y Piazza D’Oro — were able to get to know first-hand the final result of this whole process, which has materialized in eight projects in the realm of food, presented by their own entrepreneurs.

La Bikineria — Maria Formoso: This concept is a culinary space that’s very simple and scaleable, with a grand execution. It’s a gourmet bikini sandwich shop, located in smaller-sized stores in different parts of the city, where each customer can make their own bikini, a Catalonian hot ham-and-cheese sandwich. They can choose carefully selected ingredients: different types of breads, meats, and cheeses. The bikinis are served hot and made-to-order.
Sobres Mestres — Nikoletta Theodoridi: To break away from the seemingly inevitable tendency to waste food, Nikoletta laid out a project that will soon see the light of day. Traveling food and awareness workshops will be offered where 100% of the ingredients will be unused products from non-commercial local producers. This reuse won’t only be applied to collection, but also a style of cooking that’s based on 100% of raw materials having a culinary use.
El Gallinero – Sergi Bellvert: With locally produced products as a rallying call, Sergi sets up an experience for everyone where, with a rustic feel, you’ll be able to enjoy not only quality food in groups in a unique setting, but also the experience of ‘sponsoring’ a hen and being able to eat its eggs, cutting out the middleman and making customers more aware.
Hema – Helena Reis: A culinary experience with vegetarian, vegan, and healing food. Its objective is for its clients to achieve a better feeling of physical and emotional health, through food and their own surroundings in space. Hema is looking for space in Portugal and Galicia.
El Caifan – Gerardo Sucilla: Coming from Mexico, Gerardo unites the concept of Mediterranean “tapas” with high-quality Mexican food. All surrounding a central idea that combines gastronomy, design, and art, with the wish to make Barcelona known to talented young Mexicans.
Chis Keik – Asun Uñó: With experience in other successful establishments, Chis Keik’s proposal, which will see the light of day in September, is a delivery service specializing exclusively in cheesecake, with a substantial and original menu. The cakes will be offered to hotels and restaurants, and also can be ordered for special events.
80-20ml – Matías Sarli: With many years in the wide-ranging world of mixology, Matías plays with the concept of pairing baked goods with mixed drinks. The aspects of scents, flavors, and presentations are combined with the most sophisticated pastry work. This project is already in existence, but during this course Matías has had the opportunity to improve different aspects of the company with the goal of opening his own shop soon.
El Paladar – Eduard Baviera: Coming from the experience of private service in homes and service catering events, Eduard proposes the union of foods from around the world, picking locations based on where he has lived and travelled. He’s invested all this knowledge in cooking and in different cultures to create intense personal experiences where he takes care of every detail.

Due to of the results of this first edition of “Design the Restaurant Experience,” BCD and Plateselector are now working on a new course that’ll include new formats and dynamics meant to strengthen, even more, the entrepreneurship in the city’s restaurant business.