We were lucky to catch up with Carolina Omedas recently and have shared our conversation below.
Carolina , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
Many things happened for Macondo Coffee Kendall to become a reality. I would say that we ended up having a restaurant due to a series of circumstances that came together randomly and chaotically, and also because of the great need to find our space in a new city where we had arrived with our entire family. My husband, who is a musician, recorded an album, and I was looking for venues where he and his band could perform. This led us to tour different venues in the city, realizing that this plan would run its course quickly.
One day, we performed at Macondo Doral, and I felt a deep connection, like an epiphany. We had already conducted market research to open a theater because culture and the arts have always been something we wanted to develop. But that wouldn’t be enough; we needed to create a business and evaluated various options… until I went to Macondo and had that revelation.
The founders of the brand had the idea of franchising, but nothing was concrete. We discussed the possibility of replicating Macondo Doral in Kendall, and six months later, we were already reviewing the contract.
Five years have passed, and each day I am happier and more grateful to open the doors of Macondo Kendall. We have overcome many obstacles and also experienced many joys. The balance is very positive.
I had never worked in a restaurant before, but in my country, I had worked in the family business, handling logistics, retail, and customer service. That experience, along with my passion for hosting friends and cultivating friendships, made my dream come true almost without realizing it. I live my work as a daily celebration where customers are our guests, and I am a good hostess who enjoys ensuring everything runs perfectly.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
We arrived in Miami in 2015 and, after two or three years of setbacks, discouragements, and some failures, I started seriously looking for a business opportunity. It became an urgent necessity. My premise was simple: I needed to create my own job. I made a list of my skills, interests, what was missing in Kendall, and the capital I had available. Together with my husband and partner, Emigdio Suárez, we conducted a thorough and diligent investigation, developing a business plan and market study. Alongside these concrete elements, we relied on our intuition, recommendations, and a touch of adventure and risk, as I was unfamiliar with the restaurant industry.
Perseverance is my strength. While building the restaurant, I trained at Macondo Doral, took online courses in restaurant management, and absorbed everything I could find about coffee, franchises, and restaurant processes. I also completed courses in restaurant marketing, cost management, and learned to use QuickBooks and financial apps. I felt both scared and brave until the day I had to work the machine and learn to be a barista. My knees trembled for three days, and I questioned my daring decision until I took a deep breath and embraced the craft. I fell in love with coffee; the attraction captivated me so subtly and profoundly that I developed a genuine passion. Although I still have much to explore and learn, I approach it with immense joy.
At Macondo Kendall, we serve specialty coffee of the highest quality, and I take great pride in presenting a cup to our customers. It embodies the values of the Macondo Coffee Roasters brand and our dedication to nurturing bonds and friendships with our customers.
At Macondo, we feel deeply connected to our community. We actively participate by building relationships founded on joy, friendship, and enthusiastic interactions with our customers. We host various events and activities that promote enjoyment and engagement, such as storytelling for children, book exchanges, reading clubs, music events, origami workshops, kokedama crafting, and book presentations, among others. Our goal is to convey that every day is a celebration, welcoming our customers with enthusiasm and joy. We recognize the importance of maintaining eye contact and fostering transparent, sincere communication.
At Macondo, we consciously cultivate “peripheral relationships” or “weak ties.” We believe these connections, though less intimate than familial or close friendships, are essential for uplifting the spirit and revitalizing energies. A sense of belonging is crucial for forming meaningful connections with others. We strive to recreate the ambiance of old-fashioned cafes, where people gathered to enjoy coffee, read newspapers, or discuss the day’s events.
We aim to get to know our customers individually, remembering their preferences—from how they like their coffee to their favorite breakfast. We want every person who visits us to feel part of something special and unique, reminiscent of the traditional cafes where authentic and lasting relationships were formed.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
We maintain two lines of communication with our team. The first is formal, based on company policies communicated verbally and through instructional videos. The second, which I consider fundamental, is that those of us in leadership positions act as role models. Every action we take sends a message to the team we lead. The way we interact with our customers, suppliers, and colleagues reveals who we are and how we want our values to be reflected. Therefore, consistency, honesty, order and cleanliness, respect, hard work, perseverance, and striving to do things as well as possible are fundamental values for our company and our team relationships.
I have always believed that celebrating and recognizing good ideas and actions motivates people to feel free to propose and take on new challenges. Additionally, we support the personal initiatives of our team members, including their studies or entrepreneurial ventures. Time management is crucial because there must be a balance between personal life and work. We all need to enjoy life, family, and friends. Work is not everything.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
This career has been long and fun, and I have a lot to be grateful for and acknowledge. The academic training I have received and the knowledge acquired in each of my previous professional roles have been very beneficial. I honor my husband and my children who have been my support and inspiration.
I celebrate my friends, with them security and aptitude in life is a charming ride
I appreciate the support of my family, my parents, brothers and nephews and their unconditional loving and financial support has been fundamental at every moment.
And above all, I am grateful for the invaluable legacy of my father, Dr. Omedas, who gave me the opportunity to work at his side and understand the responsibility of an entrepreneur, know work ethics, cultivate good relationships with colleagues, suppliers and clients. . He taught me not to be afraid of big numbers, to take financial risks and fully trust in my abilities. Above all, in the face of adversity and the darkest moments, I learned to trust that with work and ethics things will turn out well and there will come a time when the clouds will clear.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://macondocoffeekendall.smartonlineorder.com/
- Instagram: @macondokendall
- Facebook: macondokendall
- Yelp: macondo coffee kendall
Image Credits
Zandra Hernandez