- Franchesko Vera and Flor García are partners, business associates, and the driving force behind Gamberro (Zaragoza, 1 Repsol Sun and featured in the Michelin Guide), a successful concept that has been operating for over ten years.
- They started out sharing the kitchen, but now he is in charge of the culinary side and she is in charge of the dining room and managing the business at a very sweet moment.
- Parents of a young child, they offer only seven services from Thursday to Sunday so that they, like their team, can have a schedule that allows them to balance their private and professional lives.
Who would have thought in 2014, when a very young Franchesko Vera (Zaragoza, 1991) and Flor García (Zaragoza, 1992) met at the opening of a restaurant that, just one year later, not only would they be in love, but they would also be the owners of Restaurante Gamberro (which, at the time, was more informal than the current Michelin-recommended establishment, but extremely promising). Twelve years later, with their restaurant practically full every day and having become an indispensable reference point for creative haute cuisine in the capital, the two are still together, happy and with a child. They are a team both inside and outside the restaurant.
At first, when they started out, they both shared the kitchen and it was Patri, a good mutual friend, who dealt with the dining room and the public. But when, in 2016, they had to move due to the success of their “Gamberrito” and Patri left the project, they decided that she, being much more extroverted, would be in charge of customer relations. Franchesko, who describes himself as much more introverted and shy, stayed among the pots and pans. Both continued to grow, as a couple and as professionals. Fran, innovating more and more in the kitchen; Flor, learning about wines and management. They were a well-oiled machine.
In 2019, they were selected for the Michelin Guide, launched the third version of their Gamberro restaurant, had a child, and had to face the COVID lockdown just over a month after opening their new premises. They came back stronger, earned a Repsol Sun and implemented a schedule rarely seen in the sector, which was good for them and their team: only seven services from Thursday to Sunday, to achieve a better work-life balance. And all this while following the micro-season and creating a multitude of new dishes for a 17-course menu (80 euros), which is commendable.
Trust, balance and time together: the keys
How does a couple who spend practically 24 hours a day together cope with the added pressure that comes with haute cuisine? They are clear about one thing: trust. Just as he does not question his wife’s decisions in the dining room, she respects his gastronomic proposals 100%. They are not professionals who stay in their “cave”, and whenever they can, with their little one, a friend or as a couple, they go out to explore the best restaurants in Spain. And of course, after so much time together, they have managed to balance and complement each other. Are there friction? As in any couple, but always bearable. In the end, as Bernard Shaw said, there is no love more sincere than the love of food. And if you also find your soul mate and they like to eat, success is guaranteed.
Source: THE NEWSROOM