Chalito, Luis Suárez's chain that grows 50% thanks to milanesas

Themed food restaurants continue to proliferate in Barcelona, with all kinds of establishments specializing in different products of international gastronomy. The Chalito Group is one of these companies that has managed to exploit and popularize in the city one of these foreign gastronomic references: Uruguayan-style milanesas. Characterized by their large size and their appetizing crispy breading, they are not simply accompanied by French fries, but admit, and therein lies the experience and fun of the place, any type of complement. As if they were a pizza base, milanesas are served accompanied by different types of cheese, fried eggs, Serrano ham and tomato, guacamole and nachos, York ham and melted mozzarella, with arugula and tomato... The combinations are extensive and it's all a matter of imagination.

Founded by four partners, Leonardo and Mariano Bonaduce, Juan Manuel Lema and Asier de Echarri, among the shareholders of the Chalito Group is the Uruguayan football player Luis Suárez, who wore the Barça jersey for six years. The chain currently has four restaurants in Barcelona and Castelldefels and closed the 2022 financial year with a record turnover of 10 million euros, a figure that represents a growth of close to 50%.

This sales volume more than triples the income achieved before the pandemic, since, in 2009, Chalito invoiced three million, although at that time it had two fewer establishments. The first restaurant opened in Castelldefels in 2016 and, after seeing the good acceptance of its formula, the founding partners, in alliance with the then FC Barcelona player, made the leap to Barcelona with the opening of their most emblematic establishment on the central Rambla Catalunya, almost on the corner with Gran Via.

The expansion, despite the pandemic, began in 2020 with the inaugurations of Chalito Via Augusta and Chalito La Maquinista, already in 2o21. Now, the chain is preparing to double its size, as it could close the year with eight restaurants. According to the company, in the coming months, two new establishments are planned to open in the neighborhoods of Collblanc and Poblenou, with a planned investment of two million euros. This budget also includes the launch of Chalito Food Truck, a business line designed to take advantage of and bring its milanesas closer to the multiple music festivals and events that will be held in the city this summer.

Additionally, by the end of the year, the goal is to establish the brand in "two neighboring cities" to the Catalan capital and, by early 2024, the challenge is to land in Madrid with the simultaneous opening of two locations. The idea is also to launch a central kitchen in the Spanish capital, a facility that also debuted in Barcelona in 2020.

Grupo Chalito currently employs a hundred permanent staff in its four restaurants, central kitchen, and offices; if temporary staff and collaborating companies are added, the workforce rises to 130 employees. "With these figures, Grupo Chalito consolidates itself as one of the main restaurant companies in Barcelona. The group's success lies in its commitment to innovation, quality, and the diversity of gastronomic experiences offered," the company explained.

Leonardo Bonaduce and Mariano Bonaduce are the partners responsible for the gastronomic and operational management of the restaurants and the central kitchen, while Juan Manuel Lema and Asier de Echarri, from the executive management, focus on brand development, new openings, and growth strategy.