At home, it has always been said that "good cooking is done over a slow fire," without rushing. This is the philosophy of Mimmar, Mediterranean empanadas. The firm, which was born in a post-pandemic 2021, continues its slow but steady expansion to bring its small bites of homemade cuisine closer to the people of the neighborhood. Thus, in 2023 they opened a second location in Sant Cugat ---testing a different type of clientele--- and now, this spring, they have just opened their second establishment in Barcelona, this time, on Girona Street, 113, right in the renovated pedestrian area of this part of the Eixample.
At Mimmar, however, the passage of time has not moved them one iota from their ideas: to offer traditional recipes to eat in one bite, or in other words, to present exquisite homemade culinary creations in the form of empanadas, designed for all those who appreciate things well done.
'Street food' of lifelong recipes
And it is, Mimmarprovides all the secrets and magic of our cuisine in a couple of bites. Traditional, recognizable Mediterranean recipes, in "street food" format. Empanadas made with local, healthy, and exquisite ingredients, slow-cooked. "We cook our fillings with ingredients, whenever possible, from local sources: Figueres onions, Duroc pork, free-range chicken, La Selva cooked ham, vegetables from our regions, Simon Coll chocolate, olive oil from Catalan PDOs...", explains Yigal Lenti, founding partner ofMimmar.As it could not be otherwise, each empanada is filled manually, one by one, "and with care." The same care they put into their workshop in Galvany, where they cook each of the fillings "slowly."
A commitment to "sustainable" cooking, a sensibility that they also transfer in the way they offer the empanadas, in the use of recyclable materials for packaging, or returnable containers. In addition, a "house brand" is to offer free water in their premises, at the already mythical Mimmar fountain, where customers can fill their reusable bottles.
The 'top ten' of the house
The specialties ofMimmarthey are based on dishes very familiar to our palates. Recipes such as, for example, scrambled mushrooms with onion; eggplant with goat cheese; cherry tomatoes with mozzarella and basil; or Figueres onion with white wine and cheese.Other hits of the house are the free-range chicken roast empanada, with brandy, prunes and pine nuts; the pulled pork, with slow-cooked Duroc pork, apple, mustard and barbecue sauce; and the bikini empanadilla, with La Selva sweet ham and mozzarella.
But, in addition to recipes with a strong Catalan accent, they also offer some from further afield, such as the "madriles", with Andalusian-style squid with mild aioli; or the Thai chicken, with Chinese cabbage, spring onion, coconut milk and lime.
Mimmar also has "seasonal suggestions", where they offer "temporary" empanadas, some with as much success as the Catalan cannelloni or the calçots with romesco. Now, this spring of 2024, they have launched the chicken pastela, a recipe of Moroccan origin but with local ingredients, such as free-range chicken and pine nuts.
The menu is complemented with the empanada for those with a sweet tooth, with Simon Coll chocolate and Canary Islands banana; and with salads and desserts.
From 'delivery' and 'take away' to 'catering'
The storesMimmarthey basically start from a service oftake awayand/ordelivery. Customers can take them away or order them directly in the store or on its website, or through the main platforms ofdeliveryof the city. Only the Sant Cugat store has table service on the terrace.In these years, the firm has also grown in another field: catering. In 2023, they launched their ideal catering service for business lunches and meetings, corporate events, or special celebrations, with packs tailored to each client's needs.
Future plans
Mimmar, which was conceived in the midst of the pandemic, maintains its plans for sustained growth. "During this time, we have researched, tested, and adjusted," comments Yigal Lenti. Thus, in 2023 they made a spin-offofMimmarwith afood truckthat they had in operation for a few weeks. And in 2022 they opened outside Barcelona, in Sant Cugat, a place that has allowed them to reach new customers, despite always within their target, a medium-high profile of families or couples who appreciate good cuisine and quality.It has been a time in which the company has also adjusted internal procedures, but always faithful to its philosophy of sustainable growth, developed "slowly".
Thus, they have managed to retain more than 3,500 customers (who buy from their website). From their workshop in Galvany, approximately 10,000 empanadas leave per month (now, with the new premises, they expect to reach 15,000).
With this new store on Girona street, they also want to open up to more agile growth, always through partners and ruling out franchising. "With franchising, we cannot control our essence, our spirit, our quality," says Lenti. Now they are thinking of looking for new premises located in strategic areas, "evolved" premises, and do not rule out that it will be outside Barcelona.
The founders
Mimmar, which was conceived in the midst of the pandemic, is the dream come true of Lenti brothers and their childhood friend, Georgia.All of them, with experience in the world of gastronomy and hospitality, especially the one leading the project, Yigal Lenti, who at one point experienced from within what the day-to-day of a Michelin-starred gastronomic group is like.And like its cuisine, Mimmar grows slowly. Every detail has been chosen with "mimmo". From the location of each establishment to the tableware, handmade by artisans from La Bisbal del Empordà. The result: establishments with a Mediterranean spirit and DNA, designed by the interior designers of Extra Bonus, and with the corporate image and illustrations by Anastasiia Plotnikova.