Meet Facundo Kairuz | Chef owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Facundo Kairuz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Facundo, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started cooking 14 years ago, and since then I knew I was going to open up my own restaurant someday. It wasn’t until 6 years ago when my wife and I moved to New York that we started talking about the possibility of a restaurant so we created a mental vision board with ideas and possible concepts, and every year we would revisit it. Every experience and chef I worked with during that time served as an inspiration for Mess.

What should our readers know about your business?
I opened Mess a few months ago at the Alexander Hotel in Miami Beach. It was not easy, especially with a newborn at home but it was a lifelong dream and I couldn’t let the opportunity pass. All my years in the industry lead me to where I am today, every restaurant I worked at, and every chef I learned from it in a way reflected in my cooking style and in Mess.

Mess brings New York modern and cozy vibes mixed with the serenity of Mid-beach. We offer local and seasonal ingredients inspired by New American Cuisine and my Argentinian background. We also offer organic and biodynamic wines. What sets Mess apart from other restaurants is that we offer a whole experience – from the food, the curated wine menu, and the atmosphere. I’m really proud of our team, they are also a key element in the experience we provide.

I want the world to know that with hard work and dedication anything is possible.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The day would start at Panther Coffee, I like to go to the one in Little Haiti and see their team working in the Lab. After that I would take them to the beach, I like to go to the one on 5313 Collins Ave that is close to my restaurant. At noon, I would do a quick run to Mimmo’s Mozzarella Miami Beach, and buy a few paninis to enjoy at the beach. At night I would take them to Mandolin Aegean Bistro On another day I would take them for lunch at Negroni in Midtown and dinner at Uchi, in Wynwood. For dessert, we would go to Dragun Gelato.
Another activity my wife and I enjoy is going to see the Florida Panthers, I used to play roller hockey so it reminds me of the good old days. Let’s go Panthers!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First of all, I would thank my wife, Carla, without her I wouldn’t be here – her unconditional support and love push me and inspires me to work hard to achieve all the goals I set for myself. I also need to thank my family and friends for their constant support and encouragement, they are a very important pillar in my life. Moreover, I would like to thank my friend and colleague Cara. She was the first person that hired me as soon as I moved to the US and shortly became like a sister to me. I consider her to be a mentor, I learned a lot from her and I’m really grateful for that.
Lastly, I would like to thank Chez Ma Tante, an incredible Brooklyn restaurant where I used to work and where I learned how to become a real chef.

Website: https://www.messmiami.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mess.miami/

Image Credits
Ricardo Mejia – RMStudioCorp