Meet Giselle Gallardo & Nick Machado | Owners

We had the good fortune of connecting with Giselle Gallardo & Nick Machado and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Giselle Gallardo & Nick Machado, every day, we hear about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
We have always wanted to own a small business, but we never really knew exactly what it was that we wanted to do. We knew that we both loved entertaining and crowd-pleasing, and wanted to do something around that but also wanted for our business to be fun and for it to reflect Miami’s beautiful culture. When we would talk about the idea of owning our own business, we both knew that we wanted to combine Nick’s culinary school background, Giselle’s love for startups, and both of our creativity into whatever we decided to launch. We also kept in mind that to be successful, we had to do something we both enjoyed doing. In December of 2019, Giselle’s family hosted a graduation party for her. Since we both love event planning, of course, we jumped in and had fun helping out to make the party extra special. When discussing ideas of what appetizers we would serve, we couldn’t seem to think of anything that was not typically served at all the parties we went to. We wanted something different, and yummy. While doing some thinking we came across the idea of putting together a charcuterie board. It seemed like the perfect appetizer! Naturally, Nick took it upon himself and put together his first charcuterie board, that fed 50 people! The board was a hit at the party and quickly became a typical appetizer, we would serve anytime we had friends or family over. Soon enough our charcuterie boards became a must-have at every gathering we went to. Our friends and family encouraged us to make it a business, and after some thought, and hard work Pa’ Picar Miami was born.

Please tell us more about your business. What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Both being born and raised in Miami, we are pretty much obsessed with the culture here. We decided that Miami’s culture would be the foundation of our brand. From the name of our business to the names of our menu items we made sure to incorporate some 305 flavor wherever we could. We want our customers to have a connection with our brand and get a kick out of our creativity along the way. We felt that adding little sayings here and there and items that connect with the community was the perfect way to combine our love for this city with our business.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If we had a best friend coming to our beloved city, we would want them to have a true Miami experience. If they’re hanging with us, they will do as the locals do… with a few exceptions of course. In our view, below are some must do’s, while in Miami:

Eat/Drink: > Islas Canarias, for some authentic Cuban food, can’t forget to order some delicious croquetas and cafecito while we are there.
> Flannigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill, for the best ribs and curly fries in town. If they are lucky, they might catch a Heat Game playing on the TVs while they eat.
> KnausBerry Farm, although seasonal this is any local’s favorite spot for cinnamon rolls. The lines are worth it!

Visit: > Wynwood Walls, to catch a glimpse of the beautiful murals and snap some Instagram pics.
> Calle 8, for some cultural flavor, art, and of course a quick stop at Versailles’ ventanita for some coffee and pastelitios.
> Doral City Place, for a low-key night. While we are there we’d grab a bite at Suviche, some drinks at Copper Blues, and maybe catch a show at Miami Improv Comedy Club.

Hang Out: > South Beach because you have to see the beautiful sandy beaches while you are here.
>The Wharf, for some mojitos, yard games, dancing, and some amazing local pop-up vendors and food trucks.
>Bayside Marketplace, for some waterfront shopping, good eats, and live music.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We are forever grateful for the countless support we have received in starting our small business. We want to give a shout out to the community for trusting us in preparing boards for their special events and for supporting our brand from the very start. Without their support and loyalty, we would not be where we are today. Of course, there are some special people including immediate family members and friends who have helped us since day one and they deserve a shoutout as well. Beginning with both of our parents, who encouraged us to take the risk and turn this hobby into a small business. They have provided us with advice, ideas, and even help out with packaging orders and making deliveries whenever we need it. We also want to highlight a few people who’s efforts were very important to our launch. Lailany Machado, who built our website, Ozzie Martin, who designed our logo, Karina Moenck, who is always available as a photographer when we need it, and Lissy Perera, who has supported us with all things social media. We are truly blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people, who continuously support our brand, and motivate us to continue striving for growth no matter what comes our way.

Website: papicarmiami.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/papicarmiami/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pa-picar-miami-llc
Twitter: https://twitter.com/papicarmiami
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/papicarmiami
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pa-picar-miami-miami?osq=pa+picar

Image Credits
Soflo Branding GFilms Production Jose Musa Karina Moenck Carolina Rodriguez