“We were inspired to open Mi Mundo, our restaurant, after one of our backpacking travels around the world. Our idea was to transport people to faraway places just by ordering one of our dishes. But “Mi Mundo” (which means “My World” in Spanish) also conveys the idea that the world, the earth, needs to be protected and respected, and that even our modest contribution as restaurateurs can make a difference”.
Alejandro and Miriam met in 2007 during a temporary catering assignment. They not only found love working behind the scenes together at that particular event, but it also paved the way for their shared traveling experiences and laid the foundations for their future restaurant concept, Mi Mundo.
“We decided to get out of our comfort zone and start the business; our idea was to create a menu from the various dishes we had tried in the different parts of the world we had experienced. But our travels also taught us something extremely valuable: that the planet’s resources have to be used wisely; and if that happens, we feel in harmony with the ecosystem and with ourselves. We felt we wanted the business to reflect that ideal”.
Mi Mundo is not only a restaurant but also a philosophy. Travelling involves learning more about the world, about oneself and about how to constantly improve. Continuous improvement is what Alejandro and Miriam want to convey to their customers.
“Empowering customers and gently encouraging them to make the world a better place is sometimes difficult, but we believe that spending time and energy doing just that is never a waste, as even the smallest part they play can contribute to the greater cause”.
Alejandro and Miriam use 100% recycled materials in the restaurant, bamboo materials for the cuisine they prepare and they also promote the reclaiming of disused items whenever possible as some of their tableware comes from second-hand markets. They also use LED lights to save energy and think that being environment-friendly is not necessarily expensive, but exactly the opposite:
“People are still not sensitized enough to these topics even in today’s environmental predicament. If entrepreneurs and restaurateurs really looked into making their hospitality business sustainable, they would actually generate savings. But waste is just so integrant with our culture of consuming and throwing away that it is hard for some to change their ingrained habits—though not impossible. We want to set an example with our business”.
The secret of their motivation and energy? Probably the harmony between what they do and what makes them happy. “We found out that helping our nature every day with little steps in our restaurant is a spontaneous way of lightening our work routine; and we hope our customers not only appreciate it, but follow along”.
Come and try out Mi Mundo and their dishes and see for yourself how you don’t need to board a long-haul flight to see the world and how it doesn’t have to be difficult to help the environment.
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