Pink Star Tasty House Tibidabo
The American dream made in Barcelona
For several weeks now, the residents of the Sant Gervasi neighborhood have been able to enjoy a new gourmet boutique located on the ground floor of the iconic La Rotonda building. This is Rosa Estrella Tibidabo, the most ambitious project of Edgar and Lucy, a couple from Bolivia who have created their small empire in the food world from scratch.
"Escogimos este nombre porque así se llaman nuestras hijas". Esto es lo primero que nos cuenta Edgar, propietario junto a su esposa del negocio y de otros establecimientos más, especializados en fruta y verdura, que se extienden por toda la zona alta de Barcelona. Y es que en Rosa Estrella todo tiene un marcado carácter familiar, comenzando por los orígenes del negocio y pasando por la gestión de cada uno de los más de 25 comercios que poseen.
The story of Rosa Estrella speaks of a family's success achieved through effort and hard work, a lot of work. But also of courage and sacrifice to reach a dream. A story that will surely inspire those who are thinking of starting a business.
In 2004, Lucy, who had a nursing degree from her home country, decided to come to Barcelona to pursue a master's degree in surgical nursing at the Bellvitge Hospital: "In reality, I left Bolivia without my parents' consent. They wanted me to work in the field I had studied, but I have always been very independent since I was young, I like to give a little more of myself in everything I do. Feeling limited to being between the doctor and the nursing assistant was not for me". So she left the job she had obtained at a German NGO after graduating and, just like that, she moved to Spain.
Throughout the time she was completing her master's degree, she worked in a household to support herself, since finding a job as a nurse in Barcelona was a complicated task due to her limited Catalan. It was around that time that she decided to start her first business with one of her sisters: a small fruit and vegetable shop located in the Guinardó neighborhood. This would be the beginning of the Dylan fruit shop chain that Lucy manages with her sisters, which currently has 9 establishments.
"Selling has always come naturally to me", explains Lucy. "Ever since I was young, my father, who is a farmer, would ask me to sell the harvest when the weekend came around with the truck, because I was very good at it. I think that's where my passion for fruits and vegetables started, which is where I feel comfortable, where I enjoy myself. And when one enjoys something, they try to do the best they can every day.”
Like in every good story, this tale also contains a beautiful love story. And it even has a happy ending. Edgar and Lucy lived through a relationship during their youth that they maintained long-distance when she decided to move to Spain. At that time, Edgar was studying business administration and management in Bolivia while struggling to keep their relationship afloat despite the distance. Two years later, the same week he defended his thesis, he packed his bags and moved to Spain to reunite with her.
However, even though their relationship was flourishing, the couple always made it clear that they preferred not to mix business with love, a principle they still firmly uphold today, after getting married and starting a family. Thus, while Lucy expanded her business, Edgar created KCH Fruit, another fruit shop chain that currently boasts 10 establishments, and which directly competes with his wife's business."I've always been very competitive. As a kid, I played basketball really well, I was very good at pool... I like to be the best at everything I do, anything. I always say 'I'm good at everything'. I like to study and learn everything about what I dedicate myself to in order to try to do it as well as possible. And the same goes for business,"says Edgar.
Although each manages their own businesses, all decisions are made jointly as a family, sharing opinions, knowledge, and advice. Edgar brings his innovative spirit, unafraid to face new challenges or invest in the latest trends. Lucy, much more intense, puts her meticulous character into everything she does. She is more conservative and likes to secure everything before taking a new step. Thus, between the two, they maintain an almost perfect balance. Together they move forward with firm but steady steps, as since their arrival in Spain, the couple has not stopped opening businesses under the brands DYLAN, KCH FRUIT, KUMATO, MÉS QUE CARN, REDLY FRUITS, and ROSA ESTRELLA TASTY HOUSE. In total, more than 25 establishments, all related to the food industry.
Behind the success of this family, there isn't a studied marketing plan or a methodical sales strategy, there's simply a passion for work well done, love for their profession, and an undeniable business sense. If you ask them what the key to their success has been, both are very clear: "We arrived here with nothing, so we're not afraid to lose everything, because we know how to live with nothing." As Lucy tells us: “Our goal has always been the same: to sell more and more. And if you dedicate time to your business, do a good job, and give what you need to give, there's no reason for it to go wrong. I listen a lot to what people tell me, I always put myself in the customer's shoes and think about what I would like to find when entering a store. I always try to convey this to my coworkers: Would you buy this? If you wouldn't buy it, don't offer it to someone else".
And after many years of experience and learning, there came a point where the couple felt ready to take a further step: “We felt limited, we wanted to surpass ourselves and from our desire to keep moving forward, Rosaö Estrella Tibidabo was born. The La Rotonda building was a perfect location for our project, due to its history, aesthetics, and strategic position. We have always known that we wanted to grow and continue offering a product and service of impeccable and higher quality, and I believe this is a great opportunity to become a benchmark in the world of food”.
Anyone who visits Rosa Estrella Tibidabo will find a gourmet establishment with a very careful aesthetic, a perfect combination of practicality and design, with an extensive assortment of products: fruits and vegetables, deli, butcher, wine cellar and tasting, all of the highest quality. A shop concept designed for everyone, regardless of their income level. They also offer online sales service and a fleet of delivery drivers who distribute orders to homes throughout the upper area of Barcelona.
The store's decoration is dominated by a huge wooden tree that blossoms in the middle of the establishment and grows and grows until it reaches the ceiling. And even there it doesn't stop; its branches keep spreading throughout the place. Much like its history, like its life.
