How Buenos Aires Immigrant Culture Inspired a Miami Neighborhood Bar

Marcos Caillet-Bois: I'm from Argentina. I came to the US, to Miami, about 3 years ago. I do come from a completely different business. I'm a psychologist back in Argentina. I had some experience in hospitality and F&B back home. Mostly, when I was younger, I had some seasonal jobs and such. I came over here. I worked for a few hospitality companies over the last couple of years and managed some restaurants in Miami Beach. And eventually, well, alongside Leandro, here we came across this beautiful location.

Marcos Caillet-Bois: So I think there's a lot of correlation between the two. I've always loved creating experiences and hosting people for different events. I think hospitality is still a business mainly based on bringing people together, sharing expertise, and connecting, and that there's a lot of psychology involved as well. I think that there's a lot of that that we put into this concept in particular as well.

Leandro Cabanillas: I'm the same as Marcos from Argentina. I came to Miami in 2021. We first opened a wine bar in Wingwood, and then we found this location and opened this bar. Have been doing this for almost 10 years, and we are super excited about the new location we opened in March of this year

Leandro Cabanillas and Marcos Caillet-Bois: So well, the bar name is Conventillo. Very, very important, the name itself, because it's what's been driving the concept all the way through, you know, the aesthetic aspect of it, to the kind of experience that we want to showcase and we want to create here. Conventillo is actually a direct translation of tenements. 

They came to be in Buenos Aires when war broke out in Europe, actually at the beginning of the previous century. Was a little bit of historical background on how they came to be. There was a massive influx of Italians, Germans, and people from Spain, as well as from several other European countries, who were, of course, unfortunately fleeing that situation. And a lot of them came to South America. And the Italian community in particular came to Buenos Aires.

A big part of it, which is where we're both from. And they actually occupied, at that time, non-convents that had been abandoned, like 50 years earlier. That's kind of where convento/conventillo comes from. It's those buildings in particular that had some very distinct characteristics. They were like U-shaped buildings, about just two or three stories high, with a patio in the center. And there was literally like an entire family living in each room. Right. So nobody wanted to spend the whole day mashed up between six or seven brothers and sisters in a single room. So everybody was constantly out in the patios.

And in that merging and meeting of different nationalities and cultures, a lot of Argentine culture was born, like tango, which originated in the patios of the conventillos. That's kind of why we also host tango, live tango here, and tango lessons every other Tuesday. And we really think that Miami, in some sort of way, is like a melting pot of different cultures and people from everywhere that come here seeking new opportunities and, you know, people that are very, very curious about meeting people from all around the world. So that's kind of what's been the driving concept behind everything that we built.

Leandro Cabanillas and Marcos Caillet-Bois: Our objective is to be a neighborhood bar here in Miami and build a community around it. And the way we're doing that is by inviting and collaborating with other bars from the area. Miami's food and hospitality scene is growing rapidly and changing at a very fast pace, and you know, we feel we're in a place where other bars are opening, so there's a lot to be done in that sense. Regarding events, our venue is super comfortable and very open, and a very good spot to host private events, social or corporate. And six months after, no, really, 10 months after opening, we have been very active in that sense. Collaborating with other operators, hosting social events, and corporate events.

Leandro Cabanillas and Marcos Caillet-Bois: As owner-operators, and to have a solid proof of concept when we opened the bar, we were — and we are still very much hands-on deck, running the bar, running the floor, and, you know, thank God, the concept has been quite successful so far. So we are at a point now where we are still very much present, but looking to incorporate front-of-house and bartenders as we head into the season. 

Right now, we are down to one to seven team members, nine including us. We can feel every single day of the week getting busier, and the season being upon us. So we're looking to add about three or four more people between the front and back of the house.

Leandro Cabanillas and Marcos Caillet-Bois: We are, as I mentioned, between seven and nine; we're a small team. So, you know, like an excellent working environment and team collaboration are key. You know, having a previous position that allowed me to occupy different roles and support teammates across various aspects of daily operations. So, for that, you know, a very team-oriented attitude in general is very, very important for us.

It's a space that gets pretty packed and busy, especially on weekends. So we're looking for somebody who can evolve and manage themselves in a very fast-paced environment, for sure. And we are a space very much directed towards the local communities, regulars especially, so somebody who can build and has the personality to make that kind of relationship with our regular clients, you know?

Aesthetics and the concept in general: we're looking to create a space that feels comfortable and homey. And, you know, the service aspect plays a very, very big role, so being able to connect with customers on a daily basis is really important for us.

One of our staff members had his own bar back in the day, but they are all humble enough to come and learn the ways we want to run our shop. So those are some of the values and the skills that we're looking for.

Well, first of all, to be very honest with themselves and understand if they're looking for this just as a job to make money and pay their bills, or if they really want a career in this industry. If they want a career in this industry, which is the second case, then look for local businesses and local operators who do things right, who target locals rather than the tourist areas of the city, because they will learn better. They will be able to advance their careers and build the network they need to grow within this industry. If it's someone who is just looking to pay their bills, look for the one restaurant that's well located and is gonna sell a lot during the season, and then move on to the next.

I think that a key aspect in this business, in general, for anybody entering it, either being a seasoned person within the industry or just starting out, is being very, very proactive. Know, the hospitality industry in general has a lot to teach about aspects like sales, how to deal with customers, how to pay attention to detail, how to keep a fast pace, and how to find solutions on the spot for a lot of things. So I think that either if you're entering it as picturing yourselves like building a career in hospitality, or it's just like a six-month, one-year thing that you're trying to get into, I don't know, get out of a tight spot economically, for example, or whatever. I think there's a lot to learn, and the key to getting as much as possible out of that experience and taking the best from it is definitely being proactive.

Leandro Cabanillas and Marcos Caillet-Bois: Our eyes and ears are wide open to find new spots and new opportunities, such as the ones we found here. But I think that in the thinking midterm in terms of definitely like building this into a great neighborhood spot. When it comes to being a little bit more specific about the concept itself, it's about being able to build a reputation as a place where you always have an amazing musical experience, being able to have new artists here from Miami that are trying to showcase their music, to find in Conventillo a place to be able to reach out to a larger audience, DJs from around the world; I think that's a big part of what we're trying to build onto the future.