You don't have to be very observant to see that Madrid is in full fever for Argentine empanadas . There are many companies that day after day open stores in the capital, so We wanted to speak with one of the pioneers, Malvón, so that he could tell us what the secret of the success of this product is.
"They are healthy, they adapt to the different moments of consumption of the day, they are very versatile, and they have a high power of conservation, for more than 48 hours", he explains. Javier Díaz, director of expansion and new business development at Malvón , a group that opened its first establishment in October 2017.
Thirteen different fillings.
“The first opening was a success to which, without a doubt, a good product and the location of the store (Moncloa area), an area with a high level of traffic, street people, students and tourists ”, adds Xavier.
From there they continued to grow in Madrid and in the rest of Spain up to Portugal, where three stores have already opened. In addition to expanding its points of sale, the company specializing in Argentine empanadas does not stop carrying out new releases, around three per year.
They currently offer thirteen flavors classics , among which we find the famous caprese, fugazzetta (onion and cheese) or the humita (corn, onion, red pepper, cheese and bechamel sauce); eight gourmet, created by the R+D+i department, among which stand out Iberian secret, Malvón Burger or truffle ; and they also have two proposals for vegans, the Vegan Thai (Heura cooked in coconut sauce, curry and Thai-style vegetables) or the Vegan Creole (Heura with red pepper, tomato and vegetables).
Truffle pie.
How do they manage to adapt to the local market without losing sight of the authenticity of the product? Javier points out that in some cases they have had to reduce the use of strong spices, such as chili, to better adapt them to the taste of the Spanish consumer. "In addition, we look for artisan products in Spain that are the closest thing to the typical Argentine flavor, for that reason and to give an example, We buy all our mozzarella production from a Galician supplier, because they make a product that is very similar. ”, he concludes.
The 'obsession' to offer the typical Argentine empanada that you can taste in any corner of Buenos Aires does not end here. In fact, its products are made daily in the central workshop located in Las Rozas , with fresh ingredients from old Argentine recipes that have passed down generations.
“Each empanada is weighed and closed manually -with small pulses around the crescent that forms each empanada so that they are sealed and can be eaten comfortably- and they are finished baking once they arrive at our different stores.”, remarks the director of expansion and new business development of Malvón.
But, How can they control the quality of all the franchisees? “With everyone we have a close partner relationship. We exercise continuous supervision of the franchise based on a series of parameters of monitoring in relation to the consistency of the service we offer, the maintenance of quality standards and the adaptation to local circumstances”, says Javier.
patty burger
In this sense, he tells us that they are building another workshop in another strategic location, in order to be able to serve its growing network of owned and franchised stores.
Malvon It is synonymous with Argentine empanadas, but it also has other nods to Argentina in its drinks and dessert proposals. Offers Quilmes beer, a careful selection of malbec wines, the most important variety of the South American country, although its origin is in Bordeaux: Rutini Cabernet, San Felipe and Trumpeter; and of course, two varieties of havanna alfajor : dulce de leche, cashews and walnuts covered in a layer of dark or white chocolate.
And you, Have you already gone crazy for Argentine empanadas?
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