Our story
Nahuen: 25 years of delicious things made with love
How Carnicería Argentina La Estancia began
I arrived in the United States in 1986 in search of a better future for my family. Over the years, I built a life here, but as 2000 approached, I felt it was time to take a new path. So I decided to look for an opportunity in Miami, although I did not yet know what it would be.
The idea came one day while I was playing golf with a friend in Doral. We noticed that almost every house around the course had a grill, and, being Argentine, we wondered: What if we offered them the best meat for an asado?
Doral was not yet a city. Many Latinos lived there, including a large Argentine community, but there was no place to find the flavors we missed so much from home. So we looked for a space and began learning a business that was completely new to us.
We signed the lease in June 2000. Getting everything ready took longer than we had imagined. We were finally ready to open on September 11, 2001, unaware of what would happen that day. In the face of the tragedy, we postponed our opening by two days.
That was how Carnicería Argentina La Estancia was born. Alongside meat for an asado, we offered medialunas, Argentine pastries, cakes, crustless sandwiches and Argentine products that helped people living far away feel a little closer to home.
We started as three partners and soon felt the warmth of the community. Almost two years later, our differences led us to go our separate ways. I carried on and looked for a name that spoke to my roots. I chose Patagonia, the place where I had lived my whole life and had always carried in my heart.
Delicious things made with love
At the time, I knew little about food service or restaurants. I learned by working, trying things, making mistakes and trying again. The language was a challenge, and a large family depended on me. But I believed in what we were building.
Three simple ideas guided me, my “three Bs”: buena calidad, buen servicio y buenos precios — good quality, good service and good prices. And one more thing brought it all together for me: I wanted every person to feel as if they were eating at home.
Once our customers knew the business as Patagonia, another change came. A legal dispute with the clothing brand of the same name forced us to stop using it. We had to start again and explain the change to everyone.
Looking for a new name, I turned to Patagonia once more and came across a word of Mapuche origin that, according to what I found, spoke of energy and strength: Nahuen. I felt it spoke of our story, too. We chose it even though we knew it would not be easy to pronounce in English. It was unique, just like the place we wanted to keep building.
With the new name, we refreshed our image and put into words what we had always done: delicious things made with love.
Today, 25 years after that first day, Nahuen is preparing for a new chapter. We want to share it with those who have been with us in Doral, Tamarac and Key Biscayne. We have changed and grown, but we still carry our Argentine roots and, now more than ever, a Latin heart.
That is the story of Nahuen
Everyone who has worked at Nahuen has been essential to this journey. Each person left their mark. I remember with special affection the high school students who found their first job here before going to college. We watched them grow. Many are now professionals, have started families and return to Nahuen with their children.
Thank you to every person who has walked through our doors, stayed with us through the changes and made this place part of their story.
And a special thank you to my wife and my four children. They stood beside me at every beginning, through every difficulty and in every joyful moment. None of this would have been possible without them.
What began as an idea between friends became a place that many people feel they can return to, just like home. That is the story of Nahuen. And it is the story of all of you, too.
With love, Andres Amorosi
Founder