By Bill Durham and Catherine Malinin Dunn / Special to Islander News



Mar 30, 202

Jorge Gonzalez-Capiello bought a struggling market in 2010 and has turned it into one of the best-run businesses on Key Biscayne.

It was 2000 when Jorge first visited the island. He and his now wife, Mariana, were both still living in Venezuela at the time. Her parents had a condo in Key Colony where the family liked to vacation. One evening, Jorge and Mariana were sent to pick up dinner from the gourmet market, which was then located in Harbor Plaza.

As they were leaving the market, Jorge turned to Mariana and announced, “One day, I’m going to have a business like that.”

In 2004, the couple moved to the United States to pursue higher education. After receiving Master’s degrees from Penn State, they settled in Atlanta, where Jorge took a job in the technology sector.

One day, he got a phone call from a friend who had cousins in South Florida. The cousins owned a small business that was floundering and needed advice. Lo and behold, the business turned out to be the market on Key Biscayne that Jorge had visited years earlier.

One thing led to another, and in 2010, Jorge and his partners offered to buy the market. Though he didn’t have a background in the food industry, he trusted his business acumen.

A lawyer asked what the new venture would be called. Jorge had thus far focused on business strategy but hadn’t given much thought to the name. An associate suggested “The Golden Hog.”

“It took a while for the name to grow on me,” he admits. “It’s been controversial. Some people love the name while others don’t.”

For the first few years, Jorge ran the business remotely. In 2015, after deciding to expand with a satellite location in Key Colony, Jorge and Mariana moved to the Key to run the Golden Hog full-time.

Mariana handles purchasing and visual merchandising. “She has great taste and a good eye,” remarks Jorge. “She travels to places like Los Angeles and New York and Europe to understand the latest trends.”

Jorge’s strategy is straightforward: let the managers make their own decisions about product selection and hold them accountable for results.

“I’m very proud of our team and trust their expertise,” he says.

Running a small business means never really being off duty. “We are always wondering what we can do better. On family vacations, we visit local markets. It’s good to see what others are doing.”

The Golden Hog depends on the volume of sales for profits. “We operate on a very tight margin,” explains Jorge. “Our goal is to supply our customers with the high-quality goods they want, to make their lives easier so they don’t have to go off the Key to look for things. And if you don’t want to prepare lunch or dinner, you can come to our market to pick up something fresh and tasty.”

Anyone who has seen Jorge in action at the Golden Hog may find this hard to believe, but he confides he is actually a shy person. “Being in this business, I have had to learn to connect with people. I want our customers to feel at home. When I’m in the store, I feel like I’m in my backyard.”

Recently, the Golden Hog expanded its bakery section. Jorge emphasizes that the store strives to offer baked goods that are not too sophisticated, ones that can be enjoyed every day. He admits a particular affinity for their Basque cheesecake, panna cotta, chocolate eclairs, and tartlets.

Jorge is very proud of what the market has achieved and believes in giving back to the community. “We sponsor many local events, for example helping the schools and the annual Kids Business Fair. We want to continue being a good neighbor.”

If you haven’t been to the Golden Hog lately, stop by to see the expanded bakery. Enjoy a pastry and coffee with a friend, maybe pick up dinner to go, and say hello to Jorge and his team.

SOURCE:

https://www.islandernews.com/opinion/columnists/jorge-gonzalez-capiello-and-his-team-at-the-golden-hog-provide-high-quality-for-the/article_c58a9b38-ee70-11ee-a596-fbe0bc8bb957.html