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LA CUISINE gourmet opened its doors this past May in Coral Gables, Fla., marking the expansion of the Venezuela-based kitchenware retailer into the U.S. This chic kitchenware and kitchen appliance boutique’s concept blends all elements related to the culinary arts and an inspired lifestyle to offer customers high-end products and impeccable service in a modern and stylish atmosphere.

A Brief History
As an impressionable 20-year-old sophomore studying economics in his native Venezuela, Josu Gaubeka wanted to earn some extra money during the summer break. Accepting a job from a family friend who owned a kitchen appliance factory, Gaubeka sold kitchen sinks and faucets to the crème de la crème of the Venezuelan market. While most people his age were relaxing on the beach or backpacking around Europe, Gaubeka was quickly making a name for himself throughout Caracas, gaining roughly 20 customers within the very first month.

“I was successful so fast that I had to hire a driver and a salesperson to help me out,” he said. While not the most ideal way for a young college student to spend a summer vacation, it was during this period that Gaubeka’s entrepreneurial spirit emerged. “When I was a small boy, I always dreamed about opening my own business,” he recalled. “What started out as a hobby and a way to make extra money turned into what was then a small business. I was offering good service with low margins from the factory direct to kitchen studios.”

Business picked up so quickly that before Gaubeka knew it, he was facing a difficult decision — whether or not to return to university. “My father was very against me working. He figured once I had the taste of money, I would never finish my studies,” he said.

Though Gaubeka did choose to return to school and finish his education, he continued to expand his business from his parents’ home. “I was receiving inquiries from kitchen studios all over Venezuela who needed a cooktop, or a range, or a hood, so my mother gave me $3,000 to start buying and selling sinks,” he explains.

During his first year in business, he reinvested all his profits to purchase inventory and continued this strategy during the following years. In 1988, he opened LA CUISINE Company in Caracas in a small warehouse with accumulated profits.

“This was basically how LA CUISINE started — by me finding very special, high-end products and distributing them all around the country,” he stated.

In 1989, he began purchasing directly from manufacturers to better manage the quality of service and pricing he believed his customers deserved. One year later, he opened the first LA CUISINE showroom in Caracas. Further expanding his business in 1992, Gaubeka signed exclusive distribution deals with high-end brands. “It was important for me to have an extensive selection to offer to our customers,” he explained. “That has been my objective from the very beginning — to offer variety and top-of-the-line products.”

Design on the Mind
According to Gaubeka, the “gourmet” part of the business didn’t come about until a spur-of-the-moment trip to Ambiente 12 years ago. “We had no specialty stores for high-end gourmet tools or specialty items in Venezuela,” he stated, “so I set my sights on developing a different type of concept for a showroom — one that would do something completely different regarding design and one that would not only hold all of our appliances, but also a big selection of all types of kitchen utensils from Europe.”

“I was visiting trade shows in Europe at the time and collected information from different manufacturers. It took me about two years to look at all the different European brands and their designs and decide which of the best manufacturers we might represent,” he added. Already a force to reckon with in the Venezuelan appliance business, Gaubeka consulted with an architect and in 1999 created the design concept for his third and largest retail space at Centro San Ignacio that today defines LA CUISINE gourmet.

“I’ve always been oriented towards design and that’s why we’ve always offered high-end brands in appliances. They’re not all exactly the same style or design — especially with the European lines,” Gaubeka stated.

The concept focused on the display of the kitchen appliances, yet still retained a modern and friendly atmosphere. “It’s always been very difficult to display kitchen appliances — normally, you display them with furniture and it’s not very attractive. In an old-fashioned appliance store, everything is cluttered on the floor and the displays don’t match. We wanted to find a different method to display the appliances in the right way and at the same time, be respectful of them,” he said.

Gaubeka and his team of architects designed flexible walls that serve as an impressive palette for the appliances. “The structures let us change the appliances as often as needed because the manufacturers change the style every few years — this way, we stay fresh and current, yet also stylish,” he explained. “We also wanted to display the appliances on big walls to emulate an art gallery, but instead of paintings or sculptures, you find appliances.”

Expanding the Business
As the leader in the Venezuelan high-end kitchenware and kitchen appliance sector, Gaubeka always wanted to expand his business into the United States. “We are very successful in my country, but we have a limited market because it is a small country with many problems,” he said.

In 2002, he expanded distribution to the Caribbean, Central America, and the United States. He opened a distribution warehouse in South Florida two years ago that today serves as the warehouse, administration, and sales office. “The logical thing for us was to come here to Miami,” he explained. “It’s a huge market and we have a fresh concept, plus we have years of experience and very good relationships with American and European manufacturers.”

Why Miami? According to Gaubeka, Miami and more specifically Coral Gables seemed like the perfect location. “We selected Coral Gables as the location for our first U.S. store because it has become the crossroads for American, Latin, and European cultures, and we provide the unique combination of the finest kitchen appliances and cooking accessories from each of these three continents. Coral Gables itself is centrally located in the heart of Miami and has also become a great meeting point for connoisseurs and those interested in the culinary arts,” he said.

Gaubeka did not hesitate to admit that coming to Miami poses certain challenges as well. “Everyone we talked to said Miami is very difficult for the gourmet market because people don’t cook very much here. While the Miami community loves food, most people don’t have time to cook — they prefer to eat out,” he stated. For that reason, Gaubeka is hoping the Latin community will be his niche. “The Latin people enjoy cooking at home and spending time with their families and I think they will really appreciate the concept of our store,” he said. “We know that if we’re successful in such a difficult market, then we can be successful in other parts of the U.S.”

Ironing out the Kinks
Once LA CUISINE gourmet determined its location, Gaubeka turned his attention to building a store that would be a mirror image of his San Ignacio location back home. He chose a location on a quaint side street off of famed Ponce de Leon Boulevard that was undergoing massive store-front additions. Though the building was not completely finished and had no occupational permit, he knew it was well worth the wait. “We were not accustomed to all the strict city codes and long series of approvals from Coral Gables. Those types of things just don’t exist in Venezuela,” he said.

Patience is a virtue in both cooking and construction. Once Gaubeka received the green light to begin construction in January 2005, the HVC Architects team hustled to complete the store in less than three months, but ran into problems midway through construction. “They had to stop construction for 45 days because they made a mistake with the placement of the air conditioner. We then had to resubmit new blueprints to the city and again wait for the approvals,” he said.

The city also required Gaubeka to install a commercial hood in the demo kitchen in addition to five sinks. While simultaneously frustrated and eager to complete the project, Gaubeka found the setbacks to be a learning experience. “I have to say that I understand the whole process of opening a store in the States now and can appreciate all the rules and codes we had to face,” he said. “I think it protects the rest of the community and maintains order and balance.”

Once the kinks were ironed out, construction finished in May 2005 with total start-up costs nearing $1 million. Gaubeka kept costs down by importing the custom metallic walls, display units, and flooring from Columbia and Venezuela.

A Visual Treat
Customers who enter the 3,000-square-foot two-room boutique are immediately drawn to the sleek and modern interiors. The entry is flanked by floor-to-ceiling metallic “walls” of stovetops, ovens, and microwaves from high-end brands.

“We invite customers to come in and ‘test out’ the appliances. You can even cook a turkey or bake cookies if you’d like. It’s all about customer interaction for us,” enthused Gaubeka. Floating refrigerators from brands dot the floor space, along with a contemporary arrangement of high-end faucets mounted in a unique fixture composed of steel and pale wood. Rising high overhead is a video wall where the Food Network runs interspersed with videos of famous chefs performing culinary miracles.

Backed by a display wall of ovens, microwaves, additional refrigerators, a working sink area, and a bevy of ice makers and wine caves, the demo kitchen creates an intimate and dazzling space. Three moveable counters house various cooking appliances, including super-chic induction tops, along with gas and electric models. Futuristic yet comfortable stools surround the cooking area, permitting viewers to be close to the chefs.

LA CUISINE gourmet hosted complementary chef demonstrations and cooking classes to celebrate its grand opening.“So far, our cooking classes have been very successful, averaging 30 to 40 people each night. It’s a fun and educational way to get the community involved in gourmet cooking,” noted Gaubeka.

The walls are lined with several displays of crystal and glassware, fine bone china, and spices. Another floating piece of furniture houses flatware from around the world and serves as a display area for teapots, candlesticks, salt and pepper shakers, sugar and cream services, and a soon-to-arrive wine boutique. Plans are also in the works to add wine accessories and wine appreciation classes.

The second room’s display unit houses numerous gourmet coffee and espresso makers. The room is also filled with a vast array of utensils, pots and pans, and everything a home or professional chef needs. Parallel with the selection of high-quality products comes high-quality customer service. “I think we’ve succeeded in this market thus far because we’re flexible,” Gaubeka began. “If a customer walks into our store and wants something special that we don’t carry, somehow we will find it and order it for them. Since we’re not a big chain store, we’re not set at a pre-fixed retail price — we’ll negotiate with the customer.”

He also credits the hard work and devotion from his employees. “We only hire employees who love to cook and love culinary arts,” he said. “Most of them have a culinary background so they can better understand the customers’ wants and needs. I don’t think you find that in the big stores.”

The Future
While Gaubeka doesn’t expect the store to generate huge profits in the first year, he’s optimistic about the future. “We estimate that we’ll break even in our third year,” he said. “Our sales are not bad at all and they are definitely picking up. We’re receiving roughly 20 visitors per day, which isn’t bad for a new store.” Gaubeka hopes to continue his success in the U.S. with expansion plans for three additional store locations in Florida by 2007 and throughout the Southeast during 2008 and 2009. “In 10 years, I see us being a very successful concept in the U.S. We will hopefully have opened 20 to 25 stores,” he said.