The story of El Ahumador, a business that was born in a pandemic, was learning, survived and already has a store

Jordy is 25 years old and Mikaela, 20, are the González brothers, who after a trip to Texas planned to start selling traditional smoked products from that region of the United States in Guayaquil. Before the confinement, delivery was already proposed, and with the COVID-19 announced in Ecuador, the methodology was consolidated and ended up favoring the plan.

"While we were developing the concept, the pandemic hit us, we thought it would happen in a couple of months, but no," recalls the young man. A physical establishment was not considered a start-up due to the resources and experience it requires. And in fact neither of them had experience in this field, except that Jordy studied at the Higher Institute of Culinary Arts of the School of Chefs, at the age of 16.

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Another of his arguments is that they expected customers to be able to try and approve the product they would offer: pulled pork, a new concept; beyond the fact that in social networks they found that there was sale of smoked products in Ecuador, it was not precisely those who were looking to put on the market, the specific technique of the southern United States.

In 2019 they traveled to an event in Texas, where they discovered this gastronomic culture. Jordy tried it and was fascinated by the barbecue and the pulled pork, not only because of the flavors but also because of the way it is marketed: it is sold by the pound and it is a family meal, “it is made and sold, the same thing happens with the onions from Guayaquil , where it is good where people line up to buy”, he compares.

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Mikaela was impressed by the sale on large trays. It is a long process, in the case of pulled pork, it is twelve hours. The coleslaw is the same that they include.

When this business started, the smoking started at 04:00 and home delivery was available on request Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 19:00.

The offer was for pulled pork due to the flexibility it gave in home delivery. The first sale was made in June 2020, but before that it was a learning adventure.

Jordy had to have a smoker manufactured according to his product because none of the ones he found on the market came close to his requirements. Firewood was another headache because not all firewood is used for smoking and he had to find a suitable supplier. He must have taught the butchers how to cut the pulled pork. "And after all that, to see if it worked out for us," he recalls with a laugh.

The bread that they send for the sandwiches also required a long selection of supplier, they started with a commercially recognized brand, but it failed them in the deliveries. Today they have an alliance with an artisan bread maker.

"Before we started selling we did tests, we invited the Campos, a family friend, to taste a piece of pulled pork." This is how they were making adjustments even before going on the market.

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The first days of sale showed their inexperience, they did not have motorized vehicles, the delivery was made by the two brothers, their parents and four friends. They were distributed throughout the city, but sometimes they had 15 orders, all by 8 at night.

They already have formal delivery service. At first they made a strategic alliance with a friend who made cookies and they sent them as a courtesy to their customers. The girl with the cookies stopped making them, it is one of the businesses that fell by the wayside after the pandemic.

El Ahumador considers itself successful, it overcame inexperience, it survived the pandemic and post-pandemic because they already have a place that also emerged from an alliance, this time with El Buen Corte, its meat supplier that put its establishment on the way to the coast and then After talking and trying the product, they agreed to settle inside the supermarket.

It's not very big, Mikaela clarifies, but it's her service center. The patio of the house that was suitable for El Ahumador is maintained with all the adaptations and as an option for small groups that want to live the experience of a Texan smoked meat.

They started with pulled pork, but they want to be recognized for all their smoked products. They already offer ribs, chicken wings and sometimes turkey, all smoked. They say they don't have a brisket because finding a good supplier has been difficult and bringing it from the United States would cost about $150 and might not be profitable.

El Ahumador is open from Monday to Sunday, on the premises and home delivery orders.