Gonzalo Iceta is CEO and founder of Healthy Poke, a fast food chain, focused on the preparation of healthy dishes of Hawaiian origin.
Currently, Healthy Poke has selected Grupo Spin as a partner for the construction of its retail stores, as part of an ambitious expansion plan across the country.For this reason, we spoke with Gonzalo to learn his thoughts on the current state of retail and its evolution in the immediate future.
Who is Gonzalo Iceta?
Gonzalo Iceta is a person who is passionate about being with his loved ones: his family, his friends, his pets... And that's Gonzalo Iceta, before he is an entrepreneur, businessman, or owner of the Healthy Poke chain.
How would you define Healthy Poke?
As a new fast food concept of healthy food.
As a retail business, what is Healthy Poke doing right in its current expansion plan?
The first thing is to look for locations with a good density of people and high demand. Restaurants must be present in places where people go frequently. Another key aspect is the great effort we make to make purchasing easier for customers with the help of current technology, such as QR codes, automated kiosks, etc. I also think the attractive and friendly concept we are developing with Spin is very noteworthy. The appeal is very good and makes people feel comfortable with what they see and what they consume.
What aspects influence the final decision to invest in a premises.
Primarily, the location, as I mentioned before. We are an operator without major space requirements. Furthermore, we have already demonstrated that, together with you, we have the capacity to transform any retail establishment.
What evolution do you think the retail sector will undergo in the near future?
It's a complicated time. With the pandemic, there's a change in consumer habits. Going to the store is no longer the only option. More and more people are demanding products delivered to their homes. If this trend continues and grows over time, retail needs to be rethought in the future. However, one reality remains: we all need physical contact; we like to touch what we're going to buy.
On the other hand, the flip side of this crisis is the possibility of accessing premises that would have been impossible before. The limited supply of good premises was completely sky-high in price. Currently, we find retail establishments available on the main avenues of the country's major cities.
What are you looking for in a construction and renovation company?
We're looking for exactly what we found with Spin: Reliability, trust, and transparency. The ability to meet deadlines is a quality we struggled to find in construction companies, and with Spin, we've solved it. Achieving this speed of action allows us to enter markets more efficiently and quickly. Another key aspect is quality, both in the way things are done and in the final finishes. And last but not least, we need scalability; we need a partner capable of accompanying us throughout the different cities we want to reach.
"The speed with which we execute our projects allows us to enter markets more quickly and efficiently."
How important is it to you in your relationship with your partners humane treatment.
It's essential. Without good understanding and communication, I can't imagine a lasting business relationship.
In the quality-price ratio, what aspect carries more weight when ordering your construction work?
In this regard, we recognize an evolution within the company. At the beginning, there was a compelling need to find value for money. Thanks to the growth we've experienced, quality is now also essential in that balance. Committing to quality means committing to ensuring our customers enjoy themselves. Therefore, paying for quality is an investment.
Where Healthy Poke wants to go.
We want to be the first national chain in the healthy fast food sector. To achieve this, we will continue our aggressive expansion into shopping centers and brick-and-mortar locations, in addition to delving into the ghost kitchen model. In addition, we plan to develop a very interesting business model of mobile blind kitchens, which will travel throughout the country in search of the best locations for future establishments.
You are betting on your own expansion model, not a franchise model.
We have no doubt about it. We can't imagine growing without losing control of the operation, and therefore, losing control of the final customer experience.
