![social media success story social media success story](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/sionnerobertsfinal-100531154937-phpapp02/95/social-media-success-stories-38-728.jpg)
They also come for the “Barista Creations,” the enormous hot chocolate drinks and milkshakes that owe their success to-what else?-social media. The attention created a buzz that has people coming from near and far to try the arepas, panchos (plantain chip nachos), paella (Spanish rice, chicken and seafood), moqueca (Brazilian shrimp stew) lomo saltado (Peruvian beef tenderloin stir fry) and pabellon (Venezuelan pulled beef, rice, black beans and tajadas). “They found us, we certainly don’t have the resources to look for them.” “All those visits by the television programs were great surprises and true blessings … we couldn’t be more grateful to the people who work in the media in this country,” Vanessa says. That was followed up by public television’s “Under the Radar Michigan” program and then a featured spot on The Travel Channel’s “Food Paradise” program. Soon after, their arepas-a ground maize dough used in place of a bun for sandwiches, burgers, chicken, seafood and vegetables-were featured on The Food Network’s “Ginormous Foods” program. A network staffer discovered Garrido’s thanks to social media.
![social media success story social media success story](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/89/62/c2/8962c2d599e6a1f914886b70487f4d08.jpg)
Then one night the restaurant received an after-hours call from a television network creating a show about restaurants combining Latin American and American cuisines. “They asked for it to be put on the menu, and then they would come back looking for it.” Guests always fell in love with at least one dish, Vanessa recalls. They began by hosting theme dinners (Spanish, Peruvian, Brazilian) in their 36-seat restaurant. David Garrido started the High Training Educational Institute, a culinary school in Caracas-the Venezuelan capital-more than 20 years ago.īetween their backgrounds and their training, they had a global palette of food ideas. Her parents are from Spain, Christopher has family roots tracing to Ukraine and Germany, and they both grew up in Venezuela. “We wanted to introduce ourselves by showing people what we love to eat,” Vanessa says. The restaurant’s story began in 2014, when chefs Vanessa Gonzalez, Christopher Garrido (her husband), and David Garrido (her father-in-law) came from Venezuela to Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. Even so, it may not have succeeded without a desire to feed people foods that are part of the Garrido family’s fabric. It helps to have a menu with photo-worthy global food favorites and inspired beverages that turn sweets into eye candy. Garrido’s Bistro has been in business for just a few years, but the suburban Detroit family-run restaurant is known far and wide thanks to social media and the television spotlight. Never underestimate the power of publicity.