New venture a dream come true
Hard work and a passion for food has helped a Chilean couple thrive in Queenstown's competitive hospo scene.
Five years after starting their Gatto's Churros food cart in the CBD, Gatto Fuentes and Carla Pradenas have taken another leap, opening a crepes shop and cafe, Gatto's, in The Mall.
They'll continue selling churros on the waterfront until their permit expires in December — by then they hope to have permission to operate it outside the shop, along with some outdoor seating.
Since the couple settled in the resort 12 years ago, they've adapted and thrived.
After initially working for others — Fuentes as a chef and Pradenas as a barista and cafe manager — they got a taste of the street food scene after Fuentes made paella at the Remarkables Market for two seasons.
The couple, who love travelling and exploring international cuisine, saw an opening for selling churros — sweet fritters of Spanish origin.
In late 2019, after devising their distinctive cat logo — 'gatto' is Spanish for cat — they started operating from an existing food cart next to Williams Cottage.
Six months later, the business was prospering, Fuentes says.
"Then Covid hit us — boom."
Lucky to not have employees to worry about, they resumed trading after the lockdown, making just enough to pay their rent and survive.
As visitors started returning, they began thriving again, but hit another bump in the road in '22 when their lease was cancelled.
So Fuentes built a new food cart by hand and they operated successfully on the waterfront — even receiving offers from investors to expand their business.
However, the long hours in all weathers began taking their toll on Fuentes, who says he suffered "burnout" and depression.
To recover, the couple went travelling for eight months, going home to Chile and exploring South and Central America.
Last November, they started a second food cart on the waterfront, Gatto's Crepes, but Pradenas says a huge jump in the number of stallholders in the past couple of years has made it increasingly difficult to operate within council rules.
About a year ago, they began thinking about how to revamp their business model for the third time in five years, and started searching for commercial premises.
Their move to The Mall has been timely.
After a council clampdown on waterfront stallholders since last year, councillors decided last month to cease issuing permits and ban trading on the waterfront for 12 months.
Existing stallholders can keep trading until their permits expire.
Fuentes says they've opened Gatto's in the quietest month of the year, but are confident the winter will bring the crowds.
"We truly believe this is going to explode."
Pradenas says they're proud of what they've achieved after arriving in the resort with nothing but backpacks.
They put their survival down to old-fashioned hard work, and funding their businesses with their savings.
"If you do the job no one else wants to do, you can be successful."
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