The first visit to Makro Paseo Imperial: the team gets moving
Some moments never make it onto any menu. Moments that happen before the first light comes on, before the first cocktail is served, even before the space smells of what it is about to smell of. This is one of those moments. And we wanted to tell it.
A Tuesday in March at Paseo Imperial
This morning, the founding team of STILLROOM set foot for the first time in the Makro store at Paseo Imperial — not as individual customers, but as a brand. As a project. As a team.
Alejandro, CEO and partner in the project, led the expedition with that calm energy he has when he is building something. Beside him, Enzo Ruiz, our creative director and head bartender, walked the aisles of wines and spirits with the look of an alchemist who knows exactly what he is looking for — even if the moment to pick it up has not yet come. Matías, the venue’s operations supervisor, took mental note of logistics, volumes and workflows. And John Guerrero, the project’s consultant through ChefBusiness, closed out the group, documenting what the others were building.
No one bought anything today. And that, paradoxically, is the most significant thing about the day.
Why this visit matters
At STILLROOM we believe excellence cannot be improvised. Every ingredient that will reach our bar, every base that will make up our prep work, every product that underpins our signature cocktails has to pass through the team’s judgement first. We delegate that criterion to no one.
Today’s visit was, above all, an exercise in reconnaissance. Knowing what is available, understanding what interests us, comparing suppliers, weighing up qualities. Enzo already has in mind the map of ingredients for our liquid menu — the fruit for the shrubs, the bases for the syrups, the spices that will converse with our spirits. Today he began to make that map tangible.
And because the opening will not wait. The date is approaching, and every piece has to be in place before the first light comes on at Calle Moreto 9.
What comes next
This visit is only the first of many that will shape STILLROOM’s supply chain. In the coming days will come the first purchases, the arrival of the outstanding equipment, the final touches to the space and the start of bar rehearsals with menu in hand.
The invisible is becoming visible. And very soon you will be able to experience it in person.
Frequently asked questions
What is a cash & carry like Makro, and why do we use it at STILLROOM?
It is a hospitality wholesaler, not an ordinary supermarket. It gives us access to an enormous range of professional produce — spirits, fruit, spices — in formats and qualities designed for the trade. For us, walking its aisles is not shopping; it is an exercise in mapping: it helps us understand what is available each season, compare suppliers and weigh up what is worth bringing into our bar.
Why does the team choose the produce in person instead of delegating that decision?
Because excellence cannot be improvised or outsourced. Touching a piece of fruit, smelling a spice or tasting a spirit changes your judgement completely. No one knows our liquid menu better than the people who design it. By going ourselves, we build a direct relationship with the produce and with those who distribute it, and so we guarantee that every ingredient that enters STILLROOM answers to a conscious decision rather than a blind order.
What do we look for in a fruit or a spirit for a signature cocktail menu?
In fruit we look for ripeness, balanced acidity, expressive aroma and traceable origin. In a spirit we value character, cleanliness and the ability to converse with the rest of the ingredients. A merely correct product is not enough for us: we need one that brings something of its own. That ideal product must withstand techniques such as sous-vide infusion or the blowtorch and, above all, integrate into house creations where its personality can expand. This is how we build our signature cocktails.
What are shrubs and house syrups, and what do they have to do with this selection?
Shrubs are concentrated syrups of fruit, sugar and vinegar that bring a complex acidity, quite different from that of citrus; house syrups are syrups infused with spices, herbs or peel. Both are made in-house from the fruit and spices we choose ourselves. They are our way of capturing seasonality and turning good produce into lasting layers of flavour. You can see the results in our cocktail menu.