The pandemic was a time of crisis for companies in the most varied fields, but it also encouraged people to promote their own ventures. Such was the case of three brothers from the Pampas region of Argentina. Alejandro, Juan and Pablo Rapallini —who worked in an agricultural company—, They founded a family business dedicated to making a grill tool that allows you to grill brochettes without the need to pierce the ingredients.
With an initial investment of 110,000 Argentine pesos (less than US$1,000), La Brochetera entered the Argentine market in October 2020, and has not stopped growing since then. “We were convinced that it was going to be successful because we did market research before launching it and there was no such thing.“, Alejandro Rapallini told Coffee & Business.
They began to market the product among acquaintances and, later, they opted for a digital marketing strategy that would allow them to expand the range of customers. Thus, the company became a success story with 600 brochettes sold monthly in Argentina. Product prices average 4,600 Argentine pesos ($1,500); They range from 2,500 Argentine pesos ($825) for the classic skewer, to 6,800 Argentine pesos ($2,250) for the XXL enlozada.
The acceptance in the market allowed entrepreneurs to grow throughout the country. Although the headquarters is in the Federal Capital, they ship to all provinces and also work with wholesalers, retailers and consignment. This even prompted them to project themselves outside the borders of their country.
La Brochetera arrived in Uruguay in August 2021 through a business friend who decided to market the product. “We made a first shipment of 60 skewers to do a test and after 10 days I had no moreRapallini said. As the months passed, the shipments continued —with more and more products—, and a month ago they hit Uruguayan territory: they sold 350 skewers.
“The business in Uruguay is going to grow a lot,” said the co-founder of La Brochetera, Alejandro Rapallini.
The idea of La Brochetera
“We are fans of roasting and thinking of a solution so that using the grill can be simple and varied (even for vegetarians) was what motivated us,” the brothers explain. One Sunday in a pandemic they were talking about how vegetarian people are sometimes excluded from barbecues, and they thought of creating an accessory in which vegetables can be grilled in a simple way to bring everyone back to the grill.
With that in mind, they designed the product and then brought it to life with the help of a blacksmith. “It was a process of trial and error until the product that we now call the classic skewer emerged”Rapallini explained.
The three brothers agree on the importance of perseverance when starting a business: “When you have an idea, you have to try to develop it and make it concrete. At first, everything is difficult, but if the idea is perfected, good results are achieved.”.
The entrepreneurs tried different options regarding the size of the basket and the length of the handle until they managed to have three options of grill skewers. They started with the classic size, then we launched the XL and XXL, all made of iron. In addition, a year ago they launched the encrusted skewers in all sizes.
Looking to the future
Looking ahead, Rapallini told Café & Negocios that he and his brothers they want to continue growing in Uruguay. “We have great expectations both in the country and in the rest of South America,” he concluded.
