TuBarco visited the new headquarters of the enterprise of the much-loved former Chocoan soccer player.
News Caribbean.
Carmelo ‘Tutunendo’ Valencia He is one of those names that left their mark on Colombian football. Feared forward in the area, he celebrated more than 190 goals in the country defending historical jerseys and becoming a reference for many generations. However, after hanging up his hats and closing his time as a professional soccer player, he understood that life presented him with new challenges away from the fields, this time focused on personal and academic growth.
See: Carmelo Valencia launched himself into the world of gastronomy with his ‘tutubuñuelos’; he prepares them himself
Far from settling for what he had already achieved, Valencia decided to resume his high school studies at the Centro Inca, in Barranquilla, with a clear objective: to fulfill his dream of studying. Business Administration. His goal is to manage his venture ‘Tutubuñuelos’ in the best way, a business that today is a source of pride and that reflects his discipline and winning mentality, now applied to the business world, demonstrating that it is never too late to learn and reinvent yourself.
The former player of Junior, América, Nacional, Millonarios and other greats of Colombian soccer opened the doors of Tutubuñuelos, his business located on Carrera 43 and Calle 90, north of Barranquilla, where today he exchanges the applause of the stadium for the affection of the people. Carmelo told how this dream was born, driven by the discipline and passion that always accompanied him on and off the court.
«It was a pretty small idea from a business that my wife and I had. Everyone likes the buñuelo, but not everyone knows how to make it. I consider that we have an excellent product, a spongy donut, with a unique flavor, really cheese flavor. “If it cools down, it won’t become hard, a fritter that you can take home without any problem, put it in the refrigerator and then heat it in the air fryer pot and it won’t lose flavor,” Carmelo expressed about the beginnings of his project that today is a reality and his unmatched recipe.
In conversation with YourBoatspoke about what makes his venture different, the support he has received from former soccer teammates and the hard moments at the beginning, when many came to think that he had nothing to eat for betting on this business. Today, each buñuelo is a story of effort, humility and resilience.
«If I leave some without mentioning them it is unfair, but it has come Viera, Teófilo, Bacca, Didier Moreno, Fabián Ángel, Marlon Piedrahita… they have all supported me and the people of Barranquilla in general.
Regarding the reason for settling in Barranquilla, Carmelo Valencia mentioned that he has lived in ‘la Arenosa’ for 7 years because it is impossible not to fall in love with the city: “The most beautiful thing about it is its people, they make you stay here… because of the support, affection and playfulness.”
His story shows that reinventing yourself is also winning, and that after retirement there are new goals to achieve. From scoring unforgettable goals to sweetening mornings in Barranquilla, Tutunendo continues to celebrate life, now with the flavor of a freshly made donut.
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