79. Most People Invest in Restaurants for the Wrong Reason

We spoke with Gabriela Cámara, the star restaurateur behind Contramar, Entremar, Caracol de Mar and Itacate in Mexico City, as well as the recently opened Cantina Contramar in Las Vegas.She explains why the iconic Contramar has been full for nearly 30 years, what it takes to run a busy Mexico City restaurant day after day, and why a restauranteur needs to be both businessperson and chef. We also discuss her experience opening restaurants in the United States, the global rise of high-end Mexican cuisine, sustainability, and the opportunities and tensions created by gentrification in Mexico City.Before the interview, Eduardo and Damián discuss the week’s top Mexico business news.BBVA México’s succession. Global risk head José Luis Elechiguerra returns home to become the new Mexico viceroy as Eduardo Osuna moves to the chairmanship after more than a decade as CEO, handing over by far Mexico’s strongest banking franchise. The new CEO’s in-tray includes managing AI & Technological change, fighting off fierce incumbent and fintech competition, dealing with regulators keen to promote financial inclusion and digitalization but unsure how to, and balancing growth versus asset quality.FEMSA’s stock falls even as it reports blow out sales. OXXO posted almost 10% same-store sales growth on the World Cup boost. Coffee is becoming a bigger part of the strategy, and SPIN is taking its first steps into lending. Investors focused on lower gross margins at OXXO as the company pushed harder on affordability, and seem worried about a possible World Cup hangover.Cemex’s recovery continues. Housing, infrastructure and the first signs of Plan México spending lifted cement volumes in Mexico as management continued cutting costs.Televisa. The telecom turnaround continued, but weaker results at World Cup-free Univision weighed on the broader story.We also cover Kia’s expanded investment in Nuevo León, stronger-than-expected GDP and trade figures, and Mexico’s decisive win (so far) in the Vulcan arbitration, which reduced a US$1.7 billion claim to about US$15 million.