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Why Nicaragua? – A New Restaurant

Why Nicaragua?

The big question is always “Why Nicaragua?”  Our answer is simple.  We love it here.

Shane and I first visited Nicaragua in February of 2011, with his parents, Dan and Maureen and our first son, Jack.  Jack was 22 months at the time and we were trying to take advantage of him flying for free before he turned two. It was a 10 day trip which took us to Laguna de Apoyo, San Juan Del Sur and then back here to Granada.  We had been traveling every other year to Central America and always felt at the end of the 9 or 10 days that it wasn’t enough.   We have always had dreams about living in another country, but life’s distractions kept us from really considering a move.

About a year after we returned from our trip, we seriously discussed the idea of moving to Nicaragua.  We had just welcomed our second son Reed into the family and going back to work after maternity leave just didn’t sound like as much fun as before.  But I did.   For the next year after that we were online, researching places to live, houses to rent etc.  We started putting together a plan, saving money and budgeting for what we thought we would need for a year.  The plan was to spend at least a year here in Nicaragua to experience the Central American Culture from more of a local’s perspective and improve our Spanish.  Then we got pregnant.  First thought was, “There is no way I am having a baby in Nicaragua”.

Part of me didn’t want to let go of this dream so after a few months I was back online looking, and I connected with a woman via the internet.  Her name was Sarah Fahey and not only was she living in Nicaragua, but also had her first daughter there and was currently pregnant with number 2!  Turns out we were about a month and a half apart.  After reading her blog and hearing about her experiences here, we were right back on the Moving-to-Nicaragua-Train.  This time in fast forward.Bocas (3)

Within three months we sold our cars, rented our house, found homes for large furniture and stored or donated everything else.  We then packed up seven suitcases, two car seats, a stroller, a 3 year old and a 15 month old and got on that plane.  We arrived here on February 7th, 2013 with the intention of spending a year.

Nicaragua is an easy country to fall in love with, the landscape is beautiful, the culture is welcoming, and the variety of food is just what we were looking for.  It’s no surprise that after a few months we were thinking about staying longer and after the birth of our third son, Levi, we knew we would.

The idea to open Bocadillos was slightly impulsive.  We have always loved serving delicious food to both friends and family in whatever city we found ourselves in.  We took every opportunity to invite friends over for an afternoon lunch or spontaneous dinner party.  We really enjoy being the hosts and bringing people together over drinks and a meal.  Opening a restaurant was never more than conversation in the states but once we decided to set down roots in Nicaragua, it became a reality.  Neither of us really had an extensive background in restaurant or bar management but with the help of our friends, Julio and Andrea from Pan De Vida, we created the concept.  We chose a small plates, tapas style menu because we wanted a place where guests could enjoy a few bites or a multi course meal.
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For me, cooking in Nicaragua was a completely different experience.  From deciphering cuts of meat at the supermercado to bargaining for produce in the outdoor mercado, there is an entirely new set of ingredients to work with.  Once we learned how to cook with what we had here, we then had to take what we did at home, turn it into a small plate and then recreate it in a restaurant kitchen.  It was fun, inviting neighbors over and having late night tasting sessions.  Jeremy and Katie Berg were extremely helpful during this time, stopping by for a beer always ended up in a sampling of something or a new cocktail that they were forced to try.

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Throughout November we opened the restaurant only on the weekends to test our items and experiment in the bar.  We hired Cliff Haley as our Sales and Marketing Manager and he took up residence helping us design a webpage and various marketing items.  We paid him with beer.   Pretty soon, Two Tapas, Yucca Chips and beer on a table top menu turned into a one page tapas and specialty cocktail menu.  Laminated and everything!   We opened our doors full time December 1st, after given approval by our accountant that all the necessary paperwork was with DGI and “in processo”.   I’d like to think we’ve been successful so far, there are still some items I’d like to add and we are always trying to improve what we’ve got.  Next challenge, adding staff…

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Please join us at Bocadillos soon!

Bocadillos is located at the Hotel Casa San Francisco on Calle Corral.

Carina and Shane Whitmore

Our Hours of Operation:

Thursday – Monday 3:00 – 9:00  Closed Tuesday and Wednesday

Happy Hour 3:00 – 6:00 daily

Features free house yucca chips and daily drink specials

www.bocadillosgranada.com

www.facebook.com/bocadillosgranada

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