The name 'Abuelo' (ah-bwell-oh) was inspired by our Argentinian grandfather, Alberto de la Vega. 

 

After designing a number of restaurants and cafes for clients (as an Architect), our co-founder Lynette de la Vega opened her own restaurants Zigolini’s (with her husband Alejandro, from late 1980’s to early 90's, across Sydney and Melbourne). Zigolini's helped form the beginnings of the Australian modern food scene, including inventing the Babyccino. Lynette encouraged Abuelo to start baking cakes for Zigolini’s from recipes in old Women's Weekly magazines (the Australian classics), which actually became the most popular sellers and would sell out every single day (despite Abuelo being a carpenter by trade and never having baked a cake before). Alberto also hand crafted timber joinery for the first Zigolini’s in Sydney. 

 

Many years later... while working as a creative producer and designer in advertising, film and fashion, our other co-founder Cloe de la Vega started an Argentinian street food business in Sydney. It was called Abuelo as the empanadas and chimichurri it sold were made using the recipes Abuelo would make for the family. This little business inspired Lynette and Cloe to join forces and start a new and improved Abuelo concept and open its first location in London.

 

Abuelo is still a mother-daughter owned and operated small independent business with a focus on creating architectural spaces for everyone to enjoy, providing fresh ingredient focused food and providing speciality coffee using beans that give back to small Latin American farms and communities. 

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