Originally from Mexico, the ambition of David Migueres (Master 2015) is to spread the good word about Mezcal, an alcoholic drink similar to tequila. Through his import and retailing company, M3 Liquors, this final-year student is getting ready to launch his own brand of Mezcal!
EDHEC Alumni : Can you tell us briefly how your entrepreneurial plans came about?
David Migueres : As a result of my Mexican origins, I spent a lot of time in Mexico. I always felt inspired by its culture and always wanted to share it with the French. But the two cultures are extremely different, and because the French have such a strong cultural identity, they can be a bit resistant to exotic cultures. Over the last two years, I have noticed that this trend has reversed and that an increasing number of Mexican bars and restaurants are opening in Paris. During my last trip to Mexico City, following my first internship abroad with Airbus, I noticed there was a high demand for Mezcal, an ancestor of tequila and a drink that has been around for hundreds of years. That trip was only supposed to last two weeks but I stayed on for three months and hit the road to learn all about Mezcal. I travelled across the country, met with producers and participated in the distilling process. When I came back to Paris, I went to the bank, took out a student loan and set up my own retailing company, M3 Liquors SAS, together with my uncle who lives in Mexico. At the same time, a friend I had met while preparing for EDHEC was just taking over the management of a Parisian hotel. The concept for the hotel and its restaurant are based on contemporary Peru, the first of its kind in France. Given the increased appetite for Mezcal, I immediately thought of opening a Mezcal bar in the hotel. I brought my idea before the hotel group’s board of directors, and La Mezcaleria – Bar Clandestino was opened in October 2014 as a kind of “speakeasy” that was accessible by passing through the kitchens of the restaurant.
What is your initial assessment of this entrepreneurial adventure?
DM : First of all, I would say that my trip to the land of Mezcal was a fantastic human adventure. I had the good fortune to witness the daily routines of Mezcal distillers, including families who have been producing it for several generations. It also gave me the opportunity to discover a profession I knew nothing about, importing, an extremely complex business involving many different parties: consolidators, forwarders, customs authorities, carriers and so on. Not to mention the fact that I import an alcoholic drink, which means that the procedures are all the more strict and regulated. So in just a few months I had to learn about businesses that I knew nothing about, thanks in part of course to the help of certain people I met along the way who gave me assistance and support when I needed information.
Have you ever benefited from the network of EDHEC graduates?
DM : In terms of importing, I was lucky enough to find the right people through my own personal network. I think that the EDHEC Alumni network could be useful in terms of retailing. In fact I have just contacted an EDHEC student working on an internship in a hotel in Paris who put me in contact with the purchasing department.
What advice do you have for young entrepreneurs?
DM : Like a lot of young people from my generation, before I launched this business I had my heart set on a technology start-up. I would just like to say to young entrepreneurs that there are also many opportunities in more traditional sectors and that they have just as much room for innovation. I increasingly encounter young graduates from major business schools who are starting off in the restaurant or hotel sectors or who have gone against the tide by using new technologies to modernise segments of their industry that people thought were on the way out. Generally speaking, the most important thing is to love the product you intend to sell.
What’s next for M3 Liquors?
DM : I’m currently working on creating my own brand of Mezcal, which should be released over the next year. I would also like to open a Mezcal-themed hotel in Zacatecas, the Mexican state where the drink is produced. Clients would be able to produce their own Mezcal, learn more about the drink and discover this magnificent region which is located at an altitude of some 2450 m! But for the moment my goal is to sell my Mezcal and above all gain a reputation for what is truly a wonderful drink (to be consumed in moderation).
What are your expectations from the community of EDHEC graduates?
DM : I will soon need to raise funds to promote my brand of Mezcal, and I would be very interested in meeting with people working in the alcohol sector who might be able to advise me. I would also like to introduce as many people as possible to Mezcal, so I invite anyone who doesn’t know it to come and taste it in my bar or elsewhere and let me know what they think!
Contact
www.mezcal.fr
davidmigueres@mezcal.fr
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