Today we’d like to introduce you to Hector Antunez a.k.a. Mr. Ventures.
Mr. Ventures, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I got to Miami around 17 years ago from Venezuela; I went to Florida International University and got a business degree. I have always had a passion for business and entrepreneurship. After graduating, I worked for a few years in a Private Equity Firm that collapse in the financial crisis so I had to figure out what my next move would be and I came across an opportunity through a colleague to invest in a Colombian restaurant which later would become Baru Urbano.
That business was great, it started as a restaurant and it became a phenomenon of the Latin party scene, in 2010 reggeaton was in its infancy and we took the whole ride up. At its peak, we had 4 bars in South Florida, but little by little competition started popping up everywhere and I learned the hard way that nobody has yet gotten to the Forbes list by owning clubs (Well, we’ll see if Dave Grutman makes it lol that guy is on fire).
Meanwhile, Baru was happening I started with a group of friends a business that I’m very proud of called D.O.G. (daycare, overnight & grooming), now Dog Hotels. Dog Hotels is a chain of dog hotels that has today six locations across South Florida and rapidly expanding. We saw the pet industry trend in NY and LA and decided to jump on it early opening our first location in Wynwood in 2011. It’s been a wild ride but a very fun one, by the way, we are actively franchising the concept. It’s very easy to operate and the margins are HUUUUGEEE LOL.
Around the time, DOG was taking shape I met Otto Othman the co-founder of Pincho Factory in a board meeting of a technology company that we both had invested called Nightpro which would later get acquired by Tablelist (a New York startup). We hit it off and started talking about his project with Pincho Factory and I loved it! So, me and a couple of friends got some money together and took a stake in the company, now we have around 12 restaurants and still growing (lucky for us we got in very early $$$).
Come around 2018, I was getting ready to do something different, I always loved real estate so I started debating what to do. I made some cool investments in 2019 with a few friends, we started acquiring land in the Bacalar Lagoon, Mexico (I think its a world wonder) apparently it will be the next Tulum, so we went all-in on it and by the same time I read an article in the Economist about a new treaty being signed between the US and Colombia which will open the doors to Colombia to import Avocado Hass to the US (the market for this avocados is exploding everywhere). So, I started researching and asking how could I get involved with this; about a year later I finally invested in a Finca in Antioquia, Colombia with the guys from El Sideral ( a company that specializes in this type of agricultural investments in Colombia www.elsideral.com) can’t wait to try my first Avocado!
This last year, I’ve been focusing in Commercial Real Estate, I got my license late 2018 and started a Spanish Real Estate podcast about investing in the US called Se Habla Real Estate Show (You can find it in iTunes & Spotify) its been a lot of fun and we’ve met a lot of interesting people (plus is great for social media content) my partner in this project is Lennon Lee @themultyfamilyinvestor he syndicates big multifamily deals and a great guy to have as a partner. I want to make Real Estate a big part of my life in the next 5 years. I figured that with all the experience I’ve gotten during these last 10 years and dozens of signed leases I can help a lot of entrepreneurs to find the ideal spot for their ventures.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I doubt anyone in entrepreneurship can say that is a piece of cake. Business is hard period, competition doesn’t care about you or your feelings and you get to learn that extremely quick venturing out in Miami. I have so many stories, Let’s see, I’ll just summarize these ten years of entrepreneurship like this
1) It’s going to take more money and more time than you think.
2) Don’t hire friends if you want them to remain your friends.
3) Good business + bad partnership = Hell, lol!
4) Theirs always a chance for your idea as long as you remain positive and consistent. Most ideas die because of a lack of commitment by their owners.
5) Be flexible and don’t be afraid to pivot and modify your dream along the process.
6) Good luck Venturing!
Please tell us about your company.
Tato Ventures has become the holding company of all my investments, so I guess the idea is to keep evolving and maybe become a full Venture Capital Firm dedicated to taking consumer companies into the next level. I’m very proud of the diversity of my investments and the creation of my alter ego “Mr. Ventures”. He is a hardcore entrepreneur, loves a new adventure and doesn’t care about the status quo; always with a positive attitude and looking for the next big idea.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My parents for making such a big effort to get my brother and me out of Venezuela and putting us through college here in Miami. And now my beautiful wife, I ‘ve put her through a lot this past year. I always tell her that I’ll never forget this time and her support through the bad times.
Contact Info:
- Website: tatoventures.com
- Email: hector.antunez@gmail.com
- Instagram: @mr_ventures
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