Galápagos Bar & Grill - Meet Segundo!

Segundo outside his restaurant at 3508 E Lake

Meet Segundo José Balvoa Duchi from Cañar, Ecuador, owner and manager of the Latin American food restaurant, Galapagos Bar & Grill. Over the past two years, Segundo managed to transform a moment of crisis into an opportunity to achieve his dreams. Segundo came to live in Minneapolis about 20 years ago and started working in the kitchen of different restaurants and hotels, but always with the desire to start his own business. In 2020, when he was fired by the hotel he worked for due to the pandemic, he experienced that moment as the opportunity to apply his knowledge to open his small business. And so it was that Segundo went from being a dreamer to an entrepreneur. ​

"I lost my job in March 2020, and I decided to do what I wanted: start my own food business," says Segundo, who with a lot of effort and dedication managed to open his restaurant on January 27, 2021. In Galapagos Bar & Grill, named after the renowned Ecuadorian islands, you can find varied dishes such as seafood, enjoy a karaoke team to sing and receive the good service of the 10 employees who work with José, something that fills him with pride.

“I feel good because with my business I can create work in the Latino community and support people so that they can support their family and grow,” says Segundo.  He has two children, a daughter who is about to turn 19, who is studying at college, and a 17-year-old son, who is in high school. And his business is now doing well to cover his expenses and also pay his employees. This family man says that, however, starting the business was difficult. “We thought that the pandemic was going to pass quickly, but it was not. It took us longer to get the license approved, to do the permits, the remodeling, and to be able to open,” says Segundo, who, despite the obstacles, maintains a positive attitude.

Another thing that keeps Segundo motivated as an entrepreneur, in addition to generating work in his community, is the desire to continue learning. ”With effort and education goals are achieved. Because there can be hard times, but you have to be persistent,” says Segundo. And he adds: “If something bad happens, I have it in my mind that something good is going to come. Because when one door closes, another door opens.