In two locations in the city, in the Paseo Villa del Río Shopping Center and the El Lago neighborhood, an unparalleled gastronomic experience has captivated the most demanding tastes in Bogotá: Macerada SAS. This innovative proposal is the result of the tireless effort of Doris Patricia Bravo Santana, a visionary entrepreneur and lover of empanadas who has transformed her devotion for cooking into a thriving family business.

To talk about Macerada, Bravo goes back to moments of challenge and self-improvement she experienced a few years ago. She, with a vast experience in the working world, found herself unemployed. Back home, her husband invited her to prepare some empanadas that she needed to take to work. It is worth mentioning that she had never prepared an empanada in her life, yet she took on the task without knowing what would come next. The recipe was a success in her husband's company, so they began to request orders from her on a recurring basis. The product became so popular that Bravo ended up selling her empanadas for small parties and family gatherings.

Bravo recognizes that the empanadas he offered at that time were fried in oil, without a recipe or a revolutionary flavor. However, the venture stopped when there were no more events. Instead of getting discouraged, this entrepreneur decided to turn her life around.She gathered her eldest son and her husband to start an ideation process and find her differential in this industry.

Together they brainstormed about how an empanada is consumed, with whom, where, when.Then they discovered that empanadas, like beer, are consumed with friends, with the family, at a meeting, at an event.Then, one of them added: “Why don't we put these two products together?And from there came the idea of creating beer empanadas, a challenge that the family took on with courage and determination. Then, Macerada was born, a place where creativity and tradition meet to offer a unique gastronomic experience in a sea of flavors.

The road to success was not easy. Bravo remembers days of uncertainty and nights of hard work at home, experimenting with recipes and flavors. Inspired by the preparations of her mother, who had the custom of marinating meat in beer to make exquisite dishes, she took this reference to start her business idea.

Macerada's venture started with 10 different flavors, but only 5 were selected to start home delivery from home.

At the end of 2020, the company opened its first point of sale in El Paseo Shopping Center and, in 2023, opened its second location in El Lago. Currently, the company has six empanada options on its menu: chicken with cheese, beef, crab palm hearts with cheese, pork barbecue, ropa vieja and vegetarian.All preparations are marinated in beer.The dough also has a specialized type of malt, and they serve them to the final consumer with a beer-based sauce to accompany them.

Macerada, in addition to empanadas, offers non-alcoholic and beer-related beverage options.The latter are aimed at attracting the public through exclusive flavors such as mango, passion fruit, cherry, mint and curazao malts, as well as other traditional and imported options.Additionally, the company handles a drink that is unique in Bogota, a Coca-Cola Float with ice cream and other innovative products brought to them by suppliers in the city, such as flavored masato, desserts and other delicacies.

Macerada's registration with the Bogota Chamber of Commerce in February 2023 marked an important milestone in its trajectory.

Since then, Bravo has valued the support and resources provided by the district entity, especially through the food and gastronomy cluster, from which he has received various benefits, including free training programs and participation in events such as Gastrofest.

Both activities have been key to the growth of her business and to her visibility in the market, since these platforms allow her to showcase the creations of emerging entrepreneurs in the district's industry.For Bravo, being an entrepreneur is a commitment to her team and an opportunity to make the dreams of those around her come true.With three direct employees and the support of additional collaborators, this company has created an environment of inclusion and opportunities, in which it provides employment to women over 40 and promotes a dignified work space based on respect and collaboration.

So Macerada is a source of inspiration for all those who dream of one day turning their ideas into reality, by designing business opportunities through a rigorous analysis of the environment. The idea behind a beer empanada came from a family that revolutionized the traditional flavor of this appetizer with its recipe.With an open mind and a generous heart, Bravo continues its journey to success, bringing with it the unique taste and commitment to offer healthy and delicious products to all its customers.

Learn more about Macerada's business history in our radio program Somos llaves.