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THE TEAM

Founder and CEO

ALEX BETOLAZA

Alex Betolaza is the personification of the story behind The Paella Club. He was born in the Basque Country (País Vasco), a region that is known...

Alex Betolaza is the personification of the story behind The Paella Club. He was born in the Basque Country (País Vasco), a region that is known for its culinary highlights, both reflected in the world famous pintxos (“toothpick-tapas”) and the multitude of Michelin star restaurants.

An unknown fact to many people: Basque Country is the only region in Spain where men take place behind the stove as part of their cultural heritage. There are even private cooking clubs where all members are male, where are called txokos.

Alex remained true to his roots during his life journey which lead him to London, Los Angeles and Miami, where he worked in various trendy restaurants. While abroad, Alex noticed an reoccurring phenomena: as soon as people heard he was from Spain, they asked him about the secrets of a great paella. This is where the idea first began.

Alex began to develop an idea of creating a space in Los Angeles that could reflect and share the beauty of Spanish cuisine and culture. Not a cooking school, nor a restaurant. Instead, he aspired to provide individuals with a true gastronomic experience where they could discover fresh ingredients, take part in interactive cooking, and have a shared dining experience in a breathtaking environment.

Returning back to his Spanish roots, Alex moved to Barcelona, where he used his background and knowledge, or shall we say the “ingredients” LA and Miami, his interest in the paella, and his knowledge of fresh produce to stir-up what is now The Paella Club.

Brand Strategy and Communications Director

MARINA SOLÍS

Meet our Brand Manager. She uses her strategic savviness to get the word out that there is a cool spot in the heart of Barcelona where travelers from all...

Meet our Brand Manager. She uses her strategic savviness to get the word out that there is a cool spot in the heart of Barcelona where travelers from all over come together and share their love for food, music and wine while submerging in a fun ride through out the Spanish cuisine.
Born and raised in Panama, a country famous for being a place of transit due to its canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific ocean, Marina is no stranger to connecting with people from all over the Globe.
Due to its strategic location, Panama’s gastronomy became a place of meet between different seasonings that, mixed with her family’s Spanish roots, awoken in Marina a deep interest in food and how it serves as a bridge for people from different cultures to come together.

She studied Mass Media Communications and then got her Official Master’s degree in Advertising Strategy and Creativity in Barcelona, where she met Alex and Alex and signed in a venture that mixed her two big passions: food and communications. Now she helps spread the love towards the Spanish cuisine and culture to travelers coming from everywhere.

Kitchen Manager

LUCÍA ZANCHI

Chef

FERNANDO DIPASQUALE

Chef

ETHAN SPENCE

Kitchen Assistant

MIREIA PUNSA

Kitchen Assistant

MELVIN ALDÓN

JOIN THE FAM

We believe in the power of human connection. Do you?

OUR PHILOSOPHY

We’ve all been there. You travel to a new place and you want to learn more about the regional culture, cuisine, and history. You excitedly seek out a new class only to be deeply disappointed by the egoistic flair of the experience. Here at The Paella Cub, we engage with our friends, sharing laughter over a warm stove and might even stop to take a picture with you along the way. We take pride in our expertise, but we not cost of our visitors. Although our Executive Chef has experience working at a number of Michelin Star restaurants, we maintain an approachable and engaging atmosphere. Just consider us a few friends here to guide you through your own culinary journey.

Conscious Culinary Exploration:  Social Responsibility
We operate under the principles of the slow food movement and we strive to provide the highest quality experience by sourcing our goods from local actors in order to help preserve and share Spanish culture and tradition, all the while maintaining a environmentally conscious approach.  We believe in the importance of using locally sourced ingredients in order to provide a farm-to-table experience that celebrates the not only the local culture and environment but most importantly the people involved.

This mindset of the Slow movement not only manifests itself in our kitchen but has extended into our interior design and company structure. We have constructed The Paella Club using a variety of refurbished items in order to create a space of gastronomic education that links tradition with modernity, resulting in a space of urban design, refurbished materials, and a truly sophisticated ambiance. We strive to minimize any food waste by donating any leftover goods to neighborhood food pantries and in-need populations, and regularly partner with local NGOs to host fundraising events.

The TPC Foundation

A Dream of Sharing

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