Honoring Family Experiences With El Balcón de Mi Abuelo in Hormigueros

Source: El Nuevo Día

Hormigueros.- Jean-Carlos Abel Seda-Fernández recreated the experiences he had with his maternal grandfather, Miguel Fernández. He had shared his plans with him in becoming a merchant by creating a coffee shop.

And although Fernández has passed away, his grandson wanted to honor him when he completed the project at the Hormigueros' urban market, from where El Balcón de mi Abuelo operates.

The locale opened in December 2021 and offers a series of dishes prepared by the 23-year-old that combines delicious breakfasts served at all hours as well as lunches and, of course, coffee.

"The name is an inspiration. It's based on the experiences I had with my grandfather, because I wanted to start a business, a coffee shop and I had often talked about it with him, about everything I wanted to do in life. And among my plans was this business," he said after mentioning that his grandfather died two years ago.

"We're a big, tight-knit family, with five siblings and nine grandchildren. We all met on the weekends, at the balcony of my grandfather's house. He liked to be there because of the breeze, drinking his coffee and eating. And that's where the name came from," added Seda-Fernández, who grew up in the Colinas del Oeste complex.

Just like the saying goes, 'like father, like son,' Jean-Carlos learned the ins and outs of running a company. His grandfather was the owner of the Circo de Juguetes (Toy Circus) in Mayagüez and co-owner of the now-defunct Castillo de los Dulces (Candy Castle) in Ponce.

"All my life, I saw what it meant to work to go forward. They taught me to work for my things since I was little. I have a lot memories with him and his teachings because I began to work with him at Castillo de los Dulces when I was 13," he said.

Regarding the menu available for his customers, Seda-Fernández highlighted that "I have all-day breakfast. There are about 12 dishes, between breakfasts and lunches."

Among the available options, there are hamburgers, quesadillas, wraps, sandwiches, tripletas and fritters, among other dishes.

"Coffee is the most important thing; (we use) Gustos Premium, a gourmet coffee espresso. I worked on the coast (Paseo del Litoral Israel 'Shorty' Castro in Mayagüez) since I was 17. I gained experience there as a barista. One of my goals is to develop my own brand of coffee, from El Balcón de mi Abuelo," said the son of Socorro Fernández, owner of a beauty salon.

"Hamburgers and chicken, we make them here. Everything is made at the moment, nothing is frozen. Just like the scrambled eggs. People love hamburgers, especially Burger del Abuelo and Los Tres Reyes Magos, which are sliders that are a little bigger than the regular ones, and quesadillas," he highlighted.

The man from Hormigueros pointed out that Burger del Abuelo consists of an eight-ounce piece of meat, with parmesan cheese, lettuce, tomato and bacon.

"We're working to, in the future, be able to make stuffed hamburgers," he said. He also mentioned that the locale generates two jobs.