The entrepreneurial spirit was ingrained in Cristina Hernández from a young age, a native of La Palma – although now based in Tenerife. From persuading her mother to let her bake cakes in the family bakery, to creating the magazine Más que tendencias in 2009, the event Mencey Fashion Room in 2012 and The Concept in 2014 – a venue where gastronomy and fashion intertwined.
“If I were to go back to being 26, I would make the same decision. Working for myself.” In 2015, she launched Le Good Market, a venture focused on urban markets where brands could showcase their products in a setting of leisure, gastronomy, and music.
A life of entrepreneurship
Sabela is her most personal project, a haven for breakfast enthusiasts / Andrés Gutiérrez
Although her cherished dream materialised in 2019 under the name Sabela. Inspired by a wine shop in Asturias, Coalla Gourmet, Sabela started as a space combining gourmet products, a market, tapas, and breakfasts. Over time, it has adapted to its surroundings and the demands of its customers, evolving into the reference point it is today. But the path of entrepreneurship is never easy. “The first three or four years of a business are tough. But you can’t give up.”
The success of Sabela, a café located at 1 Calle Numancia, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, lies in offering what no one else did, from the venue to the gastronomic proposal: “My obsession was to provide the best breakfast.” In this space, being local is not a trend, it’s a conviction. “I like to know where things come from and convey that to the customers. Let them know that what they are eating is the result of the work of people who have names and surnames.”
The ultimate mixed sandwich
Her requetemixto sandwich is one of the most acclaimed dishes, attributed to the dedication and energy invested in perfecting it, as well as the ingredients: the bread, the type of butter, the cooked ham, the cheese, and the way it is toasted. “And yes, it is the best mixed sandwich on the island. I’m not ashamed to say it. That’s why it’s called requetemixto,” she reveals.
