New Ownership And Chef At Picador Restaurant In New Canaan

NEW CANAAN, Conn. - Oct. 19, 2013 - PRLog -- Alan Basaran sold his popular Spanish style tapas restaurant four months before its one year anniversary to food and beverage veteran Ray Rivera and local Club Sandwich owner, Leo Gaspar. As the new ownership team, Rivera and Gaspar introduced Chef Corey Falcone on October 1st and plan to expand the Spanish style tapas menu with a fusion of Italian fare.

Rivera was consulting for local restaurants in New Canaan when he met Gaspar in 2010, prior to their introduction Rivera held the title of Senior Food and Beverage Manager at the Hyatt in Greenwich, Connecticut for a decade. The two discussed business opportunities shortly after they met and when the opportunity to purchase Picador presented itself, a couple years later, they were ready.

Rivera initiated the conversation with Gaspar as Rivera was in talks with Basaran about managing the restaurant for him just before the restaurateur decided to sell following his June review in the New York Times.“There were a few groups interested in purchasing Picador” Rivera explains. “I was talking to the former owner about working for him and running the place, the conversation changed and it became about providing him with an offer to purchase.”

Gaspar and his wife Jennifer discussed the partnership and offered to invest into the deal with Rivera. They specially selected Falcone as their chef once the deal was accepted. Falcone previously owned two Italian restaurants in Stamford, Connecticut and is no stranger to lower Fairfield County although he learned to cook in fast-paced New York restaurants “I’m very interested in Spanish cuisine, and I’ll enjoy the challenge of fusing it with Italian style.” Falcone noted. He plans on catering to customers for now and incorporating updates to the menu gradually. “If they want to call the restaurant and request a special dish they will get it" he explained. Falcone added “I prefer small venues that are up close to the customer so New Canaan is the perfect spot.”

The Picador website is currently under construction but customers can find more information on the restaurants Facebook page (www.facebook.com/PicadorNC) until it’s re-launched later this month. For press tastings please contact Sarah I. Bamford (sarah@hybridmediaonline.com).

ABOUT THE PICADOR TEAM

Leonardo Gaspar

Restaurateur Leonardo Gaspar (Leo) moved to Fairfield County from Brazil in 1998. His first job in the culinary industry was at Pizza Post in Greenwich, Connecticut where he worked for 9 years. During this time Leo learned and experienced many aspects of the food business including the importance of quality customer service. Before he left Pizza Post to open his own food business, Leo learned to cook and was promoted to manager which adequately prepared him for the road ahead.

In 2008 Leo’s American dream came to fruition when he opened his first business in New Canaan, Connecticut. He purchased Club Sandwich after researching the restaurant landscape in Fairfield County. Leo saw the potential in this business and seized the opportunity to make the establishment better. Two years later Leo and his wife Jennifer moved to New Canaan and learned they were expecting an addition to the family, their daughter Lua. Around the same time he met Ray Rivera who was consulting at The Pine Social. Soon talks around opening a restaurant together began and in August of 2013 Leo and Ray acquired ownership of Picador in New Canaan.

When Leo is away from Club Sandwich and Picador he’s spending time with this family and giving back to the community in New Canaan. “I really enjoy taking my daughter out in her stroller around town and to Mead Park” he explains. “I love living in New Canaan it is such a great town!” Leo is a proud sponsor of the New Canaan Scholarship Foundation, New Canaan All Sport Booster Club and New Canaan Ram Football Association.

Ray Rivera

Ray Rivera is a food and beverage authority. He was raised in New York City and went on to play professional baseball after college for the Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies organizations. Ray transitioned into the hospitality industry in 1984 after accepting a position at the Hyatt Lake Tahoe in Incline Village, Nevada. A few years later he relocated to California and took on the title of General Manager at Harvest Inn, located in Napa Valley.

It was at Harvest, surrounded by Wine Country, where Ray began his education in Californian wines. Over time his knowledge became a passion which resulted in a regional publication in major U.S. cities called Epicurean Rendezvous, which Ray published in Florida after he left Napa Valley.

Three years later a team of former Hyatt employees joined to open their own restaurant chain called Sfuzzi, Ray left the publication and moved to Nashville to open a Sfuzzi location in Tennessee. He was a General Manager again for five years in Nashville then returned to the North East. Ray became General Manager for Romano’s Macaroni Grill in West Hartford until 2000 when he returned to Hyatt.

Ray refined his talents as Senior Food and Beverage Manager at Hyatt in Greenwich, Connecticut for ten years before retiring in 2010. He began consulting small, independently owned restaurants in Fairfield County when he met Leo Gaspar, owner of Club Sandwich in New Canaan, Connecticut. The two discussed business opportunities in the area and less than three years later became business partners. Today, Ray and Leo co-own Picador, a charming Spanish style tapas restaurant in the heart of New Canaan, Connecticut.

Chef Corey Falcone

Chef Corey Falcone began his culinary career in 1990 and is no stranger to the Fairfield County food scene. Corey began his culinary career at age 15 as he watched and learned in fast paced New York based restaurants. Corey went on to own two small Italian restaurants located in Stamford, Connecticut (Bella Luna and Sunny Frankies) before joining the team at Picador in New Canaan as their head Chef.

Corey is dedicated to the simple philosophy that the customer comes first and his motivation stems from interacting with them on a personal level in his restaurant. He enjoys working in an intimate environment, interacting with customers and speaks both Spanish and Italian. In addition to preparing delicious food, Corey is also a family man and spends his time away from the kitchen with his wife Kim and two daughters.