Guillermo Zapata: Self-Made Modern Man

Guillermo Zapata talks about his chic Sexy Unique Restaurant (SUR), and how making it in America worked for him. This family man is truly inspirational.

- Brian Stewart

TELL ME IF THIS has ever happened to you: You’re at work, at a friends house, or sitting at home thinking about an experience you want to have again–a place you need to revisit, a dish you’ve been craving for, or a drink you want your best friend to try and love as much as you do–when you finally say to yourself, there’s no place like (insert name of place here). Well, recently I found myself saying this over and over again–There’s no place like SUR! Really there isn’t.

Recently, we paid a visit to SUR Restaurant and Lounge to catch up with the man behind one of West Hollywood’s most famous restaurants. Meet Guillermo Zapata–actor, model, and entrepreneur–a self-made man, or as we like to call him, The Modern Man.

THE MODERN MAN

Our meeting with Guillermo was exciting, his personal story is even better. Coming from a modest background–his father a celebrity singer in Argentina–Guillermo set out to make a name for himself as an actor in 1992. During a two-week vacation to the United States, he decided to stay–later finding work as a dishwasher to make a living. “I came here just to see the city, and I fell in love with everything–the people, the weather, the energy. But vacation was over, and then it was my call to say, ‘Should I stay or should I go?’ And I decided to stay and start a new life.” Little did he know, this would lead him down a path he both enjoys and considers one of his greatest successes.