Update: This restaurant is no longer in business.
The Restaurant with Worldwide Cuisine is Positioned to be the Entertainment Mecca of South Texas
Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez
Europa Cuisine & Entertainment is a 26,500 Sq. Ft. facility in McAllen that will blow everyone’s mind. It’s a new concept created by one of the brightest minds that believes that entertainment, excellent food and the perfect ambiance will bring patrons from a 250-mile radius to this area.
Miguel Kamel, the owner and operator of Europa Management, LLC. is one resilient businessman who has put together a ‘magnifico’ management team equal to none to administer and grow this unique concept.
Kamel told Texas Border Business that out of the many ideas considered, his team worked to refine one concept based on market needs. “It’s a boutique entertainment concept.” He said, “We developed it three years ago; today we are blessed to have a management team in charge of deploying it.”
Kamel has gone out of his way to hire only the best, most qualified professionals.
Jason Kien, General Manager; Chris Dickens, Executive Chef, (C.E.C.); and Cynthia Camacho, Director of Events Sales and Marketing; they are the Europa Cuisine & Entertainment management team. All of them are under the direction of Miguel Kamel.
Kien stated, “It’s the one place you can go to meet all your entertainment needs.” He also said that Europa Cuisine & Entertainment is featuring multiple virtual simulators and a state-of-the-art TV that has three-dimensional capabilities, which is the second largest in the nation. “All those different elements of the entertainment feed into our unique blend of food from around the world,” he said.
Kien is a seasoned multi-unit store administrator; he ran a similar concept for about ten years called Gillian’s Entertainment. According to Kien, they were direct competitors with Dave & Busters for many years.
Kien, a native of Connecticut, was part of a military family so they moved all over the place. “Most recently, I moved here from the Houston area. I was there for the last several years as a director of operations with IHOP,” he said. His background experience is essential to the future growth of the new concept.
Kamel also said that the new venue is a heaven for families screaming for entertainment and good food. He added that besides the bowling area, they designated a game area with ten different multiple player video games.
The multiple-player concepts are designed for team building, where people can play in groups of two to four persons. Kien said, “We have two virtual simulators, one is standard for golf, where you hit an actual golf ball with a club and it automatically gives you data about your performance.”
The other simulator is even more state-of-the-art. It has the same golf game capabilities and also has multiple other sports. “People can choose from twelve different sports games.” He said, “Customers can play Rugby, Hockey, Soccer, Football, and Baseball; it even includes Zombie Dodgeball.”
What about food? Well, Europa Cuisine & Entertainment hired an out of this world Chef. He is Chris Dickens, C.E.C., Executive Chef. A native of Alabama, he attended culinary school in New York City and then stayed to work there and learn from the best.
As the executive chef, he is committed to deliver only the best. He said, “Europa conjures up tons of ideas; it’s a global menu.” He continued, “We have Asian cuisine on the menu and South American, Mexican, American regional, French, and Italian.” He said that they have also created a great core menu to appeal to the masses.
Chef Dickens is indeed a different kind of chef. One who likes to explore the food where he lives and the Valley was no exception. In just the few months since he arrived, he has already established relationships with organic farmers. These alliances that will allow Europa Cuisine & Entertainment to provide its guests with some of the freshest products anywhere.
He said, “The cuisine is at the forefront. We take the totally opposite approach. It’s cuisine first.” He continued, “Using the local ingredients, local cheeses, using fresh seafood right out of the Gulf instead of buying frozen stuff from all over.”
Chef Dickens is always in favor of sourcing locally. “The more local we can buy, the better the product that the guests get and the more jobs we can push into this community,” he said.
When you talk to Chef Dickens, you get hungry especially when he talks about his favorite red meat cuts or a delicious hot & crunchy snapper.
Patrons will also be able to enjoy an exceptional burger or a great steak, and why not a chicken pesto? He prides himself on using cheese from a local vendor in Bay View. “We are getting local pecans instead of buying pine nuts, and local olive oil; you taste that freshness.”
Chef Dickens is a creator of amazing flavors, for him, all of this, it’s just an amazing adventure for the palate.
The next professional that you will get to meet is Cynthia Camacho. She is the Director of Events, Sales, and Marketing for Europa Cuisine & Entertainment.
Born and raised in Houston, she moved to the Valley because her father, who works in machinery and manufacturing decided to leave Houston and move to a smaller community to finish raising her younger siblings.
“My background started about fifteen years ago.” She said, “I worked in the hospitality industry for Continental Airlines.” This job led her to go to school for travel tourism where she was able to learn more about significant global events. “I was in the Austin market and worked with all the music festivals, and I was part of the inauguration of Formula 1 Racing.”
An opportunity presented itself, and she did an internship in Brazil and later became a student of the University of West Indies on a sustainable tourism study in Barbados.
In the hospitality business, she has had the honor to work with George Lucas, Ron Howard, and the late Prince.
Camacho’s responsibility is vital for the success of the venue. To be the director of events and marketing for this unique concept requires exactly what she brings to the table, the experience in hospitality and a genuine desire to work with local corporations, or like she says, “Taking Care of People.”
She wants to bring customers from the Valley, and North and South of the Valley as well. She doesn’t want to hear people say that there is nothing fun to do here.
Europa Cuisine & Entertainment is without a doubt a venue that is going to raise the bar for great food and great entertainment for the entire family. Europa Cuisine & Entertainment can entertain 300 guests and officially opens on November 19, 2016.
The Ribbon Cutting will be at 11:00 am to 11:30 am.; after a Meet and Greet, there will be the exceptional performance of Europa’s Inaugural Ambassadors, Magneto and also, musical guests featuring DJ Ana Doll from Russia and Mexico, and Magic Acts performed by the renown Mago Spider, a Master Illusionist. Don’t miss out on all the fun! TBB
