Daniel Soares, CEO of Alimentari Flâneur Is Promoting Food, Culture, and Love

The week’s episode of The Tartare Project hosted by Phil Toronto welcomes Daniel Soares, founder of Alimentari Flâneur. Soares, a fourth-generation Balducci, was inspired to open Alimentari Flâneur after a six-week pop-up project in Little Italy during the summer of 2019 that offered an assortment of rare fruits and vegetables alongside a selection of pastas, cheeses, and oils.

During the course of their 30-minute conversation, Toronto and Soares discussed the brand’s history, he inspiration behind Alimentari Flâneur, and what Soares hopes to build with his company. “Alimentari Flâneur is really about connecting people to the intimacy of everyday. I started this produce market a few months ago, and I wanted to connect people to the intimacy of shopping in a charming curated market that serves seasonal fresh produce, while also giving the simplicity of enjoying the traditional shopping experience. The third and most important thing is the closeness and connection at the store. Whether it’s meeting me, or bringing your produce home and sharing a meal with your family, it’s about understanding that there is a real intentionality and connection happening.”

Toronto and Soares continue to chat, discussing Soares childhood and how he viewed education, having entrepreneurial parents, traveling to Europe for the first time and how it changed his life, and the lessons learned from his first business venture—which was an attempt to sell clothes through being able to click on Instagram pictures. Naturally the conversation headed  towards the beginning chapters of Alimentari Flâneur, as Toronto asks Soares the idea behind selling obscure produce. “I’ve had a weird career and life so far—After I failed my app I told my parents that I didn’t want to go back to NYU and that I wanted to become an entrepreneur. They told me to try out real estate since I loved finance, math, and people.” Soares goes on to recap his real estate days, and how his experiences with closing a record sale eventually led to him owning his own market. “Every single choice I’ve made since the day that I closed on that sale, has been to really understand how to build a sustainable retail business.”

Be sure to check out the full interview above to learn more about Soares and Alimentari Flâneur. You can follow the company on Instagram.