Guillermo Zapata, Renaissance Restaurateur
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW GUILLERMO ZAPATA ON CHANCETV
Guillermo Zapata, is known as the “George Clooney of Argentina.” It’s a little known fact that ChanceTV‘s research team discovered; George Clooney, early in his career, was marketed as the “Guillermo Zapata of America.” This brilliant use of each other’s movie star good looks & star power has served them both quite well.
Guillermo was born in Buenos Aires, but it was a trip to Los Angeles, at 22 years-old that changed the young actor’s life. What was intended to be a quick trip to see the sights, turned into a life changing event. LA was where he would make his mark. Few would’ve had the guts & confidence to do what Guillermo did; moving here with only $300 in his pocket, and speaking very little English. People like Guillermo succeed because they do whatever it takes. If you want the “American Dream” then you do what he did – WAKE UP from the Dream, and make it happen. He started washing dishes at a hip Hollywood restaurant to pay the bills, & took English classes, while fighting to break into to acting & modeling.
Washing dishes at this Hollywood hot spot was a strategic move on his part. Guillermo‘s studied every aspect of this hot spot from the inside, and learned how to run a restaurant the right way. This would prove to be invaluable knowledge to have when he opened his own restaurant just six years later.
He named his new restaurant, an Argentinian steakhouse, SUR , meaning south in Spanish. Guillermo, has since changed the meaning of the name to SUR, an acronym for “Sexy Unique Restaurant.” If you have ever been to SUR you know just how fitting this is. This is not only a place to enjoy a delicious, sumptuous meal, it is where you go to see & be seen. Be prepared to be wowed by the lush, beautiful décor, and the even more beautiful staff. It should come as no surprise then that SUR (SUR) won the coveted Creative Business Award from CCA.
Wanting to take SUR to the next level, Guillermo started the search for investors. When Guillermo met Lisa Vanderpump, she immediately recognized the incredible potential of SUR. In 2005, Guillermo, and his beautiful wife, Nathalie Pouille, partnered with the British restaurateurs, Lisa Vanderpump & Ken Todd. Soon after, SUR was expanded to 5,000 square feet. After the first expansion, in 2009, they purchased the property next door, a tree-filled garden, and SUR grew once again, to it’s current size of 9,000 square feet. Naturally, SUR became the hottest thing to hit LA since “selfies!”
SUR has become well- known as the location of the hit Bravo show, Vanderpump Rules, which follows the lives of the various staff members. Zapata made several cameos in early seasons. Since 2011, SUR has also been featured on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
When asked by Dreams Magazine, which qualities he felt were required for success, he spoke of the importance of persistence and focus. “I think my best attributes are that I am very, very motivated and passionate about what I do. I love life. I like commitment. I am very focused on what I am doing. I don’t take no for an answer.” Spoken by a man that makes things happen.
His success in the restaurant industry is for what he is best known, but he also has a thriving career as an actor and model. He even brought his beautiful family into the mix.
Driven by his entrepreneurial nature & a love of film, he founded a production company, Lou Lou Production Films (after his eldest daughter.) In 2019, Guillermo finished production of his forth feature film, as an Executive Producer, La Sombra Del Gato. The film was shot in Zapata’s home country of Argentina and stars Danny Trejo, and Guillermo.
Behind The Scenes of La Sombra Del Gato
Despite his very packed schedule,Guillermo always makes time for the most important people in his life: his wife, Natalie, and two daughters, Lou Lou, & Miarose. “My priority number one is always my family, seeing my daughters grow up, making sure that they have a great education, a lot of love, and always being present as a father.”
Guillermo Zapata Social Media
Guillermo Zapata Instagram instagram.com/gzsur
Guillermo Zapata Twitter twitter.com/gzsur
Guillermo Zapata Facebook facebook.com/GZSur/
Guillermo Zapata Lou Lou Production Films loulouproductionfilms.com
Website for La Sombra Del Gat imdb.com/title/tt10616760
Guillermo Zapata IMDB imdb.com/name/nm0953180
SUR Restaurant surrestaurant.com