Pimentón: the pizzeria that started in a gas station and now ranks among the top with three restaurants

Daniel Rivera Garratón did not grow up dreaming of making pizza. He did not study at a culinary school, but as a businessman he learned to meet his customers' demand. In 2012 he opened his gas station on 65 de Infantería in Carolina. It was there that, almost without intending to, the first location of the pizzeria and wine bar Pimentón was born.

"We had opened a coffee shop, we had already brought in craft beers, and people started coming in, so organically they started asking for more food," Rivera Garratón recalls in an interview with Platea.

What began as a spontaneous request became a pizza concept backed by the Platea community itself, which recognized Pimentón as the second-best place to eat pizza among the Top de la Comunidad.

Eleven years after its start, the restaurant operates at three locations: Carolina, La Placita de Santurce, and Liberty Square in San Patricio Plaza. At the newest location, which opened in late 2025 at San Patricio Plaza, the investment "exceeded one million dollars," according to Rivera Garratón himself.

How do Pimentón's three locations differ?

Each Pimentón location has its own personality, though all share the same culinary DNA. The menu is the same, with small variations in the selection of meat cuts and poultry. "We give the kitchen a little creativity," says Rivera.

• Pimentón Carolina: it evokes the atmosphere of a speakeasy, with dim lighting, a wood-burning oven in view, and an experience that takes diners to a more intimate, welcoming Italy.

• Casa Pimentón de Santurce: it is a renovated old house in the heart of La Placita de Santurce. The space leans into closeness and a familiar atmosphere that sets it apart from the others.

"It's not a traditional place, and we liked that because it went hand in hand with what Pimentón was, which wasn't a traditional place as such, and we managed to transform that little house into something rustic and at the same time elegant and casual," Rivera Garratón explains.

• Pimentón de Guaynabo: it represents the most contemporary version of the brand. The location updates the aesthetic without abandoning the elements that define Pimentón.

"It's a location that's in a community of new restaurants, it's something a bit more modern than what we had," the businessman points out.

The favorites

1. The Hot Honey. The Hot Honey is Pimentón's most popular pizza. "We added it several years ago and it has become a very popular pizza both at this restaurant and at others," Rivera Garratón acknowledges, with the satisfaction of someone who set a trend before it was a trend.

2. The Pimenton. For him, the most representative of the concept is the one that bears the restaurant's name. The Pimentón, with chorizo cantimpalo, chorizo parrillero, arugula, peperoncino, peppers, and a pimentón de la Vera sauce. It is, in his words, "a fairly complex pizza, but balanced at the same time."

3. The Funghi. In white sauce and with three types of fresh mushrooms, it has earned a permanent place at the table for those looking for something lighter without sacrificing flavor.

The wines. Pimentón is about eating well, but also drinking well. "We created a kind of hybrid between what a fine dining restaurant with a spectacular wine selection and high-end wines can be, and the casual side of what a pizzeria can be," its founder explains.

And desserts? The cheesecake de coco has been the house classic since the first day in 2015. At the newest location, a warm almond cake with olive oil, vanilla gelato, and Sicilian salt has become the new favorite. "This dessert is going to generate a lot of buzz," the businessman says.

They will open a production facility

The next chapter is being written in 2026, with the opening of a production facility that will supply all three restaurants and centralize the preparation of ingredients.

• "We're also opening a pizza dough factory and the entire prep area for everything we usually make in the restaurant, including appetizers, pastas and so on, so opening that is our plan for 2026," Rivera Garratón pointed out.

He says the project will improve the freshness of ingredients and the consistency of dishes across all three locations: "It's a factory, but it's like a laboratory at the same time. We'll be able to measure things, guarantee the hydration percentage, the water quality, like a laboratory where quality control is 100% visible."

The lessons of Daniel Rivera

• Make informed decisions. "You shouldn't open something without having the knowledge, because you can build a team but in many cases it will be necessary for you to have the knowledge in order to pass it on to the team."

• Learn to delegate. "If you don't delegate, you'll have so much pressure from day-to-day things that you won't enjoy it." And enjoying it, he insists, is not a luxury. It's a condition for survival. "No matter how much you may be earning and all that, you'll end up tired, you won't want anything to do with it and you'll end up selling it or closing it."

• Don't look for shortcuts. "Do things from day one by the book."

This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).