Brioxx, the brioche-shaped dream of three young men from Malaga, opens in Fuengirola

At just 26 and 27 years old, the three of them decided to start a business and innovate in the hospitality sector with a product inspired by the street snacks eaten in Korea. They’d been wanting to do something together for years and thought this product might work. “We started out thinking of selling homemade cheesecakes, but the project evolved until Brioxx emerged, which is something new in this area,” they say.

Along the way, many other ideas have fallen by the wayside (at one point they even considered opening a souvenir shop) and there have been disappointments in the form of people who didn’t trust them because of their age or their lack of experience in the sector, but they’re focusing on the positives, which are none other than the warm welcome they’ve received from customers in these first few days. “We’re a bit overwhelmed; when we started the project, we never would have dreamed of such a warm reception.”

Despite their youth, the three of them have spent almost two years organising everything so as not to leave anything to chance. Once they’d decided on the business model (“we were looking for an eye-catching product with a ‘wow’ factor”), they began to seek funding and suppliers. The last piece of the jigsaw was the premises, which they found almost by chance in the town centre. “Just as many doors have been closed to us because of our youth, we’ve also been lucky that many other people have put their faith in us for that very reason,” they say gratefully.

Aware of the importance of social media in this increasingly digital world, they began to develop the project when it was still just an idea, and have been documenting every step of the way on their profile. On Instagram alone, they have several viral videos with over 300,000 views, and by the day of the opening they already had 15,000 followers, which helped make it a resounding success.

The premises are just 35 square metres in size and feature a charming terrace on the corner of Calle Marbella, with seating for around thirty people (ten tables). Furthermore, customers can order all items to take away, and the business hopes to introduce a home delivery service via a delivery platform in the near future.

Brioxx is open every day from 5.30pm to 11.30pm, except on Tuesdays, and specialises in the aforementioned savoury brioche sandwiches. Its motto is ‘A world in every bite’, which is why each of its specialities is named after a city. They currently have 14 on the menu, but hope to gradually introduce new creations. Prices range from 5.50 euros for the simplest options to 13.90 euros for the specialities (which include the New York, the Texas and the Tokyo).

The sandwiches are notable for their blend of flavours, and each one typically features ingredients from the region it represents. For example, the Málaga is a 'campero-style' sandwich with grilled chicken; the New York features a double ‘smash’ of Spanish beef, smoked cheddar, Emmy sauce and cecina jam; whilst the Berlin is filled with bratwurst, smoked cheddar, creamy coleslaw, gherkins, honey mustard sauce and fried onions.

What’s more, they also have a snack menu featuring Greek-style iced coffees, flavoured matcha drinks, milkshakes, filled biscuits and, of course, the renowned homemade cheesecakes with which they originally planned to launch the business.

Brioxx opened its doors on 25 August and has been very well received by the public right from the start. “Many people can’t imagine what it’s like until they try it, which is why they leave so happy,” they say.

But bear in mind that Brioxx doesn’t want to limit itself to Fuengirola and its catchment area. In keeping with the dream they once had, these young entrepreneurs aim to expand the brand and take it to other parts of the province. “We’ve never stopped looking for premises and we’d love to set up in Malaga.” But that, they say, will be done gradually and with careful control over the whole process. Their dream is only just beginning.