Max Pistone, co-founder and CEO of Casa Argentina, has been named Most Inspiring Entrepreneur at the National Entrepreneur Awards in Birmingham. The award comes just a year after Casa Argentina won Best Customer Service at the same ceremony.
Pistone, who moved to London from Buenos Aires in 1998, joined what became Casa Argentina Limited in 2015. He later launched an online shop selling Argentine food before opening a restaurant in 2018.
Betrayal and financial crisis
In 2021, Pistone discovered that the actions of his business partner were threatening the finances, culture and future of the group. He spent two years fighting to take control before signing a share purchase agreement in October 2023.
However, taking control revealed the true scale of the financial problems facing the three-company group. Pistone was forced to let two companies go to protect Casa Argentina, its employees and the families who relied upon it.
Pistone said: “There were periods when success stopped meaning growth or profit. Success was paying the next bill, protecting somebody's job, keeping our promises to customers and making sure another order went out of the door.”
Rebuilding and growth
After the crisis, Pistone set about rebuilding Casa Argentina, introducing tighter financial controls, clearer systems and greater accountability. The company has since returned to strong growth, with revenue increasing by 30 per cent over the past year.
It is forecasting a further 25 per cent increase over the coming year and aims to double in size by the end of 2027. Pistone said the experience had also changed his approach to leadership.
“I used to think responsibility meant carrying everything myself,” he said. “I've learned that a sustainable business can't depend on one exhausted founder rescuing every situation. Casa Argentina is stronger, the team has more ownership and we now have a very clear idea of where we're going.”
Recognition and impact
Nigel Botterill, founder of Entrepreneurs Circle, said Pistone had faced “betrayal, enormous pressure and the reality that he couldn't save everything he'd worked to build”.
“He made an incredibly difficult decision, protected the business and people he could protect and then got on with rebuilding,” Botterill added. The National Entrepreneur Awards are run by Entrepreneurs Circle and are now in their 14th year.
