Recipes for success in the hospitality industry

If you are starting out as a restaurant entrepreneur to make the kitchen your future, you may have wondered at some point how to succeed in the hospitality industry or, at least, the steps to avoid suffering that ‘Nightmare in the kitchen’ that puts a business on the edge of the cliff, as Alberto Chicote or chef Gordon Ramsey show in their respective versions of this well-known reality show. Although no one has a magic formula to ensure success, it is worth following some tips to at least not fail miserably in the attempt. We summarize, along these lines, some recipes for success in the hotel and catering business, a sector with which we have been living for more than half a century – in 1963 we started in Mariscos Apolo the commercialization of frozen products for the hotel and catering industry. If anything has defined us since then, it is quality as a maxim. For the same reason, we recommend placing this brand in the number one position on the list to guarantee results.

Quality as a maxim

The quality of the raw materials must be the protagonist in the kitchens of any self-respecting restaurant or bar. This will ensure customer loyalty, who will want to repeat the experience, and guarantees the best advertising: the recommendation of someone who has been satisfied. Either with direct word of mouth or through the numerous online and 2.0 tools available today. With first-class ingredients and a good cuisine, it will be difficult to fail in the hospitality industry. On the other hand, it is always preferable to opt for few and carefully selected specialties that do not go unnoticed to the palate, rather than having an extensive menu in which no flavor stands out or leaves a mark.

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The presentation of the dishes

The care in the presentation of the dishes is as important as having a quality cuisine. It is necessary to bear in mind that, as well defends the cultural heritage, if it does not enter by the sight… it will be complicated the conquest of the stomach. In Mariscos Apolo you can find numerous suggestions to present your seafood and meats.

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A decoration with essence

The decoration of the restaurant must be in accordance with its essence in order not to create false expectations in the clientele. If, for example, traditional recipes are served, an ultra-modern and contemporary interior design may be incoherent. It must be taken into account that, through interior design, a message is transmitted. Hence the importance of defining what we want to tell our potential customers before they sit down at the table.

A treatment as exquisite as the food

Exquisite service is as important as good cuisine. In fact, the bet for a quality cuisine will fall on deaf ears if it is not offered, in parallel, a corresponding service. It is not only a matter of providing a friendly service. It is also necessary to minimize the wait of the clientele and to serve the dishes in an orderly manner so that all the dishes on the same table are served at the same time or to avoid the accumulation of first and second courses. Being attentive to details like these will avoid an unsatisfied public. To achieve this, communication and organization between the kitchen and the waiters is fundamental.

The location.

The economic possibilities do not always allow to choose a visible location, in an area of frequent traffic. If this is not possible, you should try to highlight its presence with an attractive facade that invites people to enter, as well as with signs that show its location in places where people pass by.

Differentiation

Businesses must have their own seal of identity. Having a ‘house brand’ that differentiates from the competition is essential to stop being ‘just one more’. Whether customers choose one place or another depends to a large extent on the search for uniqueness in some of the aspects mentioned above. It is possible to differentiate oneself through the prices, the size of the portions, their presentation, the excellent service, the originality of the dishes or their exquisite traditional flavor -that which reminds us of grandmother’s recipes, capable of transporting through the palate to unique moments of the past. If most of these aspects do not leave you indifferent (for the better, of course), neither will the restaurant or restaurant in question.

Promotion

The use of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare or Pinterest, among others, as well as the presence on pages such as Tripadvisor will allow you to publicize the business and promote it, as well as allow customers to interact with the brand, which is essential to try to continuously improve, thanks to their suggestions.