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Behind the business of steak

1. Sum your business model up in a couple of lines.

We are part of a restaurant group founded on Argentine style and culture focussing on exceptional product and the highest customer service.

2. What’s the best decision you’ve made so far?

The purchase of our private suite at the Leeds First Direct Arena, thus enabling us to offer “dinner & show” packages. Gaucho at the O2 arena in London have been doing this for a few years now so to be the only other restaurant in the group to be offering this exclusive option is really exciting and sets us apart from the competition in Leeds. It has involved some more organisation with regards marketing and logistics but is an invaluable asset and great to be affiliated with the arena.

3. What key challenges has your company recently faced?

Because the restaurant industry depends so much on the public being able to get out and visit- there are many challenges that face us each day. The recession affected our industry (as it did many others) as the general public did not have as much disposable income as previously. Going out for dinner is seen as a treat and is one of the first things people cut back on when money is tight. However the physical obstacles that stand in the public’s way are just as challenging. When the riots hit London a couple of years ago our colleagues saw a big drop in trade as people just were not going out. The bad weather recently has meant that people don’t want to be walking across the city to get to a restaurant- everyone wants to get home as soon as possible. The tube strikes last week made travelling anywhere in London difficult so leisure activities do not take priority. Fortunately, here in Leeds we are less affected by many of these problems but the key challenge is always getting new business through the door and then converting these new guests in to regular visitors.

4. What is your biggest achievement over the past 12 months?

We are proud to be recognised as market leaders in our field. Within Gaucho, Leeds has recently been voted “restaurant of the year “ by the directors and operations team. This is a great achievement as being one of the newest restaurants in the group and an “outpost” away from Gaucho’s central hub in London I am particularly proud that we have managed to maintain the culture and sense of brand. Recognition is so important with regard to our reputation and spreading the word about our restaurant across Yorkshire so to have been nominated in the Yorkshire Post “Oliver Awards” is also a great achievement. Our continued improvement with regard to online feedback is also feeding our reputation resulting in a pleasing growth in the amount of business we have seen. In short, our biggest achievement is our cover growth through an outstanding year of great feedback.

5. What is your focus for the coming year, and what do you hope to achieve?

Our focus for the coming year is to branch out and diversify allowing our guests a broader choice and ensuring there is something for everyone. Gaucho has always been famous for it’s Argentine beef but we are keen to show that we are more than just steak. Our seafood offering will be expending soon and we have recently had a rotisserie fitted so that we can offer an exciting new group rotisserie menu. Here in Leeds in particular we will be continuing to market our Sunday Feasts which encourage group dining and will hopefully further increase our Sunday trade. Offering the traditional Sunday roast in the Gaucho surroundings with an Argentine twist is something we hope will take off.

6. If you had to choose one top piece of advice for someone just starting out in business, or is currently operating within your industry sector, what would it be?

In the restaurant industry and hospitality in general, the customer is king. Within Gaucho we refer to them as guests, which is exactly what they are. Treat your guests as you would if you were having a dinner party at home, welcoming and warm. That kind of service will keep your guests returning and create a loyal customer base.

7. Can you share with us your view of the current landscape of business, in your region or generally, and where your organization sits within it.

We like to think that we are market leaders within the restaurant industry. While our product is of high quality, I would say that many other restaurants are also sourcing high quality product. Where we differ is our training and service. We are proud to lead the way in staff training through our renowned academy in London and consider our customer service to be market leading. The restaurant industry as a whole is aware of the importance of customer service as a focus but we like to think of it as an obsession. Having a good time simply is not good enough, at our level of dining, the experience needs to be amazing- something that our guests will remember for all the right reasons. We see a lot of “special occasion dining” because of where we are placed in the market, so for this reason, expectations are higher and we have a higher level of service to live up to and maintain.