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How to start a restaurant

Featured Article

How to start a restaurant

Starting a restaurant is as exciting as it is demanding. From the first idea to the first drink poured, every decision you make will either build your success or quietly undermine it. What you do in the early design stages has long-term consequences. In my experience, the difference between thriving and barely surviving often lies […]

Paul SarlasManaging Partner

7 min read

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LinkedIn Articles

Revamping Classic Management Theories for the AI-Driven Business Era: Outdated or Timelessly Relevant?

As I delve into the final stages of my MBA at the University of Birmingham, a particularly thought-provoking inquiry surfaced within our Critical Integration in Management module: Are the management theories we study antiquated, and if they are, how might they be applied or evolved to meet the demands of today’s business world? This question […]

Nov 6, 2023
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14 min read


LinkedIn Articles

The rapid advancement of digitalisation in the restaurant sector

In recent years, the push for digitisation has rapidly gained momentum across various sectors; however, it has impacted hospitality, and restaurants need to keep up with the advances to stay competitive and utilise the tech to manage costs and customer experience. The rise of digitalisation can be observed in shifting consumer habits, with a notable […]

Nov 1, 2023
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18 min read


LinkedIn Articles

The Essential Components of an Effective Restaurant Marketing Strategy

Recently, I’ve been deeply engaged in creating a new marketing strategy for Chotto Matte, alongside overseeing the ongoing marketing strategies for Angus Steakhouse and Steak and Company. This experience has inspired me to share some insights into the thought process behind developing such a strategy. In the world of restaurant marketing, crafting a successful strategy […]

Oct 31, 2023
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11 min read


LinkedIn Articles

The Dining Experience – A Guide to Server Training and Employee Benefits

In the fast-paced world of restaurant operations, service quality can make or break the dining experience. This brief guide explores the art of equipping your servers with the skills and knowledge they need to excel. In the realm of restaurant operations, the quality of service holds immense power over the overall dining experience. When incorrectly […]

Oct 31, 2023
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11 min read


LinkedIn Articles

Transformation and Strategy in the Hospitality Sector

The hospitality sector has undergone many changes in recent years, with technological advancements, demographic shifts, and changing consumer behaviours all playing a role. As a result, organisations in the industry must adapt and transform their strategies to remain competitive and meet the evolving needs of their customers. I have seen numerous advancements in the hospitality […]

Apr 18, 2023
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7 min read


LinkedIn Articles

The Transformation Office: Disruptive Innovation, Agile Principles and Executing the Strategy

Looking at what the future holds and despite last year’s situation, businesses will recover and continue as long as they prepare for innovation. They are Agile and focus on executing a new emergent strategy. We have seen previous business interruptions such as the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the US 2007 subprime mortgage crisis, the […]

Jul 10, 2021
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28 min read


LinkedIn Articles

Core and Non-Core Business – Is it time to divest?

Most companies are geared up to buy assets, not sell them; most acquire three businesses for everyone they divest. So, when they decide to sell, many do it at the wrong time or inappropriately. London is facing some challenging times with the constant discussions of Brexit and market uncertainty. Are we in, or are we […]

Nov 18, 2019
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11 min read


LinkedIn Articles

Developing a concept with blood, sweat and expertise.

Growing up in a family that owned and operated a fast food business, I  spent most of my early years working in the family business, from weekend shifts during the school term to remembering my school holidays as days in the shop rather than on the beach. Unknowingly, I was learning valuable lessons in business operations […]

Dec 16, 2018
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8 min read


LinkedIn Articles

Restaurant Reservations – Technology v Human: More than just a reservationist.

In an era of online reservations, many people continue to connect by phone to a restaurant to make a reservation. Be it a way to ensure they get that particular request or the ease of dialling from a Google search when on the move, rather than going through the whole online process. Whichever the case, […]

May 8, 2017
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12 min read


LinkedIn Articles

The ‘NEW’ Hotel General Manager

The position of General Manager has always been a dynamic one. When you’re checking the financials one minute and tasting new dishes in your restaurant the next, you cannot afford to be a specialist. It would be best if you were a generalist, hence the title. With an enigmatic-sounding title and a capricious job description, […]

Apr 10, 2017
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12 min read


LinkedIn Articles

1 reason why restaurants fail – The missing element

Many people see owning a restaurant as a dream and the ideal capital move in doing something they will love as a career. Unfortunately, this dream usually guides them into launching a new business, and they need guidance on the fundamental obligations of owning a restaurant, which coincidently leads to failure. If you know the […]

Jan 11, 2017
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11 min read


LinkedIn Articles

ALL GM’s – Five Imperatives for Improving Service Quality

THE DOWNTOWN Chicago Marriott hotel had been open for fifteen years before its management determined that two-thirds of all guest calls to housekeeping were to request ironing boards. This discovery prompted the idea of simply placing irons and ironing boards in all of the hotel’s guest rooms, an idea that would cost $20,000. The hotel […]

Apr 24, 2016
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34 min read

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