Cover story
“This isn’t a job to us, it’s our lifestyle” Florence Mae Maglanoc
Malaysian and Indonesian restaurant. My parents went down that route because they had bills to pay and it was an easier concept to market. The timing wasn’t right then for a Filipino restaurant, but people are more open- minded now than they were 30 years ago. I’ve been filtering out the Malaysian and Indonesian dishes at Bintang that didn’t res- onate with me, adding the more traditional aspects of Filipino cuisine.” Might Donia be the restaurant that finally
takes Filipino food mainstream? The Evening Standard’s critic Jimi Famurewa wrote that ‘a meal here can feel like a prolonged loop-the- loop of pure, unbridled pleasure’, awarding the restaurant a rare five stars. “I’d love to be able to confidently say that
Donia will be the restaurant that opens Lon- doners’ eyes to Filipino cuisine,” Maglanoc says, admitting that the review had sent her into her own loop-the-loop of pleasure. “But at the end of the day I don't want us to be under that pressure. Is Donia providing a good experience to all guests whether they’re Fili- pino or not? Is the food executed to a level that we’re happy with and can improve every time? That’s what I’m pushing for.” Maglanoc knew of Shah, who is 15 years older, because her sister used to go clubbing with him,
How to grow a restaurant group
Omar Shah gives his advice for how to upsize your brand
1. Succession planning It’s very important to plan ahead and create opportunities for your team to be prepared to step up if necessary. Continuously training for the next stage in their career not only safeguards your operations but also empowers your team.
2. Process development In operating a group, nothing is more important than process development. You can’t be everywhere at once; everything depends on processes. If something goes wrong, it’s either because a process doesn’t exist, isn’t being followed, or needs improvement. It’s easy to blame other factors, but this mindset places the responsibility on you as a group operator to learn and improve faster than most.
3. Training culture Operating a group requires a different approach to training. Essentially, we’re like a school. Managers act as teachers, providing
18 | The Caterer | 26 January 2024
support, guidance and training to all our ‘students’, who are potentially the future of our business and currently its face. Documents and training should be developed in the same way a school plans its curriculum.
4. Organisational structure Learning the value of a chain of command is crucial, something I experience even now. Mae and I are very hands-on, perhaps too much so. Hence, it’s important to step back and ensure that people who are paid to do their jobs, do them. There’s also value in being in the trenches, but for long-term growth, your leaders need to have the ability to take command.
5. Choosing the right tech solutions Investing in technology is essential. From stocktaking and invoice processing to HR and recipe mapping, there’s a solution for every part of your business. Data is paramount and becomes useful when you can interpret it. At this level, it’s hard to be on the floor engaging with customers directly. Reports from software provide the ability to keep your finger on the pulse.
Lamb shoulder caldereta pie
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