’Wear the mentor cap and the daddy cap’

Nikhil Chib, owner of Busaba, lets us in on the recipe for a career in the hotel industry

Nikhil Chib, owner of Busaba, lets us in on the recipe for a career in the hotel industry

There are no fixed hours

Don't come into this industry if you need your beauty sleep between 11 pm-7 am. There are no fixed hours to go by. You may have to come in at 10 am to check if the mint is fresh enough or be at the market at 7 am buying baby lobster for a party at Alibagh. You may have to pay off some suppliers or attend to an AC breakdown or the demanding ladies who are in your restaurant for lunch. You could be creating a new dish or dessert with your Sous Chef.

The rest of the time is spent with your staff in the evening instructing them on various matters. And when the last guest leaves at 1.15 am, you may be checking your liquor stock to see that you're not being ripped off. Get sleep when you can is all I can say. The restaurant business is double shift.

Learn to deal with stuff

This industry is not for the willy-livered. You will have to deal with your customers who in high spirits may get into brawls and cause damage not only to themselves but also to the restaurant and its credibility.

At the same time you have to be very particular about all the legalities of handling a restaurant like the right permits for alcohol, paying all the duties and taxes on time, following proper rules and regulations, and the list goes on. Learn to take a deep breath and deal with it. Losing your cool and being a stud will take you nowhere.

Love your customer, restaurant and your staff

You have to be passionate about the restaurant business. Both meeting people and conversing with them. Every day is someone's birthday or anniversary so be ready to knock back a few all the time. You must love everyone who walks in through your door. You have to love food or drink or service otherwise that will never translate into the place you open. The cooks will never cook with their hearts and your barmen will not care whether you drink an old merlot or a weak cocktail.

You have to be able to motivate your staff all the time and to adhere to high standards of hygiene and performance; your passion has to be everywhere.

Use the carrot and stick policy with your staff

Create SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for all the different functions of your restaurant be it in the kitchen, service, bar, reception, valet, security, maintenance. You may be dealing with un-skilled, semi skilled or skilled labourers who may not have the knowledge of what temperature prawns begin to spoil at or how to say Moet & Chandon (not Mohit Chandan).

Have the carrot and stick policy with your staff. They have to know what's right and what's wrong otherwise you will lose control of your operations. You have to create the systems to do the checks and balances all the time.

Don't underestimate the value of your supplier

Your suppliers are key to your business. They supply your restaurant with everything from chef caps, garbage bags, prawns, toothpicks, rice, soya sauce, green chillies, carrots, chicken, mops, piping bags. Each item is vital for your restaurant.

Don't underestimate the value of a supply or your supplier. Don't try and play with them or keep their bills pending for over six months. Your supplies will get affected and therefore your productivity. Keep a good relationship with all your suppliers no matter how small or big they are. They are all cogs in a big wheel.

Make sure you Keep your staff happy

Your staff is your biggest asset, not your property or your bank balance. Treat them with respect. Listen to their problems and see how you can help them. You may have to wear the mentor cap and you may have to wear the daddy cap.

They are the ones who cook the food in the kitchen which brings your customers back.u00a0 They are the ones who make that killer caipirioshka which has your customers asking for another. Do what you have to do to keep them happy and motivated at all times.

Build a rapport with customers

Customers come in all sorts of packages. You may have the annoying aunty who keeps asking you to change the music or the penny pinching kitty ladies who will say only 44 ate even though 45 came and you may have the foreigner couple who will wine and dine for three hours, rake up a hefty bill, not complain once and leave with a smile.

We are happy to deal with whims and fancies but the staff has to be trained to deal with all kinds of situations. Customers love to be treated well and made special. Build relationships with your customers, offer them the best and they'll stand by you. Even if you mess up, acknowledge it and make amends. My philosophy is that they are coming to my home and I must make them comfortable.

Knowledge is all important

Knowledge of what you are selling in your restaurant is very important. Your knowledge of winesu00a0 be it the year it was made or the terroir or the grape varietal, or which champagnes are the best or how many times a certain vodka has been distilled is crucial. You must know where you got your fish from and what type it is.

Customers love to know what they are eating or drinking and you must be able to tell them that and more. It's almost like a good story and the good storyteller always wins.

Never compromise on quality

There should be no compromise or excuses when it comes to quality. Be ready to throw away your beef if it is not fresh or remake a dish if the customer finds it too spicy or salty.

Quality in food or drink or service is most important. To be effective, yet efficient and have quality at the same time all rolled in to one, no matter how busy your restaurant is, is the key. This is not a fly by night operation, here today gone tomorrow. Have the tenacity and will power and it will slowly become your life, otherwise this industry is not meant for you.

Make yourself dispensable, not indispensable

There is never a dull moment in a restaurant and anything can happen at any time. Your Sous Chef may have called in sick on a Saturday night; your manager may have had a disagreement with you and your neighbour's gutter may be overflowing and causing the biggest stench. Mind you this can all happen at the same time.

You have to be the greatest problem solver and multi-tasker. Learn to deal with situations and make yourself dispensable and not indispensable. This is the greatest challenge.

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