Paul Kovensky - Alphen Hotel

With his astute business acumen and a passion for
all things restaurant, Paul Kovensky has successfully
established an array of contemporary Cape Town
restaurants on the Atlantic Seaboard. Paranga and
Zenzero are situated on the Camps Bay beachfront
while Pepénero is located in Mouille Point. His
latest acquisition, The Bungalow (ex La Med) is a
top class Clifton Beach restaurant, complete with
champagne bar.
Anyone who has visited his dining venues would agree that there
exists a certain vibe unlike any other. Expect culinary magic, sleek
and trendy décor, chilled music and attentive, unobtrusive service
from the moment you enter.
Taking his portfolio to a whole new level, he added the historic
Alphen Hotel in Constantia to the collection in November
2011. The project was to restore and re-decorate this heritage
landmark to reflect - in true Kovensky fashion – a combination of
contemporary, opulent, plush and creative interiors, exceptional
facilities, fabulous food & drink and out-of-this-world hospitality.
All of this, whilst preserving the rich history of a bygone era.
Paul answers a few questions below:
How did you get involved in the hospitality industry and
Q more specifically, the restaurant business?
A
PAUL KOVENSKY
Entrepreneur, Restaurateur & Hotelier Extraordinaire
I grew up in the hospitality industry. My father owned
hotels, bars and restaurants and I helped out from an
early age. After school I studied B.Com and during the summer
months while studying I did promotions in nightclubs for our
brand, Mothers Schnapps. While I was running these promotions,
I decided to get involved in the nightclub industry and on 29
November, 1995 – at the ripe age of 21 – I opened my first night
club, called Isis, located at 112 Long Street. Orange, Sky and
Yebo followed – I had a coffee shop and restaurant during the day
and the nightclub in the evenings. In 1999 I joined my father
in the liquor retail business and opened another coffee
shop and restaurant in Tygervalley. I then sold my
nightclub and coffee shop and continued working
with my dad. It was
during this time that I
heard about the Promenade
Building going up in Camps Bay, where
two of my restaurants are located today.
Q
A
How long have your current restaurants been
in operation?
BIOGRAPHY
My first restaurant, Paranga, opened on 21 December
2002. Pepénero followed in 2006 and both The Kove and
first Bungalow were launched in December 2008. The Bungalow
has since changed to Zenzero. So that makes it Paranga’s 10th
year, Pepénero’s 5th and Zenzero’s 3rd year (The Kove now forms
part of the newly expanded Zenzero). My latest Atlantic seaboard
restaurant, The Bungalow, has been operating since December
2011.
QWhat was the defining moment in your career?
AI suppose it was when I changed the offering at Pepénero
and the implications and significance thereof. I initially had
an idea of what was going to work with regards to the menu, décor
and concept. Once I started trading it was clear that the public
didn’t agree with this concept of a fine dining, formal beachfront
venue. I decided to change the offering and seeing it transform
overnight from being relatively quiet to pumping, was incredible!
What is the most fulfilling part of your business, what do
Q you enjoy most?
Seeing my restaurants full and the subconscious message
A it sends out that everybody’s having a great time and loves
what’s on offer. It’s not financially determined – although profit is
important – but knowing that my concepts are well received and
that we are favoured above our competitors. The whole goal of the
hospitality industry is ultimately about ensuring that people are
having a fantastic time.

Who influences your work and ideas? Whom do you admire
Q and from where do you draw your inspiration?
I admire my father and his work ethic. From an interior
A design point of view I draw inspiration from my travels and
research. I don’t have a favourite designer, although I love Philippe
Starck’s work – especially what he’s done for Ian Schrager in the
past two decades. From the food side my three main inspirations
are Rick Stein, Giorgio Locatelli and Nobuyuki Matsuhisa. As far as
a restaurant roll–out master goes, Matsuhisa - with his restaurant
franchise, Nobu - is king. He has a global presence and it’s 5-star
quality all the way – décor, service, food, positioning. The guy’s got
it waxed… big time!
What’s been your most memorable dining experience to date?
Q
It was at ABaC - a 3-star Michelin restaurant in Barcelona
A - and a memorable experience from the décor and service
to the 11-course meal. The dining was exceptional because it was
presented in 3-star Michelin style but it was normal, accessible
food, served in an unbelievable way… absolutely unforgettable!
In joint first place is Barcelona’s local food market where we sat
at a counter on barstools, surrounded by fish, meat and fruit and
having our selected fresh seafood grilled on an open flame.
About your involvement with the historic Alphen Hotel in
Q Constantia: You once said – and I quote – “There are certain
places that you just can’t walk away from”…what motivated you
to consider operating a hotel, specifically this one?
I investigated and considered entering the hotel business for
A a while. Originally I was looking at a contemporary high-rise
property in the City Centre when
I was asked to open a restaurant at
The Alphen Hotel. The Cloete-Hopkins’ –
owners of The Alphen and old family friends -
started talking about the possibility of me taking over
and operating the entire estate. Perfect timing as I was
already in the hotel zone when the opportunity was presented to
me. It’s ironic how it was the polar opposite of what I had in mind
at the time. But in this 11,5 acre Constantia heritage landmark I
could immediately see enormous potential.
What will set the new Alphen Boutique Hotel apart from
Q its competition?
It is a multi-faceted property that provides venues for
A relaxation, socialising, wining & dining, celebrating and
conducting business. The great thing about it is that all of this
can happen simultaneously due to the size and diversity of the
property. We have also successfully combined the old with the
new, fusing the edgy décor of Stefan Antoni and state-of-theart
facilities with the historical Cape Dutch heritage buildings.
Our aim is to provide the best accommodation and food-andbeverage
outlets available in the local market. We have a young,
energetic approach and our team comes from a strong hospitality
background, all having been carefully selected. There are two
independently operating restaurants, a spa, a conference &
business centre, a magnificent landscaped garden and an outdoor
bar unique to the Western Cape. The list of exceptional features
really does go on and on!
Stefan Antoni & Associates are responsible for the
Q redecorating of The Alphen – have they been involved in
your past projects? And how was this partnership established?
Yes, they have been involved with the interior decorating of
A my restaurants. The reason I approached them is because
they are edgy, contemporary and an extremely well organised
operation. They are well known in the industry and their turnaround
time is amazing, as well as their creativity. Stefan is a
personal friend, while I have a great working relationship with Jon
Case and Adam Court who are responsible for everything from the
structural design changes, to the furniture, finishes, artwork
and selecting of modern amenities.

Will a synergy exist between The Alphen and your popular
Q restaurants? And if so, how?
Most definitely! We will recommend the Atlantic Seaboard
A restaurants to our hotel guests and provide luxury transfers.
While guests stay at The Alphen they enjoy a selection of two
restaurants, la Belle Café & Bakery and 5 Rooms, plus outdoor
venue, The Rose Bar. But should they wish for more variety,
they could visit Pepénero, Paranga, Zenzero, The Kove and The
Bungalow for a change of scenery, while dining, sipping cocktails
and watching dolphins go by. Culinary packages are on offer.
Best piece of advice received?
Q
I fondly remember my father telling me, on the opening
A of my first nightclub, that one should never rely on your
friends to make your business a success – it’s always about
having a solid business model in place… that’ll make
you succeed.
What does the future hold for Paul? Any new projects you
Q would like the readers to know about?
AI purchased and revamped La Med in Clifton last year and
re-opened it in December as The Bungalow Restaurant and
Champagne Bar. Through consistent hard work, building a solid
team and selecting what I think is amazing, I believe we have the
competitive edge in our industry. My dream is to be part of the
opening and expansion of many restaurants and hotels – perhaps
even outside of South Africa. The world’s financial markets will
determine when, and if, this planned expansion can take place. I
have another big project in mind that involves the top location in
Cape Town!
Any words of wisdom you would like to leave us with?
Q What is your advice to entrepreneurs wanting to enter the
hospitality business?
The single most important aspect of your business is the
A people you employ. No matter how good your concept, if
you don’t have the right people to run it, it won’t succeed. Let’s
face it, great people are hard to find… but they are out there. It’s
also important to remember that you are constantly dealing with
the emotions of people in this industry – everyone wants to eat
good food, stay in great hotels, be surrounded by exceptional
décor and enjoy expensive amenities. Their expectations are high
and you’ve got to meet it in a 5-star environment.
I’m in hospitality because I’m passionate about having a good
time – that’s precisely why I started out in the nightclub business.
As far as my restaurants are concerned, I didn’t open a single
one as a restaurant operator. I conceptualised all my ideas
from a customer’s point of view. Asking ‘what would I want as a
customer?’ That’s how I lay out my businesses.
In a nutshell - I love to eat, drink, party and stay in great hotels. I
want to deliver the same to others.
For further information, please contact Vanessa Nucci (Sales & Marketing Manager) on +27 (0) 21 795 6300 or e-mail marketing@alphen.co.za
Telephone: +27 (0) 21 795 6300
Web: www.alphen.co.za
Fax: +27 (0) 21 794 5710
E-mail: reception@alphen.co.za
Address: Alphen Drive, Constantia, 7806, Cape Town, South Africa
https://www.facebook.com/TheAlphenBoutiqueHotel
GPS: 34 00’ 45.44S 18 27’ 03.62E
https://twitter.com/#!/TheAlphen