UJ#22 - Peru, local flavor

Cusco Restaurants
The first restaurant we opened was the Inkagrill, which
highlighted international cuisine but allowed us to
include Peruvian dishes. At that time, the tourist was
often still not adventurous enough to try local food, so
we had to adapt classic dishes by adding a local twist.
We wanted the tourists to find something they could
recognise and feel comfortable with when they sat down
to eat.
Cusco Restaurants
As time passed, we took advantage of various
opportunities and were able to choose the route we
wanted to follow.
In the past twenty years, what changes have you
seen in how tourists appreciate our traditional
gastronomy?
Coque: In general, travellers today are much more willing
to try new things. The access to information means they
can discover beforehand what they are going to find
here: the tourist is no longer scared to see a whole fried
guinea pig on the table, because he has already seen
the photographs on the internet. Before, as chefs, we
wanted to be sure that we were offering something they
would be willing to eat; nowadays, we have the chance
to put more of ourselves into the work and show the full
potential of our local cuisine.
Every detail is looked
after to give a unique
service.
So your customers have also changed?
Coque: As we have so many different concepts, we see
all kinds. The two largest groups are those who have preplanned
their visit, and those who walk in off the street.
The former know what they want to eat and have sought
out a restaurant that matches their standards of quality
and service; the latter are more adventurous.
What about the local public?
Coque: More of them are visiting all the time. When we
Healthy alternatives
are also available
on the Cusco
Restaurant menus.
With so many different concepts, how can we
recognise the identity of Cusco Restaurants in
each establishment?
Coque: I believe it is the character behind it that identifies
us. The constant search for excellence, the quality of the
product and the integrity of the proposition. As a team,
we have frequent exchange meetings between the staff
of all the restaurants so that we can get to know one
another. We recognise that our customers like to talk to
us, to get to know us, to ask questions. There is where
we try to establish a connection with the visitor so that
they go away not only satisfied but also with a suggestion
of where they can eat the following day.
began to set up our restaurants in Cusco, they were
seen as places “for the tourists”. Now people feel proud
of the city’s cuisine; they want to share in it and enjoy it
for themselves.
Sweet flavours
also stand out in
visually interesting
proposals.
Cusco Restaurants
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