October 2019 Digital Issue
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SERIES<br />
There are several items I want to cover for this<br />
instalment of this series, including the increasing<br />
challenge of dealing with dietary restrictions and<br />
Hadida’s thoughts on the state of the restaurant<br />
industry. Although he’s trying to change the current<br />
restaurant model, Hadida recently said he<br />
feels the industry is making progress and I ask<br />
him to explain his thinking.<br />
When it comes to dietary-restriction requests<br />
from guests, Hadida and Robertson admit they<br />
gave the issue huge consideration when they were<br />
opening the restaurant. They considered saying<br />
no and even charging more. In the end, they<br />
committed to accommodating any requests, as<br />
it aligned with their goal of providing a luxury<br />
experience. “Our decision is validated by the great feedback<br />
from guests who are touched by the effort,” says Robertson.<br />
Hadida adds he hasn’t wasted a moment second-guessing the<br />
decision; it doesn’t make him happy, but he’s grateful.<br />
When asked about the process they use to make this happen,<br />
the chefs produce a reservation sheet for the upcoming week,<br />
which shows approximately one-quarter of the 240 guests they<br />
will serve have some form of dietary restrictions. There are<br />
vegans, pescatarians, guests on gluten-free diets and those with<br />
allergies to mangos and cinnamon.<br />
In order to deliver the high level<br />
of cuisine they’re committed to,<br />
Robertson says the team looked<br />
for ways to make handling these<br />
requests less of a burden. Given it’s<br />
a reservation-based restaurant that<br />
books months in advance, it’s able<br />
to receive information from guests<br />
ahead of time. When I’ve made<br />
online reservations at the restaurant,<br />
I’ve been prompted by Tock<br />
(the online reservation system) to provide any dietary restrictions<br />
my party may have. Fagin or another member of the service<br />
team follow up by phone a week in advance of a reservation<br />
to ensure they have all necessary information.<br />
The chefs recommend I attend the restaurant’s weekly<br />
LEADING BY EXAMPLE<br />
Chefs Eric Robertson<br />
and Daniel Hadida<br />
facilitate the team’s<br />
weekly meeting<br />
FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 27
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