The Restaurant Manager

 

 

In any professional restaurant the manager is an integral part of the smooth running of the establishment, and in many cases he/she should be a leader, full of support for the staff, a smiling face to the customers and the arbitrator in any disputes over the table, the bill or the temperature of the wine. If you have a good one it can add a fair percentage to the revenue, a poor one can cost the owner customers, and thousands in lost revenue.

It can therefore be viewed as integral to the success of the restaurant, the enthusiasm, manner and operational style of the manager is the key, the essence and the heart of the success, or in some cases the reason for failure!

One of the greatest success stories in this key role is a young man running one of the busiest restaurants in London. Sarastro in the heart of Covent Garden and my Restaurant of the Year for 2003, is the very restaurant where the art of the successful manager can be viewed and appreciated. Mehmet Doldur is a vibrant, enthusiastic and professional manager who deals with every visitor to this very popular establishment on Drury Lane with care, respect and a totally unflappable manner, a lesson for many others in the industry who can only dream of such regular volumes of dining customers.

I have had the opportunity to see Mehmet in action on a few occasions recently, and it left me literally breathless. The energy expended, the ability to multi-task, the memory for faces and names among the many regular diners, and the responses to the unknown and irregular requests from the guests, all are dealt with by the manager with diplomacy, consideration and, above all, professionalism.

That very word, professionalism, reflects the very platform upon which this manager, and many others across the length and breadth of the country, build their reputation, one that can and does enhance the attraction of the restaurant.

Sitting in Sarastro on a bustling Saturday evening allowed me to see, first hand, how the job is done, and done well. Sarastro is at the very heart of ‘theatreland,’ with hours reflecting its geographical location. From noon till towards midnight this restaurant accepts customers, most with bookings, a few lucky ones without, and deals with the pleasures and problems that all restaurant customers bring with them when they dine out. I was lucky, having made a booking several days before for a table for four, we were in our seats enjoying our chilled glass of champagne by our appointed time, although within ten minutes of our arrival the queue was twelve deep with people turning up in the hope of gaining a table. This was where the manager had to make full use of his diplomatic and organisational skills, allocating tables, judging when table eight would finish coffee, knowing that table three would be finished in five minutes because they had a theatre booking, and knowing that if he squeeze in the table of three for dinner, they would probably return many times over as regulars.

With a library of bookings in front of him as well as table arriving outside the booked times through no fault of their own I rapidly came to the conclusion that being a manager in such a vibrant and popular restaurant was akin to playing three dimensional chess, eyes everywhere, no margin for error, and, most important of all, you are dealing with the complexities of people!

Among the many requests on Saturday evening, one described as typical, were the following.

I have a table booked for four; there are now six of us!

Can I have a surprise birthday cake at the end of the meal for my mother; I forgot to ask when I booked?

We are here for a wedding anniversary celebration; can you take eight pictures so we can all have one each?

No request was refused, alternative tables found and some memorable photographs of that special occasion taken. There, in one sentence, is the art of the efficient and organised manager, the ease in the adaptability.

Sarastsro was my Restaurant of the Year for 2003, owned by the colourful Richard Niazri, and ably supported by an army of waiting staff. Without Mehmet, his wonderful memory for faces, his knowledge of the restaurant, the kitchens and the staff, and his easy going yet professional manner, the restaurant would continue to attract solid number of diners. With him the restaurant continues from strength to strength, with queues out the door and half way down Drury Lane, and the bookings continue to rise.

Mehmet deserves a mention, there are others like him in restaurants across the country and further away, they deserve the recognition, the respect and our thanks, they are the very people who make our regular restaurant visits so enjoyable.

Mehmet is the finest manager I have come across thus far, do you know another? Please let me know who, and with a bit of luck and time, I may get the opportunity to see them in action.

Those who wish to enjoy the delights of Sarastro can call Mehmet on 0207 836 0101 or visit www.sarastro-restaurant.com and see the delights the restaurant has to offer.