He formed his openness to the needs of guests, sense, sensitivity and flexibility in the best hotels, such as the Hotel de l'Image **** in Saint-Remy-de-Provence and the Hotel Benkiraï **** in Saint-Tropez. In Poland, he was professionally associated with several leading places in Warsaw, such as chefs ' or gastronomic concepts created under the auspices of the Project Warszawa collective-Epoka and untitled restaurants, as well as the chain of artisan bakeries Chaud Pain. What is the guest experience for Antoine and what future does he see for gastronomy?
Magda Malutko: Antoine, you have been associated with the HoReCa sector for many years. What do you think is the key to success in the food service industry?
Antoine Azaïs: Necessarily a good concept and a super team that won't change often. Marketing is also crucial in these times. By combining a good idea with consistently driven storytelling, sales growth is a natural progression. As soon as guests get to know the idea behind the place, the idea of the owner-they quickly become attached to the place and become more loyal to the brand.
Mm.: What is a good concept for you, then?
A. A.Questioner: A good concept is something unique. Something that will make people interested in a restaurant, bar, or hotel. People are already tired of the usual schemes and need new sensations or attractions. They need someone to come out to them with a new offer, a good atmosphere. It doesn't take much. It can be a simple Italian kitchen that will fill the room with a good idea even on a Monday evening. On the other hand, it is worth remembering that a good concept should be a response to the need of a specific target audience in a specific place.
Mm.: What is the customer experience for you (guest experience) and hospitality (hospitalityHow important are these aspects in 2024?
A. A.Questioner : I think there are two sides to the coin. The guest experience is a phenomenon that used to be valued on a larger scale. We live in an era where an increasing percentage of orders come from online orders with home delivery. Their growing market position may indicate that people don't care at all about the experience they get from restaurants. This may also be due to inflation and rising prices in public catering establishments. So people refuse to go out to a restaurant because it's too expensive and they can't afford the pleasure. On the other hand, the guest experience is very important for people who can actually afford a little more. This group should be encouraged with the highest level of service, very good food, great atmosphere and activities such as live music. It is also worth taking care of the location of guests to the room. Here, a big role is played by what attitude the waiters have to the guest, whether the chef goes to the hall to say hello to the guests. These are small details that I think change everything and give customers the opportunity to feel truly special.
Mm.: This fits perfectly with the theme hospitality!
A. A.Questioner:For me, the first rule in gastronomy is to treat the guest as I would like to be treated. Every detail is important. Currently, the basis is to respond to everything, even the smallest needs of guests, which actually fills 99% of the working hours of people in this industry. Most restaurants that have been open for years are still on the market because of the customers who often return to them. They are the foundation of this business. Hospitality, or hospitality, for me is taking care of the restaurant's visitors in a way that makes them feel special and caring. I remember when I was working in St. Petersburg. On the trail, a couple came to us and ordered a martini with a double espresso (none of the crew knew such a cocktail in those days) and cigars. The next day, they ordered the same thing. On the third day, I instructed our bartender to be alert and immediately greeted them with a cigar and a double espresso martini. In the meantime, I printed out a new menu that I added this cocktail to and named it "Double D" (with a reference to the name of these guests). We repeated the same step during their visit to our hotel in Paris. When they entered the room, they saw their favorite cigar and cocktail. They were thrilled! It made them feel special. That's what hospitality is to me.
Mm.: You have worked not only in restaurants, but also participated in the creation of a brand, m.in fine Food experience restaurant or a chain of artisan bakeries. What do you think are the biggest challenges in creating a food brand?
A. A.: When creating a food brand, it is necessary to have a clearly defined concept. We need to understand who our customers are, who our guests are, what their needs are, and how we can meet them. Stability is important here: the quality and repeatability of recipes. A good example is a bakery-if we try a bread that we like, we expect it to taste the same every time. This is the key to success.
M. M.: do you think the problems of the catering industry are comparable to other industries? Does every entrepreneur face similar problems?
A. A.Questioner: In any business, the problems are similar and arise because of the differences in the people we work with. Therefore, I would like to emphasize once again: the main thing is the team. Do not forget about competent training and training of new employees. This is a really important point. This is the only way you can be sure that the entire team understands our concept and knows how to introduce guests to the world of this concept.
Mm.: I agree with you 100%. But let's move on to a nicer topic than problems on the Control vs line. team-what do you think will be the most noticeable trends in the coming years? What do you think will change, which way will we go in gastronomy?
A. A.: Restaurants where we will now pay 120 zlotys per visit will cost several times more in a few years, becoming premium places. In order for high-level restaurants to be able to maintain themselves, they will have to pay for similarly high-level staff. The labor market is changing dynamically, and the industry is changing.
MM: This is mostly the result of a pandemic, isn't it? The market has changed dramatically.
A. A.Questioner: Yes, the world has completely changed. The labor market is completely new, and we are moving to remote work mode, so that, for example, fewer restaurants offer a lunch offer. In my opinion, the level of prestige of jobs such as waiter will also change. Waiters will earn more money, which I hope employees will appreciate and thus seek promotion. Ambition will allow them to reach a certain status. On the other hand, we still have mass appeal. A good example here is the frog-half fast food, half store. People who have less money will stock up on food in such places. The country's culture is behind it-people who know premium stay in premium.
MM: So we are moving towards instant life?
A. A.: Instantaneous type, in practical type. You can buy a bottle of good Spanish wine at any grocery store. 35 gold coins. In it, you don't have to deal with unkind service, you don't have to pay specifically for travel to the premises, you don't even need to leave the house. When ordering takeout, you also don't need to clean up after a meal. You invite your friends home and for 250 zlotys you can organize a great dinner. Instead of paying for an average level of outdoor experience, you can have something else at home at a reasonable price. And here it is worth returning to the topic of hospitality in the restaurant sense. Guests can recreate in-house the taste they find in a given establishment, but they don't recreate the entire “experience” they experience when visiting a particular restaurant at home. This is why it is so important to maintain the right level of customer service and take care of every detail so that they return to us as often as possible and feel comfortable with us.
M. M.: is there a golden idea that you would like to pass on to someone who would like to start their own business in the field of public catering?
A. A.: Yes-don't! (laughter).
MM: I once interviewed ten restaurateurs for an article about the recipe for success in building a restaurant. I asked them exactly the same question. Do you know that everyone answered me the same way?
A. A.Questioner: I'm not surprised. The food service industry is heavy. Gastronomy just needs to be loved. If you discover a new concept, you must be in it every day, do a lot of things in it yourself. It is important to constantly learn and improve yourself in all aspects of our business. Therefore, you need to be ready to replace any person who may not show up for work that day. Always have your own plan B, C, and D if something like this was going to happen.
Junior specialist in Marketing Communications and PR.
He is a graduate of the University of Warsaw and the Main School of Agriculture. We have been in the HoReCa industry for more than 10 years. For many years, he has been associated with the Trip group, Sobienie Royal Golf and Country Club, and the Florentin Restaurant in Warsaw.
She graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw Technical University with a degree in Architecture for the Knowledge Society and Visual Communications at the Polytechnic University of Milan. A specialist in creating a mood. She has gained experience at home and abroad at numerous international seminars (Seville, Lisbon, Florence), fellowships at La Sapienza (Rome), etc. m.in. in Carmi e Ubertis and ADM Milano.
A manager with many years of experience in the cosmetics, food, and children's industries. During his career, he was associated with such companies as: L'Oreal, Samsung, Danone-Nutricia, Unilever. During his professional life, he was responsible, among other things, for the development of e-commerce sales and content in Poland and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. 
