People
History in the 'Baking' The story of how a family from Essex in the U.K. came to open the first ever Domino's Pizza Restaurant in the Algarve
L
ock-down in the U.K. spelt bad news for business. One family in particular took this as an opportunity to fulfill a lifetime ambition; to start a new life in the sun. Meet father Kes, mother Vanessa and daughters Summer and Sky. On the 4th of July, 2020, as soon as the first lock-down was lifted, the family drove to the Algarve and rented a home for a year in Estoi. The plan was to settle down, enjoy family life in the sun and see what opportunities arose. Before long the young family began to miss certain things. Although there are an abundance of amazing Portuguese restaurants offering outstanding food, nothing could fulfill the desire for good old comforting food, and for this particular family it was Domino's pizza. Seeing there were no Domino's Pizza restaurants in the Algarve, and not one to do things by half, Kes
14
looked into the possibility of opening their own establishment. Realising this was a viable option, the next step was to find the right location. Daughter Summer told us that The Domino's brand is like an extension of the family. They were an enormous help in starting the business and in fact were instrumental in finding the perfect premises for them. Ria Shopping outlet in Olhão is on the high street (EN125) and the restaurant is in a very prominent position at the entrance of the centre which also provides excellent free parking
for customers. Once the premises were secured, the next step was the five week intensive training in Lisbon. Part of the agreement with Domino's is that owners must work in the restaurants. It was decided that Kes and Summer would be managers, next was to find their trustworthy assistants. Soon after arriving in Portugal, Summer wanted to learn the Portuguese language. She asked the family gardener if he knew of anyone who could teach her, and he suggested a friend Soraia. Lessons went well and a new friendship began. Very soon Soraia was asked if she would become the restaurant manager, which she happily accepted. Pedro, another friend of the family was also recruited and the five week intensive training began. Only 18 months after leaving the U.K. the family opened the doors to the first Domino's Pizza restaurant in the Algarve, quite an incredible achievement! The family currently employs over twenty staff, and started with seven delivery bikes (which was suggested to be too
www.eastalgarvemag.com
