2023 Media Pack - Restaurant Industry News

“For us, social sustainability comes down to the idea of building lasting communities that nourish people and the planet, and nurturing spaces that improve collaboration, connection, and wellbeing,” says Founder and CEO Franky Rousell.

“When we design spaces such as Kitten we not only incorporate sustainable practices and elements, but take it a step further by influencing behaviours that promote a socially and environmentally sustainable future landscape. We want to lead with authenticity in our developments, weaving responsible choices into every decision, stage, and feature.”

contemporary, yet culturally ambiguousand therefore easily adaptable long into the future. The towering 5 metre Bonsai tree and bamboo-clad back wall of the front lounge area offer the only direct material nods to the restaurant’s current cuisine.

Echoing the splendour of the 200 metrehigh skyscraper in which it sits, the cavernous interior of Kitten inspires awe and wonder from the moment guests step through the triple height entryway. Huge archways on the wall behind the central bar offer a cathedral-like “higher power” experience, clad in a neutral tone marble that exudes a sense of prestige and wealth and forms an impressive backdrop to the bar where the crafting of sushi and cocktails - aka ‘the magic’ - happens.

“The food and cocktail offering of Kitten is really innovative,” says Rousell, “and we

really wanted to draw people’s attention to that. We’ve then softened this sense of grandeur in other areas by using a more natural and down-to-earth palette, particularly at the rear of the restaurant where we want people to linger, so that the experience is all about a shared coming together over food.

“For example, we’ve maintained the same archway silhouettes for visual continuity, but with a plaster finish that makes the space feel more grounded and comfortable.

“The use of leather upholstery is reassuring and gentle, like the human touch, while the plush velvet of the armchairs has been incorporated to promote open and meaningful conversation.”

“We’ve been quite clever with how we want people to behave throughout the different internal spaces by changing up that materiality,” says Rousell, “and, in turn, softening that feeling of initial impressiveness as you walk through into comfort by introducing plenty of wood tones, which is psychologically one of the most reassuring materials because of its inherent connection to nature.”

A scent profile of amber (calming), incense (inspiring) and patchouli (uplifting) has been devised by Jolie for use throughout the interior to help unify each of the internal areas, while a soundtrack of Tropical Bird Club and Japanese Tech has been compiled to showcase the cultural narrative of the restaurant’s food and drink offering.

Size: 270sqm / 56 covers

Location: 9 Deansgate, Owen St, Manchester M15 4YB

Photography: © Billy Bolton

Located within the burgeoning new Deansgate Square district on the southern edge of the city centre, Jolie has created a fantastical space that exudes the sophistication and elegance of comparable restaurants in London, New York and the United Arab Emirates.

Appealing to an affluent millennial-

process helps ensure the longevity of their work, by creating socially sustainable and adaptable spaces that encourage interaction and connection, thus meeting the needs of their clients both now and into the future.

In a post-pandemic era where experiential travel is highly desired but not always attainable, the transformative nature of wanderlust became a key component of Jolie’s design approach to Kitten. The studio wanted to infuse the space with a sense of culture and destinationdriven dining without drawing upon tired clichés and caricatured design. Instead they adopted a quintessentially Japanese approach by crafting a holistic and sensual environment that feels both fresh and

TECHNOLOGY

Mobile ordering – do you love it or hate it? It’s a big question mark in the minds of many hospitality businesses owners at the moment.

As a series of high-profile interviews of leading industry figures conducted on behalf of NFS Technology shows, there’s no easy answer – but plenty of ideas for restaurateurs on how to shape their offering.

The interviewees were: James Brown, Managing Director of Bars for BrewDog Katy Moses, Founder of KAM Daniel Rodgers, Founder of Qikserve

All agree that mobile ordering was a powerful tool during the crisis and is here to stay – a poll on adoption of the technology before the event showed a 50/50 split. But the experts all agreed that each business must now work out how to make the most of it.

James Brown said: “I think it’s here to stay forever, but hospitality businesses will have to make an adjustment.” For instance, many of his customers still want to go to the bar, and his staff enjoy talking to them about the beers.

“Operationally, it’s hard to squeeze the magic moments of hospitality into an app, but it does have incredible value in places where you are a long way from the bar, or where the bar is busy,” he said.

He points out that mobile bill payment helps overcome a big challenge for any hospitality business – no-one wants to wait to pay – and it’s not an area where service from a member of staff is a particular value add.

Above all, he feels it’s extremely important to give customers the choice of interacting via an app or face to face. “I think we’re in danger as an industry of forcing people down one route, and that’s where you get tech wrong,” he said.

Katy Moses makes a similar point in her interview and urges hospitality businesses to tailor their digital offering to the occasion, or the mission, that the customer is on when they come to your restaurant.

“If you’re there for a lazy fine dining experience you may want to have a chat with the server, but not so much if you are there for a quick business lunch,” she said.

“As long as the technology adds to your customer experience, it’s worth having.”

BrewDog is big on customer experience and has built that into their use of the mobile ordering app by allowing customers to order tasters on it, and also hit a button to ping a server to discuss a particular beer.

“So it’s not just about ordering, it’s a communication opportunity,” he said “We’ve tried to lace that customer experience through the design of the programme.”

Kate and Daniel Rodgers both point out that different generations also use digital technology in different ways, with the youngest – Gen Z – most likely to enjoy a fully digital interaction.

Daniel said: “Off-premise mobile ordering is going to be remarkably resilient, but onpremise is going to go through a reflective time in the next 12 months…the challenge is about how you wrap a digital experience around your brand experience.”

He agrees with James Brown that payment is ‘the easiest bit’, and his company, Qikserve, is currently running a highly successful trial with Wahaca. “The results are amazing with that brand – 95% of all checks are now closed on mobile devices, which is just incredible,” he said.

5 top takeaways from our interviews Mobile ordering is here to stay but must enhance your brand Don’t force your customers down one route – offer them a choice Design your offering to create communication opportunities Remember the different ‘missions’ your customers are on – and the varying demands of different generations Mobile payment is a winner in many situations.

Website: alohaepos.co.uk

James anticipates market share for mobile ordering growing steadily in his business over the next two to three years.

speaks with Carlo Scotto Head Chef at new fine dining restaurant, Amethyst

Images: © lateef.photography