This week, MCA takes five minutes with Apostrophe founder Amir Chen. He talks about his Strut & Cluck concept, why hospitality is the ultimate meritocracy and his concerns about property costs:
What’s your main business priority over the coming year?
We’ve just launched a new restaurant which fuses Eastern Mediterranean home cooking with turkey meat, which is I think the first ever. The priority is to establish and build the restaurant, to make sure people are happy and enjoying the food.
How has this been affected by the Brexit vote?
I think it’s too early to say. We opened the day Brexit was announced. There’s a general uncertainty but I don’t think we know enough to make any decisions. A lot of my staff are from Italy and Spain, a massive question mark [hangs over] what will happen to them. We don’t really know enough yet.
Where did you eat your best meal over the past year?
The most memorable was at a place called Machneyuda in Jerusalem which served Mediterranean cuisine, the flavours were a fusion of all the regions. The ambience was phenomenal; very welcoming, relaxed but professional. I was there in March with my wife and a couple of our restaurant team who we took on an Israel food tour for inspiration.
What is the best marketing campaign you have seen over the past 12 months?
I’ve been buried in getting to the point of opening the restaurant. I can’t remember anything of note.
Which business sector provides the best experience?
My background is investment banking but what’s nice about hospitality is that it’s very performance led. No matter where you’re from or what your background, if you perform and you show a real passion and understanding then you can do really well in hospitality, which is unique. It’s the one industry where you can find unpolished gems and create them into diamonds.
What is your main concern for the sector?
Property costs, paying premiums and upward only rent reviews. Those fixed costs are very onerous on new businesses. I think property costs are the biggest challenge, especially for new restaurateurs.
Which other business (any sector) would you most like to run and why?
I think I’d enjoy [running] any high quality consumer branded business. [For example] fashion.
