Sumit Sachdeva says recruitment is key in securing success Sumit Sachdeva says recruitment is key in securing success

Sumit Sachdeva, the manager of newly-opened Indian restaurant Mahec at Le Méridien Village in Dubai, talks to Caterer about pre-opening, faith in the product and staffing. 

How did you begin your career?
I completed a degree in hotel management in India and then joined Sheraton Hotels as a butler. I worked there for two years before joining the Grand Hyatt Dubai in 2003. I then had an opportunity to be room service manager for the preopening of InterContinental and Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival City before accepting my role with Mahec.

What would you like to achieve?
My goals are to make a positive impact on behalf of the company through my expertise and ethics. I also look forward to developing Mahec as a brand in the market, and for that I need to create a climate of teamwork by encouraging harmony and co-operation within the team.

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This will lead to increased customer satisfaction and a better experience for guests. I am very fortunate and have full faith in our product thanks to our head chef Bharath Bhatt. He is an artist who worked on the launches of Amal restaurant in Armani and Indego in Grosvenor house.

What are the restaurant manager’s priorities in the pre-opening stages?
As a pre-opening restaurant manager you need to be very passionate, ambitious, hands-on and approachable. It’s important to do a proper market analysis and competitors’ check, and selective recruitment and training of staff is key to success.

Have you hired a full team for the restaurant now? How easy is it to find qualified staff in the UAE?
We now have a full team on board. However, staffing is a challenge in the UAE; and when you do a pre-opening you really need to have experienced staff. In general, staff prefer not to join at the same position that they are currently working.

There are too many people coming in without the necessary required knowledge, and who then get moved up before they have really mastered the basic skills. I went to India to hire some staff, but we faced challenges because the majority of line staff are staying in their current positions as salaries have increased.