RESTAURANT GM INTERVIEW: The way of the warrior

Bushido’s Nicolas Budzynski uncovers what life is like for an F&B outlet in a country still recovering from the Arab Spring of last year

Political tensions in the Middle East continue to engulf media attention worldwide. One country that suffered substantially during last year’s uprisings was Bahrain. Though things have calmed, the F&B industry continues to feel the aftermath.

Bushido, one of the highly commended restaurants at this year’s Caterer Middle East Awards, provides a first-hand account of what it’s like to operate in a country recovering from the Arab Spring.

Originally based on the Buddha Bar concept, Bushido opened in April 2009 in place of a failed Thai restaurant so already had its work cut out.

Along with the cultural boundaries of the Kingdom which forced a name and theme change; a haphazard opening that failed to consider the economic standing of the venue’s custom and a dented team spirit, the biggest challenge was still to come.

The above had consequences. Changes had to be made – the menu was re-engineered and re-priced to attract a broader range of clientele.

“People in Bahrain are very price sensitive and even if they have a high income and a high position, they will still look at the menu and how much it costs and will compare a premium dining restaurant to a casual dining restaurant,” general manager Nicolas Budzynski says. “They will not look at the whole package.”

In addition to a new-look and feel menu, events and promotions were pushed and within three months the venue was well on the road to recovery. Covers had increased and average cheque improved. Though a stronger HR strategy in terms of staff training was enforced, team morale and spirit needed some work.

“When I joined, the whole focus was on getting the team together and making them understand and believe in the beauty and potential of the restaurant. The vision was to be the best restaurant in the Middle East. Whenever we get a comment/complaint it’s referring back to that vision and seeing whether we are doing the right things in accordance to it,” he says.

But before long, this united front would be threatened. In February 2011 political tensions were at an all-time high in the country and the uprising quickly devastated F&B businesses in the country.

Bushido suffered a staggering decline in its March revenue when compared with the year previous. This instant lack of footfall meant that the lounge area had to be closed for four months.

Cutting costs, either by way of reducing staff, maintenance or decor was the only way forward. The biggest difference that would be experienced was that most custom would now come from the local market as opposed to tourists.

“About 75% of our custom is regular,” explains Budzynski. “We know what their habits are, know them by name – it makes it a lot easier for us to talk to them but it also makes things a bit more difficult since they always have a higher expectation from us.”

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With KSA neighbouring Bahrain, a high volume of Saudis also makes up this local visitor number. The tourist market from outside the region now stands at around 10%-15%, says Budzynski.

The outlet had to think hard and fast about how it could find its feet again undergoing a rebranding process and educating consumers on the diversity of Japanese cuisine.

“We kept the name Bushido but dropped the part ‘Japanese Cuisine’ which was limiting our mode of operations to a Japanese restaurant at a time here when Japanese cuisine was perceived as being limited to just sushi and sashimi,” says Budzynski. “Even in our PR we wouldn’t use sushi, sashimi or raw fish, instead focusing on our cooked items.”

But a firm decision was made not to close the outlet altogether: “The first question was not: should we open or should we close it? It was where we stood, gauged against the opportunity for us to maximise revenue or to reduce loss.

March last year – it wasn’t a loss, it was a break even. The only month that was a loss was Ramadan which is normal. The whole idea was why should we close if we’re not losing money?” he asserts.

The outlet was re-jigged to maximise revenue and minimise loss with the lounge being relocated to downstairs. The sushi bar was converted into a normal bar. The centre of the outlet formed the restaurant and the lounge was situated along the surrounding areas. Staffing changes were also made.

“Some of the contracts expired; some people were unable to stay in Bahrain because of the situation, we didn’t force them to stay – we looked at everything to see how to reduce costs to a minimum.”

As a result May, June and July 2011 turned higher revenues than expected thanks to the newfound versatility.

“We have different segments and a lot of different targets – there is something for everyone,” says Budzynski.

This has allowed the venue to host a number of events such as fashion shows, jazz nights and
nightclub events with international DJs as well as intimate dinners in its restaurant settings. It has rolled out a number of promotions including ladies nights and business lunches to attract people to the venue.

Things are slowly improving but there is a long way to go.

“The hotel occupancy around Bahrain is still not as high as it was before...I would say the outlet is still doing well – not as well as it used to but well considering the market is still affected,” says Budzynski.

Venues are offering more to drive in custom making the competition tough he says, but in terms of development, healthy competition is driving a more professional industry: “It is helping the market to grow through innovation and creativity because we are working to do something better,” he says.

The future for Bushido, Budzynski believes, looks bright. Having worked in the past for the Jumeirah Group, he sees global potential for the brand, saying “It has something special, other restaurants do not”.

“I believe Bushido is the new Buddha Bar meaning that there is a whole concept behind Bushido. We look at what the customer wants and put things in that are unique for this market. We will continue to push for the best to deliver high sales. We all hope there is further development in Bahrain and hope to see Bushido in other territories like Dubai,” he concludes.