Inside Fairmont Bab Al Bahr's staff cafeteria, Makanna, which serves around 350-400 diners per meal.
IN PRACTICE
Once the preparation was complete, it was time to put it all into action. The staff cafeteria’s official inauguration was on September 1, 2013.
Magagna reveals that that date was heralded as ‘Makanna’s Independence Day’ and this anniversary will be celebrated every year.
He says: “It operates like any other restaurant in the hotel by scheduling breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight service, and not to mention, the rotation of the menu being offered.”
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In addition to kind of food, a sense of camarederie is fostered. He says: “We also focus on respecting the multi-cultural environment of colleagues within the hotel. This is shown in the commemoration on the national days of the various nationalities and special occasions celebrated locally and holidays like Ramadan, Eid, Christmas, and Thanksgiving reflected in the food and the decoration.”
The average number of colleagues per shift is between 350-400, according to Magagna, who explains that covers are predicted on a weekly basis according to a forecasting carried out to ensure there is enough manpower to serve the diners on a regular basis.
FEEDBACK
Magagna says: “We got a far-reaching and positive response from our colleagues who appreciated the initiative of our company to improve the quality of food, quality of life and quality of work, as these initiatives represent the integral part of their benefit as colleagues.”
The changes implemented are not set in stone, however, as Magagna emphasises the importance of feedback and listening to suggestions and constructive criticism.
“We also see that there is more clear communication between Makanna and the colleagues. We are very open for any comments and suggestions on how to further improve our food quality. We always try to listen to feedback on a daily basis as this is extremely important to maintain and improve the quality of food and service.
“Although it is hard to please the multi-ethnicity setting despite of the strategic plan we put into place, we ensured that there will be a specialised chef for most of the cuisines,” he says.
Magagna adds: “The quality of the food is better now! We also pride ourselves on the fact that a Fairmont chef wearing a Fairmont jacket is serving the colleagues in Makanna.”
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