RESTAURANT TEAM OF THE YEAR
In our Restaurant Team of the Year winner, we are looking for excellent team spirit and team work, as well as dedication to driving revenue for their outlet.
Each member of the group should display a thorough knowledge of the menu and ingredients used, along with the ability to comfortably make recommendations and chat with customers or problem-solve where necessary, resulting in a loyal customer base.
This group should all be confident in up-selling, driving promotions and working in busy situations; be happy to work closely with back-of-house; and should show enthusiasm for undertaking training and developing new skills.
Cutting down the nominations was particularly tough for this popular category, with many deserving submissions — but finally, six teams were picked out as the cream of the crop:
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• Rodeo Grill Restaurant & Bar, Al Bustan Rotana Dubai
This small front-of-house team have proved that size does not matter, having won various awards, built a loyal customer base and achieved competitive 2009 results in terms of revenue.
The team was lauded for its dedication to training and up-selling — which has resulted in strong sales and impressed customers.
• Okku Restaurant & Lounge, The Monarch Dubai
This from-the-heart nomination praised the team’s commitment, sense of fun and loyalty to the concept in the outlet’s first year of operations.
In-depth training combined with passionate staff who get a buzz from up-selling marked this group out.
• Al Tannour, Crowne Plaza Dubai
Even over the course of this difficult year, Al Tannour has maintained its position as the property’s highest-grossing outlet — an achievement helped in no small part by the loyal restaurant team’s determination to maintain costs and cut expenses.
The nomination praised staff for their great team ethics and a strong work culture, noting the 100% attendance record for team briefings and events, along with their commitment to the property as a whole.
• Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire, InterContinental Hotel Dubai Festival City
The team at Gagnaire’s Dubai offering, which recently celebrated its first anniversary, were selected based on their personality, manners and attitude — a method which, thanks to solid in-house training and the passion and dedication shown by senior team members, has paid off.
This nomination praised the front-of-house group for their enthusiasm to learn and their constant determination to exceed customer expectations, as well as their personalised service manner.
• Ruth's Chris Steak House, The Monarch Dubai
This team stood out for its familial attitude and commitment to excellence, with testimonials from the team highlighting the outlet’s stance — that top service, up-selling, innovative marketing and in-depth product knowledge come as standard, while it is the individuality of each team member combined with their success as a group working together that marks them out as special.
• Sense on the Edge, Six Senses Hideaway, Zighy Bay
This front-of-house team stands out for having overcome various challenges this year, coming back from a down-trend in guest satisfaction scores by initiating new measures: brainstorming a new sequence of service, implementing a unique service style, changing the restaurant’s outlook and gelling as a team.
The result was a significant rise is customer satisfaction and a huge boost to team morale and service standards.
Keep an eye on HME.com for the Restaurant of the Year, Bar of the Year and Best Event Catering of the Year shortlists, to be revealed later this week.
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