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How do you relocate a restaurant and staff while keeping its spirit alive?

How do you relocate a restaurant and staff while keeping its spirit alive?

In the restaurant industry, effective leadership and team management are crucial to maintaining the establishment's spirit while implementing necessary changes. Pierre Couturier shares his experience of transforming a struggling restaurant into a fine-dining venue without losing its essence. By relocating, he enhanced the restaurant's atmosphere, making it more spacious and calm, which encourages better customer communication and aligns with the company values. The new setting allows for a sophisticated culinary experience that celebrates French cuisine while creating an inviting environment appreciated by patrons. Key aspects such as a clear career plan for staff and effective team management are essential for success. According to Pierre Couturier, the subtle changes in décor and layout have made a significant impact on the dining experience. Don’t miss more tips and insights on leadership and restaurant management in the full episode.

2026·Season 2·Episodio 3Highlight
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Pierre Couturier · Owner

Leadership insights

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Transcription

00:03

Changing without erasing I'm breaking the tableware.

00:11

Here's a glass from our restaurant, a wine glass.How do you change management and staff while keeping the restaurant's spirit?

00:20

We improved the restaurant's spirit when we changed locations.

00:24

As I said, the chef used to have a one-man business with a restaurant.

00:31

That restaurant had an Andalusian style,while he was doing modern French cuisine, so it didn't work.

00:37

He had very little staff, lacked qualified staff,it was located on a very small street and didn't have the time or resources to do enough communication.

00:47

This nearly led to closure, because although the customers who went to the restaurant were satisfied,there simply weren't enough of them.

00:58

When we took over the project together, it was essential to change direction and have a restaurant, a venue, let's say,much more representative of our cuisine.

01:10

At the moment, we have a venue that journalists describe as "very Parisian." We're not quite sure why, since we've changed very little.

01:20

When we arrived, we hung some paintings,added a few plants and some candles.

01:26

But the atmosphere somehow reminds Spanish people of France.

01:31

And that's great, because we run...We run a French restaurant, but we don't aspire to be recognized as a French restaurant.

01:40

We want to be recognized as a fine-dining restaurant.

01:43

Whatever we do, we're a French restaurant,even a Parisian one, although neither the chef nor I are from Paris.

01:50

But some members of the team are, though.That's true.

01:54

So the change of location allowed us to have a space much better suited to the chef's sophisticated cuisine and to the service,which, as I mentioned earlier, is elegant and attentive with customers.

02:10

It's also a much calmer atmosphere.Our tables are very spread out, which is quite unusual, even in Spain.

02:18

Customers really appreciate that.And in Spain, it has to be said,people speak very loudly in restaurants.

02:25

In our restaurant, miraculously, people tend to speak quietly.

02:28

Thanks to the calm atmosphere and the spacious tables,because they aren't disturbed by other customers' conversations.

02:35

It creates an environment that's more in line with what the restaurant is about.