Gusto Italian

There is no such thing as a truly loyal customer in casual dining, with the Italian restaurant group instead focusing on a driving a transactional relationship, Gusto Italian CEO Matt Snell tells MCA’s Restaurant Conference  https://lnkd.in/d2bwtTeF

Following our last post, Jacob Monks is taking on the challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise £6,000 for the Down's Syndrome Association (DSA).   With less than 5% of people with Down's Syndrome finding employment, the DSA works to create meaningful job opportunities. Jacob’s climb will support their mission to advocate for equality and inclusion.   At 19,340 feet, Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest peak, and every donation will help make a difference. By supporting Jacob, you’re also helping to create a more inclusive future for people with Down's Syndrome. If you’d like to donate, you can do so here: https://lnkd.in/eqYr3sfR 

Earlier this month our leadership team travelled to Pisa and Florence, all in the name of research, of course. They took the food tasting seriously, eating at 8 restaurants over two and a half days. A particular highlight of the trip - a tour of the exquisite family run Fattoria Di Basciano vineyard, where our Rufina is produced. The team tasted grapes straight off the vine and learning the process from drying to bottling. Huge thank you to Chris Jenkins at Bibendum Wine for organising this trip.

📢 We need your vote! 📢 We are delighted to announce that we have been nominated for the Innovation Award at the R200 Awards this year for Platinum Club. Platinum Club, our subscription-based model to loyalty, launched in February of this year across our suburban restaurants and has gone from strength to strength. As an industry-first concept to loyalty we are so pleased to be recognised as part of this shortlist. You have until the 26th September to cast your vote: https://lnkd.in/eZ7rBBHk

When the General Manager of our Leeds restaurant, Jacob Monks, approached our people team with his desire to become a part of Down's Syndrome Association's WorkFit employment programme, we were delighted to be able to support him in doing so. WorkFit collaborate with employers across England and Wales to develop a range of meaningful work opportunities for people with Down’s syndrome to support the career ambitions and goals for independence of the candidates. We are proud to introduce Lucy who has joined the Gusto Italian family as part of this programme in her role as a busser, helping the team in our Leeds restaurant to get set up for success before we open. Having worked with us for a month now, Lucy has cemented herself as a core member of the Leeds team. She loves to dance and perform around the restaurant whilst working and her contagious personality has been adored by all those who have worked with her so far.

This week we gathered the General Managers, Head Chefs and Mentors across our business to learn about the latest updates to our menus ahead of their autumnal changes later this month. Days like these are an integral part of our culture, empowering our teams to understand the storytelling behind the changes we're making to our menu, how this will enhance our service and elevate our food. Thank you to Mikey Rice, Peter Holland and Sylwester Bocian for sharing their passion and knowledge with all our teams across the week.

Back in April we held our first ever ‘Ready, Steady, Gusto!’ competition – empowering team members across our business to create their own Puglia inspired dish to feature on our next specials menu. After plenty of tasting and deliberating our judges awarded James Roddis, Line Chef in our Cheadle Hulme restaurant, the top spot. His dish, Orrichiette Sausage Pasta, was just too good to keep to ourselves and we can’t wait for you to try it on our specials menu which launches today.

During September and October, we’re inviting our guests to join us in supporting a cause close to our hearts. A discretionary £1 donation will be added to each bill, with all proceeds going to Hospitality Action, a charity that provides vital support to those in the hospitality industry facing mental or physical health challenges. At Gusto Italian, we’re deeply committed to the well-being of our team members, ensuring they have access to the help, advice, and support they need in difficult times. As part of this, we utilise the support Hospitality Action provides by offering all our team members access to their services. This initiative is particularly meaningful to us as we remember our colleague, Bruna Anjos, who passed away in June 2024 at the age of 22. Bruna was a cherished member of our Leeds restaurant team, and we aim to honour her memory through this fundraising effort. We know that many individuals across our business have struggled with their own mental health or been affected by their friend & families mental wellbeing. It’s so important that we offer this support to any team member in need, at any time.

Last week, we hosted our annual cocktail competition sponsored by Bacardi. We saw over 30 of our Gusto Italian family enter the competition with their own amazing cocktail creations and welcomed 10 finalists to our Alderley Edge restaurant for the face-to-face competition day. The competition got underway first with a speed-pour test, followed by round two to see who could make the quickest mojito. The third and final round of the day was to present their own cocktail, making and describing the inspiration behind the drink to our panel of judges. For a number of years, we have had two spots on our drinks menu for our team members' creations. Congratulations to this years' winners, Karolina Savicka from Newcastle & Luke Hill from Liverpool. Keep an eye out for their winning drinks on our Autumn menu! Thank you to Ashley Brown and his team at Bacardi for all the support and to our very own Peter Holland for organising the competition! 

Introducing our new Corporate Platinum Club membership. For just £120 per year, this subscription affords up to 8 guests 40% off food in our neighbourhood restaurants (Alderley Edge, Cheadle Hulme, Cookridge, Didsbury, Heswall & Knutsford). This discount can be enjoyed Monday through to Thursday and Sundays – which provides the perfect opportunity to get the team together or host clients in beautiful surroundings. We've partnered with some brilliant businesses who are giving exclusive offers and deals to our members too. Plus members enjoy a complimentary bottle of Prosecco on sign-up, 5% cashback added to your card every time you dine, invites to menu launches, exclusive giftcard offers and more! Sound good? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/erXYXX9Y or if you’ve already got a Gold Club account, log in to upgrade it in the ‘Platinum’ tab. Want to know more? Contact Viv Taylor-Fletcher on corporatepc@gustorestaurants.com who’ll be able to answer all your questions.