METRO is celebrating its 60th anniversary! What a special moment. But most of the time, extraordinary moments don't need a special occasion. They happen every day in the restaurant, café or bar around the corner - wherever restaurateurs live and celebrate hospitality.
The kitchen is his domain. Here, he experiments, refines and perfects dishes to serve his guests the very best. The atmosphere is always relaxed and cheerful. That’s important to Michaël Fulci, chef at Les Terraillers, in Biot, France. At the moment, he divides his time between the kitchen and the dining area. This allows him to be closer to the guests and to meet their needs. Together with his team, he aims to create unforgettable memories for his guests.
The hospitality industry is nothing without hospitality. After all, dining is about creating a place where guests are welcomed and looked after with warmth and friendliness. How restaurateurs put hospitality into practice is a matter of individual style. For Michaël, being a host is about more than just a warm welcome: ‘To me, hospitality is the art of making every guest feel valued, comfortable and special. It’s about creating an atmosphere where guests feel at ease and can enjoy the moment.’ If it were only about good food, guests could simply pick it up and eat at home. But many people prefer going to a restaurant because they enjoy being a guest. ‘Hospitality is about understanding what the guest wants and delivering it’, says Glenn Wichmann, Gastro Consultant at METRO. Wichmann, who holds a degree in business administration and is responsible for the entire northern Germany region, himself has 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. ‘It’s about creating the perfect experience.’
Good service alone isn’t enough – hospitality is more than that. Guests experience hospitality in the little things: a friendly greeting, the memory of favourite dish, being made to feel welcome. For Michaël, hospitality starts the moment a guest walks through the door at Les Terraillers: ‘In my restaurant, hospitality begins the moment a guest steps through the door. It is conveyed by our staff’s warm greetings, their attentiveness to guests’ needs and the little touches that make each visit special.’ Glenn agrees. And he adds: ‘Hospitality, combined with delicious food and drinks and excellent service, is the key to long-term success in the hospitality industry.’
A restaurant can’t run without kitchen equipment and supplies. To create unique experiences, restaurateurs need a partner by their side who can supply them with the necessary products. This is where METRO comes in with services such as digital offers, in-store markets or delivery. The customer managers know the industry and what customers want, find solutions and go the extra mile. ‘The METRO team supports us by supplying high-quality ingredients, providing reliable service and offering solutions tailored to our needs. They help us focus on what matters most – our guests’, says star chef Michaël. Glenn Wichmann also advises his customers personally, is familiar with the challenges they face and creates customised offers. As a trained chef and barista, he knows exactly what his customers need: ‘This covers everything from kitchen equipment and regular deliveries to booking and cash register systems. We help restaurateurs create unforgettable moments for their guests.’
‘Being a good host means making each restaurant visit special for your guests’, says Glenn. He believes it’s about that special something, which often means going above and beyond, going the extra mile. ‘For us, it’s about remembering what guests like or surprising them with something special’, says Michaël. A regular guest who always orders the chocolate tart for dessert will likely appreciate a little chocolate treat, compliments of the chef. ‘If you know your guests and their habits, show them you care with small surprises and personal touches, then you can count on at least one more visit’, says Glenn with conviction. He emphasises that going the extra mile often becomes second nature, with guests coming to expect that extra touch of magic. He believes this makes guests more open to new ideas and motivates the staff as well. ‘That’s how the hospitality industry keeps evolving’, Glenn says happily.
Asking for feedback helps you to optimise both the food and the service, and to better meet the needs of your guests.
METRO supports customers with high-quality products, reliable services and energetic commitment. The tagline ‘Enabling Moments’ stands for the tireless commitment of employees to the hospitality industry and independent business owners who create special moments for their guests and customers through their work. The new image film uses emotional images to convey what ‘Enabling Moments’ stands for: METRO is an enabler of special moments.
Tireless commitment to unforgettable moments: restaurateurs reveal their secrets for making special gastro moments possible.
Discover series
