Romanians don’t know how to order and how to eat together and the quality of the restaurants opened in Romania is doubtful because the owners don’t know how the chefs cook in the kitchen and run the business from the office, Bogdan Banescu, owner of the “Olive Garden” (www.olivegarden.ro) restaurant in Bucharest tells Bucharest Herald. After 8 years in Italy, where he worked in restaurants, Bogdan Banescu got back to Romania, took over a restaurant in a dramatic situation and managed to triple the sales in one year.  He is leading a team made of seven people, with which he is also working  in the kitchen and wants to turn the restaurant, in time, in a restaurant offering catering and Italian cuisine exclusively.

BH:  When did you open the restaurant and how did you choose the cuisine?

Bogdan Banescu: The restaurant had already been opened for a few years and was serving Greek food. I took it over, last year, in 2008 and now we have a menu including Italian and Romanian dishes. I worked 8 years in Italy, where I managed a restaurant and I got back to Romania determined to open a Romanian restaurant, because I was sure that the market is oversaturated by Italian restaurants. I realized later that there are not enough Italian restaurants where the food is good and I shifted to a mix between Italian and Romanian cuisine. The restaurant will end up serving only Italian food in time.  

BH: What issues is the restaurant market facing in Romania?

Bogdan Banescu: It is a chaotic market, devoid of food culture. The people do not make the difference between frozen and fresh products, between olive oil and sun flower oil and do not realize the benefits of the quality food products, for health. Romanians want to eat first of all tasty food, the ingredients matter less. We are among the few restaurants that offer fresh, not frozen calamari, because we don’t want to spear quality. But there are very few customers that can make the difference between fresh and frozen calamari and it is difficult for them to believe that this calamari is really fresh. In Italy, where there is real competition, the restaurants cannot afford to offer low quality products, because they take themselves out of the market.

BH: What type of customers do you have?

Bogdan Banescu: The customers who come to the restaurant and on the terrace are mainly Italians. We are also offering catering, and in this case, most of the customers are Romanians. I want to focus on catering in the future and close the restaurant in the evening. Right now it is opened by 22, but most of the customers come here for launch.

BH: What are the differences between Romanian and Italian customers?

Bogdan Banescu: I noticed that Romanians don’t know how to eat together, how to enjoy a meal together. Even if they come in large groups, they order different dishes and pay separately. This creates problems including in the kitchen, because the food is prepared on the spot and the more dishes they order, the longer the cooking time is. People don’t understand that cooks  can not make miracles in the kitchen, they don’t have patience until the dishes they have ordered are ready. The Italians, even if they come in large groups order two or three dishes, because they want to eat the same things and respect the efforts made in the kitchen.

BH: What are the differences between “Olive Garden” and the other Italian restaurants in Bucharest as regards the menu?

Bogdan Banescu: First of all we prepare the pasta ourselves, in the kitchen, after original Italian receipts. There is also pasta we buy straight from Italy and this is best quality pasta. The receipts are original, they are not adapted to the demands of the Romanian customers, as it happens in other restaurants. For instance we do not prepare pasta alla carbonara with sour cream, this is a mistake many restaurants in Romania make. The veal we use is not Romanian, it’s Argentinian, because this is the best veal. The wines are brought straight from Italy and the brands are Monte Pulciano and Treviano. We also serve an Albanese wine.

BH: What are the mistakes the restaurant owners in Romania make and which influence the profit negatively?

Bogdan Banescu: “Olive Garden” is a family business for me. My wife and I work in the kitchen with the employees. We know exactly what they prepare and we help them cook. This is a very good way to supervise the quality of the services. Most of the owners don’t spend time in the kitchen and don’t have contact with the most important realities in a restaurant. This is the biggest mistake. In Italy most of the restaurants where the food is very good, are family businesses, where the owners get involved in everything and they also cook. The food is better there than in the big restaurants, which are an industry and which do not benefit of so much quality control.

Bogdan Banescu: Piata restaurantelor este haotica, romanii nu au cultul mancarii

Romanii nu stiu sa comande si sa manance impreuna, iar calitatea restaurantelor deschise in Romania este indoielnica pentru ca proprietarii nu stiu cum se gateste in bucatarie si conduc afacerile doar din birou, povesteste pentru Bucharest Herald, Bogdan Banescu, proprietarul restaurantului “Olive Garden”(www.olivegarden.ro). Dupa 8 ani in Italia, Bogdan Banescu s-a intors in Romania, a preluat un restaurant intr-o situatie dramatica si a reusit sa tripleze vanzarile intr-un singur an. Conduce o echipa formata din sapte oameni, alaturi de care munceste inclusiv in bucatarie si doreste sa transforme restaurantul, in timp, intr-un restaurant care ofera exclusiv catering si bucatarie italieneasca.

BH: Cand ati deschis restaurantul si cum ati ales specificul?

Bogdan Banescu: Restaurantul era deja deschis de cativa ani si avea specific grecesc. Eu l-am preluat in urma cu un an, in 2008, iar acum avem un meniu conceput pe baza bucatariei italienesti si romanesti. Am lucrat 8 ani in Italia, unde am avut un restaurant in administrare si m-am intors in Romania hotarat sa deschid un restaurant romanesc, pentru ca eram convins ca piata este suprasaturata de restaurante italienesti. Ulterior mi-am dat seama ca nu exista suficiente restaurante italienesti, unde se mananca bine si m-am reorientat catre un mix intre bucataria italieneasca si cea romaneasca. In timp restaurantul va ajunge sa aiba doar specific italienesc.

BH: Care sunt problemele cu care se confrunta piata restaurantelor in Romania?

Bogdan Banescu: Este o piata haotica, in care nu exista cultura mancarii. Oamenii nu fac distinctia intre produse congelate si produse proaspete, intre ulei de masline si ulei de floarea soarelui si nu realizeaza beneficiile alimentelor de calitate, pentru sanatate. Romanii vor sa manance in primul rand mancare gustoasa, ingredientele au mai putina importanta. Noi suntem printre putinele restaurante care ofera calamari proaspeti, nu congelati, pentru ca nu vrem sa facem rabat la calitate. Insa sunt foarte putini clienti care observa diferenta intre calamarii proaspeti si cei congelati si le este greu sa creada ca acesti calamari sunt intr-adevar proaspeti. In Italia, unde este o concurenta reala, restaurantele nu isi permit sa ofere produse de calitate proasta, pentru ca se autoelimina de pe piata.

BH: Ce tip de clienti aveti?

Bogdan Banescu: Clientii care vin in restaurant si pe terasa sunt majoriatea italieni. Noi facem si catering, iar in acest caz, cei mai multi clienti sunt romani. Eu imi doresc sa ne concentram pe catering in viitor si sa inchidem restaurantul seara, acum este deschis pana la ora 22, dar majoritatea clientilor vin aici la pranz.

BH: Care sunt diferentele dintre clientii romani si cei italieni?

Bogdan Banescu: Am observat ca romanii nu stiu sa manance impreuna, sa se bucure de o masa impreuna. Chiar daca vin in grupuri mari, comanda feluri de mancare diferite si platesc separat. Lucrul acesta creaza probleme  inclusiv in bucatarie, pentru ca mancarea se prepara pe loc si cu cat sunt comandate mai multe feluri, cu atat durata de preparare este mai mare. Oamenii nu inteleg ca in bucatarie nu se pot face miracole, nu au rabdare pana sunt gata felurile comandate. Italienii, chiar daca vin in grupuri mari, comanda doua sau trei feluri de mancare, pentru ca vor sa manance aceleasi lucruri si respecta eforturile care se fac in bucatarie.

BH: Care sunt diferentele dintre restaurantul “Olive Garden” si celelalte restaurante cu specific italienesc din Bucuresti, in ceea ce priveste meniu-ul?
Bogdan Banescu: In primul rand, pastele le preparam chiar noi, in bucatarie, dupa retete italienesti originale. Exista si paste pe care le cumparam direct din Italia si sunt de cea mai buna calitate. Retetele sunt orginale, nu sunt adaptate la cerintele clientilor romani, asa cum se intampla in alte restaurante. Spre exemplu noi nu pregatim parte carbonara cu smantana, este o greseala pe care multe restaurante o fac in Romania. Carnea de vita pe care o folosim nu este romaneasca, este argentiniana, pentru ca aceasta carne este cea mai buna. Vinurile le aducem direct din Italia si sunt marca Monte Pulciano si Treviano. Avem si un vin albanez.

BH: Care sunt greselile pe care le fac proprietarii de restaurante in Romania si care influenteaza profitul?

Bogdan Banescu: “Olive Garden” este pentru mine o afacere de familie. Sotia mea si cu mine lucram in bucatarie impreuna cu angajatii. Stim exact ce se pregateste si ii ajutam sa gateasca. E un mod foarte bun de a supraveghea calitatea serviciilor. Cei mai multi proprietari nu coboara in bucatarie, raman in birou si nu au contact cu cele mai importante realitati dintr-un restaurant. Aceasta este cea mai mare greseala. In Italia majoritatea restaurantelor unde se mananca foarte bine sunt afaceri de familie, unde proprietarii se implica in tot, inclusiv gatesc. Acolo se mananca mai bine decat in restaurantele mari, care sunt o industrie si care nu beneficiaza de atata control in ceea ce priveste calitatea.