Chateaubriand with Bernaise sauce, Roquefort beef, Cordon Bleu or pike file Meunniere, are the dishes for which those who appreciate the refined French cuisine, especially foreigners, but also Romanians who live abroad, chose to have lunch or dinner at  L’Esperance restaurant (www.lesperance.ro ) on Str Clucerului Nr 86, in Bucharest. Located in a residential area, near the Arch of Triumph, with a capacity of  164 seats, the restaurant has a varied menu, that includes French and international dishes but also pizza, in a classical design and an atmosphere spiced  up in some evenings with artistic programs. “ We will open a new restaurant, in Nicolae Caramfil area, near the Chinese Embassy, in a  300,000 to 400,000 Euro investment.” Dumitru Dinca, the manager of L’Esperance restaurant tells Bucharest Herald.

BH: What were the effects of the financial crisis on the restaurant and what strategies did you apply to boost the sales?

Dumitru Dinca: From January to the present, the sales declined by approximately 40 per cent. This month we started a program in cooperation with a nutritionist that addresses the ladies on diet. The ladies go to the nutritionist, who establishes a 30 day menu. The nutritionist sends us the menus by e-mail and we cook, based on these menus, lunch and dinner and deliver them to the customers. I am sure that the program will be successful, because there are many ladies on diet, who want to have a healthy and tasty menu at the same time.

BH: How did you decide to open the restaurant?

Dumitru Dinca: I’ve been working in the food and beverage sector since 1977. I worked within Parc hotel complex and in 2002 I decided to open my own restaurant. When we opened here, on Str Clucerului we only had one competitor, a Lebanese restaurant, now their number has increased.

BH : How did you chose the name and the cuisine?

Dumitru Dinca: I chose the name “l’esperance” (hope) from optimism, thinking that hope dies last. But the name does not suggest a strictly French cuisine, because it was difficult to limit to the French cuisine. We have both French and international dishes. The customers come here especially for some dishes, which cannot be found in other restaurants, prepared exactly like in France: foie gras with forest fruits or mashrooms and chateaubriand. Many are Romanians who live in France, Austria, Germany, England, get back to the country and look for us. We have many customers who live in the area or work for the banks around.

BH: How long did it take and how difficult was it to make the business profitable?

Dumitru Dinca: When we opened, there was an empty yard in this location. In time we built a restaurant with three compartments, with different capacities: 100, 40 and 24 seats.

BH: How much did you invest in the opening of the restaurant and what other investments have you made later?

Constantin Dinca: Initially I invested 200.000 marks, an amount necessary to equip the kitchen very well and buy the furniture.  In December 2008 I invested 75,000 Euro to improve the conditions. I bought a special last generation oven, where everything can be cooked with no oil drop; it has a big capacity and several dishes can be cooked at the same time and the cooking time is relatively short. We also closed the terrace and we use it in winter and in autumn, when it’s cold outside. We also bought a pizza oven to be able to attract young customers, who like to eat pizza instead of sophisticated dishes. We will open a new restaurant, in Nicolae Caramfil area, near the Chinese Embassy, but the investment will be higher, around 300,000- 400,000 Euro.



Dumitru Dinca: Foarte multe doamne care tin dieta vor sa aiba un meniu sanatos, dar si gustos

Chateaubriand cu sos Bernaise, muschi de vaca Roquefort, snitel Cordon Bleu sau file de salau Meunniere, sunt preparatele pentru care cei care apreciazata rafinamentul bucatariei frantuzesti, in special straini, dar si romani care locuiesc in strainatate, aleg sa ia pranzul sau cina la restaurantul L’Esperance (www.lesperance.ro ) de pe Str Clucerului Nr 86, din Capitala. Situat intr-o zona rezidentiala, in apropierea Arcului de Triumf, cu o capacitate de 164 de locuri, restaurantul are un meniu variat, care include feluri de mancare frantuzesti, internationale, dar si pizza, intr-un décor clasic si o atmosfera condimentata in unele seri cu programe artistice. “ Urmeaza sa deschidem un nou restaurant, in zona Nicolae Caramfil, langa Ambasada Chinei, printr-o investitie de 300.000- 400.000 Euro.” a declarat pentru Bucharest Herald Dumitru Dinca, managerul restaurantului L’Esperance.

BH: Care au fost efectele crizei financiare asupra restaurantului L’Esperance si ce strategii ati aplicat pentru a impulsiona vanzarile?

Dumitru Dinca: Din ianuarie si pana in prezent vanzarile au scazut cu aproximativ 40 la suta. Luna aceasta am demarat un program in colaborare cu un nutritionist, care se adreseaza  in special doamnelor care tin o dieta. Doamnele merg la nutritionist, care le face un meniu pe 30 de zile. Nutritionistul ne trimite meniurile pe e-mail, iar noi pregatim, pe baza acestor meniuri, masa de pranz si cina si le livram catre clientele respective. Sunt sigur ca programul va avea succes, pentru ca sunt foarte multe doamne care tin dieta si vor sa aiba un meniu sanatos, dar si gustos.

BH: Cum ati hotarat sa deschideti restaurantul?

Dumitru Dinca: Lucrez in alimentatie publica din 1977. Am lucrat in cadrul complexului Parc, iar in 2002 m-am gandit sa imi deschid propriul restaurant. Cand am deschis aici, pe Str Clucerului era un singur restaurant, acum sunt mai multe.

BH : Cum ati ales denumirea si specificul?

Dumitru Dinca: Am ales denumirea “l’esperance” (speranta) din optimism, gandindu-ne ca speranta moare ultima. Insa numele nu sugereaza un specific strict frantuzesc, pentru ca a fost greu sa ne limitam la bucataria frantuzeasca. Avem si preparate frantuzesti si preparate internationale. Clientii vin aici in mod deosebit pentru anumite preparate care nu se mai gasesc in alte restaurante, pregatite exact ca in Franta: ficat de gasca cu fructe de padure sau cu ciuperci si  chateaubriand. Multi sunt romani care locuiesc in Franta, Austria, Germania, Anglia, se intorc in tara si ne cauta. Avem si foarte multi clienti care locuiesc in zona sau care lucreaza la bancile din jur.

BH: Cat a durat si cat de greu a fost sa faceti aceasta afacere profitabila?

Dumitru Dinca: Cand l-am deschis, in aceasta locatie era doar o curte goala. In timp am construit un restaurant cu trei saloane, cu capacitati diferite, respective: 100, 40 si 24 de locuri.

BH: Ce investitie a prespupus deschiderea restaurantului si ce investitii ati mai facut pe parcurs?

Dumitru Dinca: Initial am investit 200.000 de marci, suma necesara pentru a dota bucataria foarte bine si pentru mobilier. In decembrie 2008 am investit 75.000 Euro pentru imbunatatirea conditiilor. Am achizitionat un cuptor special, de ultima generatie, in care totul se gateste fara niciun pic de ulei, are o capacitate mare si se pot prepara mai multe feluri de mancare in acelasi timp, iar timpul de pregatire este relativ scurt. Am inchis si terasa si o folosim iarna si toamna, atunci cand este frig. Am cumparat si un cuptor pentru pizza sa putem atrage si o clientela foarte tanara, care prefera sa manance pizza in locul felurilor de mancare sofisticate. Urmeaza sa deschidem un nou restaurant, in zona Nicolae Caramfil, langa Ambasada Chinei, insa investitia va fi mai mare, aproximativ 300.000- 400.000 Euro.