Former Rubino owner Julian Sammut is the man behind Kitchen Concepts. He talks to Simonne Pace about clever concepts in the food business, his vocational approach to the industry, missing out on the buzz of eating out and the positive side to bloggers.

From running a handful of tables in the heart of Valletta to managing a group of six restaurants, former restaurateur Julian Sammut has, just like a book, closed a chapter in his life and opened another.

Being in the food business is a vocation. You never pull down the shutter

The transition from hands-on restaurateur to managing director of Kitchen Concepts was not easy but a most natural journey to embark on for Julian since he had been in the food business for so long.

Julian trained for a year at the Scuola Alberghiera E. Maggia in Stresa on Lago Maggiore in northern Italy and spent a summer working at Hotel Ta’ Ċenċ in Gozo under the management of Italico Rota, a lifelong inspiration which served as a continuation of his studies.

“My new job is more demanding and more stressful, especially when I was still setting up Kitchen Concepts,” he says. “Yet, it was a much-needed challenge after 10 years of running Rubino,” says the 55-year-old, who is married with four children.

Julian joined Alf Mizzi and Sons in 1978 after Ta’ Ċenċ and went on to spend 20 years with a subsidiary working in sales and company management.

He left Alf Mizzi and Sons in 1997 to take ownership of Rubino – an old confectionery on its last leg, which he converted into a restaurant – while continuing the 100-year-old tradition of the cassata siciliana, synonomous with the place in Old Bakery Street. In 2008, he rejoined the company to set up Kitchen Concepts, which today operates The Chophouse, La Cucina del Sole, Vecchia Napoli, Gululu and Cafe Cuba in Sliema and St Julian’s.

“I had the time of my life at Rubino,” says Julian. He did his shopping in the morning, worked throughout lunch and twice a week in the evenings, while looking after his administration from home.

“Running a restaurant feels as though you are on a stage. I met so many wonderful and interesting people. It was a great satisfaction also because I felt I was often being an ambassador for Malta and for Valletta. I have very fond memories, but no regrets,” he reminisces.

In his new role, Julian passes on his passion for the job and his knowledge to his managers and employees. “Managing restaurants is not so much a hands-on job. I prepare reports, attend more meetings and, of course, I’m now answerable to a board of directors at the end of the day.”

Julian works with a team of “excellent people”, with whom he has managed to build a relationship of understanding and respect.

“I tend to shift focus from one restaurant to another, while keeping an overall view of all.”

Vecchia Napoli was the first restaurant to open in 2008 under the Kitchen Concepts umbrella. “To an extent, it remains a favourite and is the simplest of the six restaurants to run, having an established team at its helm that performs brilliantly.”

With The Chophouse at Tigné Point, Sliema, Julian admits he faced some tough times, mainly due to personnel problems. “I believe we’re up again now, at the start of a roll. This has become a personal challenge, as I’m determined to establish it as one of the top five restaurants on the island,” he says excitedly.

Julian has a soft spot for Gululu, saying it is possibly where he comes from, name apart. “St Julian’s, Maltese food, simplicity… I am so happy that 50 per cent of our customers are locals and regulars. Again, a great team of people do a great job here. I would love to have more time to develop this concept and will.”

He talks about La Cucina del Sole, which was converted from Salini, as a great concept, which had failed “for a number of reasons”. Comparing it with an unsettled child maturing slowly, he says it is now on the right track.

“The two Cubas – at The Ferries and Spinola – have taken off well despite the high rents. Then again, this morning-till-night concept can only thrive in a top location; it is a concept with room for growth and expansion,” he explains.

But which formulas work best in the restaurant business?

It’s all about location, strong controls, quality and consistency of product, along with people, Julian says. “In our case, these prerequisites are even more important since we are competing mostly against owner-run businesses, which allow for a lot more flexibility.”

Talking about the local restaurant scene, Julian says it’s a thriving business. “I’d say that while many people have a passion for it today, alas, many more don’t have a clue. For them, this is just like opening up a shoe shop or a stationery – just another business venture. Being in the food business is a vocation. You never pull down the shutter.”

Asked why the Maltese love to eat out so much, Julian mainly attributes it to beautiful weather and short distances. “Food, drink, ambience, service, good location and clever concepts are parts of the package that help a lot,” he says, adding he can’t think why not enough local cuisine is served in Maltese restaurants.

“The Maltese work pretty hard, so where better a place to be than around a table in good company to let off steam, laugh, discuss, drink and eat? This is what our business is all about – people wanting to have fun. If they stay home, they will eat well and it’s definitely cheaper but they are missing out on the buzz.”

Julian doesn’t quite think eating out in Malta is expensive. “VAT is higher than other countries. We import far more than, say, the Italians do. Competition is crazy right now; the cake is getting smaller, so as turnovers fall, prices go up. Also, it’s not a level playing field out there,” he says.

What makes a restaurant tick all the right boxes? Julian thinks the people who run it are by far the most important element.

“They must take ownership by worrying about every single client who walks through the door, every single plate that leaves the kitchen, every single face that isn’t smiling… then, of course, a sharp eye on costs,” he points out.

“At the end of the day, it’s bums on seats that tell you most about how good a restaurant is or isn’t.”

Problems we face

Staff: This is not an easy business. Socially it is awkward. When the majority of people are out enjoying themselves, we are working. Many face peer pressure from girlfriends or wives and boyfriends or husbands to seek a different career.

Some of these people would have barely finished their studies at the Institution of Tourism Studies. This business is vocational and requires true passion. We constantly strive to kindle this approach in our youngsters through teaching, tasting and also through educational field trips locally and overseas. It is fantastic, so rewarding to see kids develop over two or three years, almost like a conversion to a missionary.

The only bonus is the buzz one gets when running a full restaurant. Restaurateurs have come to depend on foreigners to complement staff, many of whom are students who cannot speak English too well, therefore creating another problem. On the other hand, we are lucky to have them.

Over the years, I have questioned the logic behind sending ITS students to conclude their work-phase studies in the UK. This is a great place for, say, administration skills and possibly waitering, yet when it comes to training cooks, it just doesn’t make sense.

Mediterranean countries around us share the same geography, terroir and produce and their chefs know how to make use of a local ingredient in so many different ways. Yet we send our young chefs to Scotland to learn how to cook salmon and then some cannot tell the difference between cooking lampuki (dorado) and pagell (sea bream), for instance. What a waste.

Food critics: Until 15 or 20 years ago, we had no restaurant critics writing about us on newspapers. Now we also have blogs dedicated to eating out. How does one become a restaurant critic? Do Maltese critics have long years of experience in the field? Are they dedicated gourmets who eat out regularly and over many years have refined their palates? What does it take to become an A. A. Gill or a Michael Winner?

Blogs: These are the dread of most restaurants. Most chefs and managers shudder in their shoes upon hearing that somebody has written in. I tend to take a more positive view. Before blogs, people would leave your restaurant and foul-mouth you. Now that is really scary and you’d never know how many people are not trying you out because of that one dissatisfied customer.

Today, at least, we can investigate, correct and reply. We can explain, apologise and possibly make good, as is right, and win that client back. Blogs also help absent restaurant managers keep watch on what’s going on.

Unfortunately, many in the business cannot come to terms with blogs and don’t know how to handle them. They become very upset with the blogger rather than themselves or their staff, as they should. If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.

TripAdvisor: This can be dangerous as much as it can be beneficial. I know of cases where it has been used as a means of commercial sabotage against one’s competitors. Others get a number of friends or family members, especially those living overseas, to post top-mark reports on their page.

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