I met Fernando Martínez one afternoon and that means that, in most restaurants, the breakfast menu is changed to lunch, but not in Garabatos. Fernando is the operations director of this restaurant chain and arrived on June 11, 1994 as a waiter’s assistant.
In the restaurant industry, every detail counts to succeed or fail. From the customer service, the taste of the food and even the perceived environment. Any criticism can determine the work behind a saucer. It would seem unfair because each point of view is very subjective, but it is the only way to measure whether a restaurant is good or bad. A single dish exposes the entire kitchen, waiters, manager and all the people involved in a restaurant.
I ordered some ‘Huevos Veracruz’, Fernando’s favorite dish, and a coffee of the day. The waiter offered us a basket of sweet bread of all kinds and the famous cookies that have a ‘doodle’ on the top, which alludes to the name of the restaurant. While I was having lunch, Fernando shared his service philosophy with me.
Find the opportunity
Abraham and Elvira Bleier were Romanian emigrants in Mexico looking for a new opportunity, as European communism had taken away their clothing business. In 1982 they founded a company that, 40 years later, is a chain with 17 restaurants and 700 collaborators.
It all started when Elvira, who baked cakes in Polanco, and due to a very pleasant service attitude and the taste of the desserts, managed to consolidate herself in the area so that, in 1993, they opened the restaurant. A year later, A Dentistry student came to earn some money while graduating: Fernando.
Honesty and trust
Over the years, Fernando’s relationship with Garabatos grew stronger, based on the honesty and trust. The restaurant industry has an annual turnover rate of up to 120, employees do not last more than one year. This affects the success of a kitchen and the best way for people to stay in a company, especially in operational positions, is by working precisely on the relationship. Make them feel part of the company, understand their needs and trust them for higher positions. In fact, Fernando comments that 90% of managers and chefs began their careers in lower positions (waiters and cooks)..
A foolproof attitude
Fernando assures that in Mexico the work of a waiter is not valued: “they see them as servants and the tip is usually the minimum. It is not part of individual education, but of Mexican culture and that the only way to reverse it is for the waiter to always have an impeccable attitude”.
“Once a diner sits at the table, it doesn’t matter who they are, how they are dressed, if they are famous or in their mood, the service must be the best,” points out Martínez and affirms that Garabatos serves more than 120 thousand customers per month and it is thanks to the attitude of their waiters that they do not register more than three complaints in conjunction with all the franchises.
the secret ingredient
Fernando believes that adapting to change is indisputable in a service business. During the pandemic, the owners made difficult decisions and also bet on changes. And Doodles did the same
This is how the concept “Good morning all day” was created. Breakfast is the most important thing for Doodles and they understood that a good breakfast can be eaten at any time of the day. In fact, if you visit the restaurant, it can be in the morning, in the afternoon or at night and they will always greet you with a ‘good morning’.
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Roberto Castro Huerta Communicator from ITESM and Master in Human Resources from ULA. Storyteller of stories that inspire, human capital, organizational development and leadership. Publirelacionista, marathon runner and specialist in content generator.