The “yes” factor
How does that old Bing Crosby song go? You’ve got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative.
A tune from another era, perhaps, but the kind of old-fashioned values we think are fundamental to good hospitality. If at all possible, say “yes”.
You want a reservation changed? Yes. You want ice in your red wine? Yes. You want a photograph on the lawn with the chef? Yes. You want the octopus dish without the octopus….? Um, yes. You want to bring your dogs to your wedding celebration? Hell yes.
Saying “no” is the very last option. What restaurant manager John Barnes calls “the forbidden word.”
It’s no secret that certain niches within the restaurant industry have pushed back on the fundamentals of consumer focus, particularly post-COVID. For some restaurants, dining out has become a somewhat didactic exercise: “operate by our rules, or don’t bother.”
We’re not buying it. We love going out to eat and having a lot of fun while we’re at it, and that’s what drives our approach to the whole customer experience.
At Rústico the customer is king. Always was, always will be. It means being flexible, above all else, so that saying “yes” is an automatic response.
“We call it our ‘absolutely’ attitude,” says Barnes. “When the management team discuss the customer’s request, ‘absolutely’ (with a cheeky grin) is always the answer, it's implanted in our brains.
“We understand that everyone’s wants are different. So, I guess our philosophy is, if it’s possible, say “yes” and go out of our way to make sure the customer’s expectations are exceeded.”
Asha + Jack (by Freedom Garvey)
Nowhere is this more powerful than weddings.
They are by nature more complex and potentially fraught challenges, with many moving parts and an intrinsically emotional component.
“We have strong ideas about what works because we do it all the time, and our guests naturally have their own ideas about what they want,” says Barnes. “Nowhere is it more important to be able to say “yes” than to the myriad little requests that go into a successful wedding event.”
We know we are custodians to a lot of faith that has been put in us by our clients to get it right. That means customising everything. That means “yes”.
At the end of the day, Rústico’s approach to hospitality is about creating experiences that are the sum of many obvious, and some less obvious, factors. Ensuring we can do whatever it is you want and need is a big part of that. Yes?
Whether you’ve just said yes or you’re simply curious to experience what sets Rustico apart, it always starts the same way — great wine, incredible food and hospitality done properly.
Discover more about our weddings or experience it for yourself and
