Hi Everyone.

Today, I’m going to update you on the progress of Lou Lou at the Beach being that I just had brunch there last weekend.

I know many of you are dying to know if the gorgeous new white plates are still in action . . . or did Lou Lou bring back that brightly coloured series of crockery?  Do you think she should be using the infamous coloured plates or the white ones to show off the colour of the food?

Well firstly, let’s recap on that episode of The Kitchen Job that told the tale of this restaurant’s makeover.  You may recall that the owner Lou Lou needed to reduce the staff numbers or the amount of hours they worked in order to remain viable.  It was decided that the owner’s daughter Holly, a recently trained chef, would reduce her hours at Lou Lou at the Beach, and come to work for me at Sal Rose.  It was a great opportunity for her to work with my crew, build her confidence and experience, and to learn more about the restaurant service.

I believe it’s important for young comers to the industry to experience different restaurants, different service styles and food types.  Holly agrees that she gained valuable learnings from the experience, which would always come in handy.

The plan was that as soon as Lou Lou’s got really busy again during the peak summer months,  Holly would go back and work for the family business there, she would then be able to apply the new things that she had learned.

Not too long after the show, summer arrived and Lou Lou at the Beach did indeed get very busy.  As planned, Holly stepped up to the challenge and back into the business.  With increased confidence she has been assisting in the kitchen at Lou Lou’s.

Which brings me to another issue that most owner operators who aren’t qualified chefs would identify with.  It’s almost impossible to hold on to a chef and to control what and how the food comes out from the kitchen.  The minute you raise certain issues, they can get defensive and walk out.  Lou Lou knows this very well and she had to have a permanent ad looking for a chef for her restaurant throughout the summer.

Anyhow, I went back to Lou Lou’s a week ago with a friend of mine for brunch.  We did enjoy our food.

I couldn’t help noticing a cat hanging around the place though.  This is not a good thing to do.  Pets at home can be very clean and well behaved, but in a restaurant they can be a real problem such as affecting people with allergies!

And now back to those infamous colour plates . . . yes, I noticed that Lou Lou has indeed decided to bring back the color plates . . . and to re-hang more of her colourful paintings on the walls.  This can sometimes create an unnecessary clutter of colors and features.

Not every restaurateur would take all the changes we propose during the making of the show; the most important thing though is that they follow a different direction from the one that led them astray.

The fact of the matter is, Lou Lou at the Beach still has a good vibe and the food still good.  (I think it was Holly who cooked our meals.)

So if you are ever over that way in Eastern Beaches or off to Howick, take a ride over and enjoy the ocean and a bite to eat at Lou Lou’s . . . and let me know if the cat is still there!

We wish them all the best.

Well, thank you all for following these posts of mine.

Take care.

John Palino

Hi Everyone

Thank you all for your feedback.

In this post, I’d like to share with you the story that has unfolded after the episode of Haleem’s Indian Restaurant was filmed last May.  Especially after it was aired on TV3.

First, some background on the business and the episode:

You may recall that the owner Haleem (the chef) with his hard working wife, Ayesha, waitress Mamta and Happy the assistant Chef were all working towards having a successful Indian restaurant.

Haleem and Ayesha were originally working very long hours. This alone can hamper the success of any business. So, taking Monday off was essential for both owners and I’m glad they listened to that advice.

Haleem then hired a chef from India and started opening for lunch. The quality of food however started to go south, and the extra wage cost was strangling the business.

Mamta, the ever attentive and knowledgeable waitress moved out of the area and had to quit. She was a great asset as her hospitable personality really enhanced the restaurant’s concept.

Then sometime around November Haleem and Ayesha’s children moved over to Australia with their grandmother and uncle.

A few weeks later, Ayesha also moved to Australia to be with the children. Haleem stayed behind working and preparing the restaurant for sale so that he can join his family and start again across the ditch.

The night the show actually aired, there was an influx of viewers willing to give the restaurant a try and help get this business on the right path.

Haleem found himself facing a new problem. He had too many bums on seats, not enough food to go around and not enough staff to do the job properly.

He then called me and asked for my help. I managed to bring back Mumta and ended up serving tables myself, as I felt a bit responsible for this sudden, unexpected success…

I am very familiar with restaurants having problems attracting diners but when I saw Haleem struggling to handle a full restaurant I become more determined to help him sell this fantastic eatery. Enter my friend and successful restaurateur Rohit.

Rohit owns a number of Indian restaurants in New Zealand called Shahi, and was my expert helper in this particular episode.

I managed to broker a deal between Haleem and Rohit.

Rohit purchased the restaurant and changed it to “Shahi Indian Cuisine”, Haleem is joining his family in Australia, Mamta is now working for Rohit and the people of the neighborhood still have a great Indian restaurant they can be proud of.

This is still a win win situation and a valuable lesson to everyone involved.

I have to thank all the people who have made a genuine effort to help Haleem and thank you for your interest.

Please feel free to post a comment or to ask any question.

Next time I will share with you the story of  RIVER VIEW BAR & GRILL in Helensville. Till then, take care.

John Palino

www.johnpalino.co.nz