Ian Turner is group operations manager at Bistro Qui? He is responsible for the smooth running of four busy Liverpool restaurants. This was his day . . .
7.30am: Start with a strong cup of coffee. It will not be the last today. I take a few minutes to check my emails before heading down to the Hub Alehouse and Kitchen, in Hanover Street.
8am: Meet with executive chef Craig Sallery to discuss today’s menus. Craig and the head chefs change the lunchtime menus daily, depending on what is in season locally.
9am: The Hub has public wi-fi throughout, so it is the perfect place to respond to emails and check yesterday’s sales figures and wages performance.
9.30am: Respond to an email from SK Events about the Liverpool Food and Drink Festival as Bistro Franc, Pierre and Jacques and The Hub are all exhibiting this year. It will be a good opportunity for us to showcase the quality and freshness of the food we produce.
9.45am: Update our social media with today’s special offers. Bistro Qui? has really embraced social media. It is a great way to speak directly to our customers and get honest feedback on what we are doing really well – or when we may have been able to do things a little better.
10am: The Hub opens for breakfast service, so I head to our head office in Rodney Street for a management meeting with Bistro Qui? owners Mark Friend and Steven Slater.
10.15am: Communication is really important to us and today I am reporting back on the standards audit programme I introduced.
Since joining Bistro Qui?, I have implemented a number of new systems across the portfolio for things like stock and wage control, so all internal processes are standardised.
We are going through a period of rapid expansion and realise that having the right systems in place is key for our future growth.
12noon: Meeting with a local brewer to discuss adding their cask ale to The Hub’s popular range. These wonderful ales are presently supplied by just two North West micro-breweries, and are incredibly popular with our customers.
Bistro Qui? is proud to source local produce wherever possible for all our restaurants.
It is important to us as a family-owned business that we support local suppliers and build relationships with other local businesses.
2pm: Walk to Bistro Jacques for lunch. I am lucky enough to be able to eat from our restaurant menus and choose the grilled loin of cod. The bistro is looking great following its refurbishment, and feedback from diners has been really positive about the new green colour scheme.
3pm: Back at Rodney Street for a couple of hours of admin time, and meeting with Craig to pull together our Christmas menus, which believe it or not are being printed this week.
4.45pm: Call printers to order Christmas menus and flyers advertising our partnership with Liverpool Playhouse. Bistro Pierre is the official pre-theatre restaurant for their production of Tartuffe this month.
5.30pm: Visit each one of our four Liverpool sites to see how the early evening service is going. Tonight is our Wine and Dine offer at Bistro Pierre, so the place is buzzing.
7pm: While at Bistro Franc, have a quick one-to-one with Alex, our new assistant manager. Since joining Bistro Qui? I have implemented a succession policy for all our staff to promote talent within the company.
Alex was previously a waiter in the Hub, but his potential to manage a team was obvious. He was promoted to a position of responsibility and I am proud to say is doing a great job for us.
8pm: Home to the family just in time to put my two daughters to bed.
8.30pm: My wife and I crack open a bottle of our best selling wine Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It is one of our favourites and its rich spiciness goes perfectly with the Steak Hache from the Bistro’s new Les Classiques menu.
