FEATURE: Operator Q&A – Emerald Hospitality Group

Arian and Alberto Zandi, Spanish twins and budding restaurateurs, are conquering London’s hospitality scene one concept at time

If you’re seeking a taste of luxury in the heart of the capital, look no further than Emerald Hospitality Group (EHG). Founded by brothers and entrepreneurs Arian and Alberto Zandi, the group owns and operates four high-end restaurants in some of London’s most sought-after spots.

With their portfolio underpinned by comprehensive staff training programmes, a constant quest for quality and a goal for going global, we expect to hear a lot more from the folk at EHG as they continue to shoot for gold.

Keen to deep-dive into their progress, team Dine Out recently asked the founders a series of quick-fire questions about the business – here’s what they had to say:

Dine Out (DO): How many sites do you operate and where are they located?

Arian & Alberto Zandi (A&A): We have four brands, in Kensington (Latin American eatery Zuaya, which opened in 2018, and Italian restaurant Como Garden, founded in 2020), Mayfair (El Norte Spanish Restaurant & Bar, which launched in 2021) and St James’s (Riviera, which specialises in French cuisine and opened in April this year).

DO: How are the brands that your group oversee distinct from one another and, on the other hand, is there a synergy between them that makes it clear to consumers that they are part of the same family?

A&A: Each brand delivers a unique customer journey, transporting our clients to a different place in the world. One can take you to Peru, another one to Lake Como in Italy, the third one to Spain and the last one to the south of France. We have synergy across all brands, from lucrative promotions to exclusive events for EHG subscribers.

Burrata and roasted tomato, Riviera

DO: What core values underpin the group?

A&A: We design brands that deliver an end-to-end customer experience. While each one delivers something different, what they have in common is the methodology used to design each experience. Every customer touch point with the brand is designed to take you on a journey, whether it’s across our digital channels, booking lines or onsite.

DO: What is the biggest challenge facing the industry right now and what sort of strategy has the business put in place to overcome it?

A&A: The scarcity of labour force. This has pushed most of the consumer goods industry to increase their labour capital cost which then translates into inflation. In our case, we worked hard to design very good and thorough training programmes and incentive schemes to keep our teams motivated and reduce staff turnover.

DO: Let’s delve into the good stuff – food, of course! What are the most impactful food trends shaping UK dining out culture right now?

A&A: The traditional à la carte starter and main course menu style is slowly dying. Diners no longer want to be committed to any strict rule. The trend is moving towards sharing concepts where one can eat what they want depending on their appetite or financial expenditure desire.

DO: And what about drinks – have you noticed any changes or developments in consumers’ beverage-buying habits? If so, how are you accommodating these across your estate?

A&A: We did see a change in customer consumption during the first six to eight months post-Covid, where the spend per head on wet sales was considerably higher, but this trend gradually settled to normal drinking levels. In 2023, we are seeing a shy reduction on drinks spend but not on volumes.

DO: Across the business, how does the team strive to move beyond the F&B offering to provide a unique experiential element?

A&A: We have an omnichannel approach in every brand. This means that any interaction between the customer and the business delivers a branded experience. A simple example – if you call the booking lines of our Spanish brand, they would greet you in Spanish. This gets more complex in other areas of the business.

DO: What has been the biggest win for EHG in recent months?

A&A: The success of our latest brand, Riviera, located on St James’s Street in London. It’s a true representation of the south of France in an iconic building – we are very happy with both the customer turnout and staff delivery!

DO: How about expansion – any plans in the pipeline you can tell us about?

A&A: Our plan is to open a site for a new brand in London next year – a Greek concept. After that, we will focus our resources to expand internationally.

DO: Any other projects or initiatives coming from the group that we should all look out for?

A&A: We are launching many collaborations with premium brands that deliver great value to our customers, as well as our partners’ customers. We can’t name some of these brands yet, but we can reveal one as the collaboration is already live: Equinox Gyms.

DO: Finally, where do you hope to see the group in five years?

A&A: We see our brands competing at a global scale, spanning several markets.

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