Qualitaly_105

JUN. JUL 2018 IX as pizza and pasta. For about 19 years Rigolin has maintained an all-Italian, unique and personal approach and appeal, without ever making compromises or trying to align himself to local conditions. Without looking for a big-shot chef or at least a poster-boy one, while always maximising costs / benefits of the company. And always monitoring more points of sale in the best possible way. We interviewed him. To discover his winning formula. Rigolin, who is behind all of this? Simply me and my wife Sandra. We started in 2000 with a beach bar, which very soon became too small. So we opened a room of 800 square meters and included in the menu pasta and pizza with a series of very substantial offerings of Italian appetizers. What did you plan at the table and what came from instinct? Was everything born step by step or with the idea of a large and rapid expansion? The main idea of our success was undoubtedly fresh pasta, which we produce daily in-house in our kitchen with the latest machinery. It is very important to keep up to date with new machinery today. What strategies were adopted in the height of the technological era? The constant growth of the last 15 years is certainly due to the search for new types of fresh pasta. This is our pride and joy. We have many different types. Many new products in collaboration with SIQUR SpA, which gives us great logistical, practical and technical support along with lots of research. Meanwhile, out there, away from the restaurants and the kitchens, the struggle is never ending. Social media impact. For example, how do you react to TripAdvisor’s comments? The negative note is only one: TripAdvisor is a portal with too many defects, to the extent of complaining of me, as any competitor with a good network of friends can decide to do good or bad with such a tool. How do you strike a balance between medium-high quality with affordable prices? How can you keep the right balance between quality and quantity? We are currently running three restaurants: two pizzeria restaurants and a sushi bar. The restaurants ‘Ilario Imperial Pizza & Pasta’ are in Madrid (in Calle Orense 4) and Mojacar (Almeria, Avenida del Mediterraneo 449); the sushi bar is recently opened, and is located in Mojacar (in Avenida del Mediterraneo 333) and which was once an ice cream shop transformed into a sushi restaurant. This allows us to understand and analyse the variation also in the menu, in what we offer, in the suggestions to customers. How is the staff made up? At the top-end of the kitchen and pizzeria are only Italian cooks and pizza makers, who have been with us for more than six years and have created an in-house family. Let’s talk about supply... Most of the products are bought personally and directly from Italy, while for the fresh produce I go direct through local producers. After so many years we realised that this is the right balance for the best performance. Which Italian products are hard to find in Spain? Without a doubt wine. In Spain, Italian wine is very expensive. I have great difficulty importing it directly. Therefore, I support local wine producers or, for whatever little I can buy, I turn to Metro in Italy. Are you considering expanding your brands across the Iberian Peninsula? I have been approached by several companies in the franchising industry to advertise my brand in different cities in Spain. But my product is too artisan and personal to do this. I thought that we might have great difficulties in promoting it at national level. Maybe I’m not prepared myself for this jump. For now, we are at a standstill. What should your ideal partner be like? My perfect partner is definitely SIQUR, thanks to which I find every possible support for serious cooperation and constant research into new products. What are the elements that most interest your customers? My clientele is closely interested in my homemade fresh pasta and also in a wide range of gluten-free pastas that are proving to be the big news of the moment. What are your plans, both immediate long-term? I want to consolidate the status of existing restaurants and launch new sushi challenges with quality products, such as bluefin tuna (Toro), which in my opinion represents the highest quality. ______________________________ BOX PENULTIMATE IN EUROPE AND ATTRACTED TO SPAIN While the average employment rate in Italy is 62.3%, that of our fellow countrymen residing in another EU