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Case Study - Plb Group
The Perfect Last Bite!
With beautiful hospitality venues across the Gold Coast and northern New South Wales in Australia, PLB Group are passionate about their staff and developing future leaders of the industry. A lot of businesses say this, but PLB Group live it!
In mid-2019, the crews at Osteria Restaurant and Baked at Ancora took on the task of road-testing our recently released Utility Bib Apron and Toolbelts, as a contemporary addition to their uniforms.
The enthusiasm of the crew at Osteria Restaurant and Baked at Ancora is infectious and the passion they show for their jobs and the teams they work with is clear.
Proving a Cargo Crew uniform is so much more than a garment; it’s where function, inclusiveness, respect, quality and comfort meet.
A uniform heightens the team bond and customer experience, where the magic truly happens.
We took 5 with the Managing Director of PLB Group, Mark Wilson to discuss life, managing a happy and passionate team, and the challenges of running multiple hospitality venues.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from running multiple successful venues?
That staff and training are the two most valuable things you have! When you run a floor yourself you have a direct impact on the processes but when you are not everywhere, you have to rely on quality staff and making sure they know what success looks like and what you expect of them.
Too often I was exposed to managers that expected outcomes, but they hadn’t taken the time to train the team. I don’t think I ever had a training budget but now it just can’t ever be big enough as I fully understand how important it is to success!
What gets you leaping out of bed in the morning?
Learning new things and facing big challenges. I think everyone in hospitality has a weird attraction to high levels of pressure and gets a thrill of pulling off a great service. Front of house or in kitchens, the buzz is doing what should not be possible and doing it together.
Now I am off the floor mostly, but the same thrill comes when I am exposed to a new management technique or resolving big issues. I love learning from doing, and the harder challenge the more I love it!
What were you looking for in a modern uniform for your venues?
It needs to be comfortable, relevant, edgy and able to reflect the theme of the venue. One thing is for sure, I am glad that it isn’t all black and whites with hard black shoes anymore! My feet sure appreciate it too.
How important is a uniform that aligns with a venue's design and fit out?
"Most important. It should reflect what we are trying to create for our customers. The dining experience is so many thing these days from the first impression outside, to the welcome, service, food, décor, music and uniforms amongst many other things. All of these things play a big role in delivering a great experience for our customers."
Is it important for your staff to love their uniform?
Yes, for sure! They are the key and getting them confident, happy, and proud is paramount to succeeding!
What do you believe will be the biggest change to the industry in the next 5 years?
I can see more really talented people are being attracted to this industry as a career. There is great money to be made, amazing satisfaction and creativity available for people across all platforms in our industry.
It is a big challenge to be good in this game but the end game is incomparable. I am seeing hospitality becoming an esteemed career pathway for strong, intelligent, innovative people and not just for celebrity chefs.
What are your tips for getting the best out of your staff?
Listen, train, praise and let them know when they are not on track.
People inherently want to succeed and the staff quite often shoulder too much blame for poor performance. As someone smarter than me said, “no such thing as a poor student, just poor teachers”.
Show them success and let them perform. They are the key and they should know it.
Get your expert guide with industry-specific tips & tricks, insights, uniform looks and how to bring your venue to life with a Modern Uniform!
