Headed to Indonesia, to The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta - MGallery, for a meeting with inspiring personalities: Marcel Jacquat, General Manager and Rozi Miftah, Director of Food & Beverage and Giulio Saverino, a Wine Expert. Story of a project around the new wine list!
Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Why did you choose to pursue your career in the hospitality industry?
Marcel JACQUAT: It is the passion for F&B that made me go into this industry. When I was a teenager, I used to love being invited by people and discovering new creative food.
Giulio SAVERINO: I went to a Hotel Management school in Italy. I have always loved F&B especially wine as my family makes wine in south of Italy.
Rozi MIFTAH: I have chosen the hospitality industry because of guest contact and the fact that it is a creative industry and we can communicate with everyone .That is why I am also very lucky to be able to take part in these projects!
What was the context at the time you decided to create a brand new Wine list at The Phoenix Hotel in Yogyakarta?
M.J: My 1st focus when I step into a property is to look at F&B. I want to create a 360 experience in the hotel and that includes F&B. The wine list was too traditional, and we wanted to change it to be innovative and show the guest we offer the best experience.
G.S: We analyzed the wine market in South East Asia and found that the customer needs to be able to select the right wine even if there is no sommelier. The way our wine menu is built allows the guest and our staff to learn how to do the right wine pairing for a seamless experience. The menu is also built in a way that makes the experience fun and that puts everyone at ease.
R.M: Finally, we also wanted to have a "boutique winery" selection on the menu, meaning uncommon wines that not everybody knows, but whose quality will surprise you.
What was the most enjoyable part during the creation of the list?
M.J: The best part was to find and motivate talents who work out of passion, and working with Giulio and Rozi was amazing.
G.S: I loved the challenge of the project and also designing the final wine list which allowed us to really work on the visual aspect as well.
R.M: I loved being able to learn from Giulio's experience about wine. In addition, I loved the process of selecting the perfect supplier for each item of our menu.
What advices would you like to give to someone who aspires to build a similar project?
M.J: I would give the same advice for all projects: BE DIFFERENT! Think out of the box, dare, do not be afraid. Do not think you know everything, and connect with passionate experts to onboard them on your project.
G.S: I completely agree! The key is to be more creative, especially in the hospitality industry.
R.M: My advice would be to surround you with people who will enjoy working with you, and who are passionate about the project. If you want the best, you have to work with the best!
How do you connect this project to the MGallery brand?
M.J: Thinking out of the box and being creative is exactly what MGallery is about! It's such a fun brand to work on, as it is a flexible brand. It allows our talents to be themselves, and it is completely in line with what people are looking for today in terms of experience.
G: I am very happy that MGallery gives us this space to do this kind of project. In addition, it is motivating to do new projects!
R.M: The MGallery brand is very connected to creating memorable experiences, which is exaclty what we want to do with this wine list. The wine selection is also very elegant and related to the boutique hotel story and personality.
If you were…
- A color?
- M.J: The anti F&B color, blue!
- G.S: Color of the wine: red!
- R.M: I like blue too!
- A Hashtag?
- M.J: #OutOfTheBox
- G.S: Anything related to wine because it is my passion: #WineIsMyLife
- R.M: #MyOwnWay
- Your favorite emoji?
- M.J: The one with the cool glasses!
- G.S: Same one!
- R.S: Smiling emoji!
- An iconic personality?
- M.J: I like people who are passionate and achieve great things. I love sport, crossfit, and artists like Eminem who you think is just a bad boy but then you see the professionalism and the passion and the craziness of perfectionism: it inspires me!
- G.S: I cannot forget my 1st mentor and teacher who taught me to become a wine expert: Franco Rossino.
- R.M: Actually, I like the people who teach me a lot and bring me to a high level in different topic. So usually everyone than can teach me a valuable expertise and in this way, I believe Marcel who is with me right now is definitely one of those people.