Juan Serralde
Business Development Manager
Introduce yourself.
Hi, my name is Juan. I’m a business development manager here at Arte. I started my journey in the hospitality industry about 20 years ago when I moved to Australia. I’ve studied cooking and pastry, worked in restaurants and cafes, and gone through different jobs in the industry. In the last decade or so, I’ve serviced in the industry working at different food and beverage suppliers and most recently, am now at Arte selling coffee to the industry.
What makes Arte unique as an organisation?
I think Arte is quite unique and why I like it, is it has got a sort of personal touch. As a child, my family had a coffee plantation and it was a family run business, from farming to roasting and getting the product out there. Working at Arte reminds me of those days of being a child, as it’s a family company. The way that everyone in the organisation behaves as well as how they treat customers makes it feel close to home, and I think that is a very special and unique trait to have.
How do we build partnerships with our customers?
At Arte, we like to think of our relationships with our customers as partnerships, it’s not just a simple transaction of buying and selling coffee. We really like to identify the needs of our customers, and we have deep conversations about their business and about who the customers are going to be, that way we can give them the right offering for their café or restaurant or whatever venue they have. This way, it allows both of us to explore different markets but also move forward with the industry and what’s happening in the hospitality scene.
What’s your top tip for café’s in 2021?
My top tip for this year would be to engage with your customers – it is the best way to get any feedback. Little things have a big effect on your business, and this is the only way that you are going to be able to know how to improve and how to be best, but also to know what your customers really want.
What’s the biggest mistake you see café’s making?
The biggest mistake that I see these days at cafes and coffee operators is the lack of training. Please reach out to your suppliers! At Arte, we offer training as many times as you need and for as many of your staff you need. As we can see in the industry, staff rotates so much and so often, so don’t be scared to ask the questions, don’t get caught up in the everyday busyness of the business. Call us, reach out and we’ll help you and train your staff. Don’t let your coffee go downhill, because it’s the main source of your business.
What trends do you see emerging in coffee in 2021?
One of the most prominent trends I’ve seen through customers has been an increase in coffee knowledge and identifying that there are different types of coffees and how they should be used. Even as simple as identifying the best coffee to go with milk and which should be served as black coffee. More and more customers are interested in having 2 varieties of coffees to produce the coffee the customer wants based on their preferences.
How can cafes best adapt to constantly changing COVID restrictions?
COVID! It’s been a tough year and a strange year for everyone, especially for all the operators. I think the best way to tackle this is to utilise the technology out there. There are a lot of pre-order systems! Look into technology – I think that will be the best way to get customers. Even if it’s picking up quickly at the door or doing pre-orders – that way you also get a bit of data from your customers and you’re able to build a relationship with them that way!
Related Posts
