Since the beginning of the 21st century, we have seen a rapid change in consumer habits, a movement that has been accentuated and deepened in the last two years due to the pandemic.
Above all, consumers are concerned with prioritising the experience, not only in terms of product quality, but also with a special and attentive look at customer service and, in particular, the service providers. payment methods that they put at the service of their clients.
Tágide Wine & Gastro Bar - a new concept in Gastro and Tapas Bar
This eventually happened, with the Tágide Wine & Gastro Bar. Talking about the new concept of Gastro and Tapas Bar, we interviewed the person in charge of the new space, what is behind the creation of the Wine & Gastro Bar, as well as his opinion on the major difficulties facing the sector and his expectations regarding tourism.
How did the idea of creating a Wine & Gastro Bar come about?
"The Wine & Gastro Bar is the successor to the Tágide Wine & Tapas Bar. With the same basic concept, it has nevertheless brought gastronomic innovation to the restaurant, with appetisers of greater refinement and quality, which accompany seasonal Portuguese and international products, in order to raise the quality and gastronomic experience of this new name.
The creation of this Gastro/Tapas Bar concept came about in response to a demand from customers for this concept. The Wine & Gastro Bar offers the same high quality gastronomy for which the Tágide is so well known, by chef Luís Calixto, offering the customer this alternative of a more relaxed atmosphere, which allows for a calm and quiet enjoyment of their exquisite meal.
Located on the same site, we have redefined the concept of the space, which is now called Tágide Wine & Gastrobar. Instead of tapas, more gastronomic appetisers have been introduced, to be tasted in a relaxed atmosphere.
This menu was introduced when the restaurant reopened in the spring, after a two-year break, and was created by chef Luís Calixto, who is also in charge of the kitchen at Tágide (the classic restaurant upstairs). Here, the chef keeps the focus on Portuguese and seasonal products, using small producers, and introduces a few Asian touches in one dish or another.
The wine list, which is constantly being updated, favours vintages from small producers and low intervention wines, with some predominance from the Douro region. The Tágide Wine & Gastrobar also maintains the Enomatic system, which allows high quality wines to be stored and served by the glass.
From Tuesday to Saturday lunchtime, there is a menu with a dish, drink and coffee for €15.50."
What are the main differences between Tágide and Gastro Bar?
"Restaurante Tágide continues to be one of Lisbon's most prestigious restaurants. It is an emblematic restaurant located in the heart of Lisbon in the centre of Chiado, with one of the most beautiful views over the city and the Tagus River.
Tágide surprises us with the delicacies of its Portuguese cuisine and international influences, with exquisite service in a unique setting.
In the same building as the Tágide restaurant, on the ground floor, this Wine & Tapas Bar is an informal and relaxed space where you can enjoy a selection of gastronomic snacks, but with a gourmet touch, accompanied by a good selection of wines."
What are the biggest difficulties facing the catering sector?
"We are experiencing a shortage of qualified labour to work in the restaurant sector and this is one of the biggest challenges facing the sector in general.
The shortage of qualified labour, the need for training, the demands and wear and tear of the profession and the dignification of the profession are the three major challenges identified for the catering sector.
The challenge of training: This is a sector that requires continuous and daily training, and this has to be provided by each company.
The challenge of the demands and wear and tear of the profession: this is probably one of the most intense and demanding sectors, in that it generally involves many hours on your feet, with a high level of concentration and focus, high levels of pressure and stress. These factors lead to a high turnover rate, accompanied by great difficulty in attracting and retaining people.
The challenge of dignifying the profession: it is a concern and priority for the sector to work on attraction and retention. The way forward is to change people's perception of the profession: serving customers and cooking well requires a lot of training, practice and purpose."
What are your expectations of tourism?
"According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), tourism in Portugal could surpass the figures obtained in 2019 as early as 2023, thus leading the recovery of the national economy, which is expected to grow by 4.8%. For 2022, after two "devastating years for the sector", Portugal is showing a "strong recovery".
However, recent studies point to the possibility that some changes in travellers' habits and preferences may be more lasting. This, together with the period of labour shortages, inflationary pressures and geopolitical tensions, could moderate the sector's recovery."
How do REDUNIQ's payment solutions help you on a day-to-day basis?
Born at a time when tourism in Portugal could surpass the figures obtained in 2019 as early as 2023, as previously mentioned by the man in charge, the Wine & Gastro Bar decided to face up to what recent studies point to with the help of REDUNIQ and its innovative payment methods which are perfectly aligned with new consumer habits.
This is the case with TPA Android REDUNIQ Smart which, in addition to allowing this restaurant to accept contactless payments by card, chip, MB WAY, Google Pay and Apple Pay, includes a set of management apps to help the business and allow it to be totally mobile and digital.
By functioning as Contactless TPA and management centre connected to the digital world, this new Android POS solution from REDUNIQ offers businesses extra flexibility in managing their resources, since, for example, with the WinRest or ZSRest app, a catering business can now display menus, register and confirm customer orders and even integrate its invoicing software into a single physical POS.
In fact, the person responsible in response to the question,
Why did you choose REDUNIQ as your payment partner and how does it help your business?
Referee,
"REDUNIQ is the ideal partner for companies looking to constantly evolve, to have solutions that suit the needs of the sector, where it is present in the era of digital payments, with card payments, smartphone, contactless offering intelligent and flexible payment solutions for the business, operating 24 hours / 365 days a year."
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