We’ve been reluctantly reporting on the demise, relocation or reduction of a fair few Manchester based restaurants recently, despite seeing financial reports to the contrary. Some business owners are blaming the chaos caused by TfGM’s ongoing Metrolink work, while others state that there are simply too many restaurants in town competing for too few customers.
We’re simply trying to deliver the best hour of their day.
We went along to talk to Chris Buckley at his restaurant Per Tutti on Liverpool Road, to see what he makes of it all, from an independent business owners point of view. Having worked in the hospitality business for a number of years, Chris has pretty much seen it all. He started young, working in his native Preston, and then spent eight years working as General Manager for Paul Heathcote at a number of his Manchester establishments including Olive Press and Simply Heathcotes, and the London Road restaurant in Alderley Edge, before biting the bullet and opening his own restaurant.
Chris launched Per Tutti (which means ‘for all’ in Italian) four years ago on a shoe-string budget and has been seeing a constant upturn in trade ever since. You’d imagine that larger chain restaurants with bigger marketing budgets, instant recognisability and a reliable consistency hold all the cards, but it turns out that smaller independents have a few tricks up their sleeves.
The first one is obvious. During the time we were chatting with Chris, over 90% of ‘guests’ (never customers) walked past our table to stop and shake his hand, say hi, or compliment the food that they’d just enjoyed. They know him, they know he is the owner, they know he’s the one to come to with comments, compliments or complaints, because it’s his livelihood and it matters.
But what about the rest of the time when he’s not there? Chris has laid down a very clear mission statement and trusts his well-trained staff to maintain Per Tutti’s philosophy; “we’re simply trying to deliver the best hour of our guests' day.” That’s another advantage that perhaps the smaller independents have over the bigger boys. It might sound like a cliché, but Chris says his team are like family who want to share his vision, and as a result, most have been working with him for years. Through empowering his team and looking after them, they in turn look after their guests, creating a home from home and a relaxed, happy atmosphere.
Although he pours over his menus and works closely with his kitchen team, Chris maintains that food is only one part of the whole hospitality experience. He believes eating out is more all-encompassing; whether it is popping in for a simple breakfast or bringing the whole family in for a significant celebration, Chris wants Per Tutti to be people’s favourite place to be. Some people refer to Per Tutti as ‘their favourite Italian’ and Chris, says he’s happy to take that compliment, but they see themselves as a ‘Modern European Cafe, Bar and Grill.' The name of the restaurant refers mainly to the Italian ethos of all-welcoming hospitality. “The way we behave is our brand” explains Chris, “we let the guests sit wherever they feel most comfortable and don’t time their visit to turn tables over quicker.”
On the menu you’ll find sharing boards, stone baked pizzas and classic pasta dishes alongside more globally influenced dishes such as Moroccan Spiced Couscous Salad, Tuna Steak with Oriental Salad, and Sesame Dressing, and simple Steak Frites.
Per Tutti is located at the top of Liverpool Road across from the iconic Hilton hotel and surrounded by several urban apartment blocks. The initial restaurant concept was developed to benefit the local community and evolve under their influence. They opened with their own ideas, but over time have become flexible, introducing special lunchtime and early evening deals to benefit the needs of their regulars.
Per Tutti is an independent neighbourhood restaurant in the city centre. They see themselves not just as a restaurant, but as a ‘third place’ where people feel comfortable and happy, but almost can’t put their finger on why. Like chemistry. Their feel-good philosophy is less formulaic than you get in larger chain restaurants and that’s hopefully the secret to their longevity.
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