Do you really know what makes your business remarkable?

It might sound abstract, but ask restaurateur Martin Morales what he puts his success down to and he will point to an obsession with being remarkable.   

Capturing customer attention and creating remarkable experiences is fundamental to Martin Morales’ approach at Ceviche Family. Martin’s diverse background, including as a DJ and music executive for Apple and Disney, paired with his upbringing in Peru, have shaped a truly unique approach to hospitality.

On a mission to enrich people’s lives with Peruvian food and culture, Martin established six award-winning restaurants, as well as a record label, an art gallery, and even a YouTube channel.

For him, success comes from knowing what he has to offer, a laser-like focus on mission, and importantly, a team with the right skills and communication to pull it off. With these three components in place, businesses can create memorable customer experiences that generate long lasting relationships.

Key takeaways

1. Know what makes you remarkable and sell that story

Drill down to what makes your business and customer experience unique and sell that story. Before Martin began Ceviche Family, he asked himself what he could offer that was different. Since then his business has been dedicated to sharing Peruvian food and culture, as well as the stories that surround each meal, drink, song, and piece of art.

2. Your team is like a band and the menu is your album

Your team should work together in unison to deliver a menu with “all killers, no fillers”. Just like an album, your menu needs three “singles” that captivate your audience, with all other dishes following suit. For Martin, the Ceviche dish and Pisco Sour are signature offerings that bring customers in and keep them coming back.

3. Retain staff by knowing what they need

People have four needs that must be met to keep them satisfied and inspired by the mission: creative, emotional, intellectual, and financial. Martin began with his leadership team and worked out what dials needed to be turned up for each team member to keep them happy and delivering their best work.

4. Engage your customers along the entire customer journey

There are endless opportunities to touch people’s lives and turn them in to ambassadors. At Ceviche the main business might be food, but when Martin considered the entire customer journey, a record label, art gallery, cook books and a masterclasses series were also thrown in to the mix.

Want to learn more from Martin? Here’s additional audio and video content:

• A day in the life with: Ceviche founder Martin Morales (text – 5 mins)
• The Ceviche Family manifesto (video – 90 seconds)
• What hospitality businesses learnt from Martin Morales – (text – 3 mins)
• How to compete as a hospitality in today’s British market (video – 3 mins)
• Watch the entire masterclass discussion (video – 40 mins)
• Martin’s three hospitality secrets – (audio – 4 mins)

Martin Morales led a masterclass as part of Be the Business’ Cornwall Hospitality Leaders Network. Formed in 2018, the programme was designed to make Cornwall home to some of the best hospitality businesses in the country. Learn more about the programme here.