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What you can learn from Ceviche’s Martin Morales

Following an inspiring masterclass by Martin Morales, CEO and founder of Ceviche Family, attendees shared their commitments to become even more remarkable. Creating personalised customer experiences for hotel guests and sharing the story behind menu items are just two examples of the commitments made.

Martin Morales at Andina Restaurant

At the masterclass, Martin Morales shared his background and experience running Ceviche Family and his innovative approach to delivering an unforgettable customer experience. He highlighted the importance of knowing what makes your business remarkable, a commitment to the business mission, finding the right team and keeping them satisfied.

In the final half of the masterclass the audience was invited to reflect on what makes their businesses remarkable, and what steps they could take to make their operations and customer experience even better. Below are just a few of the commitments that attendees made.

Sharing the story of who we are

“We will share the story of who we are, what we do and how we achieve this.”

In his experience founding and operating Ceviche Family, Morales found that the most important key to success was knowing exactly what makes his business remarkable and sharing that story. Attendees made commitments to drill down to the core of their business and tell their story in concise and captivating ways.

Making the customer experience more personal

“We will create personal experiences, including extra special touches leading to lasting memories. We will ask people what they would like to see and experience.”

At Ceviche, Martin finds unique ways to make the customer experience feel personal and authentic. The barrier between the customers and chefs is reduced through design, menu items have their own stories and backgrounds, and the music is tailored to the different restaurant sections. Members of the audience left with a commitment to make their customer experience even more personal by considering the wider community and what their customers want.

Looking at the entire customer journey and making small changes

“We will look more comprehensively at the customer journey.”

The customer journey should go beyond just “bums on seats”. Martin believes that there are multiple ways to engage customers which go beyond the core business. The Ceviche Family is primarily known for its restaurants, yet the business builder has found success in recruiting both talented staff and regular customers through a wide range of offerings, including a record label, art gallery, a range of cook books, masterclasses, and even a YouTube channel. Attendees left with a commitment to review their entire customer journey and make small changes from bar layout to personalised cards and menu items.

Engaging staff

“We will keep staff members engaged by supporting their learning and development as they begin their career in hospitality.”

Morales places his team at the heart of his business and shared some of his secrets to both attracting and retaining passionate staff. For him, everyone has four needs at work which must be satisfied: creative, emotional, intellectual and financial. He argued that to have a passionate and engaged team you need to know the different needs of team members and find a way to meet them.


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

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.

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