The FINANCIAL — The first Strada cafe opened in Tbilisi on 7 Sandro Euli Street two years ago presenting contemporary American cuisine has been brought by well known New York chef Isaac Correa. The high popularity of the restaurant encouraged the team of Strada to open a new branch in the historical district of Tbilisi.
“Since opening we have been closely observing the behaviour of our guests, as well as changes in the dynamics of attendance. The result has been more than satisfactory. We see positive feedback and high loyalty among our guests. This location became gravitational for people who are well-versed in food and value traditional Western cuisine. The second trend and change that we observed was that during the first year the main segment of our customers were people visiting us from the city’s central districts. We appreciated how they supported us with their attendance in this less traditional location for Tbilisi,” Eka Beradze, Strada’s PR & marketing director, told The FINANCIAL.
According to Beradze, what was more ambitious and important for the project was to introduce Strada to the people who live and work nearby. “In some ways these segments are more conservative in terms of choosing a destination. One issue is becoming a dining location for guests, and the other is becoming a ‘next-door’ sort of place. Achieving the second goal is harder, but the loyalty of people who will make your restaurant a part of their neighbourhood is the highest. The trend that we saw lately revealed that we were on the right path to creating a welcoming and comfortable place for everybody.
“All of this encouraged us to start thinking of expanding our restaurant branch to the centre of the city. This decision will support our entire brand and let us reach wider audience. The new restaurant opened two weeks ago. We are lucky to be in a very interesting location – at 5 Marjanishvili Street which is definitely one of the most authentic and memorable districts in Tbilisi. Several theatres, music halls and other points of interest can be found here. We have comfortable and very calm terraces, which will definitely be a highlight of this location soon. Important update for us is that we are getting ready to launch live music performances and make Strada a remarkable place for a relaxing evening. We expect to see lots of new guests here,” said Beradze.
In her interview with The FINANCIAL Beradze talked about gaining the advantage over one’s competitors in such a saturated business environment as the restaurant sector in Georgia.
Q. Can you tell us about the interior and concept of the new Strada?
A. During the planning period for our new location we were focused on maintaining the main concept of our restaurant in order to make it familiar to our guests. At the same time we implemented some different accents. So the basic values, which have become the calling card of Strada have been maintained here. In addition, Strada on Marjanishvili will start offering live music performances. The music programme will be diversified. It will include various styles of high quality music. The new restaurant of Strada will be outstanding, not only in terms of its cuisine but also as a pleasant place for entertainment.
The design of our new project was also arranged by Rooms design bureau, like our first project. The overall mood is familiar to Sandro Euli Strada. The style of the building is really extraordinary, dating back to the 1930s. Its big show-cases, coffered ceiling and the overall interior stresses the concept of this area. The new restaurant is festive and ceremonial but at the same time cosy and comfortable.
It was principally important for us to have the same menu in both restaurants. In both branches we are regularly broadening the positions of our menu and adding new assortments.
There are two separate areas, designated bigger smoking and smaller non-smoking halls in the restaurant and terrace. The number of seats in the halls is over 130, and on the terrace up to 50.
Q. Despite the big number of restaurants and cafés in Georgia there are almost no places that offer breakfast. What are the reasons for it and what are your expectations regarding the newly-launched breakfast menu at Strada?
A. Here in Georgia you never know whether a product will become in demand until you offer it in high quality. There are lots of trends that are still innovative for the market. So there is, as yet, no analysis of it. From the very beginning Strada took some risky decisions, like the location, the non-smoking area. There was no statistical data on whether these decisions would work or not. Gaining results from our own experience and believes was the only option. We had big confidence in our decisions. All of them were first of all focused on creating a comfortable and secure space for our guests. In terms of breakfast there is almost no option for this service in Georgia. Our new location is in the neighbourhood of corporate companies and we had a chance to do live presentations of our breakfast service for this segment. Their feedback assures us of the success of our breakfast option. At first we expect that the majority of those enjoying the new service will be foreigners residing or working in this neighbourhood. Choosing a destination for breakfast has specific associations. The place must be part of one’s everyday lifestyle. It is a place which is included in your daily agenda and provides a comfortable start to the day. Strada Marjanishvili opens its doors to customers from 8 a.m. and serves breakfast until 1 p.m. At weekends we will offer brunch from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. We are offering classic Western breakfast units which we know are highly missed here.
Q. Can you describe the breakfast menu of Strada?
A. We are continuing our cooperation with an international team of chefs that are regularly involved in renewing our menu. We are sure that our guests will also like our breakfast menu made for them. The breakfast menu is in the A La Carte style. The average cost of breakfast at Strada is about GEL 12-14.
Our breakfast menu incorporates scrambled egg with various ingredients: cheddar, ham or feta. They are served over crispy waffles or pancakes. There is classic Eggs Benedict, with salmon or bacon, as well as a classic Scandinavian meal for breakfast named “Rosti” – potato pancakes with sour-cream and smoked salmon. Waffles and pancakes, so loved by our guests, are also included. A good breakfast is impossible without good coffee – wide range will be served from 8 a.m. as well.
Q. Do you feel that these new options are admired by local audience?
A. Our brand’s chef Isaac Correa, agreed to get involved in the Tbilisi project because he felt that he could bring something new to the city. This ambition encouraged him to come to Georgia. Our team strongly believed in the importance of implementing a better lifestyle. Our concept is all about bringing new trends on Georgian market – from opening a non-smoking restaurant to launching a new trendy but never seen down here Korean cuisine. Offering comfortable and affordable breakfast starting from early morning and giving an option to start the day in a nice place, in a non-smoking atmosphere, with good coffee and a newspaper in hand – definitely is our plan! Isn’t this a picture which all of us would like to see in Tbilisi as part of our everyday life?
