This week Smart Talking chats to Chris Kennedy, Restaurant Supervisor, Ee-Usk Seafood Restaurant, Oban.
Hi Chris, welcome to Smart Talking. Please tell us more about Ee-usk as a restaurant and as a business.
Chris: Ee-usk was established ten years ago to fill a gap in our local market for seafood lovers, the company is family owned and run by the McLeods who have run seafood restaurants in the area for over 25 years.
We are housed in a fantastic purpose built glass building on Oban’s North Pier which was designed to take advantage of some of the best views our area has to offer, we also traded for two years in a former bank on Oban’s main street while the Pier building was being constructed. Our ethos is great fish and seafood served simply in addition to first class customer service from a team who care. ‘Ee-usk’ is phonetic Gaelic for Fish, since that’s what we’re all about!
Ee-Usk is an award-winning restaurant – how does the company maintain a competitive edge?
Chris: We are very lucky and honoured to have received so many great rewards, but the best reward to me personally is when a guest takes the time to tell you what an enjoyable experience they’ve had with you, then when you see the same person returning, there is no better award than that! As far as competitive edge goes, we believe that consistency is key. We have an unwavering dedication to quality that sees us working closely with our local suppliers and building great relationships with them. Our staff further enhance our reputation. The staff are fundamental to our business and as such we put the correct time and investment into them with regular and thorough training. Our staff are fantastic.
The current economic climate is particularly challenging for businesses, not least for the Scottish tourism industry – how is your business coping with that – any positives coming out of the experience and any advice for others?
Chris: We have to admit, we’ve had a fantastic year business wise, with no drops in visitor numbers. We are lucky to be in such a strong trading position in a very busy tourist town and area, our local tourist office is one of the top 3 visited in Scotland! We are no doubt benefiting from the ‘staycation’ market with more and more British people choosing to spend their holidays in the UK – they all need to eat! Aside from these facts, with other countries experiencing such strong currency rates visiting the UK can be an affordable option for the foreign market, with many of these visitors choosing to visit Scotland. As far as advice, every business is unique, but what is common to all is that investment and new ideas are crucial, be it in staff, your premises or business initiatives, keeping your business fresh and appealing.
Do social media and digital technology have a place in your business?
Chris: Yes, it’s a recent addition to the business and so far is proving really popular. We’re slowly building our following which is great. It allows us to be in contact with lots of individuals and businesses all round the country, regardless of where we are – its put us in touch with some fantastic new people! We don’t use social media as a ‘hard sell’ tool; it’s more about engaging in a conversation with our customers, fans and other businesses. It allows others insight into our company and what we do. It means we can communicate with people we usually wouldn’t. We’re really enjoying the results it’s brought us so far, plus it meant I got to attend Social Media Week Glasgow where I met some really great people, already looking forward to the next event!
How important is collaboration with other businesses for you?
Chris: We feel that collaboration with other businesses is essential. It’s important that in a small town for all the businesses support one another to create a great tourist town and destination. As mentioned previously we work closely with our suppliers to ensure we have the highest quality produce. We work closely with local accommodation providers so that they have up to date information to offer their guests. Something that social media has helped with is working with businesses we wouldn’t otherwise get a chance to, such as Rabbie’s Small Group Tours, for example.
What is Ee-Usk up to at the moment? Any news you would like to share with us?
Chris: Ee-usk is in the process of developing a new 64 bedroom deluxe hotel on the site of the former Argyll hotel in Oban. It will be the first purpose built hotel in town for over 30 years. We are excited about this and also looking forward to creating in excess of 60 jobs for the town as well as offering promotion to our existing staff allowing them move up the company ladder. It’s also exciting to be offering new modern accommodation to visitors to the town; many of our current guests are very excited about the prospect! We feel Oban would really benefit from a city class hotel and that’s what we’re looking to offer.
Many thanks for Smart Talking with us Chris. We look forward to seeing the new hotel!
For more information visit: www.eeusk.com or follow on Twitter or Facebook
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