A Decade of Dining and Dancing

As La Sala approaches its 10th anniversary this month, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to have a chat with the man himself – chairman Ian Radford. We talk about how things have been going at Sala Group, plans for the future and despite all the chaos this year how they have managed to stay open. Tough times are ahead but Ian remains optimistic for the future.

I guess this wasn’t what you had in mind for your 10th anniversary...

We’ve had a great journey and it’s hard to believe 10 years have gone by. Earlier in the year we had planned to host some great acts and make it a special few days for our loyal customers, that will have to go on hold now. Instead of celebrating, we have some major challenges to overcome in order to protect the business and all the great people we have working for us.

What has been your personal highlight of the last ten years?

There have been so many special times in La Sala, but if I had to pick one it would be ‘An Evening With Ronan Keating’. He played an intimate set for around 80 guests in our live lounge, a very special night attended and in aid of The Eva Longoria Foundation… If I could add one more highlight, it would be the ‘La Sala in the Sky’ event.

Where do you see the immediate and long term future of marbella nightlife?

Right now, everything lies in the hands of the politicians. It’s very hard to forecast business at this time, the situation changes daily with the implementation of new restrictions. All we can do is keep adjusting our rules and be creative with the cards we are dealt.

Long term, I don’t really see our business model changing much, it works and people generally love the vibe we create at La Sala… I don’t see that changing.

Our biggest challenge now is managing the finances of the business, create the most cost-effective model without compromising what we do, and to ensure we can survive the next 12 months. We are very aware that everyone in Marbella is suffering, everyone’s business has been affected, so we need to be as competitive as we can to adjust to the tough times ahead for all of us.

We are all trading to lose money but preferring to stay open for business.

Why have you decided this is the best way for la Sala Group?

We looked at three, five and seven-day weeks as options, and felt if we are going to stay open through the winter, we either commit and do it (as we always have), or not at all. I know it’s a gamble but we have a huge team of staff as part of the group, all needing to work, and other fixed costs that can’t just be switched off. On top of that, the government is offering no support at all for businesses, in fact the contrary, we still need to pay our staff’s social security even if they are on ‘erte’ (furlough scheme), whether we remain open or closed. Knowing it’s going to be tough, this is why we have made the decision we made…

A DELIGHTFUL DECADE OF DINING AND DANCING...

In a decade which has seen countless casualties in the hospitality sector, why have you continued to flourish?

I can’t stress the amount of ‘behind the scenes’ focus that goes into what we do. The attention to detail in so many areas of the business never ends. We are incredibly lucky to have a dedicated and talented group of people that are loyal to the business and have been since day one.

Nevertheless, we need to keep improving, we never sit back and think: ‘we’ve cracked it!’, running the business requires constant focus and passion. We listen to our customers, appreciate them, and don’t take anything for granted.

Even though I know all the work that goes on behind the scenes, I also feel really lucky myself. That’s always a factor in any business, it’s not just hard-work you need. There are plenty of other ingredients and luck is one of them.

Despite the obvious difficulties of trading in 2020 La Sala by the Sea has still enjoyed a fabulous season.... how?!

That’s not quite true, it has been busy down at the beach under the given circumstances but normally around 70% of our customers are holiday-makers, which of course we lost this year. Luckily, La Sala by the Sea has been supported well by the locals. I believe this is thanks to the many special offers we put out this year in the restaurant, and of course the amazing Thai kitchen located there.

This seasons’ numbers were tough to stomach, turnover was less than 25% compared to what we would normally do in a season. That reduced turnover figure pretty much reflects the whole group’s figures this year.

If you could be President for the day, how would you handle the pandemic?

Firstly, luckily I am not! It’s an unenviable task and made worse by the disgraceful behaviour and scaremongering of the mainstream media. Politicians can’t seem to win as they will always be on the receiving end.

For me, and based on what I know and see, the virus is critical in the majority of cases amongst people over a certain age and/or with existing underlying health issues. Surely it would be best for measures to be put in place to shield the vulnerable 10% until there is a vaccine, and allowing for the remaining 90% of the population to continue with daily life (using diligence). This would protect the economy, and other illnesses like mental health.

I feel people should be able to use their own common sense when it comes to protecting themselves during the pandemic. The government could implement this strategy if they wanted to.

As a staple of the Marbella social scene, what one message would you wish to send to your loyal clients for 10 years of support?

Thank you so much for your loyal support, we will do everything we can to continue to offer what so many of you love. We will be creating lots of special offers over the next 6 months, as I am sure we are all in the same boat whatever business we are in. Marbella will be strong again soon, I am sure of that, as common sense has to prevail!

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