Meet the woman behind Gaucho
“The problem with the restaurant visitors in Birmingham is that they really love champagne, we are constantly having to provide more”, says Gaucho Group COO Tracey Matthews, of the recent success with the launch of their Colmore Row restaurant. Who knew Birmingham drank so much champagne?
The team behind Argentinian restaurant Gaucho launched their latest restaurant in the spring, the first they have opened in over seven years. With a handful of restaurants already scattered across the country, including Leeds, Manchester and several in London, Birmingham was always the next step for the brand.
Tracey, who has worked for the Gaucho brand for 17 years and became COO in 2016, said: “Location is key to Gaucho’s success. We spent five years attempting to find the perfect location, and we would have put it off for longer until we found somewhere just right.”
The Birmingham restaurant has, so far, been a success. It is the current talk of the town, and is holding its own in a popular area, with the likes of Gusto, Viva Brazil and Michelin Starred restaurant Purnell’s all a short walk away.
The COO thinks that the success behind the brand is that it doesn’t have a set customer, she said: “Gaucho is a combination of being both a lifestyle and business restaurant. We do attract a lot of business lunches and meetings, but we also have families and people coming in for cocktails and dinner.
“The beauty of Gaucho is that it moves and it can be whatever you want it to be, so it doesn’t have a particular sort of guest. But one of the reasons why I love Gaucho so much is that although it is easy to pop in and have lunch, it can also be an occasion place, it has got a glamorous feel to it and I think we all love getting dressed up on a Saturday night.”
However, in a world where customers are willing to pay more for a worthwhile experience and shows like Masterchef and The Great British Bake Off have made us more interested in the food we eat, raises the question to if Gaucho can win with its diners. Tracey believes that the brand’s Gaucho Academy is the answer.
She said: “I don’t think people wanting to know more about the food is a challenge for us, as we have had our Gaucho Academy since 2006, and team knowledge is one of our core values. Every single member of staff, from reception, waiters and bar staff take exams, taste every single piece of food and they even do a tango class so that they understand the brand and our history.
“The academy is an intense programme, but it means that our workers can discuss everything on the menu with the customers and make recommendations. We have spent a lot of time and energy in getting this right, as we understand that guests now want to understand what makes the brand special.
“If customers are going to trust us with their free time, we want to make sure that we know what we are doing and that we understand what we are selling.”
The academy seems to be working, as Tracey believes that Gaucho has what it takes to open at least three new restaurants a year. However, it will be a while until we see another one in the West Midlands. She said: “Our Birmingham restaurant is our first in seven years, we are just getting over the shock of doing it, so we want to make sure that we get Birmingham right before we even consider opening another one in the West Midlands.”
Gaucho’s menu may offer an incredibly wide selection of both beef and wine, but the COO has her favourites. She said: “My personal favourites what I would recommend is a starter of the Tuna Ceviche, which is gorgeous, with a main of rump steak, cooked rare, with béarnaise sauce. Alongside a glass of Pinot Noir, of course.”
