September 5, 2012 10:23 AM
The target is Japanese. The Italian food shop managed by Italian succeed in Singapore and they invest more on staff education.
Mr.Antonio Manetto "Bella Pizza"&"Bella Pasta" Owner [Singapore]
By Ryuichirou Yasuda Interviewed on August 10, 2012
Keywords : Bella Pasta Bella Pizza Italian Pizza Robertson Quay
In Singapore, Mr.Manetto has 2 Italian food shops, 'Bella Pizza' 'Bella Pasta' in the Robertson Quay where many European, American, Japanese live in. Many other Italian restaurant target on Westerner, but his main target is JAPANESE.
Mr.Antonio Manetto氏
Mr.Antonio Manetto,the manager and also the owner of the 2 shops, was born in south Italy. He came in Singapore 11 years ago. Because his father's side are all in food business, he started his career as a chef in Italy.
"I was thinking to have experience overseas. It doesn't matter for me whether it's European countries, or America. I just want global experience overseas. I came here and started working as a chef because my Italian friend opened an Italian restaurant in Singapore. When I first came in Singapore, 50~60 Italian restaurants were here. But I think they are more than 200 now." said Mr.Manetto.
"It's really difficult to make people understand the concept in Singapore. It's like Sushi and Sashimi. In Italy, 'Pizzeria' is very casual but the place where you can have pasta is 'restaurant' not 'Pizzeria'. It's not easy to make Singaporean understand the difference. To make them understand the concept, I opened 2 shops, Bella Pizza and Bella Pasta."
Both of the shops are located almost side by side in Robertson Quay where many Westerner and japanese live in. Bella Pizza started in 2007 and Bella Pasta opened in 2010. The total sale of 2 shops amounts to more than $2millions.
2 shops are both very open and half of the tables are outside.
Bella Pizza started in 2007.
Inside.
Signature menu "The Sicilian Boats" 26SGD. Boat-shaped pizza.
Buffalo mozzarella wrapped in Parma ham.
"It's ok to come in the shop, say hello and just have a cup of coffee. that's the Italian way. We have wine from cheap one to really expensive one. It doesn't matter how much guests spend."
Being located a little far from the business district, they're not crowded in lunch hour. But they have many guests at night.
Major guests are japanese living in Singapore. On Monday, almost all tables are filled with Japanese guests.
Because Japanese prefer Italian food, he set his main target on Japanese and advertise on Japanese newspaper. They don't change the taste for Japanese people, but they have many stable Japanese customer.
Bella Pasta opened in 2010.
Counter.
The most difficult problems to manage restaurant in Singapore are staff management and contracts with landowners. They haven't changed since he opened the shops.
"They(local staff) can't see what I see. Very fast thinking and doing is necessary in service occupation, but they can't do that. They have no initiative. So they do what I ask to do but no more. They are working very hard but still not enough."
For staff education, beyond OJT, he has school 3 times a week and teaching things from the knowledge of wine to service.
And another problem is about contracts with landowners. In Singapore, normal term of a contract is 3 years long, very short comparing with other countries.
"In Italy, a term of a contract is 12 years total. But we have only 3 years here and we don't know what will happen after expiration. You can renew the contract but you can't renew as well. So you have to cover the cost and make profit in 3 years. The net profit in Singapore is like 20%. You have to collect everything in 3 years."
Mr.Mannet loves quiet countryside. His hometown in Italy is near countryside. The sea and mountains are 1 hour's drive from his home. I asked about the future plan to Mr.Mannet, who came in Singapore and succeeded as a manager of reataurants.
"Now I don't have any plan to open another restaurant. Of course there are good staff, but they are not enough. I can't give the right to manage. I still have to be in back office. Now the 2 shops are so near that I can manage both of the shops by myself. I don't know yet, but if possible, I'd like to open new restaurant in Ho Chi Min City in Vietnam. Because many Japanese are there too."
Wherever location is, his main target is always Japanese prefering Italian food.There are many Italian restaurants in Singapore, but It seems that they are the only one Italian food shops clearly targeting on Japanese people.
