Why hospitality?
I love people and even more so, happy people. I love making people happy and hospitality for me is the best way to uplift someone’s mood and make someone happier than they were before they visited your restaurant. You can enhance a person’s multi-sensory experience in one go, which can only lead to make people happier. Me being a very happy person, I have found hospitality a platform to live my passion, and that is to see other people happy. Hospitality is a such an industry where you meet a diverse range of customers and staff from every possible part of the earth, and it just makes me happy than I can make them even happier.
Tell us something you wish you had been told at the start of your career?
That hospitality could be a very successful career. In my early days as a student my focus was so much so on other industries like finance or tech, I wasted so much of my time trying to get somewhere, on a path I was not naturally suited for. Only after a good seven or eight years I realised that you could make a serious and successful career in hospitality and if you are smart enough you will be rewarded well.
What’s your favourite restaurant or group of restaurants (besides your own)?
Kebab Queen in Covent Garden I absolutely adore every bit of it.
What motivates you?
Making people happier motivates me. I go to my restaurants and say hello to everyone from loo attendants, kitchen porters to the finance controller and listen to them, understand them, and provide a solution or advice or even just for banter. It’s all about people for me, everything I do is towards making the other person happier be it a guest, a friend, or a staff member.
What keeps you up at night?
Over the years I struggled to not worry too much about work as I used to have sleepless nights. I have now trained myself to switch off work when I get home. So right now, only Isabel Mayfair’s (which is open until 2:30am) loyal customers keep me awake at night by calling or texting for a late table or a space at the bar.
Which colleague, mentor or employer has had the biggest influence on your approach to the hospitality business?
Francesco Boglione, the owner and founder of Petersham Nurseries gave me a breakthrough in my career by trusting me to run his business without having much experience. I got to learn a lot on the importance of quality, quality and quality in business from his family. The confidence he had in me had a massive impact in my overall thinking and I was able to trust other people below me and take risks with raw talent and to realise success of your people is your success. Riz Shaikh and Steve Ball, the owners of the Columbo Group spent a lot of time, effort and money in training me and making me think like a hospitality entrepreneur and the importance of appealing to the six senses of a customer. I still go to them for advice, and they always have time for me.
What time do you wake up?
Due to the nature of the work what time I wake up is dictated by what time I went to bed the night before. Sometimes I am at Isabel Mayfair until 3am in the morning entertaining guests or looking after VIPs. I struggle with sleep as I cannot sleep for more than five six hours, so I'm up by 8am regardless.
Coffee or tea?
Both. Every morning green tea, followed by an English breakfast tea late morning and every afternoon a double espresso after a lunch.
How often do you check your email?
Frequently, but I don’t read emails that are too long. I love a one liner. Also, I have taken myself out of all management groups and have asked team to email directly only when in need. I prefer WhatsApp.
How do you let off steam?
When I am with my two little girls, I totally forget about everything else.
Do you prefer a night on the tiles or a night on the sofa?
Of course, on the sofa! Due to the nature of my work, I feel like I am 'on the tiles' most days.
What’s your signature dish to cook at home?
Once or twice in a year I cook a spicy goat curry, my Nepalese heritage.
Typical Sunday?
Out for a walk with my wife and two little daughters to Bushy Park and followed by a long Sunday roast lunch at a nearby gastro pub in Esher or Hampton Court area.
What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?
I did a 228 metres bungee jumping while on holiday without any pre-plan. Not doing it ever again.
Favourite holiday destination?
If I am alone, I love backpacking up and down India as the country is so diverse, I just love every place I go. With family, I had a great time in Galle, Sri Lanka.
What are you currently reading?
Probably WhatsApp messages.
What boxset are you currently watching?
I’m not one to watch or binge on TV or box sets. I don’t even have a TV at home right now.
What was your dream job growing up?
I always wanted to get out of the mountains of Nepal and I wanted to be an ambassador.
What's been your best business decision?
Retaining most of the staff during and post pandemic. During Covid a lot of hospitality businesses including the very big groups let go of their staff for one reason or the other and they really struggled to complete their team’s post-pandemic. Thanks to some investment in our workforce, we were able to retain most of them. We came out of pandemic stronger than ever before, and the business has been very successful as a result. It paid off.
And the worst?
I have made these a fair few times in my career, and that is to not to retain some key managers or chef trying to cut cost. When you run a business and are told by the stakeholders above you to deliver the numbers, you stick to a strict budget and do not attempt to offer more money to the manager or a chef or a bar tender say for example you lose out in the long run. The process of going through the recruitment, agent’s fees, HR hours, training new member of staff etc., it does not always work out. Lesson learnt is that in the long run retention of good, talented staff pays off more than recruitment.
What piece of advice would you give to those looking to climb the rungs in the business?
Firstly, be hospitable. We are in hospitality industry and small details go a long way. Show flexibility to accommodate guests’ needs and your colleagues’ needs. Smile, say yes and just do it. You will be noticed. Secondly, be nice to your colleagues and if your colleagues speak highly of you will be noticed by decision makers above you. This is such a simple trick, but most people do not even realise how important this is.
If you could change one thing about the hospitality industry today, what would it be?
I don’t know if it is more of the education industry than the hospitality industry that needs changing, I would do more to change the perception of hospitality as an industry so that young people think about it more seriously as a career option. Another thing I would do is to make it easier for hospitality talent across the world to come and work in the UK so that we can provide a better product in a consistent manner which would lead to longevity of businesses.
Bio
Born in Kathmandu, Nepal, Bhattarai came to London as a student, intent on studying investment finance and management, with a view to one day becoming an accountant. While studying during the day, at night he took on jobs at some of London’s most prestigious, Michelin-starred restaurants and hotel establishments, starting first as a kitchen porter and gradually being promoted to the role of a commis chef. His desire to grow and learn led him to explore other, more customer-facing positions, including bartending, waiting and as a junior sommelier. After finishing his studies, Bhattarai got a City job, but swiftly realised that sitting behind a desk was not for him. In a leap of faith, he turned his back on the job he had academically studied for, and returned to hospitality. After a series of restaurant managerial positions, he was approached by Francesco Boglione, the founder and owner of Petersham Nurseries, to take up the position of operations director at his brand. Scottie oversaw all aspects of the restaurant arm of the business, working closely with the owners, chefs and entire team to steer the business into profitability, receiving the honour of a Michelin Star in the process. From there he became a partner and director at The Columbo Group's flagship site, Paradise by Way of Kensal Green. A stint as restaurant director for the Soho House Group’s collection of public restaurants followed, before taking on directorship, and later CEO of Isabel Mayfair, where he has been since 2018. This summer, Bhattarai will launch his own restaurant brand, called MAYA, in Manchester.