Crashing stocks and musical shares
Black Monday. 21st January 2008, a day to remember. Stock markets collapsed worldwide and we saw the start of the credit crunch. Did it affect us? Of course, it did. Leisure is always the first sector to suffer when people worry about money. Although our established restaurants fared better than newly opened ones, we had to seriously start looking after the pennies. Our management teams and chefs were encouraged to shop better and search around for more attractive prices without affecting quality.
The smoking ban which came into force in July 2007 was a welcome change to restaurant life. However, it did affect pubs and clubs, and the result was that many closed their doors as drinkers were not so keen on standing outside in all weathers to light up. Eleven years on, no-smoking is now part and parcel of society despite the havoc it brought to the pub industry.
Later that year, in October, “Bloody Friday” saw many financial markets experience the worst decline in their history. 2008 ended with lots of dark clouds hanging over the future, but on a brighter note, at Christmas, I treated myself to my first iPhone just to help the economy.
In 2009, Adam, my son, who was managing Casa del Mar at the time, asked if he could branch out on his own. We purchased a pub in Church Square. A few readers will remember it as Knights, the old delicatessen shop that sold anything and everything exotic as well as freshly roasted and ground coffee, whose wonderful aroma hit you as soon as you stepped into that culinary emporium.
When it shut down, the Musgrave family whose daughter Lesley-Ann had won the title of Miss Great Britain in 1986, reopened it as the very trendy and fashionable Blondes wine bar.
The pub underwent various transformations over the years, until September 2009, when Adam opened it as Flix Cinema-Café. It had three projection rooms where spectators could watch a film of their choosing while tucking into various small dishes including some of the best burgers I have ever tasted. Being a niche market, it struggled to make ends meet. I think it was too far ahead of its time.
Adam decided to join Cleveland College of Art and Design while operating Flix, and graduated three years later. Something to do with films, I think. I actually got a speaking part in one of his student projects.
When Flix opened, I retook the helm at Casa del Mar. Glad that I wasn’t needed in the kitchen, I enjoyed working front-of-house and being hands-on once again. The tapas bar had been my last venture in catering. Without upsetting any former staff or customers, out of our three restaurants, it was my favourite. I really loved the variety of small dishes of Mediterranean foods, the music and the atmosphere. Working there on a busy weekend night always felt like a party.
Although Adam had the place running like clockwork, just like any new manager in the business, I had to put my own stamp to it and re-organise it to my liking. Of course, that meant losing a few members of staff and acquiring new ones, but after a few weeks, the restaurant was running exactly how I wanted. With a new management team, I eased myself back to merely overseeing the operation and helping wash up a few glasses on busy nights.
Last week, Chris and Laura celebrated their first anniversary as owners after taking over Casa del Mar in August 2017. The place is even more popular than when I handed them over the reins. Helped by the freshness of their youth and their remarkable enthusiasm, they have taken the tapas bar to new heights, with the introduction of newer dishes and cocktails.
Here is to many more successful years!