In 2016, the London-based barbeque group, Temper, opened a restaurant and hit the London food scene by storm. Fast forward eight years and the restaurant chain has grown into an even bigger success, adding locations in Covent Garden and the prominent Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch.
We caught up with Sam Lee, Managing Director at Temper restaurants, to find out how the team have succeeded in putting customers at the heart of their experience, attributing their success to the trifecta of great food, service, and atmosphere. These three pillars have not only won over critics but also fostered a dedicated customer base, ensuring Temper’s enduring popularity.
So, what are the secrets to superior customer experience?
Sam Lee was very clear about what he wanted to create at Temper restaurants. She wanted to combine great food with a fabulous environment, making it fun and accessible to people. Sam is quick to point out they are not trying to pretend to be something for everyone.
She says, “We have a very specific offering – we barbecue our food and whilst we do have fish on our menu we specialise in meat based meals. Whilst we remain true to who we are and don’t pretend to specialise in anything else; our guests come first and foremost and we always look for ways to accommodate them.”
The team constantly review the menu – removing dishes that aren’t popular. Neil is incredibly innovative, constantly trying new flavours, and encourages his team to be the same.
It’s about trying to make the food as interesting as possible without compromising what it is.
It’s all about the experience, according to Sam. She says, “The reality is people have different expectations of things and these may not always be good so we focus on creating an amazing experience.”
Sam and the team have invested a lot of time to ensure the environment is spot on – this means making sure the menu is right and being well prepared for busy periods but also making sure the lighting and music is appropriate for the time of day.
For them it is essential that the team get to experience the dishes and the wine so that they can talk confidently about the offer and provide ideas and suggestions to customers.
Sam expresses the importance of being visible and open to feedback. She says, “Our Front of House Manager deliberately has no fixed post – they walk around the restaurant, are available to customers and focus on making sure all the individual sections are being looked after.”
Temper has made some changes following customer feedback. It became clear that customers wanted to be downstairs, where the kitchen is, when waiting for a table or finishing a drink. As a result the team is changing the layout – they are incorporating a lounge into the downstairs area, where people can wait comfortably for their table or use the area to relax and finish their drinks after dinner.
Whilst Temper is very clear about what’s at the heart of the brand – the central kitchen, quality of product and sustainability – people are essential to the ongoing success. Their team is versatile, engaged and committed to the success and development of the Temper brand.
“You will know it’s Temper – it’s the same meat from the same suppliers and customers will have the same experience just in a different setting – but the influence for the cuisine comes from Southern Hemisphere inspired curries and barbecue,” according to Sam.
If Sam was to sum up how she would like customers to describe their experience at temper it would be inclusive, good value, and exciting.
To find out more about temper visit http://temperrestaurant.com
