Director of Food & Beverage at Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta.
E: Describe your typical day in a sentence.
Vinu: Exciting, with lots of opportunities and challenges.
E: So how did you come to be the Director of F&B for Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta?
V: Being open to new challenges, I moved to Indonesia in 2015 to work in Bandung, later I was very happy to take the golden opportunity of joining Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta as Director of F&B.
E: What’s the toughest part of your job?
V: Every job has its hardest part. In my job, ensuring satisfaction for all my staff and for our guests and attaining great numbers for F&B revenue are the three things that are the toughest as I need to manage and get positive results at the same time.
E: And what makes you smile at work?
V: As someone working in F&B, I am happy and smile at work once I achieve our forecasted revenues, receive positive feedback from our customers and see my staff happy and doing their jobs. As we all know, hospitality is all about serving from the heart.
E: What motivates you?
V: The thing that motivates me most is recognition. Appreciation is a fundamental human need and I believe that every company needs to be concerned about its employee recognition program because it can motivate employees to exceed expectations.
E: Would things fall apart if you weren’t around?
V: Definitely not, as I ensure all the staff are aware of the processes and procedures so they know how to achieve the desired results. I know they can do their jobs with this basis.
E: Who in your team deserves more recognition and why?
V: Everyone in my team deserves recognition for their good work. We receive a lot of positive customer feedback from all the F&B outlets managed by Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta.
E: Why should people choose Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta to dine?
V: Every F&B outlet managed by Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta is unique and has its own speciality. At Signatures, every guest can experience authentic Indonesian cuisine in a warm and welcoming ambiance. If you miss German food, simply visit Paulaner Brauhaus Jakarta where you can enjoy freshly brewed Paulaner beer and authentic German food. While if you crave Japanese cuisine, you could never regret experiencing all the instagenic and delicious creations by Chef Kazumasa.
Other than great food, we also offer great service. Building a good relationship with all our customers, so they feel like they are having a meal in their own home, is the key to ensuring people want to come back to our restaurants.
E: Away from work, what’s your favourite place to eat?
V: Personally, I love to eat at Marche as it always serves high-quality fresh produce.
E: How do you unwind?
V: Boys will be boys! I love playing with remote controlled cars and helicopters during my spare time, and spending time with family for sure.
E: Finally, any advice for those looking to break into the industry?-
V: The beginnings are tough, but if you succeed over the initial hurdles then it’s a beautiful industry to be involved in.
Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta
Jalan M.H. Thamrin No.1,
Jakarta 10310, Indonesia
T: (+62) 2123583800
