INNOVATING TRADITION

The Olive Tree Group’s Managing Director, Leslie Gomez shares on staying ahead in the F&B ecosystem and how he keeps both modernity and tradition alive in his establishments.

- POOVENRAJ KANAGARAJ

18 years and 17 branches, The Olive Tree Group is no stranger to F&B enthusiasts nationwide. With a start that originated all the way back in India, the group now has presences city-wide in the form of bars, clubs and fine-dining restaurants that have attracted attention from food enthusiasts all the way to the Prime Minister.

“It’s not an easy industry to be part of, but a lot of trial and error has gone into getting the Group to where it is now and of course, a lot of patience.” says Leslie Gomez, Managing Director of The Olive Tree Group.

“We emphasise on our branding. People should recognise us not just as individual entities across the state, but as The Olive Tree Group entirely,” he adds.

RETHINKING BUSINESS OPERATIONS

With more than a decade in the industry, Leslie has been through it all. However, not all crises are the same and the recent Covid-19 pandemic has gotten him rethinking the way the business should be run and what a business model could look like in the new normal.

“In this business, when one sector gets affected, the others feel it. For instance, price increase on raw materials will affect the rest of the sectors that are tied to the F&B business as well,” Gomez highlights,

The pandemic brought on a new series of challenges. Along with other industry players, the group has had to cut down on staff and halt ongoing expansion plans. With around 10 percent of the staff cut, Gomez and his team started to think how they wanted to position themselves in time to come.

“We started considering our locations, cost-controls and even held talks with landlords.”