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Marco Giannasi

Entrepreneur/ Mentor/ Serving the Future

  • What was your favourite subject at school?

My favourite subject at college was Architecture and Design.

  • What was your first job?

I can classify as my first job running my father’s restaurant L’Ariosto after he passed away and had to learn very fast.

  • Which is your favourite restaurant /hotel?

My favourite Hotel is Prestonfield House Hotel and as for a restaurant I don’t want to be biasedly after Battlefield Rest, I would say The Buttery.

  • How do you inspire your team

I always believed to have a loyal and dedicated team you must lead by example, I worked and shared together with our staff any problems or challenges and listened for any stress related issues in need of help and sometimes counselling had to be considered.

  • Which person in hospitality have you most admired / inspired you?

I have to say my father as he was in the forefront of the early years of hospitality in Glasgow in the 1950’s by opening the very first Italian restaurant and at that time it was an exceptional challenge especially after the war when Italians were still looked at as been on the wrong side.

  • How do you manage your stress levels?

Now that I am semiretired, I realise how my stress levels was before, I have stepped now in to a very new environment that I never experienced in my 50 years working which is to live a normal life going for a walk actually meeting old friends having time for the family and going to bed at night sleeping until the next morning, something that before never happened.

  • Instagram, Twitter or Facebook – and why?

The Media now is an essential tool if used correctly to make new contacts advertise and promote a business is essential for any new venture for communication and marketing, I found it essential in the past few years especially during Covid when we were completely isolated from the world and the only lifeline for us was FB Instagram and Twitter.

  • If you had not gone into hospitality, where do you
    think you would be now?

if I was not in Hospitality my dream was to be an Architect, I always been interested in building and restorations like Battlefield Rest, fortunately one of my daughters is an Architect and lecturer!

  • What did you do on your last days off?

Last days off? Not quite sure if related to me retiring or from work in general, in any case any time off we spend to go for walks and absorb nature which is the best therapy to relax and enjoy the moment.

  • What do you do to relax, to support your wellbeing?

To support my wellbeing, five years ago I undertook Martial Arts, and this decision has honestly changed my life and health. I would strongly advise at any age for anyone to do it, is a complete programme of fitness, strength, balance, coordination, reflexes, and much more. Exercise is one of the most important factors in our life especially in our business and for Chefs, Managers, Front of House, KP’s, all need support to perhaps introduce a fitness programme that would be allowed in our industry to care for staff in general also trough exercise. There should be an allowance for anyone wanting to join a gym, a club or in bigger establishments fitness classes should become a part of their benefit package.