Seeing as it’s summer, we decided to spotlight seven GMs of venues renowned for their excellent outdoor areas. Here’s what CHRIS STEWART of Angels Hotel, Uddingston, had to say.
Six months into the role as GM at Angels Hotel, Chris Stewart, 43, is still finding his feet in a
pub with a fabulous outdoor area that has a capacity of 40 seated and 100 standing. It also has its own bar and big screen showing sports, plus a newly-launched ‘garden
menu.’
He said, “Putting your own stamp on things without changing the dynamic or compromising the business, and trying to communicate and implement new policy to a team of 100, has its challenges. We have high staff retention and I want to maintain that, so it’s a case of easy does it.”
It’s also a busy place. “With about 400 covers a day, it’s difficult to maintain that personal touch,” he added.
Chris thinks that there are certain qualities that every GM must have in order to make a success of their team and venue. He explained, “You have to be hard working, make personal sacrifice and be loyal. It’s no good jumping from place to place. You must nurture a team by sticking at it.”
Chris also worked in Glasgow nightclubs and some of his former customers have literally followed him to Angels. He explained, “Angels is like a city centre venue in a suburb and there’s so much loyalty from locals, plus I also recognise a lot of faces from my Glasgow
nightclub past.”