Page 78 - HOSPES DREAMS Summer

Does the DSTAGE allow you to be yourself?
Absolutely. It represents me and also my team a 100% , and everything is done by the people that started working with me from the beginning, which is nice. We have an open kitchen so clients are in contact with us and everyone has a key role. We are a community, each one with their own story and identity, we are Dstagers.
What has the project been like? In three years, you have been awarded two Michelin stars again.
It has been amazing, dizzying, and it still is! It’s like if we opened yesterday. We see it on people’s reactions, and the amazing things that happen to us. In the last three years, we had more than 80,000 reservation requests, of which we could only attend 35.000. We work non-stop and that keeps us constantly improving. Now our biggest challenge is to improve the reservation system so that we can attend all the requests that we get.
Isn’t it reassuring ? Aren’t you pleased with it?
On the contrary. We want to properly meet customers’ demands and that isn’t easy. I am thankful for what I have, but it is a great responsibility. I know I’m lucky, but at the same time I want to attend as many people as possible, which is hard at the moment.
How is the DSTAGE experience?
I want my cuisine to be close to people. To me, that closeness is a luxury. I want customers to relax, feel comfortable, and enjoy without any pressure. You don’t need to be an expert to enjoy it. I clearly bet on young customers.
Older customers are used to haute cuisine, so it doesn’t impress them anymore. But young customers are easier to impress, not only because of the price, since eating at DSTAGE costs as much as a concert or a ticket for the Champions League, but also because it’s something new to them, and they shouldn’t feel ignorant. I should be the one advising them the best pairing option. e message behind is not just the cuisine, we also want to show what’s in the background, the people that work here and the customer’s comfort. We don’t want customers to get stressed, that’s why we opted for an open kitchen that shows the attractiveness of the restaurant. Many people describe us as a ballet, that’s why we are DSTAGE.
Having weekends off is not very common when you own a restaurant. Why did you decide to do it that way?
e restaurant has been full for three years, which requires lots of work. It is physically and mentally exhausting. e best reward I could give to my team is to let them have weekends o . I couldn’t o er a higher
salary, but I could give them higher life standards. I met with them and reached an agreement that suits us. I can’t please everyone, because some people would like to dine at DSTAGE on a Saturday, and get really upset when they realise they can’t. However, it is also important that customers see happy people working here.
What’s the common thread of your cuisine?
It’s more and more about freedom, because I get to express
myself. To me, cuisine is like a language. I don’t like sticking to a single cooking style, my cuisine is more of an identity. I hope customers that eat at DSTAGE see me in my dishes. My cuisine is an extension of myself, if I travel, it will be re ected on my cooking. It is not static, just like life. I´m always trying new things for my dishes, and I really enjoy the creative process. What I re ect on my dishes are these experiences, my daily life, and my stories.