Restaurants are everywhere. How can you stand out from the crowd? Restaurateur and business manager Sebastian Staudinger, decor expert Magda Staudinger and sommelier Stephan Körner know what matters.
‘I've never done what I’m doing now before. Let’s see if it works.’ The subject is duck liver parfait and mettwurst, which Sebastian Staudinger is perfecting in the kitchen of his restaurant, Staudi’s . Magda Staudinger laughs. ‘I’m familiar with this; it happens every other day, both at home and in the restaurant.’ The restaurateur’s business partner and wife waves it off with a dismissive gesture. Because it works. And not just the duck liver. Staudi’s has made a name for itself with its exceptional cuisine and unique ambiance. So, how can restaurants stand out and succeed in the market? The team from the trendy Düsseldorf restaurant, a METRO partner customer at the Düsseldorf Gourmet Festival, shared three success secrets with MPULSE.
‘You need a clear concept. While fixed costs like rent and staff salaries remain steady, variable costs are mainly driven by the cost of goods. Since we only offer a pre-order menu, I can precisely calculate the cost of goods. I know exactly who’s coming and what they’ll be eating. The fixed menu also saves on staff because I can prepare everything and cook most of it myself. And unlike à la carte, we’re not reliant on walk-in customers. This also means I don’t have to worry about whether I’ll fill the restaurant in the evening.’
👉 More on the topic of bookings and no-shows:
‘We all know that fresh flowers don’t last long. My tip is: don’t just throw away a lovely bunch of flowers! Instead, try drying them. This lets you create beautiful floral decorations that will last forever. And dried flower arrangements are also great for concealing things, like unsightly meat hooks on the walls, in our case.’
‘There are established wine pairing rules that you can learn. One of the simplest rules is to pair spicy food with sweet wine. Whether it’s a spicy AOP paired with a Riesling Kabinett or a curry with a Riesling Spätlese, the sweetness of the wine balances the spiciness of the food. The spiciness, in turn, makes the wine taste less sweet and slightly drier. A perfect combination that works every time.’
👉 More on the topic of wine pairing:
‘Ironically, the vegetarian menu, known as ‘Grüner Genuss’ at this location, particularly impressed our inspectors,’ according to the 2024 Michelin Guide. Why ‘ironically’? Because today’s guests dine where hams and knuckles once dangled from hooks: decades ago, this restaurant with its Art Nouveau decor was a butcher’s shop. Historical tiles featuring pigs and cows, old butcher’s hooks (which Magda hides under dried flowers as mentioned above), still hint at this today. The Michelin Guide testers don’t mind – in fact, they recommend the trendy Düsseldorf eatery as one of eight restaurants in Germany where ‘even dedicated meat eaters switch sides,’ according to the inspectors. So whether you’re an omnivore, a vegetarian, a wine lover or a decor enthusiast, you’ll get your money’s worth at Staudi’s.
More about Staudi’s: Where great food meets art and clever ideas.
What do car tyres have to do with fine dining? And why are the inspectors’ recommendations so highly coveted? More about the history – from tyre manufacturer to prize-winning cuisine:
Michelin star: from the open road to the top table.
To Staudi's on the web: www.staudisrestaurant.de
To Staudi's on Instagram: www.instagram.com/staudisrestaurant
Magda's creative channel on Instagram: www.instagram.com/buntbelegt
To the Gourmet Festival on the web: https://gourmetfestivals.de
