You should Run to Stand Firmly on Your Feet: Gayane Breiova
Armenian successful representative of restaurant business Gayane Breiova (Afyan) was in Armenia a few days ago. She was born and grew up in Yerevan, currently lives in Moscow and represents Armenian cuisine at “Gayane’s” restaurant, established by her and known to the many. Gayane’ way to success is complicated, curious and extremely instructive, which motivates people, makes them act and create something new, their own.
Gayane Breiova has her own approaches on how to reach success in restaurant business, obtained with time, lessons of life comprised of success and failures, which one of Moscow’s most famous restaurateurs and consultants of restaurant business shared with readers or 168.am.
Gayane established and developed a few restaurants and cafes, two of which—“Gayane’s” and “ПАНАЕХАЛИ” [from Russian: come in large numbers] she heads until now. There is not a single issue in business, which Gayane isn’t aware of, as it’s said – by 200%.
Gayane started her first steps in restaurant business in 1994 as a waitress. In 2001 she starts developing her own restaurants. She is also the author of “Cuisine of Gayane-Jan: Armenian culinary recipes.” She is also an active propagandist of Armenia and Armenian culture in Russia. 168.am met Gayane at LOFT self-development center, where in the full hall she appeared with a master class.
“My heart is in Moscow and my soul—in Armenia”
After I moved two Moscow I found a job of a waitress in one of well-known local restaurants. It was a hotel complex, exclusively for diplomats. Entrance was available only to the citizens of Czech Republic and Slovakia with their families. I simply said I needed a job and I’m ready to do anything offered by them. I succeeded to get the job only due to my knowledge of Czech and Slovenian. I wasn’t ashamed of my job, and was even proud that I had a job, and that’s the reason I was doing it with love and devotedness. Besides, I had a careful attitude towards any visitor. Only years later, when I was analyzing my achievements and omissions, I understood what a crucial circumstance was sincere and careful attitude in restaurant business, particularly, when each visitor appreciates it. This is a feature, which I particularly didn’t need learning. Yes, I learnt lots of technical issues, but not what is inside me, as an Armenian woman. Now I always say to my employees, that it’s a very important issue, it’s secondary whether you’ll serve the food from the left or from the right. The visitor will forgive you for that, but he/she will never forgive and forget careless or rude attitude. I was lucky, as I opened my eyes in the Armenian family, and I didn’t need to learn that, and I learnt to cook at an early age. I have always loved cuisine. Of course, I was mistaken in some technical issues, but I was giving so much love to the people, that they adored me.
“What I understood while working as a waitress”
I learnt crucial lessons, which became fatal for my further business plans. The first lesson learnt was that you need to support your partner, and he/she should always know, that he/she has someone worth doing something for, and you won’t leave when any problem emerges. The second lesson was when you see potential in your competitor, you should keep him/her, as the most crucial value is human capital. All the rest is utopia, and simply not true. Any business will work only when you’re surrounded by your supporters and you’ll be able to inspire them to love what you do. Believe me, it’s a pleasure working with associates and see outcomes of your developing business.
“Who are those waiters?”
Until now work of the waiter isn’t appreciated the way it should be. Contemporary professionals should do their best, and while recruiting people as waiters/waitresses, they should, first and foremost, learn all the nuances to have the right to work. They should pass real psychological tests to clarify whether they can or have the right to work in the field of food service, and whether they are ready to do that job with sincere devotedness and joy.
“This restaurant had an indescribable, wonderful director, who gave me such a lesson in life, a ‘slap’…”
My second workplace was “Noyan tapan” [Noah’s ark] Armenian restaurant in Moscow, when they were refusing to take me in case when I passed specialized classes, management, high mathematics and etc. They weren’t recruiting me for the simple reason that I didn’t have a work experience as a manager. You know, that restaurant had an indescribable, wonderful director, who gave a lesson for life, a ‘slap,’ which started with laughing at me for half a year, moreover, rather harshly and inhumanly, as she was categorically against my working there. She was always saying in presence of all that I was fat, and my high-heeled shoes looked vulgar, and that I didn’t have the right to kiss my Armenian guests when leaving and etc. Every time I had to enter my room, dry my tears and leave it with a smile to serve the guests. Nothing could make me leave the restaurant, as she was a mega professional. I learnt an irreplaceable lesson and the most crucial circumstance, which is worth paying attention to, is the content and not the form.
“Do you have a mind of an employee or a leader?”
There are two types of perceptions regarding how you perceive yourself—as one who serves or leads? These are radically different approaches and psychologies, I don’t mean good or bad. You should ask to yourself: who am I? I think, the hardest way to reach success in any job is being sincere to yourself. I say this, as when I came to work in “Noyan tapan” restaurant, I was 23. I sincerely gave that question to me, and I realized that I’m a leader inside. I was feeling that difference, which was really observed in small details. For instance, I was always asking to give more jobs to do, and I was appearing with initiatives in case when my colleagues were saying why I needed that as I wasn’t getting extra payment for that. You know, there is an awful trap, when you start thinking of yourself more, than what you really are. It’s dangerous even for health and psychology. But it’s not also right to underestimate your capabilities. It’s very important to realize your role and potential. When you are ready to invest your own money and not that of others, that time you are definitely bearer of the psychology of a leader, and inevitably, big perspectives are waiting for you.
“The best partner is its absence”
Problems always emerge, when you have to make joint decisions. If you find a partner, who will say: here is the money and do what you want and just show me the report, then, believe me, you appeared in fantasy. Generally, if your founded business doesn’t make you happy, you’re are on a dangerous way. There is one circumstance very crucial for the business of restaurant owner: they should perceive development tendencies with fantastic speed, in other words, to stand firmly on your feet, you need to run, particularly, in megapolises. As a result of this decision I opened my bar-restaurant, in case, when I didn’t even have the experience of operating a bar. However, I understood if I didn’t take that step, I’d record a regress in business and it would happen, if I didn’t take the risk. My bar was very popular in Moscow until I realized I needed to return to the restaurant format, where food is dominant. Business is like a small child—it is quickly offended. In any case, I made a decision to return to the idea of a restaurant, especially, when food inspires me.
“I allow my employees to make mistakes, so that they’re mistaken on my account as well”
Cuisine is an important part of my business. God forbid, if my cook did something wrong in the kitchen. I will literally make him/her two halves. If the cook in my restaurant will ever think of making and serving a bad-quality food to the visitor, I’ll make him/her taste for himself/herself or throw it in the recycle bin, pay for that and make a new one. This is manifestation of personal responsibility, that every service provider should realize. Yes, I often become unpredictable. I may shout, I may offend my employees when I notice something unacceptable for me, but I do it not deliberately, not for harming them. The most important factor to be recruited to my restaurant is kindness. To have the right to approach to the food and serve it to the visitor, one should be a kind person. I can say for sure, all my employees are kind in their nature, and I’m convinced evil people have no place in the kitchen. An evil person transfers that energy to the food, which suffers from it. It’s a proven fact. I allow my employees make mistakes, also on my account, but I started to pay more attention on interpersonal state of my employees, as business is not only a mechanism for investing money and providing benefit.
“When I understood I’m ready to sign under the food made by me, I made a decision to open an Armenian restaurant”
It was really a hard decision for me, as we are all Armenians, and we know their approaches and features, when something is wrong. In any case, we have that kind of nature and I’m happy and proud for that type. Thus, I made a decision to open “Gayane’s” restaurant, and regarding choice of the name, let me confess, I wasn’t modest enough [smiles—N.M.]. The Armenian community of Moscow adopted my project. It was rather successful despite all the difficulties. I categorically banned music in this restaurant, only calm one. Here we organize Armenian cultural projects—Yerevan days, memorial days of Arno Babajanyan, Aram Khachatryan and other great Armenians. One of my friends, Gor, told me I’m successful, as I established a restaurant not for Armenians, but about Armenians. There is a great difference here. The restaurant has a living aura and the most important here is that besides traditional Armenian dishes, there is a separate menu—contemporary Armenian cuisine, where my authorized dishes may be found, for which I’m very proud. My restaurant staff consists of Armenians—both the chefs and waiters.
“We need contemporary Armenian cuisine”
It’s high time we started to invest contemporary tendencies into our cuisine. I did it in “Gayane’s” long ago. With pure Armenian products and recipes, due to some improvisations I create new Armenian dishes, which we need now. Any national cuisine is distinguished by two features—food and cook’s hands, which in this case should be exclusively Armenian. You now, our Armenian cuisine is very rich and tasty, but it needs to be modernized.
“My philosophy”
Never complain of your life. Never speak of your pains, only to a doctor, as what you give to the world returns to you with the power of a boomerang from Space. Where you are standing now is a result of your decisions and concrete steps. Maturity is of utmost importance, which comes with years and experience. And remember, people came to this world only to be happy.
Never and for nothing sacrifice your happiness. If you reached some success, a goal, for which you fought for a long time, then encourage yourself, love yourself sincerely, not more and not less, but as much as you’re worth. Seeking for money, spouse, it doesn’t matter—the desire is important. So to have it, you need to find someone with the same goals and desires like you. And sincerely rejoice for the success of the person you found. This is the formula which will make you really happy. Sincerely give him/her the most precious you have and don’t regret for that, as when you open your karma for that person, you absorb his/her problems. And at a certain period your problems are becoming secondary to you. This is a way, which leads you to the person, who maybe will become someone precious and irreplaceable.
By Nvard Manvelyan
