Cooperation with the kitchen works at the highest level

Without a doubt, gastronomy is an essential part of the Trinity Hotels & Resorts experience and we wouldn't enjoy it so much without delicious drinks and cocktails. We also talked to the new Head of F&B Manager at Hotel SITNO, Jozef "Laky" Lakota, about the importance of harmonious F&B (Food & Beverage) and cuisine, who we will introduce to you in the article.

When a management position becomes available, we always look within our own ranks first. It's preferable because these are already established people who know how things work in our company. Before Sitno, I worked for two years in another hotel also as a manager, but from the first time I came to Hotel Sitno, I knew I wanted to be here and work here and I have stayed here ever since.

Why did you choose the F&B route?

I enjoy working with people, combining drinks and gastro. That's also why I chose a hotel academy as my high school. I started as a waiter, then head waiter until I got into F&B management and worked my way up to my current Head position within the Food and Beverage section.

What do you like about working at Hotel SITNO?

Sitno prides itself on being a family hotel and you can feel it here. And I don't just mean that in terms of the baby friendly concept, but also in terms of the atmosphere among the staff. I haven't found colleagues here at Hotel Sitno, but a lot of friends who are like family to me. When I was still F&B manager, I was more or less staying at the hotel for 3 days and had 3 days off. This means that I spent almost 50 percent of my time here and Sitno became a quasi second home for me.

What are your vision and goals as Head of F&B manager?

First and foremost, I'm looking to build a strong and stable team, I see that as the foundation. Our success is based on our people and we as a management team are also based on that. In order to thrive, we need to have capable and quality colleagues. I have to stress that for the situation the gastro is currently in, we are doing very well in team building. After all the crown waves, Hotel SITNO has a superior quality staff.

In addition, I would like to push the boundaries within our beverage offerings. We're going to update the wine list and we're also planning to try new cocktail trends that people just don't come across in Slovakia.

Where do you find inspiration for new drinks?

The biggest inspiration is my colleagues, because we all work together as a team to create the drinks menu or wine list. We give everyone a free hand whether it's my managers, F&B supervisors, bartenders or waiters. Everyone in the F&B department can create their own fantasy drinks, mixed drinks that they come up with themselves. We order the ingredients, mix the drink, taste it, and when it suits us, we incorporate it into the drink menu. The drink can then be named by the creator. We have a lineup of mixed drinks on each menu that are made up of standard drinks that you can get anywhere else and then our own fantasy drinks, mixed from the creative ideas of our staff.

What would you like to share with readers of this article?

Here I'd like to stress the importance of collaboration between the different departments of F&B and the kitchen. For things to work properly, people need to understand and listen to each other. Also in life and work, various unexpected situations arise and we need to be able to react quickly together, agree and resolve the situation so that both the guest and us, i.e. the establishment, are satisfied. Cooperation across departments is really very important and must be at the highest level.

As far as the cooperation between the kitchen and F&B is concerned, I really appreciate how it works here at Hotel SITNO. We are a great bunch of people who respect each other and are going for the same goal. Things work the way they should here and our guests feel it.

Thank you for your answers!

Read also the full interview with Chef Braň from Hotel SITNO: You have to cook with your heart.