Silver Chef Blog

Undertaking these visits is critical to our business – one can read customer and dealer feedback and analyse customer satisfaction reports but the reality is as the CEO if you want to know what’s happening in the market you need to get out there and talk to your dealers and clients.

Of course this task is made all the easier when you are looking after a brand that focuses on the hospitality industry and with eating out being one of life’s great pleasures as you can imagine, many of these fact finding missions are carried out in some of Australia’s best restaurants.

Earlier this year, amongst the many hundreds of hospitality equipment deals we finance an application came through for Pinocchio restaurant in Adelaide owned and operated by a young Italian family who emigrated to Australia from Terni in Italy. In a business-like and clinical manner the application was systematically approved and settled and the necessary equipment provided. From a business perspective an easy transaction that would have appeared on a report or key performance indicator over the following days and months.

Last week I found myself in Pinocchio restaurant in Adelaide with Paul Shields (the dealer who provided the equipment that Silver Chef financed). What a wonderful experience it was to see a young emigrant family working in their family business, giving service to their clientele with passion and pride and trying to do the best they could for their clients. The whole family mom, dad and even their three year old son seemed to be involved in the restaurant. For the young child I would think the restaurant is to him just an extension of their home were many “friends” come by day to day to enjoy the food that the family prepares. I found myself feeling unusually emotional about witnessing this and I actually withdrew from the lunch time “business” conversation while I gathered my thoughts and emotions and reflected on what was unfolding in front of my eyes. This was far from an “equipment funding opportunity” for Silver Chef –in some small way we had contributed to a young family living their dream and getting a start in Australia.

When the outcome of one’s efforts is helping people live their dreams and the industry you operate in is focused on satisfying one of life’s great pleasures – it all adds up to a pretty good work environment....which probably explains why we are now recognised as one of the top 25 preferred employers in Australia – bit more on that in my next blog. For now I’m finding comfort in the knowledge that next time I dine out, there’s a good chance that Silver Chef to some degree assisted in helping the owner of that restaurant, cafe, coffee shop or takeaway get to where they are today. “To live their dream.”

Charles