LUMIERE CONSULTANCY OPENS MAHIKI MANCHESTER

Take a look at our latest project in Manchester. The global nightclub brand Mahiki has re-launched in Manchester and asked Lumiere to relaunch their menu. Manchester has been a growth area for Lumiere consultancy, and as such a project like Mahiki was a perfect fit for us.

ABOUT MAHIKI-

Mahiki is predominantly a night club, was fitted with a small kitchen and a very tight work space. However the dining area is very large. The capacity to do well over 100 covers is certainly there. We took the Polynesian theme and ran with it, adding poke, sushi and pan-asian small plates to a social dinning menu. The key drivers were that it can be easily delivered but also entirely home made.

It was very important to Adam Karim, the owner of Mahiki , Cibo and Don Giovanni, that the food needed to be of quality and integrity. This project was also a quick turn around for us. Mahiki reopened in the late spring of 2019 and we developed and launched the menu in august 2019, within 4 weeks in fact of the initial call to Lumiere. The food offering needed to compliment their Eat Escape Explore ethos.

HOW WE DID IT-

So phase one began with writing and costing the menu. We had a good understanding of what would work in the space after a site visit. We were inspired by the owners love of certain restaurants. There is also the ambition to roll out these successful changes out across the Mahiki group. We set to work and wrote a menu based around small plates, sushi, poke and bao buns.

Phase two led us to return to Manchester to start developing the menu. We split the tasting into 3 parts and presented food to the owners and management. This is a critical part of the process for us. To have dishes agreed with the owners and managers. Certainly because without this we are unable to complete the training documents and program for the staff.

Further on to the next phase was the training and implementation of the menu. Build and recipe cards were created. With descriptions and pictures of the food, allergens and useful notes for the front of house team. The kitchens recipe cards have precise weights and measures along with step by step instructions.

THE MANC-

During the menu development week we were joined by journalists and a photographer from The Manc who took photos and videos of the food and restaurant for their online magazine. At Lumiere we regularly work with photographers for our client’s websites and social media campaigns. The Manc have a massive on-line presence in Manchester. Subsequent articles have been written about them in the Manchester evening news. https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/special-features/mahiki-new-menu-half-price-16823652

OPENING NIGHT-

We started with a “soft launch” to a few friends and family. For the kitchen and front of house to learn the menu in a controlled environment. This allowed us to get feedback from potential paying guests.  Bence the head chef negotiated a very smooth service. So each subsequent night we built in another 20 covers. Within a few days the menu had become almost second nature. The clear favourites were the sushi and sliders.

Mahiki Manchester is now fully operational. We have trained the front of house and back of house team to execute the menu. Guests are happy, with lots of positive feedback. Lumiere are now looking ahead to Christmas party menus and special events.

CONCLUSION-

To conclude we successfully launched a new menu for Mahiki Manchester that was on brand and on time.

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