Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Maybe Sammy, the Sydney-based bar, has won rave reviews not just for their fun, inventive cocktails and stunning bar design, but for their unique style of service. Maybe Sammy opened in 2019 to much fanfare, and has quickly secured a number of prestigious international and local awards. The winner of the inaugural Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award at last year’s World’s 50 Best Bars ceremony, Maybe Sammy has brought a fresh new take on what is generally considered gold-standard hospitality in cocktail bars. Maybe Sammy’s interiors We spoke with Maybe Sammy’s co-owner, Martin Hudak about how the art of hospitality has changed during the pandemic and how they can continue to bring their best to the table, in these restricted times. What were the biggest challenges you faced during the pandemic and how did you overcome them? To be honest, we have been very lucky with the pandemic situation in Australia. Apart from the four-month lockdown, we were able to remain open for the last two years and are as busy as ever. Our team really pushed hard even during their downtime at home and continued to stay alert and stay engaged with the company. We organized online masterclasses, trivia nights and regular phone checks to make sure that we are all on the same page and in a good mood in these hard times. What are the hallmarks of good hospitality? It is the ability to read your guests and know what they want even before they know it. Be one step ahead and make sure you surprise your guest when they don’t expect it. It is also the ability to create a connection with them and make their night memorable, rather than just one particular drink they had. We treat our guests not the way we want be treated but the way they want to be treated. It is always about them, not us. Martin Hudak Do you have mentors or inspirations that have influenced your approach to customer service? Inspiration is literally everywhere from fine-dining restaurants to the local pubs. You can improve a lot by observing others – not only in good ways but bad ones too. We look up to a few people who approach hospitality in the same way as us. For example, Masa from Katana Kitten in New York or the guys from Camparino Galleria in Milan. Offering bottled cocktails was one of the ways bars pivoted during the pandemic in order to survive. Do you think that this will become standard practice in bars moving forward? One hundred percent! Bottled cocktails are and will be a standard segment in retail offering. If someone goes for a party and wants to buy alcohol as a present for their friends, we think they will steer away from wine or a premium bottle of gin and buy bottled cocktails. We were one step ahead at the beginning of the pandemic. We designed our own bottles and created a strong marketing program for our Maybe Sammy Bottled Cocktails ( https://www.maybesammycocktails.com/ ). We have many listings in premium accounts in Australia and are aiming to hit the big retailers by mid-2022. How do you inject hospitality when the customer is drinking their cocktails at home instead of at the bar? It is all about perception. We prepared various marketing tools for our clients/guests to enjoy them even without our presence, from online masterclasses, video tutorials, ice program service to glassware sales. You’ve all worked in bars around the world. In what ways does a country’s culture influence hospitality? Our team is international with backgrounds from various F&B venues and countries, which allow us to play up their strengths and build the strongest team. As one of the bar owners, I perceive my bar team as a perfectly balanced cocktail or as a strong winning soccer team. It is our responsibility to pair and combine them in a way where their own personalities and strengths will shine through. How does Australian hospitality compare to other parts of the world and is there anything that makes it special? We have access to amazing local produce due Australia’s climate conditions. Being so far away and isolated from the rest of the world, I would say that the Australian bar world is leading their own way in terms of trends without much influence from overseas. Our guests are the most important factor in terms of what is trending and what’s not. The bar industry in Australia is super strong and one of the leading ones in the world. What are some of the common mistakes you’ve seen in bars regarding guest experiences? “Your guests are not always right but they are always your guests.“ This is the biggest problem at the moment: Bartenders putting their ego and knowledge above guests’ needs. We have to focus on them more rather than what is right and what is wrong in our eyes. What advice would you give to bar professionals who want to improve their customer experience? Work on yourself – not as a bartender but as a human being. Work on your body gesture, public speech and vocabulary. Work on your general knowledge so you know what is happening in your local area, even something as simple as the location of the nearest ATM. Sometimes we are way too obsessed with bar topics but we forget about other aspects of hospitality. Also, being a good singer, dancer or magician can work to your advantage to achieve better hospitality and to be unique in your own way. Maybe Sammy’s team Follow Maybe Sammy on Instagram and Facebook, or check out their website for more information and updates. The World’s 50 Best Bars 2021 returns with a live and physical ceremony in north London’s iconic Roundhouse venue and broadcasted live from December 8 at 4:15 am (Manila time). To stay up to date with all news and announcements surrounding The World’s 50 Best Bars 2021, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.