FedeGroup: Excellence and Innovation in the F&B Sector
We are pleased to have had the opportunity to interview Mirko Sanna, Sales Director at FedeGroup.
FedeGroup is a renowned company, not only in Italy but throughout Europe, in the hospitality F&B industry. The key pillars of their success include the high level of professionalism of their team and the ability to create unique relationships with client facilities. Other differentiating factors include the vast experience accumulated over more than 15 years of activity, and the presence of a centralized and integrated structure between the different divisions, which allows constant monitoring and prompt response to sudden market changes.
B: Hi Mirko, tell us what FedeGroup is all about.
MS: Certainly, currently FedeGroup operates three main business areas:
- Our historical core business is hotel F&B services, which makes up more than 60% of our total revenue. This component is crucial because hoteliers are increasingly seeking excellence and quality. FedeGroup offers its support in hotel F&B management, adapting to each type of client and their needs. We also help with staff recruitment, a crucial aspect for the industry now.
- The second area concerns the direct management of hotel facilities, as in the case of Villa Barbarich and Punta Molino in Ischia. We actively engage in operational and administrative management.
- Finally, the third area is retail or roadside F&B, which represents a new challenge faced by our group.
In summary, FedeGroup's strength comes from its versatility and the extensive experience we have accumulated in different sectors.
B: What is your previous experience? How long have you been active in the restaurant industry?
MS: My background in the restaurant industry is somewhat atypical. Before taking this path, I worked in various industries, including telecommunications, private equity, and even fashion. Only later did I discover my passion for the Food & Beverage (F&B) industry through my entrepreneurial experience and the opening of three restaurants in Padua and its province.
B: What is your current view of the restaurant industry?
MS: The world of F&B services has transformed considerably. Today, it can no longer be managed superficially; combining passion with business management is essential. A business approach is needed to deal successfully with the many complexities of the industry.
B: Speaking of excellence, what are the critical success factors within FedeGroup that make it possible to keep the standards high? Do you have any new goals?
MS: Within FedeGroup, we maintain standards of excellence through several critical aspects. First, we are known for our maniacal attention to detail, ensuring every aspect is taken care of with precision. In addition, we aim for sophistication, both in the dishes and in the overall experience offered to our customers. Caring for the customer and the environment in which we operate is another essential element. Finally, the professionalism we offer our partners is a key pillar of our success.
We’re looking forward to many new things: internationalization and expansion in the Middle East, where we already boast of our facilities, retail development with our Baessato, Nabucco, and Golocious formats, and finally, further expansion in the world of hotels where we already support more than 50 facilities.
B: In the current environment, research and staff training pose a significant challenge. How do you manage your resources?
MS: Starting September 2023, we launched our Academy project, a school dedicated to training all industry professionals, ranging from chefs to assistant chefs to waiters. We will enthusiastically welcome those who wish to learn and especially those who are passionate about this industry. Upon completion of the training, they will be ready to join our team in the various facilities.
We are proud that we have created a strong sense of belonging among our employees, which goes beyond mere economic remuneration. They feel they are part of a project with shared goals and show a remarkable willingness to learn. At FedeGroup, we offer not only job opportunities, but also a life path that allows them to travel, discover new places and take on new professional challenges.
B: How do you ensure customer satisfaction and consistency in quality?
MS: Since joining FedeGroup, I have become familiar with TrustYou. This tool offers tremendous potential, allowing us to conduct internal and external analysis of customer reputation and satisfaction easily and efficiently. Thanks to this software, we are able to meticulously analyze those details that really make a difference and, most importantly, get a direct view from the customer's perspective and our position in the market.
It is of crucial importance for us not to disappoint the customer's expectations: we want them to perceive the extra effort we put in everything, so that they want to return. Therefore, managing any issues that may arise and actively gather feedback on the service we provide is a number one priority for us.
B: How do you integrate TrustYou for the accommodations contracting F&B services from FedeGroup?
MS: TrustYou is a key resource in our operations and is used for several purposes. First, we employ it on a daily basis to monitor the performance of the facilities in our portfolio, focusing in particular on F&B performance and evaluating the overall performance of the facility accordingly. In addition, we often compare the performance of an individual hotel against the chain, by conducting a performance analysis that is critically important in our relationships with our partnerships.
In addition, TrustYou is a valuable tool for evaluating our competitors and mapping potential partnerships, especially in specific periods or geographic areas. Finally, the data we gather through TrustYou is used as KPIs to monitor goals and results, both for our internal team and for our partner accommodations.
