Valentines Edition - LAS IGUANAS NEWSLETTER

I want to greet you with a pleasant and provocative ‘Helloooo’, because there is a bundle of cheeky benefits sweeping Iguanaland for you to make the most of. Trust me, when I say the month ahead is full of carnival antics, Latin love and exciting proposals to give you guys something to shout about.

Don’t forget sharing is caring and with the ’Big Restaurant Survey’ coming up we are arranging a little ménage à trois between us, the rest of CDG and Morar (the company providing and analysing the results). So we want you to tell us how you’re feeling, so we can learn how we can improve for the future.

Hi Team Iguanas

It’s great to see some good solid sales numbers coming in during January. It really feels like we have the feel good factor back. Let’s keep it there and push on.

We have some exciting openings coming online in the next few months up to May, which include Brunswick (London), Newcastle, York, Harrogate and Basingstoke.

It’s a big year for the brand with so many openings and refurbishments in the plan. What’s really critical is that not only do we continue delivering great hospitality to our guests, we actually improve! I was absolutely delighted to read that our ratio of great Trip Advisor scores is growing. In January alone we are looking at approximately 500 positive reviews versus 35 negatives. That’s industry leading so you know. Great Hospitality is key when driving repeat visits, so very well done to everyone. And it’s not just us who provide great service out there, I would like to give a big shout out to the team at Belgo Centraal who did a great job of looking after our Head Chefs and General Managers in early January. Great hospitality by the entire team, Many Thanks!

And finally, We are heading into the month of love…. Yes that’s right… 14th Feb is here again when couples feel the need to eat in our restaurants with thoughts of Latin Love!

Out of curiosity, I googled “Latin Love” and this delightful image popped up!

Errrrm… enjoy ladies!

Anyway…. Let’s make it a night to remember for all our guests over the Lovers weekend…. And remember please don’t stare at the ones having blazing arguments over who had the last tortilla… just get them another one on the house!

Adios

Mos

Now that we are under the CDG umbrella, a harmonisation process has meant some of our benefits can be shared. Well I’m pleased to announce that you guys now get…

50% off entry to Merlin attractions which include,

Theme parks, Sealife centres, the dungeons and Madame Tussauds.

50% off of food & alcohol in the CDG restaurants.

Discount Scheme.

New Employee Assistance Programme.

All restaurants should have received a document giving you the full details of each benefit, so if you have any questions please ask your GM or contact [email protected]

Whilst everyone else was taking down their decorations, Las Iguanas were warming up for Santa, as restaurants up and down the country began to organise their belated Christmas parties.

Not to be outdone by the shenanigans which included dodgeball, pub golf and random meals, every GM & HC met in London for their annual conference update, before hitting the town HARD.

Big thanks to Belgo Centraal for accommodating our party with excellent hospitality, food and copious amounts of JD, (you kept a lot of chefs happy).

As promised the 3 restaurants with the best upsell on the Carmenere Veromonte

would win a place to a top premier league match, with overnight stay, dinner and drinks. Liverpool Vs. Arsenal was the match and what a game it turned out to be.

The winners were…

OXFORD- Karol Fiuk SPITALFIELDS - Csaba Pinczel WOKING - Kieron McRoberts

Gary Cahill popped by to say hello in our Milton Keynes restaurant. Luckily Jan Nova was on hand to grab a selfie.

Team Exeter showing off their brand new

5-a-side Las Iguanas branded football kit.

3 lucky chefs, a chef buddy and an Operations Manager won a little overnight trip to the

Lamb Weston factory in the Netherlands. It included a full day tour around the factory to see where our potatoes come from and how our lovely chips are made followed by an overnight stay with dinner and drinks in Amsterdam itself.

The winners were...

CHESHIRE OAKS - Lokesh Pandian LAKESIDE- Rehan Akhtar CLIFTON - Jijo Mathew STRATFORD - Sharanu Yaladalu

OP’s MANAGER - Simon Parkinson

Antony Mills spent a day with Master Bartender Dan Jones down at Plymouth recently as he wanted to further his knowledge on our master bartender scheme and help further his own development.

If you have a keen interest in a different area within the business and want to find out more about it, whether it be from management to marketing or even just to experience working in a different restaurant, then just send an email to [email protected] to coordinate your visit.

ROLL-UP, ROLL-UP YOU WILEY LOT!

With planning in full

swing, the 2016 Awards

are set to be ‘The Greatest

Show on Earth’!

After the success of last year’s Gatsby themed event in the abandoned

1920s bank, this year is go-ing NEXT LEVEL with a cir-cus theme and a com-pletely new concept.

Voting will be live on Iguananet soon, so keep your eyes peeled for more info on that and start thinking about who you feel deserves to go.

If you haven’t yet seen the spoof video, then search ‘Las Iguanas Adeleboy’ on Youtube as this is the promo message for the forthcoming ‘Big Restaurant Survey’ that all brands within the CDG group will be getting involved with.

Check your personal emails on the 15th February and

click on the link to leave feedback of how you are feeling here at Las Iguanas. Our aim is to review the reports that come out of this and act on the feedback you give to help you Live the Latin Life.

As everyone prepares adequately to take the crown from our reigning champ of the Best Bartender Competition, Dan Smith (MB), the full details of the competition are below...

The final will be held on portable bars located in the outside terrace of our Spitalfields market restaurant, in full view of the general public.

Whilst a DJ plays some tunes, contestants will fight out over 4 gruelling (and fun) rounds of bartending tests including mixology, free pouring, speed and ingenuity.

So spread the word and anyone who happens to be in the area, pop on down for the all day event.

THE RACE IS DONE. THE SLATE IS CLEAN.

A NEW BEGINNING HAS BEGUN, YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS…

Yes people, we are already into the brand new Race to Rio year and the same rules apply.

We had some cracking performances in the last Rio race, so please all hail the kings and queens that will be sampling first hand authentic Latin American hospitality, whilst experiencing the best Brazilian culture that Rio De

Janeiro has to offer, on this all expenses, once in a lifetime trip…

General Manager Aberdeen General Manager Exeter General Manager Reading Deputy Manager Cambridge Assistant Manager/DM Cardiff Assistant Manager Aberdeen Assistant Manager Resorts World Bar Manager Stratford General Manager Brunswick Square Deputy Manager Brunswick Square Assistant Manager Brunswick Square General Manager Chelmsford Deputy Manager Chelmsford Assistant Manager Chelmsford General Manager Bromley Deputy Manager Bromley Assistant Manager Bromley General Manager Brighton Marina Deputy Manager Brighton Marina Assistant Manager Brighton Marina General Manager York Assistant Manager/DM York Deputy Manager Basingstoke Assistant Manager Basingstoke Deputy Manager Newcastle Quays Head Chef Oxford Head Chef Blackpool Sous Chef Newport Senior SC/SC/Junior SC Edinburgh Sous Chef/Junior Sous Chef Birmingham Resorts Sous Chef Lakeside

Senior Sous Chef Harbourside Sous Chef Norwich Junior Sous Chef Blackpool Junior Sous Chef Newport Junior Sous Chef Leamington Spa Junior Sous Chef Mermaid Quay Junior Sous Chef Spitalfields Junior Sous Chef/Sous Chef Newcastle Junior Sous Chef/Sous Chef Meadowhall Head Chef Chelmsford Sous Chef Chelmsford Junior Sous Chef Chelmsford Head Chef Bromley Sous Chef Bromley Junior Sous Chef Bromley Head Chef Brighton Marina Sous Chef Brighton Marina Junior Sous Chef Brighton Marina Head Chef Brunswick Square Junior Sous Chef Brunswick Square Sous Chef Braintree Junior Sous Chef Braintree Sous Chef York Junior Sous Chef York Head Chef Harrogate Sous Chef Harrogate Head Chef Newcastle Quays Sous Chef Newcastle Quays Head Chef Basingstoke Sous Chef Basingstoke Junior Sous Chef Basingstoke

That's right peeps, Las Iguanas is 25 years old, so we are looking to celebrate all year round and want

everyone to know about it!

Like a pimped up P Diddy party with party poppers, we want to know your ideas of how YOU think we should celebrate this quarter of a century milestone!

• We’re looking for the best ideas for how each site can join in the celebrations and how we can get the message out there to the masses.

• We would love to put together a montage of all of you singing happy birthday or sending us your birthday messages.

• Also have a look back through those photos of your site from the very beginning and send them in to us so we can share with our guests (we will be asking them to do the same).

The best ideas will win anything from vouchers to nights out and for the very best idea there is something

even bigger on offer! So get those ideas in… it could be anything from a birthday party in each site to an

Iguanas festival... YOU DECIDE!!!!

“Great family restaurant ”

Reviewed 1 week ago NEW via mobile Myself and my family love it here. My daughter loves the kids menu, also love that the baby food is free. Staff a lovely, very friendly, great with kids. All servers I've had in the past the kids have loved. They make my kids laugh. Food on top is amazing, always fresh. It's nice to be treated on birthdays, the server gives the birthday boy/girl/man/women a free drink with a candle to blow out. It makes your evening complete. Thanks again will definitely return, highly recommended. Xxx

“Birthday meal out ”

Reviewed 6 days ago NEWvia mobile

22 of us booked a table for a family members 21st birthday!! I wasn't looking forward to it at all as such big numbers usually mean terrible service and a long wait! THIS WAS NOT THE CASE!! The staff were excellent. The drinks and food brought out in a timely manner with not one mistake!!! Our main server was Dave and he really couldn't have been more helpful. He was efficient, friendly and warm and is an absolute credit to Las Iguanas!! The food as always was of a high standard and the 2 4 1 cocktails go down a treat but Dave was the star of the show!!

NEWPORT I recently visited las iguanas in friars walk. It was our first time and from the moment we set foot into your restaurant we were made to feel welcome. We were greeted by a lovely young lady called Reagan who seated us right away and helped us with the menu. My husband cant eat spicy things and she was able to recommend plenty for him to choose from. Throughout the evening she continued to make sure we were enjoying ourselves and that we were happy. And i must say the food was wonderful and the atmosphere was great. We will definitely be returning. READING The waiter Austin was fantastic! the restaurant was really busy and he was completely attentive to every table! he remembered who had or-dered what, and all the food and drinks came out exactly as we or-dered. We had a vegan friend dining with us and he knew exactly what her options were and what changes could be made to the vege-tarian options to make them vegan friendly. I ordered a chicken burger which unfortunately you had run out of so I said beef is fine, but Austin came back a few minutes later to say they had sourced some chicken from the restaurant next door and I could now order exactly what I wanted. We have been to las iguanas reading and Milton Keynes many times before and its always a favourite choice of ours, but Austin has made the experience incredible! He is a real asset to the team! I will mention the night to other friends and work colleagues and recom-mend they visit. Please pass these comments onto him and thank him for a truly great evening! GWQ I'd just like to call out a big thanks to Millie at the Gunwharf restaurant. I eat out a lot travelling with work, but the service i received from Millie today was truly refreshing. All too often i'm greeted by glum faced waiting staff who are just doing a job. Millie was cheerful, fully ex-plained the menu and made sure i had a great meal. Her customer ser-vice skills were outstanding! I will definitely be returning. WEMBLEY Just wanted to praise the manageress, Alejandra and all the waiting staff who are some of the friendliest and most professional I have met.