As Pirata Group’s 10th anniversary approaches standing at the cutting edge of Hong Kong’s F&B scene, co-founder Christian Talpo has returned to lead the restaurant group as interim Chief Operating Officer (CEO), effective from Jan. 8.
In 2014, Christian and his co-founding partner Manuel Palacio opened Italian restaurant Pirata in Wan Chai, which has since become a reliable favourite in the neighbourhood. Today, Pirata Group counts 26 restaurants and 16 brands in its ever-expanding portfolio, serving 1.5 million guests each year.
Boasting over 30 years in F&B development, Christian took leave from Pirata Group’s day-to-day operations in 2019, instead serving on the group’s Board of Directors.
With his recent return as interim CEO, Christian says that team well-being and operational excellence will be the top priorities for the group, explaining, “Our people come first, followed by the guests – and profitability is the outcome of the first two done right. We will invest into developing teams that deliver an enhanced guest experience and culinary excellence.”
“This is a show of force, that we as founders don’t limit ourselves to giving instructions from an ivory tower. Instead, we are willing and able to join our teams on the front line. It’s really simple. We serve unconditional hospitality to one guest, one table, and one round of service at a time,” he stated in a statement to staff.
In this statement, Christian also thanked former CEO Steen Puggaard for leading the group during this testing post-COVID period.
