LUX Xmas 2018

37 1808LU13 Route5 is a family run business. It is a small restaurant offering authentic dishes of regional cuisine from Abruzzo and Sicily, based on recipes and culinary traditions of their ancestors, without making further changes. Recently, Route5 found success in LUXlife’s 2018’s Leaders in Luxury: Food and Drink as the Most Innovative Italian Food & Cocktail Bar - Southend-on-Sea. On the back of this win, we profiled Route5 and spoke with both Federica Nicche and Stefano Messina to discover more about the fine establishment. Opening its doors in 2015, Route5 is a family run small restaurant, offering their customers authentic dishes of regional cuisine from Abruzzo and Sicily. This is what makes the restaurant different from their competitors: Route5 have focused on the authenticity of the dishes and have not readjusted the recipes. Route5 was born from the passion for Italian cuisine handed down by the owners’ grandparents. The reality in which Route5 lives is a very animated city, where there is a large influx of tourists during the summer. The presence of other local competitors is high, however amongst all the other businesses, they are able to distinguish themselves because their goal is to stay on the path which they have taken since the opening day, as Stefano explains. “Since our industry focuses mainly on true and authentic Italian cuisine, which is based mainly on regional cuisine using only recipes typical of some Italian traditions, this could distinguish our business among competitors. Having many Italian restaurants in the area, we could have problems with competition - especially because our business has not focused on luxurious furnishings but on quality food. At the beginning, this was a problem due to the customers were very biased on the aspect, however, after having tried our dishes, they have become regular customers.” When discussing what sets them apart from their competitors, Federica is keen to inform us of the ways in which Route5 are able to stand out from other similar businesses within their industry. “Route5 is based on technology. The restaurant is connected to all the social networks and communication with them is important for both advertising and for having more contact with the customer who follows us. All the orders taken are transmitted using an Epos system, to make sure all the bills are accurate. “In the hall we have a projector used to project photos of our regions and dishes that are served in our restaurant. We use it in an informative and cultural way to let customers know places that have never been seen in our beautiful regions of Abruzzo and Sicily!” Reflecting on how far the company have developed since their opening in 2015, Federica highlights how the clients’ expectations of the establishment have changed throughout the years. “As customers have become accustomed to a more commercial and fast food, it was difficult at the beginning to understand the production time difference. “When serving freshly food cooked, waiting times are longer. Which is why, we have adapted our menu with clocks next to each dish, indicating the waiting time for each dish. At the bottom of the first page, there is the description of the reason for those alarm clocks. “Over the years, our company has adapted to the needs of the customer, who are always looking for events and new incentives. As a result, Route5 has included in the program several events and special evenings, which has been gladly received.” Looking ahead to what the future holds, Stefano envisions what the future has in store for the award-winning establishment, which has recently been selected in the English Italian Awards 2018 as Best Italian Authentic Menu, revealing to us the exquisite menu that they have on offer to guests. “Moving forward, we want to add that our restaurant is an experience to try. If you travel a lot and you love to know the traditions of other nations, our restaurant is for you. Even if you have already tasted classic Italian food from other restaurants, we invite you to know and try another concept of Italian. At Route5, our menu is completely different as you can find dishes that you have may never heard or tried. This is because they come from the regions of Abruzzo and Sicily, and they are dishes which have been handed down by generations typical of local countries.” Contact: Stefano Messina and Federica Nicche Company: Route5 Address: 140-142, Sutton Road, Southend on Sea, SS2 5ER, UK Telephone: 0 1702 826 984 Web Address: www.route5.co.uk Contact Email: [email protected] ATruly Authentic Experience Taste