- Restaurateur and property analyst Senzo Mncadi opened his restaurant, Love Revo, in 2016.
- He tells us the name of the restaurant came from a concept he took when designing the interior.
- He also shares with us some of his challenges and successes since opening the restaurant's doors.
Senzo Mncadi is the founder of Love Revo, a vibrant, laid-back and eclectic restaurant in the Maboneng Precinct.
The name Love Revo comes from the term 'Love Revolution', which is a revolutionary concept he took when designing the restaurant’s interior. Senzo reveals that a lot of preparation and planning went into the official opening of the restaurant.
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“I invested money into the look and feel of this place and it paid off,” he says - adding that it took him and his team months to get ready for the opening of Love Revo. Though he admits: “You’re never really ready until you open the doors of your establishment.”
He adds that there were a few challenges he came across.
“After I launched, the reviews of our food were not great. We offered tapas – small, savoury dishes popular in Spain. Most of our South African patrons were not familiar with this kind of food presentation, so we had to teach them about this concept.
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“My idea was to have people come, sit and be able to share food from different menus,” Senzo says.
And adds: “We are slowly winning on that score. Food and the restaurant business itself are two different things – I had to give myself time to learn both. I regularly consulted the chefs and introduced my concepts to them and learned to hone my management skills.”
Now Love Revo serves typical local dishes but with a twist: portions are small as they’re meant for sharing. That’s the kind of vibe Senzo envisioned for the place, which also caters for social events, parties and year-end functions.
“I’m thrilled at the reception we’ve received to date. We started with five staff ... I’m always here as I manage the restaurant full time,” he says with a smile.
Other than running his famous joint, Senzo is an outdoor junkie who loves travelling.
“Mozambique is my favourite destination. I go there at least twice a year,” he says.
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