I first wrote an article about Carla and her father in October 2023. I wondered how their business was doing and how the delightful restaurant was doing after nearly two years. In this month of honouring women, it is gratifying to see growth in the business, the passion and the entrepreneur.
May all women in entrepreneurship be encouraged, noted and commended.
I asked Carla a couple of key questions:
How long has Bacco been trading and your restaurant been running?
Their restaurant has been opened to the public since December 2022 and what remarkable strides it has made.
In your own words, what makes your restaurant different? What is the “secret sauce?”
There really is no “secret sauce” when it comes to creating a successful restaurant. Carla rather believes it’s a combination of many of the “right things” coming together all at once.
Firstly, she notes that a big part of their identity is family. Feeling like family when you enter, feeling as if you have been so many times before and are being treated to a memorable meal in your friends’ house. This is, after all, a family run business, created from a love of food and passion for wine, but more importantly a deep belief in the privilege it is to have time spent with loved ones.
Their ethos has always revolved around the value of time. Time of the seasons to create the perfect produce, it’s all in a moment. Time is a luxury, and so they take it very seriously when you choose to spend your day with them.
Then she notes they also have the most talented team who all work so hard to create that special moment for any guest.
Lastly finding a gap in the market. They felt that super Tuscan blends and Italian varietals where not common on South Africa soils but make for the most magnificent wines, and so Baccos’ Italian influence was born out of the dream to share these blends with our local market.
Carla considers her team the absolute crux of her success. None of this could be done without them, she muses. She recalls telling her team “It isn’t possible to be good at everything- so let people shine where they are able.”
She encourages her team to share ideas and tries to guide them in a direction that nurtures their natural gifts and abilities. This lends to an environment where people can really begin to love what they do. Of course, all jobs come with challenges but the core of allowing people to grow into their own strengths really allows for a impressive, but more importantly- empowered -team on the floor and in the kitchen.
She feels like these too elements really set them apart in the environment created and shared at Bacco. It also allows people to take pride in themselves and what they do which reflects so greatly in how they hold and present themselves at work.
Has your employment increased from 2 years ago?
Their employment has increased from a total of 20 people employed on the entire farm to around 30 with more roles opening up along the way the more they grow.
What is the worst mistake you have made in the journey? And what did you learn from it?
Carla believes the worst mistake she made on her journey was not trusting her gut when hiring people, and not checking references!!! SO silly! She feels she is not in the business of hiring and firing so not checking up on people really can just lead to a lot of wasted time for both parties and in worse cases there has been theft which leaves such a bad taste to all who are really putting their all into creating something as big and successful as this. It is a lesson she wont quickly forget.
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Trusting her gut and more importantly her palate!
Never stop learning, creativity is a form of play. Changing the menus every month is no small feat, but inspiration is everywhere, and this makes her look at the world very differently.
What message would you want to give to other women in business this month?
Stand up for yourself, and do not allow anyone to make you feel small.
Let your instincts guide you. Most importantly, remember the end goal.
Sometimes it’s the right thing to do to lose a battle to win the war. It’s ok to accept some short term defeats as long as the long term result will reflect the goals you want.