Prestige issue 287-288, Dec. 2017- Jan. 2018
Exceptional setting, quality products concocted with much love, pleasure and mostly passion, the menu savored at Mireille Hayek, owner of the restaurants La Parilla, Em Shérif and the recent concept NumeroSix, have a particular taste specific to each place. A culinary passion awakened naturally through the years, that Mireille Hayek continues to nourish excellently through her renowned restaurants and her new promising projects of great success. Encounter.
«Passion is the principal ingredient of success»
Between 2006 and 2011 you opened restaurants in Beirut as La Parilla and Em Sherif that have a lot of success. Why did you choose precisely this field? I feel in my element when I cook, I feel good… My culinary passion was awakened naturally through the past years, when I concocted in my kitchen small dishes for my family and friends, and followed kitchen courses. Guided by this passion, I opened my restaurants.
What added value did your career as a social assistant bring to your career in restoration? My specialty taught me patience and tolerance.
Tell us about your new restaurants…Located in the heart of Down Town, my recent concept, NumeroSix can be considered in the line of the trendy restaurants of the golden triangle. The setting is exceptional, the products are of good quality. In the plate, the tastes are turned upside down for a totally innovative result…You will taste a European cuisine with Asiatic tastes. We are executing a seafood restaurant at Zaitunay Bay, to be opened in December 2017.
What kind of obstacles did you encounter while executing these projects? To open new concepts is always difficult and demands work and devotion. To earn new customers is easy but to change them into loyal customers, is the true challenge.
Do you consider having imported a new concept in this field? Yes sure. If we look at the evolution of the market after Em Sherif opening for instance, one can notice the emergence of similar restaurants that tried to imitate the same concept. We were always an example to be followed for some people and frankly I find this very flattering!
How do you succeed to manage these different establishments? With the help of my brother, Dany Chaccour, the general director of SGR-Offshore. He supervises the franchise activity of all the concepts in Lebanon. Besides the commercial aspect of the enterprise, he equally supervises the opening and successful management of all franchised restaurants abroad.
What is the recipe of success for Mireille Hayek? Love, pleasure and mostly passion. I think that the principal ingredient of success, is passion. When we love, we can overcome everything and reach our goals.
What is happiness for you, it’s… Happiness? It’s health.
