Atticus Finch owner Sid Saluja is over the moon after the restaurant won three awards at the Rotorua Hospitality Awards.
A decade ago, Sid Saluja was waiting tables and studying in a new country, unsure what he was going to do with his future.
Fast-forward to now and his restaurant, Atticus Finch, is flying high, having just won three titles at this weekend’s Rotorua Hospitality Awards.
These included the Supreme Establishment award, with its “mod vibe and sidewalk seating offering eclectic local mains and nibbles” highlighted in a statement from the awards’ organisers.
Atticus Finch’s Nicky Westbrook also took home the award for Outstanding Barista, and the restaurant’s fit-out was recognised with a win for Outstanding Ambience and Design.
An emotional Saluja told the Rotorua Daily Post this week none of it would have been possible without his team at the Eat Streat establishment.
He said he came to New Zealand 10 years ago as a business management student, knowing he wanted to do something on his own but having “no idea” what.
His first job was at a Rotorua Indian restaurant in 2013, which he juggled with housekeeping work and his studies.
He found a place in the hospitality industry, working at a number of restaurants and hotels over the years and putting the knowledge, skills and confidence he was learning from his studies to use in real-time.
“I did understand that at some stage, I [would] need to do something on my own.”
He worked at Atticus Finch from 2016 to 2018 and said it was during this time that he really learned the ropes of the industry under the wings of then-owners Kay Thompson and Cherry Te Kiri.
“I thought, ‘It’s time to start my own business’.”
In 2018, he bought an old cafe on Eat Streat and refurbished and rebranded it as Wholly Smoked. He said he kept in touch with his mentors, Thompson and Te Kiri, for years to come.
Other local restauranteurs who were influential in his growth included Ray Singh and Lucky Gulati.
Working seven days a week on his venture, he said he eventually “gained the confidence in myself”.
The team from Atticus Finch celebrate their win at the Rotorua Hospitality Awards on Sunday.
He owned the 65-seat restaurant for three years before deciding it was “time to step up and expand”.
“I ended up selling it as a successful business.”
Around this time, Thompson and Te Kiri were looking to sell Atticus Finch, finding a willing buyer in their former employee, Saluja, in 2021.
Saluja said his team at the restaurant tried to bring “a lot of innovation” when it came to their dishes, drinks and cocktails, using local and seasonal ingredients.
“It’s all about the team. It’s not just me, it’s the team who puts the effort in and provides the best quality and consistency … and the vibe.”
He said the restaurant was open 364 days a year, and he kept it that way as much as possible throughout Covid-19 in the hope of retaining his staff.
Saluja said he also stepped back to give staff more hours, and this was appreciated.
Saluja said he and the management team ate at “a lot” of top restaurants in Auckland and other cities, seeing how their food and standards compared.
The restaurant had four menus a year, one for each season to take advantage of seasonal produce. Saluja said the process of developing the menus was constant, and as soon as one was up, they were working on the next.
He said there was a lot of trialling recipes and flavours, with many people offering their opinions before the chefs turned it into a finished dish.
The team would try it and then it would be designated as a special at the restaurant for customers to offer their feedback on, which the chefs would use to finalise the dish and then put it on the next menu.
“It’s about passion. If you don’t have a passion for food, service and hospitality, it’s not your game.”
He said his 10 years of hard work in the industry “all paid off” at the awards night on Sunday.
It was his birthday the next day, and he said it was “the best gift I’ve got”.
“It’s just been amazing.”
He said when the restaurant was announced as the Supreme winner - its third gong of the night - he was not himself.
