In the second of our Como interviews we catch up with Menno and Rachael to get an idea of where the concept for the popular spot came from and what we can expect from Coo in the future…
How would you describe your typical clientele?
It changes from season to season. Obviously during winter it is a lot of locals, we get people from all corners of the island, very cosmopolitan and it very much reflects what Ibiza is, with all the nationalities. The people that come to Como can be people from a low budget, the alternative people, the hippies but also the rich, the famous and everybody in between and everyone all mingles and it all melts together. In the summer you get a different clientele, obviously, you get the tourists coming for their holidays and you get the people who come here for the season to work here and to do their business here.
How would you describe Como?
Como is a meeting place for people. Obviously we serve food and it is listed as a restaurant but it is multifunctional. When we found this place it was a little hidden gem, the front was all wild garden and you struggled to see that there was a building behind it. We use the venue for all purposes, during the winter we have live music every Saturday with some very well known musicians. We host meetings for other organisations; the Energy Week used us for their pre-party. We want to be a meeting place, on our flyers you see food, friends, media, all these things are slowly expanding so it’s not only for food.
How would you describe the menu?
Rachael:
International cuisine, food made and presented with passion. Asian Mediterranean but the most important thing is that everything is cooked to order. Everything is fresh, Menno goes himself to the market in the morning and only gets what looks good and fresh, from fish to meat to shell fish, everything is fresh on the day. And the chefs literally decide that morning when they come in what the menu is gong to be that day so you know that everything is going to be good quality and it’s cooked to order, which sometimes means that people have to wait a bit longer because it’s not being stuck in the microwave but I don’t think people mind that. And it all tastes fresh, which is the most important thing.
How does Como set itself apart from other restaurants in the village?
Rachael:
I think it’s nice because Santa Gertrudis is known for restaurants and people come here especially and you have almost got one of everything you’ve got middle eastern, traditional Mediterranean, you’ve got something that offers bocadillo and a coffee but then Como offers something different again. It is about the food but it’s also the place that people can come in with their laptop and sit and work and feel relaxed, have a cup of coffee, there’s no pressure on them to eat, no one is shoving a menu under their nose.
Menno:
Over the whole year, with the art exhibition that we do with people working here, with the live music and the things that will happen with the boutique it’s a place where talents come together. This building has such a fresh energy, a very positive energy, it is very light. In the winter it is amazing, with our big windows, with the glass ceiling and with the terrace it is a very illuminated place and this is what gives it this energy. That is what we are trying to create here. With the people working here, from the people in the kitchen and their passion and talent for food, us and our passion to bring these people together. I’m very proud of our team and we are only just beginning.
What are your hopes for Como?
Menno:
We have a very good feeling about the future, it’s not an easy road but it’s a road gradually going up and since this is a place with a lot of potential we take it bit by bit. We have an inner garden, the patio which we want to be using but first we want the front to be busy. Future pans would be to use that in the winter as a winter garden, cover it with a glass roof that comes off in the summer but on in the winter. Food wise there are various special concepts that I want to implement some things that you don’t see on Ibiza. There are also plans to make the inside bigger; the toilets can go to the back. We’re using half the space up here at the moment and we have a 250 square metre basement, which is again something for the future once the name is well established and the infrastructure is there, once the team is in place, that’s when we will really start developing catering Como style. Because the kitchen will be in use for the restaurant we can go downstairs for the catering. Catering from food to tables and chairs and we can store them in the basement. We have a kitchen there too.
Rachael:
The other thing that we want to do is to have more soft seating. We talked about people feeling relaxed and having a coffee or something but our tables can be a little bit formal. We have plenty of space in the back and on the terrace and we want to keep that spacious feel but when we can we have talked about putting some nice soft lounge seating and some low tables in so people can feel more relaxed and drop in and have a drink or a coffee.
