Rebranding is never the easiest thing in the world. Filled with worries and deadlines, it can be one of the most stressful times for anywhere, not least a restaurant. The key word in that sentence? Can.
In times of stress, it can be down to staff to provide the cool head and in a restaurant environment this is maybe even more important than usual.
It’s a good job then that Pepe’s which has recently been rebranded to San Lorenzo Beamish, has the perfect candidate for the job. The Beamish venue will be in safe hands under new General Manager; Katrina Johnson.
Katrina, or Kat to her friends, comes to San Lorenzo’s latest sister restaurant from Ed’s Easy Diner, having worked her way up the ladder from Assistant Manager in Mayfair, London to Assistant General Manager at the restaurant’s Sunderland and intu MetroCentre branches. She brings with her a wealth of experience and a desire to finish whatever she starts.
With the reputation of San Lorenzo's two venues already in Washington and Gosforth and a great hardworking team, we can really put the Beamish location on the map as a great place to be, whatever the occasion.
Katrina JohnsonNo surprise then, that Kat already has big plans for the third eatery under the San Lorenzo umbrella, despite only starting her tenure in mid may, as she explained herself.
“Wherever I’ve been, I think people would describe me as determined. If I set a goal and really work towards it, then I think anything is possible. Funnily enough I found out about the general manager position while having lunch with my sister at San Lorenzo Washington and got chatting with the manager there.
“Short term I think we need to get a feel for how the customers think about the restaurant and work from there. Long term though, there’s no reason San Lorenzo Beamish can’t be a huge success.”
Kat continued: “With the reputation of San Lorenzo’s two venues already in Washington and Gosforth and a great hardworking team, we can really put the Beamish location on the map as a great place to be, whatever the occasion.”
Kat’s involvement in the restaurant business stretches right back to her youth where she worked in her family’s bar and restaurant in Spain. It was an experience which only fuelled a passion for restaurants that Kat says has stayed with her.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to work in restaurant management. It’s something that I’ve been lucky enough to do, and love. Every day brings a new challenge and no two days are ever the same.
“I’ve always been a people person and I think everyone has an interesting story to tell that you can find out simply by talking. Restaurants are the perfect place to meet people and really get to know them, and it’s the ideal way to build bonds not only with customers but also to make them friends.”
If Kat’s determination is anything to go by, we think it’s fair to say that San Lorenzo Beamish is set to be every bit as successful as its Washington and Gosforth sister companies.
You can book your table now for the newest San Lorenzo sister restaurant in Beamish. To book, or to see their menus and for more information, visit www.sanlorenzorestaurant.com/beamish, call 0191 370 1009 or email beamish@sanlorenzorestaurant.com
