w
GRILLBAR
v/ Ny 0stergade 14 aps. CVR 29131562
Ny 0stergade 14
1101 Kpbenhavn K.
45 3314 3454
ftjr
The Grillbar, a design restaurant in Copenhagen, is making a name for itself
thanks to its high-quality food, beverages and ambience. And the only
imported beer that matches all that, says owner Kristian Willemsen, is
Heineken.
"A restaurant must have buzz," says Willemsen. "That was what Sir
Terence Conran, the great British restaurateur, always said, and we admired
him for that."
Kristian Willemsen first became a restaurant owner in 1995, when he
and three friends established Restaurant Olsen in Copenhagen. The
restaurant was named after their mentor in the hospitality business,
Thoben Olsen, owner of the well-known Restaurant Victor, where they had
all worked.
The four then built a big new establishment called Konran - a Danish-
looking tribute to their hero Sir Terence Conran. The British restaurateur
has been involved in the development of some of London's most trend-
setting design restaurants, including the Soup Kitchen, Orrery, Quaglino's,
Mezzo, Pont de la Tour, Blueprint Cafe, and Butler's Wharf Chop House.
"He was ahead of his time with design restaurants," says Willemsen. "He
was one of the first to define what it is to go to a restaurant. It's not just
about the food and drink you serve, it's about what happens when you walk
into a place."
Willemsen has worked with the same philosophy ever since. He and
business partner Jakob Blom now own five restaurants in and around
Copenhagen, among them the Grillbar, a design restaurant with a unique
international ambiance where Heineken is the only imported beer they serve.
"We thought that Copenhagen needed a place where international
businessmen could go after meetings in the city," says Willemsen. "We
wanted it to have a sophisticated atmosphere where high-end food and
beverages were served."
Willemsen takes pride in the menu that he and his chef have developed.
"International food combined with some classic Danish dishes," he says.
How about an Ossobucco Danish-style, for instance, served braised in an
k
iron pot and with mashed potatoes? For lunch, the main dishes served are
the open sandwiches traditional in Denmark. Many of the sandwiches are
served with fish, particularly cod—a Danish favourite.
"To go with the international cuisine and ambience, we wanted to serve
one strong brand that everyone knows," says Willemsen. "Heineken is the
only international beer brand that has its eyes on the future. We just loved
the new Paco bottle. We are the best in Copenhagen and the aluminium
bottle fits well with our idea of making something new."
Heineken is a great beer, Willemsen insists. But in the end, for
consumers its not about the beer, its about the brand. "Consumers are
buying the whole package. This is what competitors don't understand.
That's why our customers don't ask for a beer, they ask for a Heineken."
Willemsen, who started in the hospitality trade as a waiter, grew up in
Copenhagen. One of his two brothers is also in the hospitality business, in
Australia. Looking after customers is in his blood, and he takes pride in the
fact. "I'm not the owner of my restaurants, really, my customers are," he
says. "When you eat here, you're the boss. Service is something you feel
under your skin. You shouldn't do it just for a living. Good service is about
respecting life, and respecting each other."
PAGE 17
