High-End Dining Experience And Services With Myazu: Richard Anthony Reid

We recently had the opportunity to interview Richard Anthony Reid, General Manager at Myazu. With a switch in career to the hospitality industry, Richard realized his true calling and his journey thereafter has been nothing short of an inspiration.

At Myazu, a proudly Saudi brand, and winner of several awards, Richard Anthony Reid and his team ensure the food, service, and ambiance are of top-notch quality and prioritize offering high-end dining in the market. In this insightful interview, Richard Anthony Reid speaks about his professional journey, and offerings of their organization, and shares his upcoming plans for the same.

Table of Contents

The Advent Of This Journey

We started the interview by asking, “What initially drew you to your field, and how did your early experiences shape your approach to business?”

Richard shared, “I originally studied Finance and was office-based but I longed for more interaction. I changed my career field and started doing hospitality part-time, where I realized how much I loved it. The daily buzz that is never changing, and always something interesting happening was the spark that made me change to full-time.”

Meeting Market Gaps

We were intrigued to learn more about the factors that inspired Richard Anthony Reid to venture into this industry. So, we asked, “Can you tell us about the genesis of your current business and what specific need or gap you aimed to address?”

He shared, “Myazu is very special to me, not only due to being a proudly Saudi brand but teaching me about true hospitality. Food quality, service standards, and ambiance opened my mind to what restaurants should be about. It’s a giant puzzle of many different components coming together to create the perfect dining experience. For me it’s about working as a team to uphold these standards, with awards from Meena 50 Best, What’s on KSA, LUX Global, Luxury Lifestyle, Time Out & Fact we must strive to lead the market to what high-end dining should be about.”

A Fresh Viewpoint

Eager to learn more about Richard Anthony Reid’s view on the impact of his values in his professional journey, we inquired, “How have your values influenced the way you conduct business?”

Richard responded, “Raised in a small community in South Africa, my parents raised me to always push harder, never give up, and strive for success. Being on time late is a motto still close to my heart. I believe my love for sport and fitness encourages pushing yourself, and always moving those personal goals one step further.

Myazu exposed me to Japanese cuisine, and a style of service not familiar in my country, as this in turn has pushed me to further explore different cuisines, and sequences of service which can make me better, and more knowledgeable for my team’s success.”

Adaptability Amidst Adversities

Challenging phases are an inevitable part of every business. So, we asked Richard Anthony Reid, “What has been the most challenging project or period in your career, and what did you learn from it?”

He replied, “I believe for most of us, that would be the pandemic, where we had to close. This is where I saw true leadership & guidance in MFC come to light, as this is no easy task when each restaurant has more than 100 employees. The company not only took care of us financially, but emotionally, so when we returned we were ready to get back on top.

I think the most challenging part of this period was all of us being away from our families, so being there for each other was most important, but emotionally it can be challenging for managers. I believe the lessons we learned during the entire pandemic period, today, are a blessing. Never get comfortable, never neglect what you have, and always appreciate and push yourself.”

Incorporating Innovative Approaches

We further asked, “How do you integrate new technologies or innovative practices into your business operations?”

“I think corporate responsibility is a huge aspect for all businesses, and the expansion of technology in the paperless field has helped to achieve this one aspect of that goal much easier. From better epos systems, reservation systems, stock taking, and all aspects things can be done quicker, more efficiently, and viewed in real-time.

AI is going to play a very interesting part but I am yet to see how well it would be integrated into actual operations. From a reporting aspect, it is already very insightful concerning guest behavior and guiding us to be more attentive to their needs.” Richard shared.

Transforming Business Priorities

We asked, “Could you share an experience where you had to pivot your business strategy dramatically?”

“As everyone knows the 2030 vision of Saudi Arabia is not only remarkable, but a one-in-a-lifetime experience. The expansion of all sectors, infrastructure, and new developments are not to be seen anywhere else in the world. I continuously in my discussions with guests say that Saudi Arabia, especially Riyadh, is now the place to be leading up to 2030 & beyond. However, this massive influx of interest has created a supply vs demand problem with more restaurant openings than we can keep count of, especially from well-known international brands.

I believe the most challenging part was going back to the drawing board and relooking at our model, on how we can still achieve success and results with all these new internal cuisines and brands opening. I believe this just forces you to get back to the basics and focus on your core values. I have been blessed with great leadership, and a great team, as success in hospitality is a massive team effort.” He replied.

Role Of Mentorship: A Life-changing Process

To learn more about the role of mentorship in Richard Anthony Reid’s life, we asked, “What role has mentorship played in your career, both as a mentor and a mentee?”

He shared, “I believe true leadership was tested during the pandemic. When I had to do my new visa it took much longer than expected and Mr. Etienne Borman, director of Myazu, together with Mr. Faisal Shaker and MFC, supported me during this entire process and guided me. Emotional support, assurance, and guidance are what generate loyalty and hard work.

Myazu believes looking after your employees will result in them looking after our guests. Leadership is not only being visible but working with the team, and being hands-on – being in the trenches as we like to call it.”

Plans We Asked Richard Anthony Reid

We were intrigued to learn more about the upcoming events and plans Richard Anthony Reid has for his business. So, we asked, “Tell us more about your future business plans.”

“Myazu has achieved great success in KSA, continuously winning awards and being voted best restaurant in Saudi Arabia, for 2 years in a row. We are now striving to test our success internationally, and can’t wait to expand beyond the kingdom.” He shared.