Member portrait: Gois
At Goi's restaurant and cocktail bar, guests are greeted by exciting smells and tastes. What began with a Thai man's sincere interest in food made from scratch and a strong desire to create his own workplace has now become a business with 10 full-time employees and continued growth.
Photo: Gois
– It all started with my wonderful Thai wife, Goi. She originally trained as an economist, but has a genuine interest in good food – often inspired by her own mother and grandmother. Here in Harstad, she wanted to enter the workforce, and so she slowly started rolling delicious spring rolls for sale. Soon she started Gois Thaimat in what we here in town call Grottebadet, says Roger Uttakleiv with pride in his voice.
The small café quickly became popular with beachgoers and other visitors, and the couple shared a dream of creating something even bigger. Late one evening in 2019, over a glass of red wine with good neighbors, the conversation quickly turned to food. By the end of the evening, the four of them had decided: “Let’s build a restaurant together.”
– From there it wasn't long before we were in full swing with planning. We found suitable premises, at first quite small, and the dream of Goi's restaurant had suddenly become a reality. Since then we have expanded, and in addition to this restaurant we also run our own catering, as well as a bowling alley in Harstad.
The restaurant has everything from soups and spring rolls to meat and seafood on the menu. Of course, served with rice, noodles and good, fresh vegetables. The dessert menu varies according to the season. And all dishes are happily adapted for children's portions.
– I myself am a trained assistant professor and have worked as a teacher for most of my adult life. As general manager of the restaurant, I take care of everything from HR and finances, to payroll and contracts. It has been a really steep learning curve, but incredibly fun, says Roger enthusiastically, and adds:
“ I still stay away from the kitchen and the food. Goi is the boss there and has full control. She is the driving force behind the entire company, and it has become a love affair between two different cultures here. I think many people can learn a lot and be inspired by everything she has achieved. ”
Investing in their dreams: The couple Goi and Roger Uttakleiv.
Fearless
Roger believes that the fact that they have managed to achieve such great success in their hometown in a short time is largely due to their fearlessness, their many ideas and their never-missing-an-opportunity attitude. They are all real yes-people and are happy to take on a challenge. The focus is not on problems, but on good solutions.
“ We are a multicultural group and have fun at work. Not least, we are constantly developing and adapting. At the same time, we are obviously keen to be inspired. ”
This is also reflected in the tempting menu, which this summer includes a hamburger – something you don't usually associate with Thai cuisine.
– We have of course put our own spin on it, and made sure to make it a little spicy and exciting. In a short time it has become very, very popular with our guests.
But, again, this comes down to offering what the customer group wants: If you ask a Norwegian what spicy food is, you will probably get a very different answer than if you ask a Thai the same question, Roger says with a smile.
Gois Tom yung, - just as it should taste. Photo: Gois
He also highlights the cocktail bar as a great success, and does not hide the fact that it took time to develop this into a good concept. The fact that you can have cocktails with 7-8 elements was probably something that guests were not very used to. Now people like to come in for a drink after going to a concert, and after the kitchen has closed for the evening.
– Of course we have been inspired by Thailand in the bar as well. Part of the idea has been for people to come to a place where they can enjoy themselves, and almost dream away a little. Yes, simply give a little feeling of vacation and different flavors.
Photo: Gois
The customer journey
The entire customer journey, from A to Z, is so important to be aware of, states the general manager. It can be about everything from how a guest is met when booking a table over the phone – to the reception, the surroundings, and the taste and smell experiences.
– Quality is the key word, and taking feedback – not least negative feedback – very seriously. This is the only way we can develop. There is a lot of hard work behind being successful in this industry. A good working environment, growth opportunities and competence development are central to the operation.
– And of course we are completely dependent on a good relationship with our external partners. Among other things, we were invited by our contact person at Systemkjøp , Martin Gjerde, to a fair in Oslo, and meeting people with whom we have such close contact almost daily is very valuable.
It's nice to be able to connect a voice to a face, and Martin is incredibly helpful! When asked about future plans, the answer comes quickly: – We will continue our focus on concept development, and see opportunities. And who knows: Maybe in time we will also be found in other cities, says Roger enthusiastically.