Interview with Ronen Arditi
Interview with Ronen Arditi
Ronen is the mastermind and head behind “Scholinary” - the restaurant management program in Shenkar college and owner of a consulting company specializing in foodservice. Ronen was the founder of IWSI, the Israel Wine and Spirit institute, the Israeli WSET, which branched out from London, and the former owner of Bellini restaurant.
"GCI will create a solid base that is not seen in the country, both by the unique infrastructure it builds and by the assimilation of values that combine entrepreneurship and culinary in one piece.”
What drew you to the culinary industry?
The culinary and restaurant space is a world that never ceases to excite and surprise me. It combines sensory and aesthetic skills alongside entrepreneurship and business management. The industry is constantly evolving and innovating in many aspects, whether culinary-wise or business-wise. One example would be how people relate to healthy food, deliveries, technology in the industry, and more.
What would you change in the culinary education system?
In my opinion, there is a lack of reference to the business and entrepreneurial side of things when it comes to education in the culinary field.
Running a food business requires consideration of many additional aspects beyond the taste component of the food. For those involved in the field to be successful, they need to be familiar with other necessary skills such as marketing, pricing, finance and branding.
In my many years of work in the field, I have met and continue to meet so many business owners who enter the area without an in-depth knowledge of what it takes to run a successful business. Lack of understanding and unprofessionalism leads them to failure and substantial financial losses.
In my opinion, every learning process must equally touch on its business and managerial aspects alongside the culinary elements.
How do you see the GCI positively impacting the Israeli culinary scene?
The Israeli culinary scene is in full swing with Israeli chefs and restaurateurs producing culinary institutions that spread their wings and are exceptionally successful overseas.
In my opinion, GCI will create a solid base that is not seen in the country, both by the unique infrastructure it builds and by the assimilation of values that combine entrepreneurship and culinary in one piece.
You’ve spoken about the importance of entrepreneurial and business skills in having a successful culinary business in Israel; what would you say has been your secret sauce to success?
Finding one secret ingredient to success is a pretentious endeavor; however, as a rule, from the experience I have gained over the years, as a restaurateur, as a consultant, and as a lecturer, I recognize that success in the field requires a combination of two components:
It is being and doing. Who should I be? An adoption of behaviors and habits that guide one to success. The field requires absolute totality, investment of unreasonable working hours, perseverance, and consistency. To meet these requirements, it is necessary to have a total commitment towards the goal. When doing, we need to gain professional tools and professional knowledge required to run the business correctly and efficiently. A combination of these two components is essential for success in the field.
What's a fun culinary fact about you?
I was born in Izmir, Turkey, and in the home I grew up in, food was of central importance.
And the result is that my two brothers(we are three brothers in the family) also work in the culinary and restaurant industry. My younger brother is a chef, and my older brother is the owner of "Petlina," a successful cafe restaurant in Tel Aviv.