Meet
Dani & Nertil.
Harrogate based duo Dani and Nertil run Cafe Lago Di Como, a very popular and well regarded cafe. Serving excellent lunches, bakes and coffee they pride themselves on producing tasty treats daily, and excellent customer service.
They learnt their trade in other cafes and restaurants in the town, before deciding they could run their own venture. At Cafe Lago Di Como, Dani and Nertil are keen to provide more than just a cafe for their community. “We’re a place where friends gather, families connect, and every visit feels like a little escape to Italy.” And, you only have to read their reviews, to know that they fulfil their promise to make their customers experience a warm and welcoming one.
Interview.
We caught up with them to hear about their business journey so far, their motivations for taking the plunge, and some of those early challenges!
What’s been the toughest challenge in starting your business?
We had to learn how to cook and run a business in under 2 months! We were never chefs, we started as commis waiters. We had no idea on how to start a business but we knew how to run one. The uncertainty of how things will go and what to expect is always challenging.
Why did you decide to start your business?
Being 7 years in England with little knowledge of the language, we started from the bottom me (Dani) as housekeeper and Nertil as commis waiter. But we never once thought to get comfortable working for someone else. We worked our way up in a restaurant called Cote Brasserie Harrogate, where I was sent to Italy for a barista championship, and Nertil was training for Manager. Then we took on a bigger challenge where we took over a restaurant called Saranda Bar and Grill, and we managed to place it from 11th to 1st on trip advisor in under 4 months. For this reason the restaurant was named the 6th best restaurant in the whole of UK and we got contacted to get interviewed by the Harrogate Advertiser.
We gained experience and knowledge and awards and newspaper articles to finally put all of our hard work and effort to something of ours. We are very hardworking people and failing was not an option. So it was really important to us to prove to ourselves that we can do this and we can do it well.
What’s your secret start-up super power?
Is very, very, very important to be yourself. Show character, show passion and love for what you do. If you take care of your business and treat your staff and guests with respect, that’s what you gonna get back and from them. Listen to negative or positive feedback and work to improve.
Understanding what people need is the most important off them all. With business like ours Food and Beverage, us and all of our competitors are aiming for the same thing, satisfy our guest and make profit. But what makes us different is that they are consistent with the taste of their food, we strive to be consistent in value and experience but not taste. We find new and creative ways to make our food different and at the same time amazing in taste. So always find a way to be different.
Who (or what) has helped you in your journey?
We have to give a lot of credit to our Italian chef Antonio Cavinato. He was with us for 3 weeks when we started and taught us all the secrets of Italian cooking. After this, the Internet was a big part of our journey as we searched the most authentic Italian and Greek recipes and from there we started getting used to cooking. So after when we had a perfect recipe we started to play around and make it our own. My mom quit her job and came to help us as well!
What advice would give someone thinking of starting a business?
Dream big and take risks. Make mistakes, learn from them, try again.
Have passion and be consistent towards your goal.
Have discipline, work hard, make yourself proud.
Where can you find Dani and Nertil?
Open daily, offering their freshly produced dishes, for a cosy slice of Italy, you’ll find Dani, Nertil and their team at 5 Beulah St, Harrogate HG1 1QH.
Website: https://www.lagodacomo.com/menus
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cafe_lago_di_como_hg/