Winner spotlight: Iuri Martins Volcato of Havana

It’s fair to say Iuri Martins Volcato is an eternal optimist. As general manager of catering and event management at Lan Kwai Fong’s famed Havana bar, Volcato knows there are positive lessons we can take from the coronavirus crisis that has rocked Hong Kong’s nightlife industry.   

“This is a wake-up call,” he says. “Looking at the positive side of it, service and food have improved, people are working hard and they are working much more carefully.”

Winning this year’s Best Concept Bar, Volcato says Havana has managed its way through the pandemic for one plain and simple reason – an unwavering commitment to customer service. 

“F&B is all about long-term relationships. If you have done your job in the past, customers will come back and give you the support you deserve.”

Volcato’s introduction to the drinks business came in 1993 during a visit to Sitting Duck Bar in Argentina. Within three months of meeting the owners (and with no proper legal documents) he landed the role of weekend manager and has not looked back. He says it was a sense of trust between himself and the owners that sealed the deal and paved the way for a career in hospitality. 

“Trust is difficult to get and easy to lose if you are not paying attention to what you do,” he says. “But the owners trusted me and that made me who I am today.”

A big fan of Las Vegas and Buenos Aires, Volvato understands how trends have changed, especially tastes and the need to create Instagrammable moments. It’s one of the big reasons behind its hugely popular drink, The Notorious Che. 

“It’s a Cuban-smoked cocktail that uses edible bubble technology, Zacapa 23, fresh lemon, orange and a dash of bitters. Beautiful.”

Havana, 4/F, The Plaza, 21 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central, 2851 4880

See the full list of Hong Kong Living Bar Awards 2020 here.

Feature image: Graham Uden