Mexican dream: The founder of Masa + Mezcal on the high street crisis, Brexit and taking staff on holiday

Restaurateur Imogen Waite chats about working with her husband and their secrets to success

Margaritas that punch, melt-in-the-mouth meat tacos and a mouthwatering vegan menu are just some of the reasons Bristol’s Masa + Mezcal is worth a visit.

The Mexican restaurant, which opened in the former Meatliquor site in Stokes Croft earlier this year, is the brainchild of Bristol restaurateurs Imogen and Kieran Waite.

The business-savvy duo have, impressively, opened five eateries in seven years – Bravas, Bakers & Co, Cargo Cantina, Gambas, and Masa + Mezcal – and have 85 staff across the group.

The couple, who are expecting their third child, “fell in love” with Mexico after visiting the country 15 years ago.

They opened Mexican restaurant Cargo Cantina in 2017, but always intended to launch a bigger restaurant.

“There isn’t a great deal of Mexican food in Bristol,” said Imogen. We already had a love of Mexico and we went back with our one-year-old son. Cantina does great tacos but we wanted to develop that more. The atmosphere is what makes this place good.”

Imogen Waite is co-owner of Masa + Mezcal (Image: kirstie Young)

After taking over the lease on the (now) Masa + Mezcal site in February 2018, Imogen and Kieran ran the venue as a bar and events space for a few months.

It was a big learning curve, recalls Imogen. “We hated doing it and it’s completely different from running a restaurant,” she said.

“It knocked our confidence. I learnt that it’s important to do what you know how to do, and don’t do anything else.

“I had always been interested in running a hotel but that experience taught me I probably don’t know anything about running hotels. When we finally opened Masa + Mezcal it was a wonderful relief.”

Imogen is positive about Bristol’s restaurant scene though, believing the high street crisis is an “opportunity” for restaurateurs.

“The retail crisis is actually beneficial to restaurants as it’s an opportunity for more sites.

“It’s a massive investment opening restaurants and finding the right sites is difficult. We have seen huge fluctuations in the market in terms of availability.

“[A couple of years ago] there was a bubble in the casual dining market. All these chains were coming to Bristol and expanding before they had proved they worked.

“It led to a flood of opportunities when those business went bust and the leases were available.”

The restaurant in Stokes Croft (Image: COPYRIGHT UNKNOWN)

A former chef, Imogen is now more involved in the strategy of the restaurant group, including new openings, concept development and the menu.

The restaurant has an extensive vegan menu, which includes dishes such as crispy cauliflower with sesame and coriander, and sweet potato with ancho chilli roasted tomato, crispy shallots and red onion.

“I think veganism is a massively growing trend, not just in Bristol, but in every city in the ��Ƶ. And we are taking it seriously,” she said.

When asked about the impact Brexit could have on the business, Imogen admits she is concerned about recruitment, which is already tough.

“A huge amount of our workforce comes from Europe. We are not seeing the large numbers of arrivals any more and you just don’t get very many British applicants.”

To solve the problem Imogen and Kieran are now looking to employ more students.

“Bristol has a large population of students, so we are hoping to hire more of them,” she added. "Hospitality can be a very rewarding career, but the hours are unsociable.”

To attract talent and reward staff, Imogen and Kieran take their team to Spain every year.

Pork dish at Masa + Mezcal (Image: Hannah Baker)

This year, the team went to Barcelona where they did a tortilla-making class and learnt about making mezcal – the Mexican alcoholic drink made from agave after which the restaurant is named.

“It is always good fun. It’s about learning and giving people an experience you can’t get as a normal tourist. You get doors opened by suppliers. It’s also a reward for people working hard, about team-building and it’s nice for people to be together.”

But what is it like being in a business partnership with your significant other?

Imogen says the biggest challenge is switching off and dealing with stress.

“Generally it’s really good and we tend to agree with most things. One of the problems of being in a relationship and working together is you don’t have the same boundaries.

“We bicker. If you don’t agree it tends to escalate more quickly than it would with a colleague. But generally it’s great and we have different strengths. His job is to tell people stuff and my job is to do stuff.”