Hibiscus cuts two lunch services to keep staff fresh

The two-Michelin-starred Hibiscus restaurant in London has become the latest to change its opening hours in a bid to improve consistency and give staff more time off.

Claude Bosi's Mayfair restaurant has cut two lunch services - on Tuesday and Wednesday - and is now open for lunch on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday.

Bosi said he hoped that giving his team more time off each week would keep them fresher and more focused.

Explaining the move, Bosi said: "I want to have one very strong team in the restaurant - both front of house and in the kitchen - so shortening the work week, and our openings hours, is the best solution. It will make everyone even more focused, especially since we are also moving to just tasting menus at dinner.

"Hibiscus is a very busy restaurant, and it's a demanding service. The teams will now have a total of three days off each week (two full days and two half days) so they will be fresh and focused. It's also a question of quality of life - they need a breather from work to refresh and prepare for the challenges of restaurant life."

The changes at Hibiscus follow alterations to opening hours and working practices at a string of fine dining restaurants up and down the country.

Edinburgh restaurants the Kitchin and Castle Terrace both announced in December last year that they would close for a week every three months to give staff time off, while Sat Bains also announced last year that staff would move to a four-day week at his two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Nottingham.

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