The results of last year's work were visible: Pura Vida closed its second summer in Szigliget

This year, they prepared for the summer based on this knowledge, and the changes brought results: in the second season in Szigliget, they managed to increase their turnover by about ten percent. All this at a time when they continue to receive far more restrained or negative experiences from their own professional environment than positive ones. However, growth in itself is only one part of the story, there was conscious redesign in the background.

More understandable offer, more moderate admission price

Pura Vida did not want to treat its Szigliget location as a classic tourist restaurant before, so they talked about the proximity of the castle as a huge opportunity that they wanted to take advantage of, while also wanting to provide the same quality to the one-time visitor as to the one who comes specifically for them. At the same time, the past two seasons have also shown that in a place built on such a tourist base, the menu must be easily understandable to a wider audience. “This year, we therefore changed both the pricing and the structure of the offer. While previously there were several items among the appetizers that cost over six thousand forints, this year we tried to show guests dishes on the permanent menu that cost around four thousand forints.”

Of course, this did not mean making the same dishes cheaper: they chose ingredients and dishes that could create a more favorable price level. Some of the more expensive, more characteristic Pura Vida items were moved to the blackboard offers. This makes it easier for guests who stop by while visiting the castle to find a choice, while those who come for this in the first place do not have to give up the familiar world of Pura Vida.

“A good example of this is the mini lángos, which starts with a familiar form, but the toppings take you much further from the usual classics of beach buffets. In the spring it was made with wild garlic pesto, sour cream, manchego and serrano ham, and later it was added to our menu in a different composition.” Later, the dish was brought even closer to Hungarian flavors, replacing the Spanish cheese and ham with Hungarian cheese and local smoked ham from Várvölgy.

Comprehensibility is a conscious aspect of other dishes, too, so Hortobágy meat pancakes and Caesar salad were added to the menu, and fried meat remained one of the most popular dishes this year. “The stew with Stefánia minced meat was surprisingly successful. In the summer we offered it with pumpkin stew, and in the fall we will continue with green pea stew.” All this clearly shows the search for balance, which became one of the most important lessons of the second year in Szigliget: to preserve Pura Vida’s own character, while accepting that a significant part of the guests of the restaurant operating under the castle are tourists who are looking for dishes that are familiar at first glance and easy to understand.

Every fourth guest was foreign

Moreover, foreigners represent a significant proportion of this audience; Attila estimates that at least 20–25 percent of the summer guests came from abroad. In addition to Polish, Czech, Slovak, Austrian and German guests, they also met Dutch, British and even South American tourists. That is why those Hungarian classics that are familiar to a domestic guest but may be interesting to a foreigner precisely because of their local characteristics may also work well. “In this way, a well-prepared dish can address two different guest needs on the same menu.”

Meanwhile, another change is becoming more and more apparent: old regulars are visiting the restaurant less often. According to Attila, Pura Vida has built up a significant returning audience over the past twelve years, but this circle alone is no longer enough for stable operation. “Fortunately, the results of what we built up last summer have already become tangible in the second season. I met several guests who came saying that they had been there last year, had a good experience, and that is why they returned this year.” But there was also an even more spectacular example: a group of twelve people visited them for the first time on a Wednesday, then went back again the next day, and finally ate there for the third time on the last day of their vacation. For Attila, it is precisely stories like these that justify the approach they took when arriving in Szigliget: it is not worth assuming that you will never see a given guest again in a tourist location. They may return the very next day, visit them again a year later, or recommend the place to someone.

Had to accomplish more with a smaller team

In addition to improving results, they have also tightened up their operations. At the end of last season, they realized that they could get through the summer with one less person in the kitchen and in the service department, so this year they have reduced their team by two people. This is especially interesting in light of the fact that due to lower average prices, they had to sell more plates just to maintain last year's revenue level - compared to this, they managed to achieve an increase of about ten percent.

One of the recurring problems of the Balaton hospitality industry, finding seasonal workers, made their situation a little less difficult this year. Several of last year's summer colleagues returned, and those with whom Attila would have liked to work again, typically took on the new season. "After a few changes along the way, the team was put together by the end of July, with which we were able to steadily carry the summer through." However, this still does not mean that the owners could have stepped back from the daily operations. Erika Árkosi continues to be actively involved in the daily work as chef and Attila as business manager. According to Attila, in a well-run business, mentoring, monitoring and maintaining contact with guests should ideally play a greater role over time, but in the current economic environment, they simply cannot maintain a team that large enough to allow them to focus exclusively on these tasks.

Of the seven days, two and a half remain in autumn.

Seasonality continues to strongly determine their operations, in July and August Pura Vida was open every day of the week, and the summer cultural program of Szigliget Castle, the castle theater, was especially important to them, which also strengthened evening traffic. However, the extreme heat also had its effect here: during the hottest periods, the movement of guests changed significantly.

In the fall, the logistics are completely different, as they are open all day on Friday and Saturday, and until the end of the lunch service on Sunday. The difference clearly shows how difficult it is to build a year-round business model in a fundamentally touristic location. According to Attila, from a purely economic perspective, even opening hours on Fridays would be questionable, but it is hardly possible to build a restaurant on a one-and-a-half-day workweek.

After their second year in Szigliget, they have much more support than they did a year earlier. They know what kind of food tourists coming to the castle are looking for, at what price level the decision becomes easier, with what size team the operation can be economically maintained, and they also see that a guest who comes in once can really become a repeat visitor.