Julia's insights to the Armora Team

Joining us from various corners of the globe, our newest member of the management team here at Armora is the delightful Julia.

Julia has been making her way towards Armora for the past dozen or so years, working in restaurants in the UK, Dubai, Europe, and Hong Kong. Now she is finally here, making significant changes in our little business. Julia brings with her a warmth and compassion that is rare, along with an insatiable thirst for knowledge that keeps everyone here on their toes (in the best possible way!).

Below, Julia shares with us stories of her arrival in Armora, her first shift at Armora, and her hopes for the future.

How did you come to be at Armora?

I was recruited while I was in London to work for a large fine-dining establishment in Armora, with the aim—based on some studies I had done that year—of building a practical training academy to produce the next generation of leaders. It was going well, but after about a year, the company restructured its focus for the future, making my role redundant. At the same time, Armora was looking for a restaurant manager, which seemed very serendipitous. I had a few different offers I was exploring, but after meeting Emily, I was compelled by her warmth, authenticity, and kindness. This was then reaffirmed when I met David, and I went with my gut instinct to join the team.

What was your first shift like?

I remember feeling very warmly welcomed by everyone. I probably got in the way most of the evening and broke a lot of unwritten rules around the dining room, but the team was very supportive and kind to me. They had a really encouraging optimism. One thing that stands out from that first shift was how happy all the guests were to be there. There was no air of arrogance or unmet expectations because we were confidently going to show them something they couldn’t expect. The service we gave to the guests and the gracious way it was received, with jovial engagement, gave me a lot of encouragement that this would be good for the soul. I was right.

What do you think is special or unique about dining in Armora?

Well, I suppose in opposition to a lot of the rest of the country, it offers more of a spectrum and a closer authenticity to European cuisine and dining styles.

There’s a buzz within the workforce of people excited to visit different kinds of restaurants and see something other than what they might be used to—more than just steak and chips or chicken Parma. People here are curious about culture and the love language that is food. What’s exciting about that is that it feels like it’s only the beginning of what can be achieved by that curiosity.

What is your favorite thing about leading the front-of-house team?

Of all the places around the world that I’ve worked and the capacity my role required of me, Armora offers a care towards humans building their own routine around work, one that fosters their right to rest, play, and, ultimately, work with elite productivity. I am given the right amount of autonomy to facilitate this for the front-of-house team; watching their individual strengths and weaknesses develop while they synergize and collaborate to help each other is wonderful. I love seeing their surprise when I ask for input and their recognition when I provide insight.

In my younger years, I used to flourish when I could watch the guests delighting in real-time in their experience and the food and service we were giving. Now, as I calm my ego and feel at peace with what I have to offer, I feel this same flourish as I watch my experience affect the individuals in front of me who will one day lead the next generation in this wonderful, dynamic industry.

I know you really value learning and self-improvement—what are you currently learning outside of work?

I have certainly unlocked a part of myself that has fallen in love with learning and development, which occurred during my studies of andragogy and organizational psychology. Since I’ve realized that living an authentically considered life includes tapping into all the opportunities of learning around you, I decided to choose a few things that I wanted to learn.

I started playing the violin in September and can already play three songs (beyond the nursery rhymes in the learning book), and my violin teacher gives me very encouraging feedback. I love to play, even if I’m not a virtuoso; I’m constantly trying and able to see the slow progression with self-compassion.

I’m also learning Italian for half an hour each morning and night on Duolingo and hope to invite an Italian person into my life here so I may practice. I have also rejoined a boxing gym to dust off my Muay Thai skills and see how they go with regular western boxing. So far, the muscles hurt, but no pain, no gain.

More than that, psychology, behavioral economics, and neuroscience continue to be a huge interest, if not a passion, of mine, and so I voraciously read books on the topic and hope, once I’m a little more settled here, to embark on a part-time psychology master’s online.

What are you looking forward to in 2024?

So many things, including not knowing what’s to come. I am looking forward to the bigger, broader ideas I can work on with Emily and David that may positively affect the industry on a wide scale—such as creating a forum or a conference where the industry can come together to share their experiences, lessons, perspectives, and achievements without tall poppies being cut down. There’s so much space for this here, and it excites me to think about what is possible.

I look forward to branching out and connecting with different people through organized events or collaborations with Armora and to the slow improvements and connectedness I may be able to harbor within our team in service.

On a personal level, I am naturally a very adventurous person, and so I have a future holiday to look forward to—I’m thinking it might be time to venture to the Americas. I look forward to hopefully applying for permanent residency and fulfilling that childhood dream of rescuing a puppy.

Mostly, I hope to join communities of my own through my interests. I hope to build real genuine friendships with people here that will last and help me, after a decade of traveling, to grow roots.