When we talk about outstanding restaurants, the conversation usually revolves around the chefs: their dishes, creativity, vision and culinary identity. But every restaurant is much more than its kitchen. Behind the scenes lies a complex system of organisation, relationships, coordination and countless daily decisions that guests rarely notice – yet these are precisely what make the entire experience run seamlessly.
The Invisible side of Hospitality
This time, we spoke to two women who stand alongside renowned chefs while shaping the identity of their restaurants in their own distinct ways. We talked about work that goes far beyond service, about responsibilities that often remain behind the scenes, and about the kind of partnership without which a modern restaurant simply cannot thrive.
“Their visibility may differ, but the responsibility is shared.”
What does your role at you restaurant involve?
KATARINA BERGLEZ VOLČIČ:
Life behind the scenes is certainly varied, complex and occasionally stressful, as we are constantly balancing our professional and private lives – all under one roof. A major part of my role involves running the business and managing the team, along with administration, guest communication, finances, promotion and everything else that comes with it. And when the house is full, I step into the role of host: making sure our guests feel welcome and well looked after, helping with service and even leading morning yoga. You could say I’m a bit of a jack-of-all-trades.
MARCELA KLOFUTAR:
My role encompasses the entire guest experience – from developing the overall concept and offering to positioning it in the market and ensuring it is delivered consistently. It includes managing the front-of-house and housekeeping teams, creating a welcoming and vibrant atmosphere throughout the house, working closely with the local community and continuously developing our approach to sustainability. My work therefore operates on both a strategic and an operational level.
Which part of your work is most essential, yet almost invisible to guests?
KATARINA BERGLEZ VOLČIČ:
Much of what I mentioned before: the hours spent in the office, doing laundry, coordinating repairs and maintenance – and even working in the forest, gathering ingredients or clearing fallen leaves from the driveway. Although I don’t really consider the latter work. I prefer to think of it as my outdoor “agro-fitness” session in the fresh air.
MARCELA KLOFUTAR:
The organisation behind the scenes is crucial: planning the experience, documenting every detail of our offering and making sure everything works operationally. It is a continuous process of coordination that allows service to run seamlessly. A great deal of time goes into preparation and preventing problems before they happen – precisely the things guests never see. Yet it is this invisible work that ultimately ensures consistency and quality.
“We are very different, yet deeply intertwined. How one of us feels inevitably affects the
other.”
How do you see the relationship between the chef as the public face of the restaurant and your own role behind the scenes?
KATARINA BERGLEZ VOLČIČ:
For us, it is a true yin and yang. We are very different, yet deeply intertwined. How one of us feels inevitably affects the other, so we make a conscious effort to maintain our individual balance – and, as a result, our balance as a couple. At the same time, we are constantly evolving together. Just like the yin-yang symbol, we keep moving and changing – routine has never really been our thing. I don’t see Bine’s public profile as a burden, because what we have created is something we have built together. I fully support his personal brand while weaving our shared philosophy of life into it. The way we have shaped our life and work here at Posestvo Monstera, in the countryside, feels just right to me. I genuinely enjoy it, and it gives me plenty of room to grow as a person.
MARCELA KLOFUTAR:
The chef represents the restaurant’s culinary identity and communicates its story to the outside world. The work behind the scenes ensures that this story is consistently brought to life in practice. Both roles are equally important and mutually dependent. Their visibility may differ, but the responsibility is shared.