With as many as 94 restaurants scattered across the United Kingdom, the United States, Dubai and Singapore, Ramsay has never been satisfied with simply being a chef.
Cover photo: @AFP
The News
Gordon Ramsay is not just a chef, but a global icon of gastronomy. With more than three decades of his career behind him, his name shines beyond the star-studded kitchens to the small screen and on the boards of his companies. The secret? An iron entrepreneurial vision and a relentless pursuit of excellence. In an interview with Forbes , the British chef reiterated in his classic straightforward manner, "You can be one of the most talented chefs in the world, maybe with 3 Michelin stars, but if you can't turn that skill into money you're just an idiot. Behind every successful chef you need an entrepreneurial mind, but we are generally not good at running businesses. We are too lax." After all, it is precisely this mindset that led him to create a culinary empire worth an estimated $1 billion.
With no fewer than 94 restaurants scattered across the United Kingdom, the United States, Dubai and Singapore, Ramsay has never been satisfied with simply being a chef. His latest project, the restaurant at 22 Bishopsgate in London, is the most tangible demonstration of his ambition. Located inside the city's tallest skyscraper, this space is not just a restaurant, but an experience: it includes such places as Lucky Cat, Gordon Ramsay High Restaurant, and Gordon Ramsay Academy, with plans to expand further with a new Bread Street Kitchen. A $25 million operation that, like any big investment, carries risks. But Ramsay is undeterred: bookings have already hit 20,000 and the restaurant receives about 1,000 calls a day. “We had to face stiff competition to get this space. I never imagined that I would have the funds or the audience to accomplish something like this. Actually, it's a dream come true, “ he said.
One of the pillars of his strategy is the ability to speak to diverse customers. His restaurant in Chelsea has maintained three Michelin stars for more than two decades, but Ramsay has also been able to attract fans of more accessible cuisine through formats such as Hell's Kitchen. In Las Vegas, his Beef Wellington has become legend, with hordes of visitors ready to line up to taste it. His project Lucky Cat, on the other hand, is an homage to the contamination between haute cuisine and Japanese tradition, inspired by his experience with Joël Robuchon in Paris. “I remember working with the late Joël Robuchon, and what I saw was iconic. It was the first time I witnessed a fusion of Asian cuisine and haute cuisine,", the chef recounted. The first Lucky Cat, which opened in Mayfair in 2019, was so successful that it prompted Ramsay to replicate it in Miami, where reservations are sold-out weeks in advance. Being in the spotlight, however, also means facing controversy. Lucky Cat, for example (at the center of a debate as well for items stolen from guests in the room) has been the target of criticism for its alleged lack of authenticity. Ramsay responded firmly, pointing out that talent matters more than origin: "It's not a question of ethnicity or background. If you are good at what you do, you deserve respect."
Even 22 Bishopsgate has not been without problems: between theft and customer misbehavior, the chef has had to deal with complex situations. But his philosophy remains clear: “Now I have skin as tough as a rhino's. I get poked and challenged all the time, but the secret is not to take the bait and focus on the work." The transformation from chef to restaurant mogul has not been painless. In 2010, Ramsay found himself having to restructure his company following financial problems related to his father-in-law's management. He had to take total control of Gordon Ramsay Holdings, becoming CEO, CFO and chief operating officer. "I had to rebuild everything. I had to learn how to read a balance sheet and understand profit and loss, “ he explained. In 2019, to push the growth of his brand in the U.S., he struck a deal with Lion Capital, getting a $100 million investment.
Although his face is now known worldwide, Ramsay does not consider himself a celebrity in the classic sense of the word. “I didn't choose to be famous, I chose to be busy. I chose to master my craft,", he said, reiterating that television is only a part of his journey, but not his ultimate goal. And so, as his empire grows, Ramsay continues to prove that there is much more behind the kitchen: strategy, risk, vision and a good dose of determination. And if anyone can turn a dish into a global business, it's him.
