Glasgow's star turn

01 January 2000
Glasgow's star turn

The Cabin restaurant lurks in Whiteinch, the graveyard of the shipbuilding era in Govan, Glasgow. But despite its less-than-salubrious surroundings, the restaurant is fully booked for weekends five months ahead.

From a café/take-away that three years ago had an average spend of £5, to a restaurant that is today clocking an average of £26 per head, owners Dennis Dwyar and Mohammad Abdulla have seen trade boom from their first days in charge in 1990.

The partnership was formed when Dwyar, a plumber, and Abdulla, whose background was in electronics, both from London, decided to concentrate on their culinary interests and buy a restaurant.

They attended an introductory course on setting up a new business and prepared a business plan.

Research undertaken as part of their course indicated that the London market would not support their ideas. It wasn't until a trip to the City of Culture in 1990 that Glasgow became an option as a location for the venture.

Abdulla, or "Mo" as he's better known, found the premises by chance. After purchasing it unassisted for £25,000, he and his partner set about reconstructing the derelict building which had been a restaurant or café for more than a century.

The partners then spent a further £17,000 rebuilding and decorating the restaurant.

The business opened initially as a takeaway restaurant - but with a difference. It was not the typical Glasgow "kerryroot" in the sense of chips and curry sauce - the emphasis was on providing wholesome, value-for-money food. Dublin mussel soup, mussels in garlic and chowders were just a few concoctions prepared for the passing trade.

The duo did not even have to compromise their home-cooked flavours by distributing food in the all-too-familiar foil take-away cartons. The customers simply brought along their own dishes which were filled by the kitchen staff.

Over a period of six months, the seating area slowly come together, and the partners then decided to open as a café.

Party requests

Dwyar recounts that many a time he ignored parents' requests for bacon and sausage rolls for their children, and substituted these with "nourishing" soup.

"I used to take a cup to the children and give them a taste. They all enjoyed it, and it was much better for them."

Today's menu, organised by chef Ken Wilson, offers dishes such as woodpigeon terrine, mixed bean goulash with fresh herbs and saffron sauce, and pan-roasted duck breast and Guinea fowl leg.

The restaurant as it stands evolved from increasing requests for dinner parties by regular customers, and still attracts parties of six or more.

The most recent development has been breaking into the function market, and small wedding parties are now held on Sunday and Monday.

The floor area can now manage a very squashed 46 covers and is certainly not the ideal venue for a quiet meal for two or an important business meeting.

Despite this the Cabin is a roaring success -something that has been achieved without any rigorous marketing strategies, simply through word of mouth.

The business has survived without the need for aggressive advertising, and the proprietors have to turn away customers every week.

The restaurant's turnover has now reached about £50,000, based on one sitting for five nights a week, augmented by functions and lunchtime trade. This turnover is largely food-related.

At the beginning, the Cabin did not hold a liquor licence and although it has held one for two years, regular customers still prefer to bring their own supply of drink, with the house wine providing a top-up where required.

The wine list is exceptional. It consists of two bottles being brought to the table, with the choice: "This or this?" Both wines are priced at about £13 per bottle.

Abdulla believes that formality can turn the taste of a good meal, and swears by this philosophy: "Food should be enjoyed by everyone in a warm atmosphere, without stuffiness. What creates the character of this place is that there is no uniformity."

Scramble for tables

The Cabin trades seven days a week with either function or restaurant business. The lunchtime market on Tuesday to Friday is offered three courses for £10. But it is less lucrative than the stream of customers that scramble for a table in the evenings.

One of the reasons for this huge demand boils down to the one-sitting policy. Customers of the Cabin do not simply book a table for a quick meal, they book an evening of fine dining and entertainment.

The cabaret comes in the larger-than-life form of Wilma. Having cleared away the last plates, Wilma launches into song - unaccompanied by orchestra or tape, but with the aid of a plastic karaoke microphone.

The songs are enough to stun customers into silence, and if they don't, Wilma will, as she takes her role seriously and will not tolerate a less than attentive audience.

Wilma's theatrical appearance at the Cabin has developed through accident rather than planning. As a friend of Mo's, she came to Glasgow to help out and forgot to go back. She had always had a passion for singing and at the Cabin the stage is hers.

The cabaret has undoubtedly added to the business's popularity and has heralded its success throughout Glasgow. It has also provided the Cabin with a unique selling point which has been an effective marketing tool as the business has progressed.

By the end of the evening, if parties are no longer speaking to each other, they will certainly be conversing amiably with their neighbouring tables and joining in the sing-along.

Dwyar puts the atmosphere of his restaurant in a nutshell: "It's good food and it's good crack," he says.

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