The Mercure Metz Centre hotel, with its contemporary décor inspired by the city’s cathedral, boasts a superb location in the centre of town. The hotel welcomes both leisure and business travellers. Since April 2019, the hotel’s restaurant has been equipped with the D-Vine. Interview with Anthony Schneider, Restaurant Manager at Mercure Metz Centre.
Can you briefly tell us about yourself?
I trained in food and beverage and hospitality management in Strasbourg. The hospitality business is what I love! I worked in different food and beverage sectors, including fast food, the cafeteria business and the hotel industry for the last three years, before arriving at the Mercure Metz Centre.
What made you choose this career?
I caught the hospitality bug as they say! I have a love for customer service. It’s a real passion, I can’t explain it. When I was young, in the canteen I used to serve out the school dinners with the teacher. I like people and human relations and I love the products. I love food, that’s all there is to it!
The pressure disappears when you see your customer smile – from that point, it’s mission accomplished.
It’s a job which entails a certain amount of pressure. How do you deal with that?
It’s true that there is pressure, but I forget about that when I see my customers happy. It’s a good kind of stress, it’s adrenaline! It’s essential to give your all when you are front of house or in the kitchen. The pressure disappears when you see your customer smile – from that point, it’s mission accomplished. Then there is the physical side, I cover about 20 to 25 kilometres a day!
What is so unique about your hotel?
For me, the team’s effort and involvement, the welcome and the simple and modern cuisine make the Mercure Metz Centre a unique hotel. We are recognized for that across the various review sites. In addition to these things, the hotel’s different spaces are going to be completely refurbished, creating a unique setting, for early 2021.
Guests are intrigued by the D-Vine. It is showcased on the bar. They can ‘play’ with it and enjoy the educational dimension of the device.
Why did you choose the D-Vine for your restaurant?
To offer an additional selection featuring exceptional French and European wines that we wouldn’t’t be able to sell by the glass otherwise. But also for the quality of service, to meet customer demand and offer a quality of wine that we couldn’t’t offer otherwise. Guests are intrigued by the D-Vine. It is showcased on the bar. They can ‘play’ with it and enjoy the educational dimension of the device.
Which wine resembles you most?
The D-Vine’s Pouilly-Fumé Domaine Joseph Mellot. It’s balanced, floral and lively. More largely, I like wines from Alsace and Burgundy (Chardonnay typically). I also really like the D-Vine’s Domaine Greywacke from Marlborough, New Zealand and the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc from Château La Nerthe.
Are you planning to operate at all during the lockdown? And will you adapt your offering in anyway afterwards?
We’re closed, but we are preparing to re-open with lots of new plans!
We will be adapting as we are going to offer delivery via Deliveroo, in order to serve our customers that won’t come to the restaurant any more.
To learn more
As artisans of well-being, Atypio hotels have their own signature identity and offer a broad spectrum of ancillary services. The group’s partnership with D-Vine therefore naturally fits into its strategy, which is resolutely centred on the customer experience. Read the article
