SONA Welcomes Friends & Family for a Very Special First Night

Before opening the doors to the public, SONA at The Celtic Manor Resort in Newport faced one very important final test: a restaurant full of more than 90 invited friends, family, colleagues and supporters, all encouraged to put the team through its paces.

This wasn't intended to be an easy rehearsal. Guests ranged from couples and families to groups of friends and business colleagues, with the entire SONA menu available to order. It meant both our kitchen and front-of-house teams experienced the demands of a busy service, while our guests were asked for something equally important: open and honest feedback about the food, service and overall SONA experience.

The result was a fantastic evening, a wonderful atmosphere and some brilliant early reviews, but, importantly, there were lessons too. That's exactly what the night was designed to achieve. Opening a new restaurant is about much more than creating a great menu; it's about bringing food, people, service and atmosphere together. Our Friends & Family evening gave us the opportunity to learn, refine and prepare before welcoming our first paying guests through the doors.