Following a strategic review of their business model, Six by Nico, the evolving restaurant concept, has launched a new immersive dining experience, designed to elevate their offering even further in an increasingly busy ‘tasting menu’ market.
Aberdeen’s Six by Nico restaurant launched ‘Murder on the Midnight Express’ this week. An experiential, ‘gamefied’ style of six-course tasting menu, the launch heralds a major shift in the company’s strategy, which aims not only to cement the iconic restaurant’s reputation with its loyal community of diners, but also to attract and retain the industry’s top talent within their team.
In practical terms, Six by Nico have committed to reducing the overall capacity of their restaurants by 15%. As part of their new operating model, Six by Nico will now offer four sittings instead of five throughout the day. They also plan to reduce the number of new Six by Nico restaurants opening around the UK by 50% in 2025 to allow a focus on rolling out the new model of elevated experience across all of their 17 restaurants across the UK.
Nico Simeone, founder and chief executive of Six by Nico explains the rationale behind this move: “The last few years have been extremely exciting and dynamic for all of us at Six by Nico. Taking on our first debt after lockdown spurred us on to grow our brand – and our business – as we did our utmost to ensure fiscal stability. While this strategy proved highly successful, it has not been without its challenges. For example, in our Birmingham restaurant on a Saturday night, our team serve up around 2000 plates of food, which equates to 3.4 plates of food every minute. This is not only very labour-intensive, but also stressful for our team.
“I am genuinely passionate about nurturing the next generation of talent within the industry, and feel really strongly that it’s the right time for us to take a beat on the growth front so we can concentrate on fulfilling this. Reducing the number of sittings gives us the breathing space to attract, retain and develop the top talent in the industry, and simultaneously double down on enriching the customer experience we’re already renowned for.”
Nico added: “We’ve always believed in exploring our creativity and exploiting the dynamic synergies between food and drink, video marketing and events, and this new pillar of immersion is no exception. It’s not just about food; it’s about enveloping our guests in an immersive experience, amplifying the exceptional dishes for which we’re already famed with a tantalising playful element. I’m very proud of the Six by Nico creative team who have stretched themselves into new territories, encompassing gaming and narrative design, to carve out a brand new niche in the market.”
‘Murder on the Midnight Express’ is the ultimate whodunnit. Guests will be transported back in time to the 1930s, where they will play the role of a detective, using a carefully curated set of clues, props and case files to solve the mystery, and unmask the elusive killer. Inspired by classic French cuisine, the six-course immersive tasting menu will be cooking between 30 January - 9 March.