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In a hospitality climate that’s been affected by challenges like elevated costs and staffing pressures, one independent restaurant owner is showing how growth can come from focusing on your people, systems and community.

Owner of The Ginger Italian in Carshalton, Joe Paini, is open about the reality of modern hospitality and how waiting for things to get easier isn’t a strategy. Instead, he’s built a business designed to perform even when some conditions are tough.

Designing the business around real people

For Joe, it’s his team that sets The Ginger Italian apart from other restaurants in the area.

“We retain staff like no other restaurant around here,” he says. 

In an industry used to experiencing high staff turnover, The Ginger Italian has built a long-standing team through consistent training, clear expectations and a culture that recognises how demanding the job really is. But despite this, Joe still doesn’t think he has it all figured out.

“I don’t kid myself that my team should always be motivated to work and to learn, especially when they’re working long hours. Constantly training everyone is one of the biggest challenges I face, simply because we’re always coming up with new ideas that can make the restaurant better. Finding a way for the important things to never come off the table is key, but supplementing this with new strategies is a balance I’m keen to fully find.”

Technology plays a supporting role in keeping the team on the same page. Having thoroughly tested multiple ePOS systems, Joe decided that Lightspeed was the best fit. The Ginger Italian uses Lightspeed to take orders, manage modifiers and prompt key questions during service, which Joe says helps reduce mistakes.

“When something just works, you don’t have to think about it – you just rely on it,” he explains. “Even if someone joins the team who isn’t tech-savvy, Lightspeed makes it easy to get up to speed, ask customers the right questions, and make menu changes on a phone or tablet without having to spend extra time on admin during a busy day.”

Engineering spend, not hoping for it

The Ginger Italian has held its spending per head at around £42 per person without relying on discounting, extra covers or aggressive price hikes. According to data from Lightspeed, that’s around £10 higher than the average spend per head in venues  from January 2024 – August 2025.

To do this, Joe is all about removing friction from ordering and making it easier for guests to say yes – whether that’s through visual menus, on-screen prompts, or filming a Biscoff cheesecake and sending guests to a QR code video of him encouraging them to try it.

“When owners say they need more customers, that makes them feel daunted,” he says. “What if you just got more out of the customers you already have?”

Here again, technology matters. Joe likes that he can quickly programme upsells, modifiers and prompts without complicated back-end processes.

“If I can change something in seconds and it pops up for the team automatically, that’s money in the till without a big training session,” he says. 

Building the restaurant like a brand

The Ginger Italian fast became a recognisable presence in its local community thanks to its social media presence.

From weekly competitions and filmed specials to personal social content and event tie-ins, the restaurant behaves more like a brand than just a venue. The team is front and centre, filming videos, introducing dishes, and speaking directly to guests online.

“Our Facebook posts get so much engagement that we get paid for them,” he says. “People ask about what’s going on locally and our name always comes up.”

That connection paid off during Covid, when customers who would never opt for a takeaway would order from The Ginger Italian, because they didn’t want to see the business suffer. This kind of loyalty has been built by understanding how to increase visibility and by truly being part of the local community.

For now, The Ginger Italian’s current focus isn’t on new ideas, dishes or events. Instead, Joe and the team want to amplify what is already clearly working well for them.