More than you can imagine. After years on stage and now taking my first steps in restaurant service, I realized that both depend on choreography and unforgettable stories. 🎭🍷

Since I was six years old, the stage has been one of the places that has made me feel most at home, thanks in large part to Diana Barnabé. Now, as an F&B Management student at the School of Hospitality and Tourism of Porto (EHTP), I realize how these experiences shaped my approach to service.

At CICLO, a theatre collective I founded in 2019, I learned that a team is essential. Everyone has their role, but no one is alone. If something goes wrong, the group is there to support, without compromising the experience.

This philosophy follows me in the restaurant, where, although the customer does not understand the behind-the-scenes, he feels the impact of a synchronized team.

What always fascinated me about theatre was not just the final play, but the creative process: studying the characters, rehearsing and improvising. My favourite character, curiously, didn’t speak, but his story was told in silence.
In the F&B service, the dynamic is the same: each customer is unique, and each table has a story to tell. The challenge is to interpret the needs and desires of those who are there, improvising and creating special moments.

On stage and in the restaurant, there is a choreography. In theatre, every movement is planned; In service, the maître d’ is the director and the waiters are the actors.

The customer is the most demanding critic. When everything goes well, it is because the team worked like a true theatre group, improvising when necessary and following the “choreography” when everything is in harmony.

In theatre, we tell stories with words and movement. In the dining room, stories are told through food, wine, and hospitality. Every choice, like selecting a wine or how to celebrate a birthday, creates a unique memory.

Theatre taught me that attention to detail, teamwork, and the ability to improvise are essential to creating memorable experiences. I am on a continuous journey, learning with each service. Looking back, I realize that the stage was my best school.