INTERVIEW WITH BILLY LEONARDO, RESTAURANT MANAGER OF PANAMA KITCHEN & POOL
Hey there Billy! Could you please elaborate a bit about your background, and what makes you pick your current career choice?
I was born to a very loving and caring family, which I’m grateful for. My dad cares very much about our family, he worked so hard just to make sure that his children could go to competent schools and that’s where I met my friends and my current business partners. I moved to the States as a teenager to pursuit my dreams and my first job was being an assistant waiter and a dishwasher at my uncle’s restaurant in Seattle, WA and that was the kick-off of my journey of discovering and learning about life and new perspectives.
Name one person in the world that inspires you the most
Honestly, I don’t adore any famous figure. I adore people’s generosity and humility, especially the ones that are already on top of their game.
What is the main concept behind Panama Kitchen & Pool? And to whom it may appeal?
We want to remind people what ‘libur musim panas’ (summer holiday, in English) in Bali really is. The smell of tanning oil, the sound of nature, sand on your toes and your elbows, music that reminds you of good old times, comfort food, fresh fruit cocktails, and a very genuine environment. Panama in Latin means abundance of fish and butterflies. That’s why most of our special dishes consist of fresh and locally-caught seafood, smothered in our homemade sauces. Butterflies represent nature which is shown by the size of our outdoor area and how much people love getting tanned on our pool deck.
We love families and we love kids. We really are here to be an oasis for them, knowing that there aren’t many activities for kids and families in Bali and Canggu specifically. We also welcome anyone who’s young at heart and just simply want to have fun and be a part of our culture.
You have a musical background. What instrument do you play? And could you describe one of the most memorable music performance you’ve ever done so far?
I’ve been playing drums since I was 10 years old. I started playing at church (just like any other musicians, mostly) and I wanted to pursuit my musical career on a serious level when I was 18 years old. The most memorable performance I’ve done so far is playing for thousands at the Space Needle in Seattle for New Year’s Eve in 2013 with my band called ’The Nines’. It was very spectacular.
If you could pack your bag and go anywhere right now in the world for holiday, where would you be
I would go to Japan right now. I’m inspired by the Japanese culture and cuisine and I really want to explore and discover that, living just like locals. Second place I would go to is the States. I miss all of my loved ones and I would love to get together with them.
What is the strength of Panama Kitchen & Pool that makes it stands out among other competitors? And how would you maintain / manage them?
Our main identity is being up-close and personal to everyone that visits our home. Every single person who’s a part of our amazing team has to have the right personality and mindset to be able to be up-close and personal with anyone. To maintain is to show example, and that’s what we do.
If you could have one song that always plays when you enter a room, what would it be?
Good Times – Chic (1979)
Everyone should have a good time when I enter a room. No one is being left out.
What is your plan for Panama Kitchen & Pool and what would you see it become in the next five years?
Our plan is to keep getting better each day. It may sound simple and easy, but it definitely isn’t. We want people to remember Panama as as ‘the place’ where they met their best friends or even significant others, ’the place’ where kids first learned how to swim, ’the place’ where people can just relax and be themselves and get away from their busy day-to-day life, ‘the place’ where people had their first beach house experience with first-class hospitality and product quality.
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