n marketing terms it could be categorised as product development, but in gastronomic terms it's just great eating. Who knew that the Harbourfront Restaurant, recognised for decades for premier steak and seafood dining, would blaze a trail in Hamilton for eating establishments whilst reviving an under-performing section of the operation with ? of all things ? sushi.

"It really did take us by surprise just how popular it became and how quickly," says Pierangelo Lanfranchi, Harbourfront's manager.

"We were trying to come up with an idea for the long bar we used to have at the entrance of the restaurant which was really quiet, particularly in the early evening. We decided to turn it into the sushi bar after seeing just how many locals were going to the old Marriott for sushi. I then had the idea of the sushi happy hour. Harbourfront was the first restaurant in Hamilton to have sushi and it was a tremendous success. Ten years later it's still very successful even though there's many more places to get it."

So successful in fact that the restaurant is almost more well-known now for the Japanese delicacy and is even currently running a special promotion specifically to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its sushi offering. According to Mr. Lanfranchi the explosive popularity of sushi here means the movers and shakers of corporate Bermuda ? the traditional Harbourfront customer ? are enjoying it at the restaurant as well as a broader cross-section of people who might not have considered eating there before.

"Our clientele could be anyone from a truck driver to the CEO of a large company to celebrities," says Mr. Lanfranchi. (Most recently those celebrities have included Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon as well as Warwick's famous residents Michael Douglas and Ms Zeta Jones.)

"People from all walks of life come to enjoy what we serve and my motto which I always tell our staff is 'Everyone who walks in here is royalty'. We don't discriminate; everyone's important to us."

He admits however, that the restaurant is still virtually a part of Bermuda's local and international business community; on any given day the strategically placed tables are hosting power lunches or dinners at which deals are sparked, sealed or celebrated.

"Yes, we are set up for quiet conversations and our atmosphere is good for the business community," he says. "Our private room is used for board meetings frequently and we're grateful for the support we receive from the business sector."

The Harbourfront has been in business for over 30 years and though the residual clubby, corporate atmosphere remains, the warm welcome diners receive from the restaurant's staff and Mr. Lanfranchi himself relaxes the tone considerably. A part of the Little Venice Group since 1984, the restaurant has undergone changes gradually, in ways that have been subtle enough not to alienate its core customers while allowing it to stay fresh and take on industry trends appropriate to its operation.

"But what has always been important to us is the quality of the food and presentation, and consistency in both those areas," Mr. Lanfranchi says. "And we always want to provide quality that's competitively priced. We use local produce and work with local producers when we can and we bring in produce of course, but whatever we do, we buy the best quality we can.

"This has become even more important as the restaurant industry in Bermuda has improved tremendously," he adds, referring to the much wider range of dining options available on the Island now, as compared to when he first came to Bermuda 23 years ago.

"Generally speaking there's a tremendous selection of menus, wines and great presentation here for such a small island," he says. "Just like us our colleagues in the industry here don't relax about our business, we're all aggressive and want to bring the latest trends to Bermuda. It's good to have that kind of competition, it's a healthy pressure for us."

Before joining the Harbourfront as manager 15 years ago Mr. Lanfranchi had worked at several establishments on the Island, including the Newport Room at the Southampton Princess hotel, Tom Moore's Tavern, Little Venice and the now closed Tavern on the Green, where he was the maitre'd. "Prior to coming to Bermuda I was a trainee manager in the Grand Metropolitan Hotels in London, but I wanted to travel the world," he says. "Bermuda was my first stop and I never left! I enjoyed being here in terms of the work and the overall environment."

Over the years he has seen how the dining industry has changed here not only from the 'front end' of the business in terms of food and presentation, but also from a management perspective. He feels, similarly to management in other sectors of the local business community, that staffing issues are among the biggest challenges facing restaurateurs in Bermuda today. Looking around the restaurant at the staff and listening to the exchanges between them as they busily prepare for that day's lunchtime session it's clear that the team is a mini-United Nations in terms of nationalities represented.

"People sometimes think we're an Italian restaurant, but I'm the only Italian here!" says Mr. Lanfranchi. "We have a Czech, people from Austria, Poland, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, the West Indies, India and Sri Lanka."

Like other segments of the hospitality industry, Harbourfront is challenged to attract and keep Bermudian staff, and attracting staff from overseas is not necessarily any easier.

"Keeping staff is an issue," says Mr. Lanfranchi. "There are many other jobs for locals offering better hours and more money frankly, and to be in this business, it's a passion; if you have the passion you take what comes with the business, like the unsociable hours."

He adds that it's also difficult to keep staff from overseas due to Bermuda's high cost of accommodation and the generally high cost of living here.

"It makes it difficult for them to make the decision to come here; some of them actually make sacrifices to do so."

He heaps praise on his staff and their crucial role in Harbourfront's on going success."I'm very grateful to all my staff, all the professionals I work with here," he says. "As much as I have ideas, it wouldn't work without good staff. We make sure we train them well and I appreciate their patience working with me putting the ideas into action. They are working with two completely different menus, in two completely different kitchens and they all make it look easy. And our sushi chefs are a great team who work very well under pressure. It's great to work with people who love to do their jobs."

As Bermuda's sushi-mania shows no signs of abating ? "Some Friday's we've had 120 people waiting for sushi" ? Mr. Lanfranchi is looking forward to serving up more new ideas for his customers.

"We're going to expand the line we offer, and I'm working on getting a guest chef from one of the top restaurants in New York to be with us for a week to introduce some new items and showcase new ideas," he says. "There are also interesting wine pairings that we're introducing with the sushi. We're also continuing with the very popular tasting menu and always looking at the quality of our a la carte menu.

"It's still exciting for me, it's a work of love," he says about being in his chosen profession and running the Harbourfront.

"In the industry you have the opportunity to travel the world and meet people from all walks of life.

"In the restaurant, I love being creative and working with the chefs to come up with new things. I love the business and my customers. And at the heart of Harbourfront's success, as well as the quality of our food and presentation, is listening to the customer. What's important is not just getting numbers in the door, it's to be consistent and to provide good food with good prices in an atmosphere where everyone is recognised."