Since we began showcasing Top Young Tabletop Talent, we’ve had the good fortune to meet some incredibly talented future category leaders. In fact, the more we meet, the more we continue to feel that the best is yet to come in the world of hospitality tabletop.
Our current young talent is Nina Kaul, who represents RAK Porcelain in the central region of Germany. One of the world’s most competitive hotel & restaurant dinnerware savvy markets in the world. Nina has played a large role in making sure that RAK Porcelain gets it’s “fair share” of this competitive market’s hospitality tabletop business. We recently were able to sit with Nina and ask her a few questions about her life as a young tabletop talent in our world of hospitality. 
A: After graduating from the high school, I wasn’t sure what I should do. I finally decided to study. It was the easiest way, but unfortunately I had other interests than studying. I recognized that I would like to earn my own money and that I would like to work. Therefore I dropped out of my college and began an apprenticeship as a trained retail saleswoman for a German textile-discounter. Just before finishing the apprenticeship I recognized that this won’t be the job or industry for which I would like to work the next years. I had more and more the feeling that I would like to improve myself further. But I did not want to go without the money. Furthermore my boyfriend and I have had a long-distance relationship and for this reason I made the decision to move to him, look there for a job and start again studying. Besides this, I received a grant for my results in the apprenticeship. Then in Stuttgart I had the first contact with the porcelain-industry – I started working for a wholesaler. He was one of the first dealers, who started selling RAK Porcelain in Germany. In order to complete my skills in Business, I started to study Business Administration on the weekend. My study came to an end and RAK Porcelain had a vacant position. I was asked for this job that I finally accepted.
Studying again was one of the best decisions I made. My first experience helped me to find the right program and university. Every job helps me to find out more and more, what I would like to do, what I don’t like, and what I am good at and where my strengths are.
A: Both are interesting in getting the order and achieving a strong and loyal relationship with the customer. As a wholesaler you are not as interested as a manufacturer in selling a product of one manufacturer; for you it is more important to sell a product, which is in your stock or which has the highest profit.
Now for me I want to convince the customer that he or she has to “make sure it’s RAK”. He should not only buy a cup, he or she has to buy a cup or a plate from RAK. As a dealer you have got a wider range and assortment.
Q: In your current day-to-day activities, do you specialize in a certain hospitality segment such as restaurants or hotels or caterers? Do you have a favorite type of customer?
A: I like working with all of them; but especially the factory and staff canteens and the gourmet and innovative restaurants are one of my favorite hospitality segment. Also the open-minded and creative cooks, who are flexible for different suggestions, are my favorite type of customers.
Q: What has been your favorite tabletop sale since you began working for RAK Porcelain?
A: There is a huge industry-company, called ZF, and they have got in every base their own canteen. We started there with one article in one canteen and now we have different articles in their different bases and it looks like we will fit out the whole new canteens.
Q: How do you feel that the tabletop articles….the porcelain, cutlery, glassware, textiles, etc….impact the dining experience for the guests?
A: If you order a medium rare steak and you will serve it on a plastic plate with plastic cutlery, you can also use the cheapest meat. For me it is necessary that the whole room or restaurant should be an singular, complimentary unit. And the tabletop articles can help you to reinforce your company philosophy and furthermore to please and delight the customer in a positive way.
Q: With your success in Germany at a relatively early age, does that make you want to consider someday working in other countries or regions?
A: If I will get the opportunity to work in another country, I think that I will do it. But the precondition is that the country, the culture and the people should arouse my interest.
Q: What do you think makes the hospitality tabletop industry interesting and attractive to young people who are just beginning their careers? What advice would you give other young people thinking about working in our industry?
A: This industry is interesting, because it is fast turning and evolving quickly. There are often new potential customers, who open a restaurant or hotel, every year there are new porcelain styles and collections. So every day is different with many new opportunities.
Furthermore especially in my working area, the sales, you have even in a young age the possibility to work completely on your own and receive a huge area of responsibility.
Q: When you are not selling tabletop to hospitality industry customers, what do you like to do with your personal time?
A: I like traveling and get to know different cultures and countries. I’m also addicted to cooking and baking different recipes for my family and friends and spending my time with them.
Q: What is one thing about Nina Kaul that the world would be very surprised to learn?
A: I also love searching and collecting bulk garbage. I pick the old, used furniture pieces in my car and repair and dress them up at home. Sometimes I sell them on the next flea market, because my flat is nearly full now. I’m also quite good with my hands. In the last year we have looked for a new bed in the shabby-chic style. But we found no one which we liked. So we decided to build it with wood on our own.
Clearly, if tabletop companies desire to grow in competitive tabletop markets such as Germany, it requires a great deal of experience….and, some youthful exhuberance. We think that our industry needs a whole lot more people like Nina Kaul who bring excitement, passion, and professionalism ….along with a sense of fun…to the hospitality tabletop world.
