Zarko Ratkovic, director general of Visnjica - Gentleman

(Zarko Rakovic)

His father sliced hundreds of smoked hams, which were never served to members of the family but to guests only. He always loved to have guests at his home so he himself could eat the ham. What has left of that benign childish desire is his hospitality and the wish that every guest goes home satisfied and determined to come back again, not to his home but to seven restaurants operating as part of Visnjica, which has been run by this Herzegovinian over the last 30 years.

Zarko Ratkovic is one of the last descendants of true gentlemen in Belgrade. There is something in his voice that makes you think: "Even if he does not succeed in the finance business, he will definitely succeed as a poet".

He came to the capital city of Serbia from his hometown Trebinje in 1965 to finish the Secondary School of Transport and Technical Engineering in Zemun. Although he later graduated from the Faculty of Economics and completed specialist studies at the Faculty of Law, he earned his first salary at the City Transport Company (GSP) Beograd.

- After working at the City Transport Company, I turned to the trade and spent next four years at Zvezda, the company representing famous trademarks in the areas of sports, fishing, hunting and tourism – Zarko Ratkovic, director general of Visnjica, says in an interview for eKapija.

He moved from Zvezda to the catering business by pure accident. He may have come to Visnjica by accident, but he stayed at the company on purpose for the next three decades.

- My Herzegovina, the area around Velez, Orijen and Durmitor, is famous for the schools of poetry, language and hospitality.

However, he worked at Visnjica as financial director for a long time, but he admits that that he always did that job emotionally, rather than professionally.

From one tavern to another...

Zarko Ratkovic is a frequent guest of taverns and restaurants in Belgrade. He admits he also loves going to facilities other than Visnjica's - restaurants Ima Dana, Usce, Devetka, Stara Hercegovina, ale houses Tosin Bunar and Lido..

When going there, he always has two goals: to have a good time, and to see how others are doing what he does for a living, what they have in their offer, and to draw a comparison between the qualities of offer and services in his and other restaurants.

- My aim is to always be the first and to offer the highest quality in the field. That is why I believe that we all should do what we know the best.

Although he traveled a lot and got familiar with many cuisines and restaurants worldwide, he is of the opinion that Belgrade has plenty of good places and that we do not lag behind the rest of the world. He finds the French cuisine unrivaled in the world, primarily because of their attitude toward food, the way in which they serve it, and their professionalism.

When he enters a restaurant, he first sees the things that are not good: spider webs in the corners, inappropriate wine card, waiter's bad attitude and clothing... Of all the facilities he runs, he admits one can most often see him in the one that makes the highest profit - Stara Herzegovina restaurant. When fixing the place of meeting, his friends, whom he often meets there, love to say: "Let's go to our homeland."

He says that the most sincere love is the love of food.

His friend from abroad has recently asked him to go to Skadarlija (Bohemian Quarter) so they could eat grilled meat at Ima Dana restaurant.

- We sell both experience and desire. Profit is, of course, the main interest, just like in any other business.

How to ruin the company

He believes in a Japanese saying that reads that there are three ways to ruin a catering facility: the sweetest, the quickest, and the safest.

The sweetest way is that the hotel manager falls in love with the hostess, the quickest way is that the hotel manager starts gambling, and the safest way is to choose bad associates.

He says that they have managed to resist all temptations. He believes that good associates are essential in every business, especially in the catering business where manpower is a very important element.

- I think we have succeeded, a proof of which is the fact that Visnjica celebrates the 60th anniversary of its operations this year. Throughout its history, the company has never had some big falls. Instead, it always registered a harmonized growth and developed its own personnel. During these six decades, Visnjica had only five directors.

Be always the best

In business and in private life he is always guided by the same philosophy - "Be always the best and never average."

- Aim high and do everything in a top quality way. Observe everything in a long run. Truth and quality are the motives that should lead every man to his aim and success.

He believes it is extremely important that people at the company are given the right jobs. It may sound as a paradox, but he always took associates for the jobs he knew excellently well so he could control everything.

- You do not take an adviser, deputy or associate for the job you don't know anything about. Only if you control the system, the system functions.

"Friends show their love in times of trouble"

There is a framed photo of Momo Kapor on a wall in his office. He says they were good friends. In 1991, Kapor had the honor to open Stara Herzegovina restaurant.

- He was the truest Herzegovinian in Belgrade.

(a photo of Momo Kapor enjoys an honorary place in Stara Hercegovina restaurant)

Aside from his family and the company he works at, Ratkovic's wealth also includes friends.

- You make friends when you are in a trouble. Friends are those people who sometimes say something you don't want to hear.

Although he says the circumstances determine the wine he drinks, he admits he loves mild wines. His favorite among white wines is Zilavka, while Cabernet Radovanovic is his choice among dark wines.

He also loves to read, especially historical novels. Desanka Maksimovic, Ducic, Prever, Tagore, Mayakovsky, Yesenin are only some of the classical poets whose works he loves reading again and again.

Of all destinations around the world, Australia has left the deepest impression on him.

- Australia is a promised land, the country of eternal spring. All travels benefit a man in some way and that is something nobody can take from you. People often forget what somebody has said or eaten, but nobody can erase the feeling of pleasure when something has been experienced, tried or seen on a travel.

He has two sons, two daughters-in-law, three grandchildren and, as he says jokingly, only one wife.

J.Đ.

Višnjica restorani d.o.o. Beograd

Herzegovina

Zarko Ratkovic

GSP Beograd

Trebinje

Zvezda

Velez

Orijen

Durmitor

Ima dana

Usce

Devetka

Stara Hercegovina

Bled

Hospitality