What inspired you to set up this new business?
The ambition to decide what to do and how to do it, the willingness to create something different, useful and valuable, and an innate sense of risk.

What were you like at school?
Very curious but difficult to guide: I liked to learn what I was interested in but not was I was told. Undisciplined but successful. Keen on numbers rather than history.

What are your food passions?
I love taste and quality and tend to dislike complicated techniques and too innovative plates. Always look for origins, traditions and simplicity rather than pretentious names and presentation.
It might sounds contradicting with my concept but is not: my food is very simple and natural while the concept had to be complicated in order to standardize the processes and create a modern brand capable to last in the future given the speed of innovation we are experiencing.

If you face a challenging situation in work, how do you get over it?
Being calm, analyzing the challenge, brainstorming solutions, deciding the action, valuing the result and starting again if I am not satisfied.

What advice would you give to a young company looking for investment?
Define very clearly your identity, concentrate in building an outstanding product by being different in what you do, focus on strengthening your team and be honest. No one does the right thing at the first attempt and being conscious of your weaknesses makes you stronger rather than weaker: the key is being able to improve and have a plan to convert weaknesses in strengths. The future which is always different from what you expect and we need to cope with it.

Do you have any unusual approaches to business success?
Not particularly, I just feel you have to be ready otherwise either life will not give you what you are looking for or you will be wasting the opportunity. I would not push to participate to the Olympic games if I am not fit to be competitive. “I was there is not success, while contribution is…!”

What are you most proud of in your career, or life to date?
Very simple: Building my own business I found the way to do what I love, to achieve freedom in deciding and fully living my professional development. In the meantime, I found a wonderful woman, got married and started building my own family which is a more personal development but equally important. “I started my own business and my own family. I wish to any young guy or girl to be able to feel such a lucky person.”

Describe your perfect day
Wake up, have breakfast with my wife while listening to the news, look at emails on my Blackberry to have an idea on how my day will look like, get to the office and spend all day improving my business and creating new opportunities, go to the gym, have dinner with my wife and friends, and eventually go back to sleep.

How do you unwind after work?
As well as the answer above, I am a social animal as many friends used to describe me, but now my time is quite limited. Therefore, when I can, I enjoy few drinks with friends and family and try to laugh as much as I can…It helps to keep you happy and motivated.

Do you listen to music? What is on your iPod?
I do quite a lot. The Food Secret music has been designed by a friend who is quite a popular music designer in the fashion world. I have different genres of music in my iPod and I choose depending on the mood. I think every important moment of my life has a music background.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking of changing their career what would it be?
Always believe and never give up. Often life decides when you are ready and you cannot miss the train. Changing is a difficult, stressful and complicated process and you need to be aware of this before you start.

Information about Food Secret:

A groundbreaking new concept in fast food located in the heart of Soho, Food Secret has invested considerable resources into unlocking the secret behind the best food experience; a secret which it is now sharing with the capital’s time-poor, health-conscious population.

The aim of Food Secret is to provide a wide range of tasty foods, from breakfast through to early supper, whilst at the same time educating customers about the positive effects nutritious foods can have on their bodies.

To this end, Food Secret Founder Sergio Mottola tracked down international recipes and techniques and challenged leading chefs, nutritionists and consultants, Kate Cook and Chris Barber among them, to help deliver his vision.

Nutrition is at the core of everything at Food Secret; from its tailor-made menu to its unique labelling system.

Another thing that sets Food Secret apart from the competition is a database that turns complex nutritional facts into accessible yet detailed information. A sophisticated system involving 15 projectors and 30 screens then displays this data to the customer.

This means that customers are not only assured of a perfectly balanced meal, but they will be able to know exactly what it is that they are eating.

Meanwhile Food Secret’s 5 star rating system shows which foods are fine to eat every day and which should perhaps be reserved for an occasional - but well-deserved - treat.

Food Secret is open weekdays from 8.30am and Saturdays from 11am. Along with a counter allowing for the design of tailor-made creations, there is also a fine array for those who simply want to grab and go. Everything is prepared on site each day, using only the freshest and finest ingredients.

The Food Secret menu guarantees customers a healthy, balanced and delicious snack or meal, whatever the time of day.

Breakfast options include porridge, muesli, granola and a selection of fresh fruit. Come lunchtime and the choices are as varied as they are irresistible, from Feta & Mango Salad through to hearty soups such as Spicy Surf and Turf, a wonderful concoction of king prawns, chorizo, perfectly poached chicken, red peppers, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, carrots and a touch of harissa. Also on offer is a fabulous sandwich selection featuring such standouts as Parma Ham and Caramelised Onion, plus a range of perfectly portioned flapjacks, cakes and desserts.

Aside from eat-in and take-away, orders can also be delivered anywhere within a one mile radius of the store.

Another factor setting Food Secret apart from virtually every other fast-food joint is its glamorous and inviting décor.

More akin to an upmarket urban spa than a busy urban eatery, the interior of Food Secret is light and airy. Five communal tables and benches face a long counter laden with irresistible offerings, while separate tables of twos and threes are also available for those seeking more privacy.

http://www.foodsecret.com/