This is the latest in a regular series of Business Q&A features published weekly. This week, we spoke to Simon Midgley, owner of Starling on Oxford Street in Harrogate.

Tell us in fewer than 30 words what your firm does.

We're a café, bar and restaurant in the centre of Harrogate. The business is built on people, and we have a great reputation for excellent service in a casual dining environment.

The menu is simple but well thought out. We make our own pizza dough from scratch, and that forms the backbone of our evening menu.

We also have a thriving and diverse events programme.

What does it take to be successful in business?

First of all, it takes resilience – battling through adversity is key to success. Anyone who says it's plain sailing is either extremely lucky or is lying.

It's also about having a team around you who share your values. Once you find them, you've got to keep them.

What drives you to do what you do every day?

Hospitality is a funny thing. I thought I wanted to be a lawyer, and graduated with a degree in chemistry and law. But in the meantime, I'd been working in bars, and it turned out that was what got me out of bed in the morning. It's what gets me excited. I can't explain it. It's just a magical industry to be in.

What’s been the toughest issue your business has had to deal with over the last 12 months?

Just keeping a lid on and battling significant rising costs. I've found it's been quite straightforward to grow the business in turnover terms, but costs are a bit of a law unto themselves.

Staff costs account for 30-40% of all costs for hospitality businesses, so when they go up, it can be difficult.

Which other local firms do you most admire and why?

I admire Live for Today, the Ripley-based adventure business based that expanding across Yorkshire. They're a great group of people with a really positive, glass-half-full approach. That something I try to encourage in my team.

Who are the most inspiring local leaders?

Peter Banks, the former managing director at Rudding Park. He's a fantastic operator with a very astute commercial mind. He's also thoroughly hard-working and a very genuine guy.

What could be done locally to boost business?

I'm involved with Harrogate BID (business improvement district), and they're doing a fantastic job under the chief executive, Matthew Chapman, with lots of initiatives and events.

We need more of that: more events, bigger events, and more resources. A bigger workforce over time would help too, although I do recognise we're all working to a budget.

It's easy to moan, but if no-one does anything, nothing improves. I'm a firm believer in getting on and doing something positive.

Best and worst things about running a business from Harrogate?

Harrogate's a beautiful town. I grew up here, and I'm very proud to run a business from here. We're very fortunate to have the demographic we have – the pool of disposable income is greater here than it is in other places.

The downside is that it can be difficult to recruit staff. There's no university here, and young people move away, so finding good people is so much more difficult here than it is in, say, Leeds or York.

What are your business plans for the future?

We are considering future growth towards the back end of the year. We are looking at new sites, but there are no specifics I can tell you about. For the time being, it's an intention.

What do you like to do in your time off?

I'm a big fan of getting out into the countryside – up into the Dales. We like going on holiday up to Scotland too.

I'm a keen cyclist – I've got a sportive in Pitlochry coming up in May, so I'm in training for that. I love golf too – I'm a member of Oakdale Golf Club.

Best places to eat and drink locally (apart from Starling!)?

Spice Culture on Cheltenham Parade is a favourite of ours, and I love Stuzzi on King's Road too. They're both independent local businesses run by people who care. They remember your face and they remember your name.

I like 17 Miles on Cold Bath Road too. It focuses on Belgian and heritage beers rather than just British and American pale ales. I like what they're doing there.

Cold Bath Brewing Co and Roosters tap room also deserve a mention, of course.

There's genuine entrepreneurial spirit behind these places, and that's the kind of town I want to live in.

If you know someone in business in the Harrogate district and you'd like to suggest them for this feature, drop us a line at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.