Expanding Your Empire – Our Advice

by Abby Henson | 1 Sep, 2017 | Blog, Press & News

Are you looking to take on new sites to grow your hospitality business?

If the answer’s a resounding “yes!”, you’re in good company – 60% of UK pubs are now managed by multi-site operators, while in recent years the restaurant sector has seen a rise in the number of chain operators coupled with a decrease in the average number of sites per chain, suggesting a vibrant market full of opportunity for those looking to expand.

Adding new sites can be a fantastic way to increase revenues and profits, as well as create a recognisable brand image that will contribute to a business that is healthy and sustainable in the long term.

Here are our top tips for how to best approach your expansion, giving your new empire the best chance of success.

Cheers to expansion!

Mean Business

It’s natural for operators of single-site enterprises to think of themselves as publicans or restaurateurs. As your business grows, it’s necessary to move away from this and into the mindset of the company director. This may mean you have new concerns, like detailed budgets and structured financial planning, that were not previously a significant consideration. Be sure that you and the people around you are able to effectively take on this responsibility before committing to growth.

Focus on Sustainability

Expansion that is not sustainable will damage your reputation and in the worst cases could spell the end for your business. It’s important to prepare very thoroughly, making plans and contingencies for your short, medium, and long-term future. Before adding a new site, you should be entirely confident both in its viability as a single enterprise, and as part of your wider brand, without overstretching your resources.

Reconcile Systems and Processes

Like the biblical house built on stone, it’s important that as your business is constructed its foundations are strong. Having effective and scalable systems and processes in place is crucial. In our industry, this means trusted EPoS, labour scheduling, reservations, and payroll systems should be implemented and reconciled across all sites as soon as humanly possible. This will save time and money in the long run and allow for easy employee transfer across your growing estate with minimal retraining required.

Time for a dramatic change?

Consider your Offer – Do you Stick or Twist?

It’s important to take an honest look at your offer. You might have a fantastic brand, but if you’re essentially a one trick pony, you may need to think very carefully about geography when expanding. Even the biggest industry players can fall foul of pitfalls here; in the last two years JD Wetherspoon has put more than 80 of their worst-performing pubs on the market, citing their proximity to other Wetherspoon sites. If looking to acquire new sites within close geographies, consider fresh ways to give each site unique character, opening up new pools of potential customers without pulling trade away from your existing sites.

Leverage your Fanbase

If you’re in the position where expansion is a viable option, you must be doing something right, which means your business will already have a corps of loyal customers. Make the most of this in your marketing efforts for your new sites by promoting them heavily on your existing mailing lists and encouraging your fanbase to share details of your new locations on their social media profiles. This serves to organically create a reputation for your business in its new areas, which can be just as helpful as direct marketing.

Create a Great Culture

You may be used to working as part of a small, close-knit team that feels more like being among friends than colleagues. That’s brilliant, and one of the reasons we love this industry, but that closeness can be diluted as your company grows. Try not to let this happen and focus on building a great company culture across all your sites. Organising social events that bring different sites’ teams together and offering employees incentives to visit your other sites can be very effective ways of making sure staff feel they are part of something worth being part of, and want to produce their very best for your business.

Trust your People

The more sites you acquire, the tougher it will get to manage them all closely. Multi-site operators are well-advised to embrace this fact and be willing to let go of control. Be thorough in your recruitment; leave no stone unturned in finding the best site managers, but then be prepared to back off. Invest your trust in them to run a tight ship without the need for you to oversee their every move, and the returns will be great.

Expansion can be hard but there’s a world of opportunity out there. Following the guidance above will put you in the best possible position to conquer it. Go and build your empire.  

Six Ways S4Labour Can Save You Time

by Abby Henson | 15 Aug, 2017 | Blog, Press & News

S4Labour is the fastest growing labour solution for the hospitality industry. It is intuitive and user-friendly software designed to optimise scheduling of staff, as well as manage HR functions. In addition to significantly reducing operating costs, the system saves its users valuable time, allowing site managers to focus on doing what they do best – delivering great experiences to customers. Here are six ways S4Labour can save you or your managers time.

Saving time leads to increased focus on service levels

EPoS Links
We have established integrations with most leading till system providers meaning hourly sales data populates automatically into S4Labour with no requirement for managers to duplicate the process. This also facilitates perfect scheduling, with the right number of people on shift to deliver service standards throughout the day.

Easy Time & Attendance Tracking
We can also take clock in and clock out data directly from EPoS terminals, ensuring correct payment of staff. This removes the need for managers to update shift times at the end of the night and the hassle of dealing with pay-related queries.

Managing Human Processes
HR functions can be a drain on managers’ time. S4Labour automatically manages complex processes such as calculating correct holiday accrual and sick pay, and makes previously burdensome tasks like ensuring staff have legal right to work and logging appraisals, grievances, and disciplinaries a breeze.

Template Rotas
Manually creating a rota every week is often an unnecessary undertaking. S4Labour removes the need to do this by allowing users to create template rotas, which can be allocated to the required week in seconds, and then adjusted as much or as little as desired to account for the forecasted specifics of that week’s trade. There is no limit to the number of templates that can be created, and they can be created for the whole site or by department.

Better Communication
S4Labour makes worrying whether staff have checked when they’re due to work a thing of the past. Every time a manager creates a new rota, a copy of it is automatically emailed to all employees at the site. Employees can also take responsibility for managing their own personal details and requesting holiday through the system, further freeing managers’ time.

A Fully Integrated Solution
We integrate with leading training, payroll, and property management providers, and others. S4Labour is a one-stop-shop for management processes, removing the burden of working across multiple systems. Having an integrated solution allows S4Labour customers to work with the providers they prefer, safe in the knowledge that we will partner with them.

To find out more about how S4Labour can save your business time and money, or to request a demonstration, call 01295 267400 or email alec@cattonhospitality.com today.

What we Learned at the Propel Summer Conference

by Abby Henson | 12 Jul, 2017 | Blog, Press & News

Last Thursday, we were lucky enough to sponsor the latest in a long line of excellent Propel events. This year’s summer conference, complete with evening party, as ever saw a programme packed with illuminating speakers from all areas of hospitality. Across those on stage, we saw a common theme – strong, genuine people with a passion for what they do. Such inspiring leadership leads to the development of successful businesses, and it was a pleasure to spend the day with them.

Even as industry experts, it’s always a good time to learn new tricks, and we left armed with fresh insight on how the very best operate. Here are the key messages we took home with us.

Looking After People Pays

Jonathan Arana-Morton, co-founder of café concept The Breakfast Club, whose London sites routinely attract prodigious queues, delivered a punchy and energetic talk on his brand’s approach and expansion. His dedication to developing people shone through, with several members of his central staff today having progressed from initial front of house roles. Charity projects are also a cornerstone of The Breakfast’s Club’s ethos, with those who are happy to dedicate time outside work to helping others likely to be employees who go the extra mile to deliver special experiences. This leads to a superb working culture that’s plain to see and with rave reviews from customers, the approach clearly pays dividends.

We also learned that Jonathan does a mean Bill Withers at karaoke. It stands to reason; with queues round the block it’s always gonna be a lovely day!

Since 2005, The Breakfast Club has built an extremely loyal fanbase

Exceptional Retention, Exceptional Business

Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin was in typically bullish yet playful mood as he stormed through his Q&A session with his Propel counterpart Paul Charity. When asked the reasons behind Wetherspoon’s unusually strong staff retention – an average service of eleven years for managers is streets ahead of the industry norm – he quipped that it’s largely because after working at one of his 900+ pubs they could never get a job anywhere else.

But beneath the jocular façade is a critical truth. Wetherspoon is a monumental success story, with profits and influence at levels of which others in the industry can only dream. Exceptional retention leads to exceptional business, and investment in staff training and development to promote longevity of service is rarely wasted.

Big Data is a Big Opportunity

A consistent strength of Propel events is the variety of the speakers. Amidst the presentations from experienced front-line operators, Simon Blackbourne, commercial director of analytics firm Tahola, delivered an insightful talk on the vast opportunities ‘Big Data’ can bring for those shrewd enough to exploit them.

Trusting your gut to make decisions on everything from stock levels to new site locations is looking increasingly to be a thing of the past, while the scope for cross-platform pollination of data is evidently massive. Combining data from labour scheduling systems, EPoS, and training providers will provide a depth of knowledge to improve any busines.

Allow Site Managers to Focus on What They Do Best

Colin Sadler, managing director of Revere Pub Company, Marston’s’ premium managed concept, spoke with energy and enthusiasm on his experiences with the firm to date. Perhaps surprisingly, he described his relationship with the brewing behemoth as relaxed and liberal, with the freedom to build a brand however he sees fit. Simultaneously, he praised the support provided by Marston’s when required with systems and essential, if less glamorous, business functions.

With Revere reporting a 7% rise in revenue last year and eyeing numerous new openings, this approach seems to be working. We see a lesson here for many in our industry. Site managers and their teams are often superb at providing quality products and service, but may struggle with tasks behind the scenes. A good head office, backed up by an effective operations manager, can provide the building blocks for similar success by providing the systems and support that allow those at site level to focus on doing what they do best.

Mowgli have developed a quality alternative Indian offer

Quality is King

After a twenty-year career as a barrister, Nisha Katona took the bold decision to trade court chambers for tiffin boxes and founded her Indian street food concept Mowgli. Her tireless passion for the food of her heritage shone, and it’s no surprise a £3.45 million outside investment in the brand has now been announced to support forthcoming expansion.

As a relative newcomer to hospitality, Nisha has faced a steep learning curve, but when asked, “What do you think more established industry figures could do better?”, she didn’t hesitate in her answer; food quality. With more than a few in the audience hungrily eyeing her on-stage menu imagery it’s hard to disagree. Even in today’s discerning and saturated market genuine quality will still attract crowds.

Who Dares Wins

Few people build a successful pub company. Fewer still build three. Yet that’s exactly what David Bruce, currently chairman of The West Berkshire Brewery, has done. As he entertained the room with pithy tales of his experiences with Firkin Pubs, The Capital Pub Company, and City Pub Company, the common themes were vision, grit, and the courage to back your ideas when others doubt them.

Through crowdfunding and government-supported EIS schemes, David has raised over £100 million to fund his visions, and sends a clear message to today’s would-be hospitality entrepreneurs. For the visionary, determined and plucky operator, today’s market brings opportunities to secure the backing needed to be part of the next generation of success stories.

Work with your Community

Rounding off the day was another respected industry veteran, Rupert Clevely, MD of Ei Group managed joint venture Hippo Inns. Apparently named in response to Rupert’s desultory wallowing as he looked for a new project following the sale of Geronimo to Youngs, Hippo has enjoyed a fruitful first two years, opening a tenth London site last week.

Clearly animated by the venture, he emphasised the importance of understanding, appreciating, and working with the community around your sites. This is an ethos close to the heart of Hippo. Each pub is markedly different, their offers tailored to the communities around them, from contemporary and aspirational west London hotspots to rugged yet chic East End style. Making the effort to relate to your local community and having the foresight to develop an offering they will value is a recipe for a loyal following and sustained achievement.

Catton’s Richard Hartley goes for goal at the evening party

At S4Labour we’re dedicated to helping the best get even better by helping them control costs, maximise efficiency, drive sales, and save time. This provides a framework for long-term success that allows operators to pursue their passions and make their visions a reality.

It was a privilege to spend the day (and night) in the company of so many inspiring hospitality professionals, and served as a fine reminder why we love this industry. We’re already looking forward to doing it again at the autumn conference.

To find out more about how S4Labour can help drive your ongoing business success call 01295 267400 today.

Helping the Best get Better

by Abby Henson | 30 Jun, 2017 | Blog, Press & News

Congratulations are in order for no fewer than eight of our valued customers who have had sites nominated for awards in this year’s Great British Pub Awards across five different categories.

The awards night is due to take place in London and September, and we will certainly be rooting for plenty of outright category wins, all of which would be very well-earned.

At S4Labour we are dedicated to helping the best get even better and it’s always gratifying to see our hard-working and high-achieving clients get the recognition they deserve. It is also particularly vindicating to see three of our customers nominated for the Best Turnaround award. We regularly receive feedback from clients who tell us that S4Labour has provided them with the insight and clarity of vision that has allowed them to turn struggling sites into thriving and successful businesses.

Well done to all involved!

Our nominated customers in full:
Best Beer Pub
Mr Foley’s Tap House (Mitchell’s of Lancaster), York
Temple Brewhouse (City Pub Co), London

Best Inn
Durham Ox (Provenance Inns), York
Worplesdon Place (Redcomb Pubs), Guildford

Best Managed Pub
185 Watling Street (Epic/Heroic Pubs), Towcester

Best Spirits Bar
Rumba (Deviate), Macclesfield
Hermitage Road (Anglian Country Inns), Hitchin

Best Turnaround
Rumba (Deviate), Macclesfield
The Anchor (Epic/Heroic Pubs), Aspley Guise
Pug & Greyhound (Pug Pubs), Leicester

Ambience and “Site Flow” – the Key to Modern Success?

by Abby Henson | 9 Jun, 2017 | Blog, Press & News

Ten years ago next month, the smoking ban came into effect across the UK.Opponents at the time argued that the ban would critically harm the pub sector, viewing drinking and smoking as too closely linked

Opponents at the time argued that the ban would critically harm the pub sector, viewing drinking and smoking as too closely linked for a typically wet-led trade to survive. While some businesses undoubtedly suffered, many more have been able to adapt, with progressive operators embracing changes to the way people view and use pubs, bars, and restaurants and creating a welcoming, comfortable, modern atmosphere.

Over the last decade, as vertical drinking has largely declined, the popularity of comfortable, multi-purpose sites has grown. With groups of friends increasingly meeting to sit around a table and enjoy drinks, coffees, or food, it has paved the way for operators like Loungers to thrive. With an eclectic offer that appeals to morning coffee addicts, late night drinkers, and everyone in between, it’s no surprise the Lion Capital backed group have experienced roaring success, opening their 100^th site last month.

So, what have the likes of Loungers done so well? Critical to their growth has been their ability to develop a warm, appealing ambiance. Simply put, they have managed to create sites where people have a reason to stay, resulting in excellent sales and a formula for sustained success. Central to this is furnishing. Modern hospitality operators must have a keen eye for detail, and be prepared to spend time and money acquiring furniture and furnishings that encourage the varied customer culture that propagates through our most successful pubs, bars, and cafes today. If the bar room of days gone by was an escape from the home, in 2017 it’s an extension of it. Consumers expect to be just as comfortable in the pub as they would be hosting friends at home. Furnishings and ambience should reflect this.

But comfort isn’t everything. The savviest operators know that while creating a comfortable, welcoming site will attract customers, they must also focus on site ergonomics and the flow of the customer journey through the premises to optimise efficiency.

Modern, adaptable seating at our site The Castle, Harrogate

Form and function must work in harmony, particularly in high-footfall sites.

A table may be aesthetically perfect, but if it seats two and a half people on each side, by using it you could be limiting your site’s capacity and therefore your profits. Conversely, simple, plain two-top tables may be ideal for moving around to maximise covers, but this may diminish the overall ambiance, again leading to reduced sales. Café-style seating – typically lightweight and low to the ground – has gained considerable popularity and benefits from versatility as well as stylishness.

Flow of customers through a site is equally important. Particular consideration should be given to the point of entry, in line with your trading style. In a wet-let establishment it makes clear sense to have customers arriving straight into the bar. For those focusing on food, particularly full service venues, it is logical to have customers entering into an area where staff are expecting to receive them, allowing them to be guided to a table quickly, improving efficiency and guest experience.  Waiting for a table may at times be necessary. It’s important that this can be done in an inviting area and in a way that will not be obstructive to staff or other customers.

There are further easy wins to be gained in terms of layout. Removing the causes of blockages in tight areas to reduce bottlenecks can do wonders for the atmosphere in high-volume sites. Ensuring your team always have easy and unhindered access to tills, waiter stations, and anything else they need to do their job may seem like common sense, but is something it’s never hard to find operators failing to do as well as they could. A final development that has marked the last decade is the rise in mobile technology. In an ever-connected world, consumers expect good quality Wi-Fi when they go out to eat and drink. Failing to provide it in all areas of your business could be limiting your potential pool of customers and stunting your sales.

There’s little doubt that our industry has changed in the ten years since the ban came in. In terms of ambiance, site layout, and customer flow, there is more to consider than ever before. One constant is the opportunity for the best operators to make their businesses a success. Today they do this by adopting an adaptive, detail-oriented approach. Those who fail to do so could see their best-laid plans go up in smoke.