UK Restaurant Leader Summit | Allegra Event



London, 11 June 2009 – In what was a day of sharing insights, lively debate and fascinating viewpoints, industry veterans and celebrity chefs mingled and debated with innovators and entrepreneurs. The hot topic of debate at Allegra Strategies’ inaugural UK Restaurant Leader Summit was End of the Line – the hard-hitting documentary on over fishing.

Luke Johnson opened the day providing the delegates with a clear insight into his experiences of the industry, charting a phenomenal involvement in the sector and his views on the current climate. He offered practical tips including discussing rents, negotiations, and that now was a time to buy if you can. His points, drawn from his knowledge and expertise, laid a strong foundation to the day.

Mark Phillips from Paramount Restaurants informed delegates of indicators to watch when handling your business in this economic climate including unemployment as the main key, he also warned of the danger of discounting – i.e. ‘what about the people already coming?’ Further to this he explained how he had removed £12m worth of discounting from Whitbread Restaurants, leading to an increase in sales and profits.
Robin Rowland took the opportunity to explain some of the secrets behind YO! Sushi including the importance of people, product, property (location and that each store is a different concept), price and promotion through the power of social networking and creating events. Offering up a credo - C.A.N.I – Constant And Never-ending Innovation, he also showed a video of a recent trip to Tokyo used to brief his staff and immerse them in the origins of the brand.

Clapham House Chairman David Page reminded the audience of the important things in life as well as providing a full insight into how the industry has changed over the past eighteen months, how major players are no longer dominating the sector and that now is a time for independents – they are better placed to snap up prime locations and adjust to a shift in customer expectations. He also warned of the dangers of heavy discounting. His experience was brought to the fore when he explained the cyclical temperament of recession, having been in the industry during four recessions!

Tom Peck took the audience on a tour of how McDonald’s has reinvented itself and through continued evolution and innovation has claimed a large share of the market. He explained how McDonald’s is not only changing as a result of the harsh media attention and a growing concern of child obesity but also how they are adapting their menu to accommodate those who are trading down. McDonald’s change, but remain true to the core of a Big Mac and Fries and are seeing ongoing double-digit growth.

The tone of the day shifted with Jamie Barber, as he was not at the helm of a chain but of a group of very successful destination restaurants. He explained with candour his journey and experiences including why Shumi, his second venture, was unsuccessful. As well as talking in depth about how his holding company Sweet Potato Ventures had planned for the recession and are still in a positive position, with his key restaurant Hush still showing growth.

Chairman of Wagamama Ian Neill led the first panel discussion, effortlessly engaging the audience. The vibrant debate covered a range of topics including options of internationalisation as an opportunity in the current marketplace as well as the difficulties of discounting without devaluing a brand and the legacy of the recession. The panel ended with the participants agreeing that the most notable legacy will be a more informed consumer.

Jeffrey Young presented the findings of Allegra Strategies Restaurant Leader Survey. 148 Leaders of the industry had responded to questions regarding where they felt the industry was; 50% of respondents are concerned about the economic climate. Jeffrey’s key findings were that the consumer legacy from the recession would be huge and that a restaurants’ biggest competitor is not the restaurant round the corner – it comes from within. He concluded that the most important thing during this time is exceptional and engaging customer service.

Industry insider and lead Hospitality & Leisure Banker for Barclays, Bob Silk, continued to explain through a series of quotes exactly where he thought the economy is and that the recession, like recessions past, was cyclical and would end. He admitted there were casualties and warned everyone of trying to compete with major chains on price. Having been cited by Robin Rowland earlier in the day as a huge help for YO! Sushi, he explained that he handled the larger chains and that all in all they weren’t in bad shape.

Theo Randall delighted the audience with his passion for Italian food as well as the fears and concerns of having a restaurant in a hotel, but demonstrated that through determination and excellent communication his destination restaurant is bucking a trend and showing growth during the current climate. He attributes this not only to his profile but also to the fact that he reached consumers in a consultancy project with Pizza Express, as it is a ‘classless’ restaurant. When asked his future plans he made it clear that he loves cooking at the restaurant and that in creating a chain he would run the risk of diluting his offering – something he was not prepared to do.

Jamie’s Italian Managing Director Simon Blagden gave the audience a full insight into the concept of Jamie’s Italian, the quality and care put in to creating a leading concept as well as some information about Jamie Oliver. He talked in depth about future plans as well as the specific opportunities available in the provinces. Jamie’s Italian is growing at a strong but steady rate helped by what he called fantastic opportunities on property. Due to the success of the brand and Jamie Oliver the provinces are welcoming the outlets with open arms and the deals offered around rents and options are continually available.

Arthur Potts-Dawson took the opportunity to address the leaders about why the environmentally friendly Acorn House is successful, explaining that he is not pushing an agenda but wanting to show his consumers that they can come for good food and good service – all that is different is the way in which the experience is handled, with an emphasis on minimising waste and damage to the planet. He touched briefly on his experiences at La Tante Claire, Fifteen and the River Café.
The final panel discussion differed from the first in that the focus was more on innovation, entrepreneurial talent and food backed against research and the economics involved. The topics covered included the ability to get financial backing, the barriers to innovation and new talent. Jeffrey Young revealed that Jamie Oliver was voted as the restaurant industry’s most admired player (Allegra Restaurant Leader survey).


Delegates included:
3G Food Service, BDO Stoy Hayward, Big Hospitality, Bord Bia, Chase Restaurants, Clapham House Group, Coca Cola Enterprises, Costa Coffee, Elliot People, Giraffe Restaurants, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, Harvester, KFC, Kerry Foodservice, Lavazza, MARC Restaurants, Metropolitan Restaurants, Mitchells & Butlers, Morgan Stanley, Nando's, Nestlé Professional, Patisserie Holdings, PepsiCo, Pizza Hut, Qude Food Consulting, Rhokett Ltd, Sizzling Pub Company, Sodexo, Soho House Group, SSP, Toby Carvery, Town Pubs, Vintage Inns, and Whitbread Plc, Wiltons

Notes for Editors
Allegra Strategies is a London-based management consultancy and has accurately predicted trends in the UK branded coffee shop market since 1999. Allegra is recognised as one of the global leaders in coffee sector and foodservice research.

For further information on this event or to find out more about The Allegra Food Strategy Forum please call Yvette Mackenzie on 020 7691 8842 or email yvmackenzie@allegra.co.uk. The 2010 Restaurant Leader Summit will be held at Vinopolis in central London on 14-15 June 2010.

www.restaurantleadersummit.com