Hartford adopts "less elitist" approach

16 March 2001
Hartford adopts "less elitist" approach
Troubled London-based restaurant group Hartford is to go downmarket in a bid to improve its fortunes. Chairman Stephen Thomas said: "We strongly believe that the future of the group will be secured through the adoption of a less elitist approach to the eating and drinking market, coupled with a more rigorous commercial approach to the operation of the existing restaurants." The company is already trying out a new, informal pub format in Ascot, Berkshire. A second trial site is due to open in Loughton in mid-April. Hartford has also decided to keep its Utah and Idaho restaurants in London, which were put on the market last year but attracted little interest from potential buyers. Hartford said today that it made an operating loss of £3.2m during the year to 31 December 2000, after exceptional costs of £1.5m. Turnover, however, rose to £7.3m, compared with £6.9m in 1999\. Hartford has now appointed a new management team, including Sheila McKenzie, formerly of Slug & Lettuce, as chief executive, which has devised a new strategy for the group. Its main aim now is to improve the performance of its existing restaurants and, in the medium term, invest in new ventures or development opportunities. high-quality, fine-dining restaurants - was unsuccessful and the expenditure on acquiring and developing these properties was too high." It will now bring in "a more simple style of trading that concentrates on offering good value, quality, service and atmosphere to customers at the right price." In some of the restaurants this will mean relaxing the current format and introducing menus designed to generate business in quieter periods and larger bar areas. Hartford is keeping the Pharmacy Bar and Restaurant in Notting Hill but will refurbish it during the second half of this year. The refurbishment will focus on improving the layout and brining in more business to the ground-floor bar. The Utah, Idaho and Montana restaurants will also have some money spent on them, mainly aimed at increasing the areas that can be used by customers and making the bar areas bigger. Hartford will spend £500,000 refurbishing existing restaurants this year. The group has saved £65,000 a year in rent by moving its head office from Notting Hill to a property it already owned in Westminster. The administration team has been cut from 19 to eight. Despite the changes made, Thomas said trading since the beginning of 2001 had been disappointing. He put this down to the disruption caused by the upheavals in the company.
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