So far so good…
January has gone and we've now caught up with everything that didn't get done during the festive season. Now we have time to reflect on last year and look forward to the year ahead.
For us, last year was all about concept. A year after Spaggo's was launched, we decided fine-tuning was necessary to give it a stronger identity: work was done to make the mis-match theme of the interior really stand out, a grill section was added to the menu, so we would appeal to a larger audience, frozen cocktail machines were put in to offer a better choice of drinks, and a happy hour was launched.
The Saturday and Sunday entertainment with clowns, face-painting and pizza-making was improved, leading to Egon Ronay's Guides voting us best family restaurant of the year.
With help from consultancy Scher Training we put together a fantastic staff training package. In turn, this led to better service, lower staff turnover, and fewer staff being necessary to do the job.
Technology, through a point of sale system, gave us the chance to pay our staff a commission, which resulted in an increased spend per head and staff earning substantially more than before. All in all, not bad year.
Looking forward
So what for 1996? Our main aim is to complete the Spaggo's package. We hope to have Investors in People by the end of April, which will give us a totally clued-up workforce aware of company standards and good customer care.
A software package from Micros will give us the ability to monitor margins through stock-control, recipe planning and costing, and better buying.
A customer loyalty programme will keep us aware of our customers' likes and dislikes and keep them coming through the door.
So what's missing? Some would say not too much, but we're a lot more ambitious than that, and growth is really what we would like to see.
Spaggo's seems to be the perfect recipe. It suits just about everyone: families, parties, friends or businesses, wanting either a quick bite or a lengthy evening.
Large pub sites are easy to find and Spaggo's fits these like a glove: parking, gardens and space to put in kitchens, bars and plenty of seating. A small budget, in comparison with most restaurants, can change a run-down site into the mis-match fantasy world of Spaggo's. We can recycle just about everything, including old chairs, stools, tables, carpets and lighting.
What is missing is money. Should our growth be slow and self-funded, or quicker by way of an outside investor such as a brewery, private investor or large investment company?
Hello..? Is anybody out there…?
