Project update 6: Secrets of our success

It has been a busy month at Barcena, with licensee Richard Podesta and the Sell More, Save More champions looking to build on the bar's successful relaunch on June 28.

Entertainment specialist Mediatheme has undertaken a review of the sound system, an element that is essential to the DJ nights that form such a key part of Richard's business. Gains are also expected to come from karaoke. But there were teething troubles with this on the relaunch night due to technology issues.

A review by Mediatheme should eliminate these problems and also make Barcena a top-notch DJ venue.Richard has recruited an assistant chef, which has greatly increased the kitchen's capacity, and the frontage has been given a new paint schemHe says he has been encouraged by the arrival of the smoking ban to consider taking another look at the furniture.

"Because of the ban, we are now no longer reliant on splitting the pub between a smoking area and an area in which to eat, so we are more flexible on seating," Richard explains.

Brakes development chef Mark Irish is also due to review the successful menu introduced earlier in the project. He hopes to design Christmas and autumn menus, as well as some special deals for British Food Fortnight, which starts on September 22.

SO FAR, SO GOOD..​

As Sell More, Save More continues, some of the key champions give their own views on Barcena​

Carl May, Catered4

"Richard's perseverance and his readiness to take on board the advice of the champions is truly paying dividends.

"Barcena has both sold more and saved more. The weekly figures are showing approximately 20 per cent growth since the beginning of the campaign and a significant growth in food trade since the new menu and bar relaunch. This is backed up by Mondays and Tuesdays showing a bigger growth in turnover than any other day of the week. Through training and product development, lunchtime food sales have risen beyond expectation and the evening draught sales are enjoying equal success.

"Richard is also seeing the 'save more' part of the campaign drive up profitability. The stock control is now showing much increased profit margins on both food and wet. The past two stocktakes have proved that tighter controls on wastage and purchasing have added five per cent to gross profits. All in all, it just goes to show that as important as keeping your eye on turnover is, you can only bank profit, so ignore the bottom line at your peril."

Julie Charge, Innserve

Innserve visited Barcena last month, reviewed the bar and cellar and concluded that a revamp of the cellar could make Richard savings to the tune of £3,366 per year.

"The condition of the chiller in the corridor has deteriorated significantly since my last visit and the top pump is likely to fail when it is under most pressure during heavy trading periods.The reason for this is that a cooler in a normal cellar environment of 12ºC does not have to work very hard to maintain the ice bank. In this case, the ambient temperature we measured in the corridor was 29ºC so the cooler is running constantly in order to maintain the ice bank to cool the beer.

"The consequences of its failure? In this environment, the ice bank in the cooler will melt very quickly as the ambient temperature is so high. The beer will warm and start fobbing much more quickly than usual. A technical call-out will treat this as a priority call and will visit within four hours. However, if this is after 8pm it is likely to be the following morning and therefore you could be without draught beer for an evening."This is an incredibly simplistic way to look at the cost benefits, but I understand that the first pint every day from all four taps is fobbing, which means lost beer."

April Lavin, Vintage Contracts

"Now the smoking ban is here, Barcena would benefit from revamping if Richard is looking to invest some of the profits he is making."Recent 'mystery shopper' comments for Barcena gave its interior a general score of five out of six, yet that interior included furniture originally supplied by Vintage Contracts back in 2003! Barcena certainly 'saved more' with this furniture!"

Therefore the cost to Richard of this is:

4 pints x 6 days x 51 weeks at £2.40 per pint = £2,937 (Taking Sunday and Christmas closures into account)

The cooler should work 7-8 hours a day, but Richard's is working 24 hours - 66 per cent more = £429 on the energy bill

Ignoring any loss of trade, fobbing and other benefits such as cold bottled beer Total = £3,366

Cost of cellar and building works = £2,000

Cellar cooling unit = £1,000

Total = £3,000

Net position = £366 benefit in one year