Refurbishment: The designer publican

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Leigh Taylor was named Newcomer of the Year in the 2008 Publican Awards for her pub, the Bluebell in Henley in Arden, Warwickshire. A big part of her...

Leigh Taylor was named Newcomer of the Year in the 2008 Publican Awards for her pub, the Bluebell in Henley in Arden, Warwickshire. A big part of her achievement was the refurbishment that transformed the business into a place where customers could feel comfortable - not so surprising, since Leigh is also co-owner of Ellis Taylor Design, a refurbishment and design specialists behind many successful pubs and bars.

Here Leigh shares some of her secrets.What are your main considerations in carrying out a pub refurbishment?

There are dozens of issues a potential operator should consider when refurbishing - the design of space and layout, who your client base is, how you can get the best return on your investment, how many covers you can achieve and whether the kitchen can cope with that amount.

How much space do you provide for drinkers? How should you cater for smokers? What suppliers will you need? Should you employ the services of a design company or should you try to do it yourself?

Should a design be targeted at a specific kind of customer?

In a bid to maximise revenue, you have to be different things to different people while retaining a target audience. In other words, it's a clever balancing act. This is exactly why the design and branding of your business is so important, sending the right signals out to your preferred customer base. Never underestimate the importance of how you portray your business to your customer.

The look and feel should be sympathetic to your surroundings and demographic. At my pub, we have successfully managed to appeal to a broad target market by creating somewhere our customers feel comfortable. We recognise that our customers are discerning and attention to detail is important to them. One aspect of our business wouldn't work without the other. There is a synergy between the design of the Bluebell, the menu and the customer, and that was the main consideration when we undertook our own refurbishment three years ago.How can a design capitalise on the growing market for food?

As food is becoming more important, kitchen design is absolutely key and requires an in-depth understanding of how a commercial kitchen functions. You need to think about the space you have, whether it is possible to use existing equipment (which can save a considerable amount), what the volumes are likely to be and the proposed menu.Should licensees try to do the refurbishment themselves?

Although it can be done, I would say the DIY option is often a false economy. A good designer should be able to guide you through all aspects of your refurbishment, from the clever use of interior and exterior space to maximise turnover to making sure it satisfies the demands of Health and Safety, the Disability Discrimination Act and so on. Getting it wrong in any of these areas could prove expensive.

By using a design company, you should also benefit from their buying power when it comes to purchasing furniture and kitchen equipment, their expertise and knowledge of the industry and their network of suppliers, craftsmen and tradesmen, leaving you to do what you do best - operate your business.

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