Pub mentors: A Lyde and kicking

Ben Scott has been at the sprawling Great Lyde in Yeovil for seven months and I warmed to him immediately for his enthusiasm and willingness to soak up knowledge. His background as a Thomas Cook holiday rep organising entertainment, kids’ club trips to Lapland and weddings makes him perfect publican material — he even sings, so that’s the karaoke sorted!

I also took to Ben for his honesty. By his own admission he has a lack of knowledge about the trade and we agreed to go back to the basics, explaining commonplace expressions such as ‘barrelage’ to describe pub performance. “I find the idea of changing things pretty scary,” he says. And that’s why I’m here to help.

The pub is massive — the sheer size would make it difficult for even the most experienced operator to manage and with 83 restaurant covers, and a further 42 dotted around the snug and sports bar, Ben has sensibly restricted the opening times of various areas; the sports bar is closed before 5pm on weekdays and the restaurant shut on Sunday evenings and all day Monday and Tuesday. This obviously helps with staffing, but Ben maximises peak trading times by using the pub’s 24-hour licence to keep the sports bar open until 2pm or later at weekends.

The symptoms​

Building custom is going to be key to Ben’s success and he is starting from a history of six months closure and three tenants in four years, which is never great. The previous food offer can best be described as inconsistent, but Ben was canny enough to avoid putting up another ‘under new management’ banner. “I didn’t want customers to see it and say, ‘Oh no, here we go again!’”
His nearest competition has Sky sports and cheap beer, but is also aimed in a different direction to Ben’s vision for the Great Lyde, so with all these facts in hand we start to move forward.

“The biggest question I have is, how do I run a pub?” I did say Ben was honest! I turn the question around and firstly explain the necessary ability that he does have, such as excellent personnel man-agement skills and an innate love of people, both vital to running a successful pub. It’s the business side that we need to work on.

Ben’s never been self-employed and has a hazy idea about the service-profit chain, profit & loss and even VAT. Despite this, he is able to let me know that the pub is 80% wet-led and weekly turnover has increased since his arrival from £3,700 to £4,500, which he attributes largely to the friendliness of his team towards existing and new customers.

The diagnosis​

Basically, Ben has two pubs in one — a traditional boozer and a family-friendly pub-restaurant — and I stress that he has to think of them as two separate businesses, but at the same time interlinked.

He has inherited a loyalty system, but hasn’t promoted it because he’s not sure if it is the best use of a promotion. It is designed to build trade during dead periods by offering 50p off a pint of beer or glass of wine, but before any launch it needs tweaking so he knows exactly how much profit he is retaining from this incentive.

The pub has around 30 to 40 core drinkers every day, more on Sundays, which in many pubs would look busy, but they do tend to rattle around the Great Lyde due to its size. There is a real need to drive footfall here and I see communication being the key.
Ben has the IT skills to create a customer database and has made a start on Facebook with the pub currently registering 86 ‘likes’ on the social networking site.

Out-of-date websites with no activity are pointless and we agree he needs to constantly monitor activity and update at least once weekly to promote weekend events. Ben will also develop a schedule of events this autumn and winter — from Halloween through to New Year.

THE ACTION PLAN​

• Target new customers​.

  

The Great Lyde’s size lends itself to weddings and engagement and birthday parties, so I suggest Ben creates a ‘show reel’ for the pub, not difficult to do yourself with modern computer software and a Flip video camera (a small tapeless camcorder), for example. This will enable him to get the message out and form an effective part of the marketing package he intends to develop.

A great idea for a venue that has a large proportion of special-occasion events is to offer the guests a reason to return, such as special-offer vouchers and discounts on particular days.

The pub is surrounded by chimney pots so the potential is great and we discuss promoting the pub using flyers with a compelling redemption offer to measure the success. This is one of the few pubs where I would recommend using flyers as it is slap bang in a very high density housing area. These will promote the ‘two pubs in one’ idea of sports bar and family carvery restaurant.

• Existing customers. ​

The current restaurant clientele is around 50% aged 50-plus, and the rest either couples or families. There are lots of tables seating six or more, making it an ideal family venue. These people are mainly in evidence over the weekends with just 10% coming in during the week. I suggest Ben finds out more about these people — where do they go the rest of the time?

Currently there is just one ladies’ darts team with a pool league due to start next March. Ben really needs to push for more pub teams as this is one sure way of building trade and loyalty within the community. He is also going to work on a ‘triathlon’ event based around pub sports for January/February next year.

• Food sales. ​

Current prices in the carvery restaurant are £6.80 standard and £4.80 for OAPs and smaller portions, with around 70 to 80 covers being served at Sunday lunchtimes. Cost per meal is around £3.58 and I suggest Ben works hard at reducing waste to increase food GPs.

Currently food isn’t served in the sports bar as there were objections from customers and Ben says he’d rather people ate in the restaurant as he has got the staff there. We will think about a suitable food offer for the sports bar that doesn’t require additional waiting or kitchen staff.

• Making inroads. ​

I suggest that Ben actively gets out into the community and promotes a series of events. He already has a good framework in place, with events such as a kids’ Halloween fancy dress disco party and a firework night barbecue, featuring a local fire juggling act.

All of these can be promoted at minimal cost using social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, word of mouth and poster campaigns.

An active Christmas schedule including Christmas Eve and Boxing Day parties and, using Ben’s holiday company experience, a Christmas panto will also be planned. The pub’s large car park also lends itself to hosting scooter, car or bike club events and Ben will work on a package including carvery meal and live band, again promoted on Facebook.

• Sharpening up the basics​

Hanging baskets need the tired plants replaced with fresh growth

Cigarette butts and litter — don’t underestimate the poor impression this gives; it doesn’t matter where the litter came from, if it’s on your property it’s your problem.

Attention to detail; for example, the chilled display cabinet is promoting last week’s dried up desserts!

Back-bar lighting needs improvement and, one of my favourite bugbears, all blown light bulbs need to be replaced. Nothing says ‘I don’t care’ more than this.

Back bar — this is a pub’s shop window and Ben isn’t selling invoices, straws or even leprechauns, so why are they prominent on the back bar?

Housekeeping — mirrors, copper and brass need polishing daily and fly-strewn light covers look really tatty.

Internal marketing — there are plenty of posters advertising nearby attractions, but nothing relating to the Great Lyde’s own activities. Why?

Toilets — no complaints here, the loos are fantastic, but Ben is missing a great marketing opportunity by not having posters above the men’s urinals or on the back of the ladies’ loo doors; it’s a great chance to promote to a ‘captive’ audience.

Ali Carter runs an industry consultancy and is a former BII Licensee of the Year​

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