Carl May's business plan for Barcena
Business report and proposed development plan for Barcena, Burgess Hill
Date of visit:
Wednesday 7th to Thursday 8th March 2007
Objectives of visit:
To get a first hand impression of the business, to discuss the operational issues that the owner has and to design a business development package for him to reach his objectives.
Owner's objectives:
To increase turnover by some 40%, to get a better understanding of the industry, to maximise profitability and create a true destination bar.
First external findings:
The bar is situated at the end of Church road and the commencement of a pedestrian walkway in the centre of Burgess Hill. It is surrounded by typical high street retail units and a number of competitors. There is a pay and display car park within a 2 minute walk. When you approach on foot, the bar has a double frontage which is painted in dark brown and this unfortunately helps to create the impression that it is closed.
At my time of visiting, the external cleanliness was not good; the front door was shut and the internal door open. I suggested this be reversed and it immediately gave the impression that it was open for business.
Signs in the windows did nothing to sell the bar; some were poorly lit and stuck with blue tack.
The entrance porch was also dark and in need of a ceiling light.
There was an A board outside but it did not attract lunchtime trade.
Unlike its competitors there was no external furniture or planters even though the frontage is covered by a fixed awning.
The team:
Richard leads the team with his fellow director Julian, who takes a back seat and concentrates on the financial side of the business. His wife Marina plays an active role in the running of the day time operation, along with other key staff Bianca and Beth.
The kitchen team is a young and keen one headed by Mark and assisted by Tim, Jenna and Adam. There is a team of part time staff that are used when needed.
It is apparent that the staff have always had a firm control over the business in the past and I will need to work closely with Richard to avoid having "the tail wagging the dog".
Due to his new introduction to the industry Richard has tried hard to keep all staff members happy for fear of being left high and dry. There are some signs that they have been taking advantage of this and with all the champions support we can guide him in the right direction.
I have suggested that should he wish he can pass things over my desk rather than checking it out with the staff first.
Richard is keen to embrace all avenues and is excited about the benefits his business can achieve with our help.
The internal décor:
Once inside the bar you feel that the layout and décor are well presented. The chairs and settees are comfortable and are placed around glass topped tables which do tend to create a cold noisy feel to the room.
At lunchtime the music was appropriate and the lighting helped set the mood of a modern European style coffee bar. In the evening the music and lighting changes to reflect the younger, drink based customer and is supported at the weekends by D.J's.
The back bar was clean and crisp but some product ranges I believe are being addressed by other champions.
The toilets did let the bar down with signs of damp on some walls and in need of a refurbishment.
The food offer:
The menu on offer is very comprehensive and is served daily from 10.00 till 17.00. I believe Brakes are working closely with Richard and are considering streamlining the menu.
My own comments are, that the food offer is not well marketed internally. Menus were not put out on tables and customers entering for the first time were confused as what to do.
A stronger morning "coffee and pastry" offer should be considered and advertised on the A board with cards on each table.
As the style of operation is European, I would suggest that the format of the menu itself changes from the rather plain booklet it currently is.
Something more colourful and eye catching should be considered and staff be trained to drive sales via great product knowledge and up-selling.
Competition:
There are a number of bars in the area including a Laurel pub, Pulse night club and Mooch. During my visit we visited the Laurel pub; it is a large style operation and is in direct competition with Barcena. It had more customers than Barcena at the time of my visit (19.30) but it was not packed.
I spoke to some customers to get their feed back on bars in the area and they informed me that most people at the weekend went to Haywards Heath for a guaranteed good night out. They told me that Barcena was still on the circuit but it was more popular when it featured live music.
Mooch was a confusing bar that tried to be a local and trendy unit at the same time with big screens, however when we went it was the busiest by far. It was obviously open and looked well presented from outside with a full array of outdoor furniture and heaters.
Operational issues:
It is this side of the business that I feel needs my assistance. There is a great need for staffing documentation covering all sectors of staff employment and there are no records of any training.
There has been historically a great reliance on the staff to self-police the operational issues and I would suggest is stopped immediately. In particular I have organised, with Richards's permission, an independent Stock Taker to take on a full audit of both wet and dry stocks. The dry stock system is non existent and the wet one has been produced by the now departing bars manager.
Health and safety in the kitchen needs a close examination and with this in mind, I have given Richard a copy of my business development disc, covering all documentation for health and safety and staff management.
Richard has indicated that he does not want to be tied to the business every evening and especially at weekends. I have suggested to replace the bars manager with a similar position but to make them more responsible.
My suggestion is that they are employed to manage the operation 5 days a week from 18.00 till finish. I would write a job description for the position making it clear that they are responsible for the wet stock and monies in Richards's absence. Adverts will need to be placed to find a dynamic lively bars manger with a working history in a busy, high volume company.
Richard has agreed to carry on various concessions the previous owners had made regarding staff discounts and drinks. I am sure that they are taking advantage and it is costing the business much needed profits.
I do not have any problem with rewarding staff with a "Well earned" pint at the end of the shift but to expect it all the time and 30% discount is over generous. We have both agreed that this would start to fade out as to not cause too much friction.
A close examination of till reports needs to be carried out daily as there seems to be a large amount of "error corrects". With the introduction of the first stock take (29th March) I am sure tighter controls can be achieved. I would suggest a little message on the staff board informing staff that there will be some new procedures being started due to the advice of the Sell More save More Campaign. The service charge and its legal repercussions were discussed and Richard has taken on board the suggestion to seek legal advice.
Training:
I am planning to hold a customer care and service journey training session; with a total of 12 staff it was agreed that this should be broken down into 2 sessions. The dates for these will be agreed but the core content of the sessions will cover;
? Up selling
? Product knowledge
? Total customer care
? Complaint handling
? Induction and basic health and safety introduction
I also plan to spend some tim
