Longshot close to snapping up three more sites for the Bel & The Dragon
It follows sales increases of 26% across the seven-strong estate in 2015 and the latest opening in Kingsclere last spring. Site operating EBITDA was up 64% on the previous year.
Operations director Hector Ross told M&C that the company would look to strengthen its senior management team as it grew, with an area manager likely to be the next recruit.
Formerly of the Fat Duck
He said the company had just taken on Jayne Laycock, formerly of the Fat Duck, as its director of people, replacing Donna Hewitson, who left her interim role in December.
Ross was seeking planning permission to add 18 bedrooms to Bel & The Dragon Reading and five at its Cookham site, taking the group total to 47. Accommodation or the potential to add it would be essential in any new acquisitions, he said.
How many sites now?
- Churt
- Cookham
- Godalming
- Kingsclere
- Odiham
- Reading
- Windsor
The group will also roll out a breakfast offer across its sites in March and this week launched its first gift card, after 193 bespoke cards were requested last year.
On the strategy for growth, Ross told M&C: “We are looking in our heartland of the M40 to the A3 and from the M25 to a distance of 90 minutes from west London. We want to maintain the ability to have a presence in all the sites but there is plenty of scope in that geography.
'20 by 2017'
“The aim is to get to 20 by 2017. Once we get to about double the size we are now we will probably look at what the opportunities are out there. Do we look at groups, do we merge or do we look to find partners for joint ventures? At the moment the first is probably the most attractive but we will have to see.”
Recruitment was now a key focus for the group, with a training scheme in place for prospective assistant general managers, said Ross. Managers for the next three openings had already been identified, he revealed.
The past year had seen Longshot refine its offer to its staff with GMs now offered an uncapped bonus, accommodation available for staff in all the sites and the potential for equity share. He said currently seven team members had been given a stake in the business.
