Video Interview – The next 5 years in hospitality and much more

Simon Cromack is a leading figure in the F&B and hospitality arena. His latest venture is as a director of CBFS Ltd – a restaurant, food and catering consultancy working with some of the worlds leading hotel and restaurant brands. We grabbed 10 minutes with him to glean some insights into the hospitality industry.

1. What do restaurant start ups need to do to develop a strong brand from scratch and attract attention?

I think there’s so much competition in the High Street restaurant/bars division at the moment that any brand needs to define firstly its hallmark – that might be one or two hallmarks – that might be something about defining a unique service experience through its people or it might be about some Hero dishes, some signature dishes that they do differently, better or completely uniquely compared to other High Street brands. Once they’ve defined those elements, as I said, it could be one or two, but for example two hallmarks that are unique to them through their service and through a product or products that they serve, then it’s all about consistency and making sure that those things – those hallmarks – are consistently good. If you have those two things and you can do that day-in day-out, make sure those defined hallmarks are better than your competitors or different but consistently good, then that’s the way you define your brand.

2. How important is social media within the hospitality industry?

Social media in hospitality is probably one of the most important things. I would say 80% of any promotional activity that happens in the restaurant, bar and hotel industry, more the restaurant and bar industry, is through good solid social media. It’s huge – it’s so so important and I think that’s down to the Millennials –the people eating out nowadays. It’s a lifestyle – it’s very normal to go out all the time, enjoy yourself with friends or family or just with your partner – and people are doing that now. They are looking continuously through social media at what is happening, where to go, etc. It’s the easiest, most convenient way of understanding what’s happening in the food and drink industry and owner operators of those businesses have to latch on to that. If you can introduce bloggers to your business as an owner, get them to come along and start shouting about you, your product, your location, then people will come and I think now owner operators are starting to understand just how important it is and they’re actually engaging in PR companies that specialise purely in social media and nothing else at all. If it’s a brand new restaurant/bar on the High Street they may only start blogging or talking through social media channels about that brand, maybe only five to six weeks beforehand – but the impact that has on a business if you can track that footfall through those channels, you’ll see that it’s at least 80% of footfall comes through social media.

3. We’ve seen an explosion of new types of eatery and cuisines in recent years. The market is reaching saturation point, what are your predictions for the next 5 years?

There is a huge amount happening on the High Street, be that in a city or in a town. Masses – new brands are popping up so everyone thinks “how can this go on – the bubble has to burst”. It’s all around the lifestyle and culture of the way we live nowadays. When you talk to your children about what they want to eat it’s not necessarily they won’t answer with “what” they want to eat – it’s “where” are we going to go and eat it. Because there is so much choice and variety and the way we live our lives, we have less time on our hands. People are going out a lot more and because people are going out a lot more, people are opening up a lot more different brands and High Street restaurants, etc. That whole lifestyle around eating out. Food and drink is just making the High Streets seem saturated but people are finding new places to actually put new businesses and new restaurants, new bars and as the footfall continues to go over that threshold it’s only going to get bigger – so there’s a lot happening in the High Street. Is it saturated? Maybe with the amount of offers and different concepts, but they’re here for a reason and some may die off but in general, I think that they’re here to stay and the High Street will carry on to grow with food and drink on it.

4. How important is the role of non-execs to the future success of independents?

Non-exec roles are incredibly important and obviously I would say that, being that that’s one of the key things that we do – to support and give strategic advice to business operator owners, but I think adding that element of support where there is no emotional attachment from us looking into that business, is really important. We can sense check and question their ideas, their motives for doing certain things within that business and then support them through that journey – but I think it’s really critical that there is support from outside – but the non-executive person has to have that commitment in offering their time and expertise fully,  otherwise if we’re not engaged with those businesses there’s no point offering that service.

5. If you had one piece of advice to anyone setting up a restaurant today, what would it be?

If you have an idea for a business and you want to set up a business, go to someone or people who you have no emotional attachment to whatsoever and pitch your idea to that person who has key business knowledge and maybe has been through that journey themselves before. Pitch that idea to someone who’s not going to turn round to you and say something maybe slightly more comforting or not blunt and to the point because they are a friend or family. Sense check it and make sure whatever you do isn’t just a good idea – it’s a good business idea – because there’s a huge difference between a good idea and what can work in business.

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