Vagabond is exploring the potential for AI to create a “frictionless guest experience” in its bars, and sees harnessing technology as an opportunity to invest more in its people.
The 12-strong self-pour wine bar concept is a business that has “grown around the use of technology with wine”, Christobell Giles told the Casual Dining show on Thursday (September 28) in a panel with fellow operation directors from The Alchemist, North Brewing Co and Slug & Lettuce.
“I think the AI debate is really interesting and has a massive potential for our business”, she said.
The brand is currently looking at how to harness artificial intelligence to help launch an app that can advance the guest journey, which could include personalised digital wine flights based around previous purchases.
“The potential around that’s really exciting from our guests perspective. I think there’s a whole world of opportunity around how we can make that guest service better, but also how we can use data much smarter.”
Enabling the use of technology also keeps team size small, which means the brand can “really invest in people”, says Giles.
“We’re able to recruit people that are really passionate about the mission of the business. And we’re able to train them.”
North Brewing Co’s Fiona Moran agreed that AI was something “we can’t ignore”.
“I think we have to embrace it, but do it in the right way”, she said.
Currently the craft brewery and venue operater is prioritising a personal consumer experience.
“At North, it’s all about that service. You just sit there, we will keep bringing the drinks.”
“A lot of apps take that away”, Moran added.
However, it is exploring the idea of introducing a loyalty or rewards based app.
“It’s not about discounting, we don’t want to fall into that culture because it’s a slippery slope. But we want to thank people and get them coming back.”
Sales mix
The Leeds based company is currently seeing a variable sales mix, says Moran, with suburban bars doing “consistently well.”
“Our small bar in Otley, North Bar Social, before Covid was doing well. But after it has just rocketed.”
She added that the city centre is finding trade harder, and says “Leeds is tough right now.”
Moran sees an opportunity to “take on” Tuesdays and Thursdays, but said Saturday trade remains strong.
The Alchemist has seen a migration from weekday trade into the weekends, according to director of operations David Oxtoby.
He sees the opportunity in tracking spend per head, and upselling supplementary items. “I think transactional growth is great. And we’ve got a dedicated team of sales managers, focused on that, but it’s really competitive.
“Everybody’s fighting over the same consumers.”
“But what I can influence in my role, and within my team, is the spend per head”.
A key focus over the last 12 months at The Alchemist has been on improving late night bar sales, through “evolving the service and the environment in that day part.”
Priorities
Moran also said that North Brewing Co’s key priority was “doing what we do, and doing it well.”
After attempting to boost trade at its Springwell Tap in Leeds with a calendar of different events, the brand learnt that this can sometimes “mix the message.”
“People got confused and didn’t know what you they were coming down for.”
Moran added that in an age of experiential innovation, it is important to North Brewing Co to “not try to be something” it is not.
“Now what we have to do is focus on just doing what we do well, it’s the basics, it’s the customer service, atmosphere.”
Staying true to the company’s culture is equally important at Stonegate’s Slug & Lettuce, says operations director Kate Wilton.
After 38 years, she said there is a “massive responsibility”, to keep this going and “pass on the baton”.
“Within Stonegate particularly, we operate in what we call a culture of kindness framework.
With retention figures “the best they’ve ever been”, she said it has been vital to “treat each other with genuine kindness and respect”, adding that this doesn’t always mean avoiding difficult conversations.
“We do regular engagement surveys to check in with the team and make sure that they are feeling like they are being treated with kindness and respect, and having a real, transparent, ongoing engagement plan that’s reviewed every period.”
Delivering operational excellence was top of the list for The Alchemist’s David Oxtoby.
“It’s always a priority, but within the current climate, it needs to be the very best it can be”.
Secondly, he says there needs to be an element of financial resilience.
“I work very hard with my operations team, to ensure that the venues are resilient, they are positive, and they have the ability to adapt to an ever-changing commercial climate.”
