Arc Inspirations managing director Martin Wolstencroft has told MCA that delivery now makes up 10% of food sales for the group, and that he plans to roll out the new cocktail delivery service across the estate.
The new initiative – which offers four cocktails for delivery through Deliveroo – launched this week at the Manahatta Greek Street, in Leeds, and Wolstencroft said it was a natural evolution of the take-out element of the business.
He said: “If you look at the research, people are ordering food to eat at home as often as twice a week. They can get restaurant-standard food but what they can’t get at the moment is a cocktail than can rival what they would get if they went out. We wanted to be one of the first in the market to do it. It gives us a great point of difference and when people are choosing from all the options out there for delivery, hopefully this helps us stand out.”
Wolstencroft said the business had just had its most successful year ever and was primed for growth beyond its current 16 sites. He said he was keen to expand beyond the group’s heartland and was eyeing sites Sheffield, Nottingham and Newcastle as well as looking to strengthen its presence in Manchester.
On funding the rollout, he said: “At the moment we are still able to fund the business out of bank borrowing and cashflow. Having said that, when we get to the end of the year and look to grow the business a little more we might look to take in some investment from a third party. We have doubled the size of business over last year or so without releasing any equity so within the next six months to a year we will probably be starting the conversations again and we might need to take on private equity to really put our foot down.”
In the meantime the company continues to innovate within its offer and its structure, including introducing a new initiative called People First.
He explained: “What we have sad is that we won’t make any decisions about the business unless we have consulted our teams and staff. We want to make sure we have taken into account the needs of the most important people – our staff and our customers.
“That takes in everything from training to new menu items, new product initiatives. It’s the culture that made us successful when we only had one bar. A lot of companies lose that ethos that made them a growth company in the first place. We want to make sure we stay true to that.”
The group has also created a new role of bars and atmosphere development manager, which was filled by the internal appointment of Mark Austin.
Wolstencroft said: “Atmosphere is more important than ever. We need to make sure we keep that focus on quality and value but beyond that it is about creating the best experience possible for our guests. That’s where we casual dining will never be able to match us.
“Atmosphere covers everything from the music to lighting, temperature, our WiFi and digital offer. And we’re not just talking about Friday or Saturday night – it’s just as important to make sure there is the appropriate atmosphere for brunch or for a weekday evening.”
