JD Wetherspoon threw down the gauntlet to rest of the pub industry this week.
Again it was over smoking. Chairman Tim Martin told the media that although the transition to no-smoking would be painful, life would only get better afterwards.
In fact, he and his company were so confident about the long-term prospects for the business in a smoke-free Britain, that he would be upping his opening programme to 30 new pubs in the coming financial year.
He pointed to the success of the 61 no-smoking pubs JDW is already operating outside of Scotland, where sales are now growing strongly after an initial decline as non-smokers are attracted back. Its Scottish pubs also saw a 3.9% increase in like-for-likes in the 12 weeks to January 21.
"It’s a transitional time for pubs but we think they will continue to thrive if well run," said Martin, gently pulling the rug from under those predicting total ruin for the traditional local post 1 July.
In effect he was saying: “If we can make it work, there’s no excuse for the rest of you. So stop complaining.”
This upbeat vision of the future is echoed by the likes of Laurel and Regent, who are equally relaxed about the effects of the ban. Which just adds more pressure on those still arguing about the ban and the speed of its introduction, not to mention those that have done little to prepare for the deadline.
Martin’s remarks will have done little to endear him to the conservative wing of the pub establishment, but then he has never worried too much about that. Wetherspoon’s has always taken the competition head on, whether with aggressive pricing, time guaranteed food service or smoking.
JDW does what companies at the top of their league should do – and that’s show leadership. Facing up to and thriving on challenges is all part of that.
Another big beast with a different sort of challenge is McDonalds. It has been plagued by the McJob image of being a low-pay and poor conditions employer propagated by a concerted anti-McDonalds campaign.
The truth is that it has some of the best employee retention rates in the business, and, as this column has highlighted before, wins over its people, particularly women.
It has gone out actively to challenge some of the public stereotypes, with its ‘Not Bad for a McJob’ advertising campaign, which has spotlighted the high ratio of women in management roles and its family-friendly shift arrangements, including its family contract that allows employees from the same family to cover each other’s shifts without prior notice.
So it will be delighted this week to have won Caterer & Hotelkeeper’s prized ‘Best Place to Work in Hospitality’ award for 2007 beating off competition from across the broad industry – and an accolade won for it by its employees.
Again it goes to show that the best are those that are willing to stand up to any challenge. It’s about not just claiming leadership, but going out and showing it.
Peter Martin is co-creator of the M&C Report – and the founder of the Peach Factory market consultancy
