Cornerstone Inns founder Damon Horrill has told M&C he plans to expand his free-of-tie community pub model to 20 sites across three Cheshire towns, with the eventual goal of the company being entirely employee-owned.
The company last week agreed terms with Star Pubs & Bars to take on its sixth site – the Bowling Green in Northwich. Cornerstone will take control of the pub, its first with Star, on 3 November and re-open it a week later. Horrill said a development plan was being finalised that would see a significant investment in the site in Q1 2016 to reposition the site as “a quirky, quality, fine dining pub”.
Horrill told M&C the company had also made an offer on a high street unit in the same town.
Cornerstone operates a Pub Hub model in which a central team operates all aspects of the pubs beyond delivery of service, with ‘hosts’ dedicated solely to the customer experience. All other staff work across each of the pubs, which Horrill said allows greater flexibility with scheduling – also done centrally.
Horrill said operating as a hub had allowed the company to make a number of savings and that a cloud-based EPOS system had now been rolled out across the estate. Cornerstone also operates a cardless loyalty system.
Horrill told M&C: “The truly great thing is that this model helps to develop a wider sense of community across the area, with customers of each pub knowing the same people; staff, artists etc and all being Cornerstone regulars no matter what pub they choose to spend time in. Every pub has a micro community, the exciting thing is to be bringing them together as one ‘cross town’ community.
“The Cornerstone movement is ours, everyone’s success is felt by everyone, we are progressing with the formation of an employees’ benefit trust across the company. Ultimately we plan for the company to be wholly employee owned - service orientated employees with a vested interest in customer experience has got to be a great thing.”
The long-term aim is to have 20 sites within the towns of Winsford, Northwich and Middlewich.
