Giraffe founder Juliette Joffe has told MCA her family’s restaurant group will begin the rollout of Bob’s Café this year after converting two Chooks sites into the concept.
Joffe, who is working on her son Gideon’s hospitality vehicle Laurel Canyon Ventures, said the decision to covert Chooks, a fried chicken concept based in Ealing and Muswell Hill, into Bob’s Café, a family all-day dining concept, had paid off.
She said they could open between two or four Bob’s Café sites in 2018, but would be open to a group acquisition of it was the right proposition.
Joffe said there would be lots of causalities in 2018, due to inexperience and overexpansion, but said the Joffe’s record running Giraffe would help them through trough trading.
She said January had been boosted by a loyalty offer giving all recipients of their email database 40% off food for three weeks.
Joffe said: “Converting Chooks to Bob’s has been great, Muswell Hill has been phenomenal. The offer is what people want.
“We will definitely open more sites in 2018. We’d be happy with two and we’d be happy with four, but if a group came along because it’s gone under, and it’s a good proposition, then we could take it.
“You can’t sit still at six sites, it just doesn’t work.”
On tough trading in the sector, Joffe said: “I’m always concerned, I think there will be lots of casualties. People don’t understand the business or have expanded too quickly.
“We’ve bene doing this a long time, it holds us in good stead. We know what to do when times get tough. You manage menus, suppliers and offer good value meal deal, because that’s people want.
On offering rewards, Joffe added “January’s been great so far. We give a reward to our database – it’s the only time we do it, it’s something I’ve always done.
“I believe if someone give you their details, and read your emails, you should give them a reward.”
Laurel Canyon Ventures also operates Chez Bob and Monkeynuts.
