John Welsh, co-founder of Piper-backed smokehouse concept Hickory’s, has told MCA the group is now looking to expand beyond its original target of 12 sites.
The group will open its seventh site – the former Pageant pub in Southport, Merseyside - in the New Year and is in negotiations on a site in south Manchester.
Welsh said key appointments over the past year – for heads of marketing, people and property – has put the group in a position to exceed its original target of 12 by 2019.
He said the Southport site was likely to represent a definitive model of a Hickory’s – including its most developed outdoor offer – which could be rolled out thereafter. The group is likely to try to infill between its sites in the north west and Midlands, with off high street locations and under-served towns being preferred options.
Over the past year Hickory’s has brought on board Lisa Owen as head of marketing; Jim Bishop, formerly of Barburrito, as head of property and Rachel Woodcock, ex-Azzurri, as head of
Welsh told MCA: “Those were the key areas where we knew we needed to strengthen. Recruitment is obviously the big issue for everyone at the moment, marketing is something we have historically not been that hot at and Jim brings so much experience to the property role.
“It gives us the confidence to go beyond that initial goal of 12. We’re not going to tie ourselves to any targets but it’s clear that people like the Hickory’s brand and there is a lot of scope for us.”
On target locations, Welsh said: “We have no intention of changing our approach. We’re definitely targeting off high street and really we’re looking at filling in gaps between north west and Midlands. We’re looking at places like Shrewsbury, Telford, which are relatively under-served.”
On recent trade he said: “Historically we have recorded some really strong like-for-likes – almost double-digit. This year it has been a bit tougher – we are still seeing really strong weekends but some of that midweek trade isn’t quite where it was. Christmas bookings are looking really strong. The impression I get is that people are not holding back on the important dates – Christmas, birthdays, weekends but where there might have been the temptation to sod the cooking and go out for a meal in midweek, that might be falling back a bit.”
On headwinds, he said: “I know a lot of operators have been hit by the business rates revaluation but ours was jaw-dropping. We’re talking 200% at some sites. We genuinely thought there had been a typo. We are creating jobs and breathing life back into sites that otherwise may not have survived as businesses, and this is the reward. The system is not fir for purpose but there doesn’t seem to be much appetite to change it.”
