Iberica is evolving its offer of ‘casual gastronomy’ as it gears up to open restaurants in Glasgow and Edinburgh following its launch in Leeds next month.
Managing director Marcos Fernandez-Pardo told MCA a revitalised menu being launched in the next two weeks would feature specific main courses for the first time and stressed the need to educate consumers outside of the capital about the Iberica offer.
The restaurant in East Parade, Leeds will launch on 15 April and will feature a heavier cocktail focus than previous openings.
The company will then open in a former Turkish restaurant site in Glasgow’s Vincent Street in the summer and its ninth site, in Edinburgh’s St Andrew Square in the autumn.
Fernandez-Pardo said once the company gets to its originally target of 10 sites it will have to “re-evaluate the strategy. He told MCA: “At that point my job will be done here. I set out that goal and I have other projects I can focus on when we get to that point.”
Fernandez-Pardo said valuable lessons had been learnt from the company’s first opening outside London – at Manchester’s Spinningfields last year. He said the company’s research showed that while 60% of customers in London thought ingredients were ‘very important’ the figure was 30% in Manchester and Leeds.
He said: “We have always been very proud about how our restaurants reflect the communities they sit and that is reflected in the food offer. Canary Wharf is very meat-based, in Marleynbone fish is very popular.
“For Scotland we are looking at Botelo – a tripe dish that is like a north western Spain version of haggis. We want to play on those links between that area of Spain, which is the Celtic area of the country, and Scotland.
“For me, this is the future of our section of the market. People don’t want brands that are the same everywhere. They want a brand to stand for consistency of standards but there is a demand to adapt to the local environment.”
