Managed pub and restaurant operator Orchid Pub Company, has predicted that it can grow its Pizza Kitchen & Bar format to 200 sites.
Currently operating 25 sites, all of which have recently undergone refurbishments, Orchid say they have another 16 or 17 in the pipeline all of which are predominantly from the existing independent local estate.
Commercial director Simon Dodd said , 'The business model is returning anything from 30% to 100% ROI, and is scalable to 200 plus sites – and by the end of this year we run out of pubs within Orchid, so we need to find some others.”
He added, “For us, the spend is lower, the returns are higher, its scalable, it works in sophisticated high streets, it works in mainstream high streets, it works in community sites and works in student areas. Pizza is win/win/win.”
The first Pizza Kitchen & Bar to open was The George in Harpenden, Hertfordshire and has since gone from strength to strength. It is currently experiencing a weekly turnover of £25,000, with food sales of aroung £7,500. The restaurant features a front-of-house pizza oven, a menu offering pizzas made with fresh dough and cooked to order and a coffee offering of Illy coffee to increase daytime trade.
The mix includes traditional pub occasions such as TV sport, with a drinks range including cask beer, wine and cocktails, while the expanded trade includes daytime coffee sales, make-your-own-pizza children’s parties, and students looking for good value food. Mr Dodd concluded, “You keep the wet trade, build the food trade, and sell more drink because people are buying it with food.”