Our top tips to keep customers coming back
The design and style of any pub is critical to attracting new customers and keeping existing patrons returning. While the menu of any pub or restaurant is a draw, customers will be put off if the building is outdated with peeling paintwork and toilets which require a significant overhaul.
Of course, we are well aware that the legacy of Covid and the ongoing cost of living crisis is having a detrimental impact on the hospitality industry, but the pubs and restaurants which keep investing, albeit carefully, and updating areas every couple of years will reap the rewards.
Refurbishments don’t need to cost the earth. Many landlords have transformed their pubs with budgets that scarcely reach the thousands of £££’s. The golden rule is to allocate capital carefully and work with an expert who can help you manage any refurbishment updates and turn unused spaces into a new revenue-driving area.
Working with pubs and restaurants is our ‘bread and butter’ at CIC. We partner throughout the year with many pub companies to refurbish their sites and work with them to bring their plans to fruition. They know that maintaining a fresh look will keep customers returning and independent pubs can also make an impact with minimum investment.
Here are some of our top tips of how simple updates can keep a pub or restaurant looking fresh and examples of how we have supported our customers:
- Turn all areas into revenue-earning areas, such as grassy spaces which can be developed at little cost. We worked with The Punch Hotel in Hull by cleaning and restoring the exterior to create a welcoming space for people to sit outside during the summer months. With the ability to seat up to 100 people, the back gardens of The Punch Hotel were rarely used so we painted an exterior wall, removed vegetation, fully overhauled and cleaned the guttering, and repaired and painted all exterior timber to create a welcoming space for people to sit, significantly increasing the earning potential of the pub.
- A lot of capital can be consumed through the repair of infrastructure such as wiring, roofing, and ventilation, among other things that don’t produce revenue. If they’re in reasonably good working order, they should be postponed another day, but keeping on top of this work is essential to ensure that, further down the line, they don’t cause a bigger more costly problem.
- Curb appeal is vital – impressive entrances, clean windows, bright signage, stylish outdoor furniture, and flowerpots and hanging baskets don’t cost a great deal but they all attract customers.
- Comfort matters a lot and a few modifications such as introducing new soft furnishings or installing softer lighting could make all the difference without changing the overhaul look and feel of a pub or restaurant. We refurbished The Bricklayers Pub in Hitchin for Wells & Co on a small budget. The finished result belied the small investment, and the landlords reported a great return, testament to the fact that a refurbishment doesn’t need to cost a fortune.
- Question whether you are appealing to the right audience. For some pubs, changing the look and feel to reach more customers is vital. For The Dragoon Pub in Cambridgeshire, its sports bar image was impacting sales and, with a large new development of around 4,000 houses built locally, the owners were keen to alter their look and create a place where locals could enjoy home-cooked food in a relaxed environment. We worked with them to create a country pub feel, which has proved hugely successful and attracted a wider customer base from the new estate.
- Finally, unglamorous as they are, toilets have to be bright, clean and fresh and regularly updated. Also, soft lighting is often an appealing addition!
