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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS The business NEWSpaper for Kirklees
Restaurants have recipe for success
■ MENU MASTER: Pritpal Singh expects to reap the benefits of investment at his Heckmondwike restaurant
A RESTAURANT tycoon is optimistic about prospects in 2011 – after completing major investment in his growing fast food empire. Pritpal Singh now operates 24 McDonald’s restaurants across Yorkshire in a joint venture with the burger giant following the opening of a new drive-thru at the Gallagher Retail Park at Waterloo last February and a six-figure upgrade to his drive-thru outlet at Heckmondwike. The Heckmondwike restaurant, which was opened by McDonald’s in 200 and became part of the joint venture operation in 2006, has benefited from £340,000 of investment in new furniture, decor and extra catering equipment. Said Pritpal: “This is a new design for a drive-thru and it has been well-received. “It has been a difficult couple of years, but we believe it is the right thing to reinvest because that will help us come out of those difficult times stronger and more quickly.” Other upgrades have included
introducing cash less transactions and free wi-fi. “We are a 24/7 society,” said Pritpal. “A restaurant is like a third office for some people. People come here to meet over a coffee and deal with paperwork via the laptop. During the past 12 months, Pritpal’s 24 outlets have increased employee numbers from 1,350 to 1,470. The Heckmondwike site alone has taken on an additional five members of staff since the revamp. Pritpal’s oldest restaurant opened 25 years ago in Leeds. His others include the town centre outlet at Kirkgate in Huddersfield and ones in Dewsbury, Halifax, Leeds, Shipley, Keighley, Knaresborough and Harrogate. The business has come a long way since those days in the 1980s, said Pritpal – from selling burgers, fries, coffee and soft drinks to offering a wider menu which also includes tea, organic milk and carrot sticks. Offering a varied menu has helped McDonald’s thrive despite the recession. “We have a four-tier menu
which provides value for money,” he said. “Sales and footfall have remained strong. In a recession, people want to indulge, so our products have been as popular as ever.” The restaurants have also maintained a commitment to training. McDonald’s is the biggest apprenticeship provider in the country – while Pritpal’s group alone has put 40 people through the apprenticeship programme in the past 12 months. Pritpal, who hails from the West Midlands, is one of only a handful of joint venture partner McDonald’s franchisees. He joined McDonald’s in 1983 as a trainee manager after graduating from Sheffield University with a degree in engineering. He rose through the ranks and in 1994 became franchisee of his first restaurant. Over the next 12 years, Pritpal franchisee of four further restaurants, before becoming a joint venture partner in 2006.
Agency booked in with Best Western Hotels A TOP hotel group has chosen a Huddersfield agency to handle brand and direct marketing following a four-way pitch. Best Western Hotels GB, the largest group of independently-owned and managed hotels in Great Britain, has appointed SHARP Agency, based at
the Media Centre in Northumberland Street to lead its “Hotels with Personality” proposition. SHARP opened its doors just a year ago led by “big agency” characters Tom Wass, Richard Sharp, Mandi Taylor and Darlene Sharp. Since then, it has picked up clients
including Chrysler, Jeep, the National Union of Students, NHS Sheffield and Aesica Pharmaceuticals. London digital agency Clicktag supported SHARP in the pitch and will partner the agency to deliver part of the service. Best Western said it has been
impressed by SHARP’s track record. Speaking about its new client, Richard Sharp, creative partner at SHARP, said: “This ambitious brand has the potential to significantly strengthen its position in Great Britain and SHARP will be focusing its talent and energy to help achieve this.”
INSIDE Changing places A KIRKLEES marketing agency has marked five years of growth with a move to bigger premises – without having to change its address! Fantastic Media has transferred from its existing premises to offices twice as big – but still on the same Birstall business park.
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Answering the call BATLEY-based tycoon Lawrence Tomlinson is the latest recruit to a panel of high-powered business leaders due to speak at a major conference in March.
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