How to Start & Run a Sandwich Bar - Volume 1

HOW TO START AND RUN A SANDWICH BAR Volume 01

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Welcome Welcome to the first edition of our ‘How To Start and Run a Sandwich Bar’ series We know that the prospect of owning your own sandwich and food to go business is as attractive as ever and if anything grows in popularity, particularly as consumers look outside the chains to quality independent outlets with a difference.

There is also a growing realisation that opening a sandwich business is not simply a matter of finding a location and throwing open the doors, but an increasingly sophisticated matrix of business practices, although the overall aim remains identifying demand, serving it and, at the end of the day, making some money.

EDITOR SIMON AMBROSE t: 01291 636343 e: simon@jandmgroup.co.uk

Would-be business owners are thus increasingly aware that the more knowledge they can take on board prior to opening, the higher their chances of success will be.

This new publication seeks to satisfy this demand with a new round of articles from experts in the field, covering many of the problematic areas you are likely to encounter.

We wish you all the best with your new business.

Simon Ambrose Editor

ADVERTISING PAUL STEER t: 01291 636342 e: paul@jandmgroup.co.uk

PRODUCTOIN JAYSON BERRY t: 01291 636339 e: jaysonl@jandmgroup.co.uk

HOW TO START AND RUN A SANDWICH BAR / VOLUME 1

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FINANCE

Raising the cash for your

Sandwich Business Banks are increasingly wary of financing new businesses, but with the right approach and business plan they can be won over.

Simon Ambrose offers this advice

O

nce you’ve decided to open a sandwich bar and you’re confident the business is sustainable, you need to put a business plan together - a good way of thinking through all the various aspects of the business at the same time.

You need to be clear of your objectives, your customers, operating aspects and financial projections.

Take a moment to consider the banks’ positions as well. Opening a sandwich bar or café has become an increasingly popular choice, but with all the risk of operating in an increasingly competitive sector – consequently banks are bombarded with requests for funding and increasingly wary.

Take note of a quote from a lender I came across recently on social media, which might be instructive: “As a funder, we are bombarded with enquiries from people looking to start sandwich shop / cafe type businesses; most of them on the pretext that it’s an ‘easy’ or a ‘lifesyle business’.

Sadly, about 80% of them fail (our underwriting stance is now it’s going to fail), so what’s the fallback position?

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The main causes of early failure are: - Long delays in obtaining relevant planning / licences (never underestimate the capacity of Local Government to be awkward and inept!)

- Over spend on fit-out costs.

- Use of the wrong types of finance - Over-optimistic projections.

In a nutshell, they mostly open the doors with bad cashflow and never quite catch up.’.

HOW TO START AND RUN A SANDWICH BAR / VOLUME 1

FINANCE

Well, there’s a sobering assessment.

So, with that in mind, check out the different banks and see what they have on offer for business banking – some may have special offers for start-ups such as fee-free banking for a limited period.

Then make an appointment with the bank with the right documentation – this could include your business plan, together with ID documentation, the

legal status of your business and the evidence of the source of funds of funds.

The business plan could include a detailed breakdown of your menu, your proposed charges, projected labour costs and the rent you’re going to be paying. Provide as much detail as you can, to enable the bank to understand your position.

Some banks have online tools to help prospective businesses put together a business plan, answering all the questions they need to ask.

Banks look for a number of things when it comes to business plans. For instance, HSBC’s James Cliffe, UK head of business banking, says: “Does the customer understand the business and the market? Do they have the experience and expertise needed to run the business?

Has the customer performed adequate market research and been able to demonstrate that he or she understands the competition, and has a new or unique product or service that will be in demand?”

Does the business plan includes projected cash flows, including breakdown of various operating costs such as rents, labour, taxes, and is the customer working with an accountant?

What about the cash flow? How will you manage these risks? Credit rating – many small companies are unaware about how their behaviour affects their credit rating, but it’s something a bank examines closely before making a lending decision.

So, what about arranging finance? It’s unusual for a would-be business owner to have enough cash to pay for a rental deposit, rent in advance, building and alteration costs, furniture and equipment costs and the inevitable slow start that’s likely to bring you in a reduced cash flow initially, assuming your business is even moderately successful to begin with. The best thing is to look into the various kinds of funding available to see which is best for you and your needs.

But before you approach your bank, consider carefully how much you really need. Banks will lend what they see as appropriate for your business – that includes both how much your business needs to grow or acquire a new premises and how quickly you can repay the loan.

Good luck with your business.

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MARKETING

Putting your

Sandwich Bar on the map

Congratulations, you’ve opened your first premises, now you need to really establish a reputation. Simon Ambrose looks at some of the ways to promote your new business 6

HOW TO START AND RUN A SANDWICH BAR / VOLUME 1

MARKETING WORD OF MOUTH Word of mouth is a greatly under-estimated way of building a presence and reputation for sandwich bars.

It’s exactly the same as the process of peer review at the cinema, where word quickly spreads that a film is well worth seeing.

There’s not much you can do to help this, of course, other than make sure your place is visit-worthy, but always remember that although it may take time, if you’re good, the punters will seek you out.

LOYALTY SCHEMES Loyalty schemes enable customers to earn points through transactions, which in turn translate into a reward.

This can take numerous forms depending on the nature of your business, but from a sandwich bar perspective it usually equates to a free or heavily discounted beverage.

Avoid overly confusing schemes, particularly when you try to introduce multiple steps or the customer is forced to perform some sort of mathematical equation to work out precisely what they are entitled to.

FREE SAMPLES Nothing promotes a new business so well as handing out free samples. It gives people an idea of your quality, measures you against the competition and helps to put the location on the map.

If you have cake which isn’t shifting fast enough, for example, then cut it into smaller pieces and leave it on the counter for customers to try. Alternatively take a tray of mini coffees and cake out on the street outside your shop and hand it to customers to try. It’s very important to be as friendly as possible here; even if you are dismissed rudely by passers by who have no interest in your wares, always keep smiling, be friendly and say ‘thank you’.

FREE WI-FI Providing an internet facility such as WiFi is a must for customers these days - customers expect it. A highspeed connection means that companies, individuals and friends could relocate to your coffee shops for that very important meeting, appointments and other business activities.

Also look at offering wireless charging facilities, another free perk for customers, which can give you an edge on the competition. Be prepared for some customers to spend a great deal of time on their laptops, if eat-in … it’s just the name of the game.

THE SHOP FRONT The biggest canvas at your disposal when communicating to customers is most likely your shop front. Aside from your business name, the overall look of your sandwich bar front communicates a huge amount to anyone passing by – is it (hopefully not) greasy spoon or upper crust, or somewhere in the middle. The overall look says everything and will either attract or repel.

Look at your front with fresh eyes and think what it says about your business. Many business owners struggle to do this as they already think they know what their business is. If you look blankly at your shop maybe stop a few people passing by (who aren’t regulars) and ask them what they think the shop front says about the business. If you’re an upmarket sandwich shop you will most likely have a matt grey, black or green exterior with traditional style signage. If you are a value operation you might have a brightly coloured sign and a price message in your window. If you are having difficulty visualising what your shop front should be like have a look at the competition. Find a few companies that are like yours and are successful and see what they have in common.

But be wary of trying to put too many written messages on your shop front as this can look messy, confusing and amateurish.

Remember though, the best method of promoting the business to customers and build up loyalty is talking to them face to face. If you or your staff talk with customers it will almost always be time well spent.

MEDIA People often overlook the power of local newspapers and indeed the national ones. Staff have been cut to the bone in recent years, so if you make the effort they’re more than likely to use your story, provided it’s local. It’s not difficult to come up with ideas that might make a story – a themed opening party, for example, or a fund-raising event for charity.

It’s worth investing in having great photos of your key menu items. This helps with the power of your website and social media and also virtually guarantees you some decent coverage in your target publications.

Editors love delicious pictures of sandwiches you can bite into, so a one-day shoot can get you thousands of pounds of free publicity.

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MARKETING LEAFLET DROPS Preferably with an offer or discount code and delivered by you, rather than some uninterested casual labour. Go around local businesses and use the leaflet as an icebreaker to speak to people. Where do they go at lunchtime currently? What’s putting them off coming to you. Take their feedback and use it to adapt.

Invite a few people to your restaurant, send them a copy of your advert or leaflet and then ask them how easy it was to find you. Get some feedback on how easy it was to find the area you are in, the particular street and your premises. Check if your directions are clear and if your signage was easy to follow. Then ask them about the advert or leaflet you sent them. Does it describe your business and offer correctly? Is it clear what type of food or theme you specialise in?

There are hundreds of questions to ask at this stage and you only get one chance to get it right.

THE SPECIALS BOARD Placed visibly outside your shop and changed frequently. Add cheeky messages if you’re in the mood.

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GO TO LOCAL NETWORKING MEETINGS A few are free, but even those that aren’t usually allow you to turn up to a meeting or two to test the water. People at these sort of things are usually very receptive to a bit of market research and selfpromotion.

USE SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and review sites such as TripAdvisor are incredibly important and some of the best ways of promoting yourself and building a loyal following. But just as important: they’re great at getting feedback and building up a reputation.

Follow all the businesses local to you. Post (attractive) photos of your food online and retweet any positive reviews you’re lucky enough to receive.

And if you’re not tech-savvy enough to do it yourself, find someone who can, or, even better, can learn!

You’ll hopefully get some great reviews, but if you do get some negatives, make sure you react and address them.

If you’re not sure what to do to start with, follow some other lunch businesses and see what they do.

HOW TO START AND RUN A SANDWICH BAR / VOLUME 1

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Its extensive disposable product range consists of plastic cups, paper cups, cutlery and other related tableware; bar disposables, including plastic glasses and cocktail accessories; food containers and packaging; novelty straws; bakery products; candles; and disposable aprons, gloves, headwear and other janitorial items.

See how Herald can help your business Tel: 0208 507 7900 sales@heraldplastic.com www.heraldplastic.com

L

ooking to establish a new sandwich and food to go business? Finding the right premises is one of the most important steps you will take to achieving that.

Get it right and you’ll be serving a thriving community or office district with customers throughout the day-parts, but a bad choice could see you looking at your next career move and nursing a severely dented bank account.

One of the most important initial moves you must make is deciding what kind of business you want to run. That way you can measure yourself against the existing competition in the area you want to be.

Crucial questions such as will you be just takeaway or eat in (or both), will you be A1 or A3, need resolving early? Will you need any planning permission? Do you need external seating? What do you need inside?

Parking Is essential. If people have to walk a fair distance to get to your sandwich and food to go outlet, they may opt to go somewhere else “more convenient.” If you live in an urban area where everyone walks and there is public transportation, this is less of a factor. If you are thinking of a location out of town, in a place that requires you to drive to get there, you’d better have parking available.

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Avoid a place that has seen a number of failures previously. Negative associations tend to stick with an area and there’s probably a good reason for the successive failures.

In theory you should aim for a central, primary location, preferably a high street where there’s plenty of footfall for obvious reasons, but in practice good sites like this are few and far between, particularly for first time operators without a trading history, and in truth, there’s lots of wiggle room on this. Many successful sandwich businesses have opened in secondary sites, away from the high street.

The key to it all is the catchment area around the spot you’re looking at. This is where the chains have a massive head start with access to expensive demographic research. You also need to do your homework at this stage and a trip to the local reference library where you can get a lot of information for free, or a lot of well-placed Googling, can be invaluable.

You’ll need to assess the income levels of your potential audience for one thing in the area – local housing values will give you a head start if outside a city centre, for instance.

Then check out the local business offices. Unless you’re looking at a tourist destination, information

HOW TO START AND RUN A SANDWICH BAR / VOLUME 1

Pinpointing the right location?

FINDING THE RIGHT LOCATION IS A COMBINATION OF SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND GUT INSTINCT, SAYS SIMON AMBROSE

about numbers and types of local offices are essential, not only for the lunch time trade, but also for the increasingly important breakfast sector. More and more office workers want coffee and porridge and other healthy options, and also the more traditional bacon rolls first thing in the morning.

You need to get an idea of where the offices are, who works in them – find out if any have their own internal canteens. Are there new offices scheduled for development? Many a sandwich business has been boosted by new offices opening in an area. But also make sure, if possible, that they’re not closing in your projected area. Bear in mind also that office-heavy areas tend to be dead at the weekends.

Make sure there are no major roadworks scheduled for the area which could see passing traffic re-routed, and especially make sure there are no supermarkets earmarked for the area. I’ve heard some heart-breaking stories of sandwich shops losing a huge amount of turnover because of Waitrose opening in the area, for instance. Their free coffee and newspaper deal for card-holders is very difficult to compete with, even if you’re wellestablished.

You need to understand your customer’s decision-making process and buying habits.

Your target market’s demographics and overall behaviour will dictate the way in which they make purchasing decisions.

Questions to ask yourself include, but aren’t limited to: • Are they impulsive?

• Do they plan ahead when choosing a location?

• Do they use Google and other information sources?

• Are they reliant on the recommendation of friends and family?

• What do they value most? Atmosphere? Service?

Price?

Answer these questions by speaking with the potential customers you identified through the research you conducted previously. This will help you better understand how your ideal customer thinks..

Based on the information you gather, the next step is to create customer profiles for your target market.

A customer profile is the best way to segment your overall target market into individual “customer portraits.” It creates personas that represent the typical patrons of your restaurant concept and

HOW TO START AND RUN A SANDWICH BAR / VOLUME 1

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PROPERTY

helps you better conceptualize how your target market is segmented. It’s possible that you’ll create multiple customer profiles for your enterprise, but not always.

Get an idea about the type of potential audience from the look of the people going past as well – it’s pretty easy to work out if people are likely to have disposable income and will use your services. Get a breakdown on the percentage of male/females – you will need to develop your menu choices accordingly if the percentages are uneven.

Checking out the local competition is also crucial, of course and will give you valuable information for your business. How much is there and who – chains or independents? Are they niche operators specialising in food or quality coffee? Is there room for another business? Would you compete on price or quality? These are all important questions that need answering.

It may seem obvious but you should carefully check the size and square footage you require to help you when evaluating property advertisements.

Make sure you have a clear idea about the size your seating area needs to be, the size of your kitchen and serving area.

Creating an effective floor plan is essential when considering premises and location. You should ensure customers have space to form a queue, 12

employees have the necessary materials within appropriate reach and you have a comfortable seating area. Ideally you should walk yourself through every different scenario you can think of.

If you are making the drinks, what equipment do you need to be near you? Try and visualise every practical aspect of your cafe and make a note of these.

All being well, you should be well on the way to running your own successful sandwich business.

HOW TO START AND RUN A SANDWICH BAR / VOLUME 1

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ONLINE ORDERING

Grow your business by taking

your sandwich bar online Taking your business online is probably the simplest way to significantly increase revenues whilst increasing efficiencies and managing cash-flow - why not start today? Butterware’s Graeme Simpson explains why Once you’ve got your sandwich bar set up, one of the most effective ways to quickly grow revenue without incurring significant costs is to take it online. Whether you offer collection, delivery or both, an online ordering system will allow you to reach more customers, including people further afield.

It’s also a great way to improve your cashflow - customers who buy online tend to repeat order, so it’s easier to predict how many lunches or breakfasts you need to prepare on a daily basis, along with how much you need to spend on ingredients.

Finally, taking your business online can make your business more efficient. If you’re only preparing food for people who have pre-ordered, there are no wasted ingredients, you can plan efficient delivery routes and you can prepare online orders in advance, thereby making your kitchen more efficient and prepared for the lunchtime rush.

All of this can be achieved with very little extra outlay and no physical expansion of your shop.

HOW TO QUICKLY ADD MORE REVENUE TO YOUR BUSINESS. 1. Choose your provider You don’t need to be an internet expert to take your lunch business online - there are now a range of specialist companies who can do this for you and remove any stress. When selecting a provider, make sure you take some time to understand the features they provide and how their system could work with you to achieve your business aims.

As part of this step you should also spend a little time with your provider discussing how your customers will pay for their meal. There are a wide range of electronic payments you could select but not all of them will be available to new businesses 14

and some credit card payments have high ‘per transaction’ fees which could impact your profit margin. Early advice from experienced suppliers could make a big difference to your future profits.

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ONLINE ORDERING Once you’ve identified some target companies, we recommend giving them flyers promoting the website and offering money off for their first visit. This will knock your profits initially but it will encourage people to sign up to your site and start ordering - afterall, everyone loves a bargain! In the past we’ve seen successful launch campaigns run like this, gaining 500+ customers (and all their details) within two weeks of starting. We’ve also found ‘refer-a-friend’ promotions to be very effective with some people recommending sandwich bars to hundreds of colleagues.

Finally, make sure you market your online business everywhere you possibly can - flyers, bags, signs in your shop, napkins - any way you can get the message out that you’re online and open for business.

2. Site set-up Before launching you will need to spend some time setting up your site so that it provides the best possible customer experience and encourages customers to sign up and keep buying from you. Make sure you don’t try to rush through this stage.

In our experience it pays to add good quality graphics and photos of your food as well as adding ingredients lists (for allergy awareness), where possible.

Also make sure you include the same benefits that people who visited your shop would receive - such as meal deals and daily offers.

3. Marketing The next step is to drive customers to your site. This vital part of going online can take up some time and investment but it will pay off many times over - every time a customer signs up to your site you are adding someone who could repeat order weekly or daily for years. In fact, some of the shops we work with can safely rely on hundreds of repeat orders every day by 10AM! The best way we have found to market your services is to identify some local target companies and focus on those, one at a time if necessary. The ideal local customers will be busy, desk based and with easy access to the internet, for example any local office blocks or small professional services companies such as accountants, solicitors etc. However, we’ve also had success with students, call centres and even some companies who have chosen to replace in-house caterers with an online food service.

4. Consider streamlining your business Once you’re up and running you can consider streamlining your business and really improving the efficiency of your online ordering system. For example, to completely remove wastage you could only accept online orders, this will also mean that your deliveries could be four or five times quicker and you can consider taking on more routes. Our most successful clients are those that really embrace online ordering and make the best use out of the potential gains in efficiency.

Keep on growing Now that you have an online business there are more ways to keep expanding your customers and growing revenue. For example, daily update emails can be used to guide your customers to your best deals and encourage them to keep re-ordering, there are also online groups on social media you could join to get ideas and keep improving. But the options don’t stop there - once you’re successfully working online, why not add a buffet business or expand to the next town with a website dedicated to that area and a new delivery run? Once you have a successful formula the opportunities to scale up are huge - we’ve seen some shops add double digit growth year after year just through offering online ordering.

Start today!

Taking your business online is probably the simplest way to significantly increase revenues whilst increasing efficiencies and managing cash-flow - why not start today?

If you’d like to know more about online ordering or how to market your site effectively, please contact info@butterware.co.uk

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Natasha’s Law: How to Ensure Compliant Labelling for Your Food and Drink Products

Labelling & packaging experts Planglow have a fully compliant solution for the proposed new labelling laws

T

he government has announced that new food labelling legislation - Natasha’s Law - will come into full effect by the summer of 2021. The legislation is calling for all prepacked food and drink products to carry full ingredients labelling by the summer of 2021, to help better safeguard food allergy sufferers.

If - like many operators - you are concerned what this means for your business, labelling and plantbased packaging experts Planglow have the solution: LabelLogic Live - an award winning subscription based app for creating and printing fully compliant nutritional labelling for food and drink products.

Planglow’s marketing director, Rachael Sawtell commented: “LabelLogic Live is, in a nutshell, a really

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quick and easy way to create food labelling online (with as much or as little information as you require) and then print using your existing desktop printer or roll printer. You can access the app any time, any place on any of your web connected devices (phone, laptop, Mac, PC, tablet – even a smart TV), no specialist equipment is required”.

LabelLogic Live is designed to be as quick and simple to use as possible and offers users complete control over the allergen information they wish to provide on pack.

Subscription based, the app is available from £10 per month. It offers considerable time saving benefits too - inputting 30 products takes the average user around 1 - 2 hours and once these products have

HOW TO START AND RUN A SANDWICH BAR / VOLUME 1

LABELLING

been added, they will not have to be entered again.

What’s more, if a subscriber has an existing list of products or ingredients stored in Excel or another programme, this can be imported straight in. Currently, LabelLogic Live can be linked with Starchef and Saffron, though Planglow are more than happy to investigate other software options on behalf of its customers.

Sawtell added: “LabelLogic Live is cloud-based - which essentially means everything is done online - so it’s very simple to access and once subscribers are given a login (which normally takes 24 hours to set up) they’re in - no third party set up required.

Subscribers can then access LabelLogic Live wherever and whenever they’ve an internet connection and

because everything is stored online, this enables us to update the software instantly in line with any legislative changes that may come”.

While very simple to use, LabelLogic Live comes with plenty of free support should a subscriber find they need help along the way. Planglow’s team of regional account managers can assist a new subscriber in setting up new products. Likewise the company’s support team are available over the phone, through a live chat function on the LabelLogic Live website and can even access a user’s computer remotely to make changes on their behalf. Planglow have also created a wide variety of tutorials which are available online, simply visit Planglow’s YouTube channel to view.

For further information visit www.planglow.com

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SETTING UP YOUR

SANDWICH BAR Food Labelling and Eco Packaging Experts, Planglow, are Here to Help Hello there, we’re Planglow. We’re a leading provider of food labels and eco packaging to the food to-go industry. We offer everything you need to create and print legislatively compliant food and drink labels. We also supply compostable packaging - things like sandwich boxes, coffee cups and bakery bags.

We’d love to show you how easy it is to set up your own sandwich and snack bar.

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Food Glorious Food

Box Fresh Packaging Labelling Made Easy

Sandwich bars can sell more than just sandwiches so pick a food - hot or cold - as long as it’s easy for your customers to ‘grab and go’: Sandwiches, subs, salads, soups, hot paninis, pies, pasta, pizza, cookies, cakes, coffees… the list is endless and really depends on what works for you and the resources you have.

Once you’ve got your food and drink offering sorted, you’ll need packaging to keep everything fresh and portable for your customers. We stock over 400 items ranging from burger boxes to allergen labels - you can browse our full range here www.planglow. com/shop or request a catalogue and sample pack here: www.planglow.com/request-asample-pack. To keep things simple however, we’ve highlighted a few essential products on the opposite page that will create a colourful, contemporary presentation for most foods to-go.

With your food and drink products packed and ready to go, it’s time to seal the deal with a fully legally compliant label which notifies your customers of important information such as allergens, filling and price. We’ve dozens of labels for you to choose from, you’ll find some of our best-sellers over the page.

Natasha’s Law: Concerned About Allergen Labelling?

New food labelling legislation – Natasha’s Law – calls for all businesses operating in England and Northern Ireland to include full ingredient labelling on all pre-packaged food and drink products by the summer of 2021.

Our labelling software is fully compliant with any legislative changes to come (see ‘Printing your labels’). You can also find out more about what this means for your business at our blog planglow.com/blog or simply contact us for further info.

Industrially Compostable

Home Compostable

(EN13432)

(OK Home Compost)

After

After 12 weeks 90%+ of materials

2 x 2mm Within 6 months mesh materials must biodegrade by 90%

composting environment

(ambient temperature of 20-30°C)

Essential Products: Packaging

Gastro Deep Fill Sandwich Wedge

Botanical Plus Deli Paper

Natural Baguette Bag

£138.51 Size: 75W x 120H x 120D mm Box: 1,000 wedges Code: GTR003

£26.80 Size: 400W x 300H mm Box: 1,000 sheets (mix of 3 colours per box) Code: BOT011

£37.57 Size: 100W x 370H x 50D mm Box: 1,000 baguette bags Code: NAT005

Gastro Bloomer Pack

Botanical 12oz Cups

Natural Oven Bag

£69.50 Size: 125W x 71H x 76D mm Box: 500 bloomer packs Code: GTR009

£80.20 Size: 12oz Box: 1,000 cups Code: BOT002

£44.90 Size: 170 W x 160H x 40D mm Box: 600 oven bags Code: NAT036

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must be able to pass through a

in the com ith

(waste is heated to 50-60°C)

biodegrade by 90% aterials w lm

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Labelling

Gastro Nutri 6 Per Sheet Label

Botanical Plus 12 Per Sheet Label

£82.99 63 x 140 mm Box: 500 sheets = 3,000 labels Code: GTR028

£78.58 65.4 x 63.4 mm Box: 500 sheets = 6,000 labels Code: BOT004

Simply Natural 12 Per Sheet Label

Plain Nutri - 8 per sheet

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A subscription to LabelLogic Live costs £120 per annum, please visit www.labellogiclive.com for further info.

£93.20 64D mm Box: 500 sheets = 6,000 labels Code: SIM002

£54.13 62 x 95 mm Box: 500 sheets = 4,000 labels Code: PLA002

Printing Your Labels All of our labels are supplied blank (apart from the label design) ready to overprint with your unique product information.

If this sounds a bit overwhelming, fear not as our clever little labelling app - LabelLogic Live - is here to help. LabelLogic Live allows you to create labels and ticketing online using your computer, phone or tablet and then print using your own desktop printer. The app comes with lots of support (telephone, remote, online chat, walkthrough guides), it allows you to highlight allergens at the touch of a button and will even calculate nutritional data for you should you want to include it.

To request samples or for more information: T: +44 (0)117 317 8600 W: www.planglow.com E: info@planglow.com

FURNITURE

How to create the perfect eat-in

environment So, you’ve found a location, but what to do with the interior? Shaby-chic, hip, upmarket?

Trent Furniture has the answers

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ore and more independent and chain sandwich shops are popping up around the country and it’s getting more competitive all the time A large part of attracting customers is making sure that they know who you are and why you’re different from anyone else. Having a clear concept is important to any business, so make sure you know what kind of sandwich business you want to be before you even open your doors.

Are you going to be traditional? Trendy? Shabby chic? Do you have a Unique

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Selling Point to mark you out from the crowd? Are you going to be uniform in your design like a high street chain, or a bit more relaxed and casual?

Making it clear from the pavement what kind of environment and atmosphere you’re offering is important for pulling customers in.

Once you’ve got your concept, you need to make sure your design echoes your message. Think about colour schemes and materials: are you going to have wooden chairs, or fabric-covered ones? Light wood, light fabrics and elegant designs have all

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become popular in the recent shifts in interior design. Don’t worry about wear-and-tear on upholstered furniture – today’s fabrics are durable and easy to clean, while the foam padding used in chairs, like the ones in our Abbruzzo range, is non-sag.

Shabby-chic has endured several years of popularity and is still up in one of the top-spots for design with its emphasis on natural materials and painted surfaces. Of course, it is meant to look slightly worn down, so buying shabby-chic furniture will be an investment that will improve with age! Our

FURNITURE Farmhouse Tulip Table in light oak is the perfect shabby-chic table for an afternoon coffee.

Art Deco has also started resurfacing in popularity, and Trent Furniture has several items available that would be ideal for creating that perfect 20s-inspired feel. With a wide range of fabrics to choose from, Trent’s Art Deco Colebrookedale Three Leg Stool can be customised to specific colour schemes in order to create a design that flows throughout your whole shop.

Know what furniture you need Once you know who you want to come into your shop and how you want it to look, the next stage is finding the right furniture. Seating to suit duration of stay is important.

Big tables with room for food as well as drinks will attract shoppers, families, and groups of friends looking for somewhere to sit for longer stops. We recommend our Madison twoseater sofa, which is perfect for catching up with old friends.

You could even have some stackable high chairs on hand if you’re happy for babies to be in your shop.

Sofas with coffee tables additionally provide space for businesspeople and their laptops during lunch hours.

Some shops have banned Wi-Fi and laptops to promote socialisation, but that choice is entirely up to you.

If your shop is about quick service and short visits, you won’t be needing comfortable chairs and big tables. Poseur tables, such as Trent’s Black Pyramid Poseur Table, are perfect for fast-paced

environments, providing space to stand and chat or even just to add sugar before dashing back out the door.

Layout & Spacing If you or your customers can’t walk freely between tables, it’s way too cramped. A good tip is to try to keep at least 45cm between tables to make sure there is enough space for easy movement.

Floorplans are of course important, but also being prepared to be flexible will definitely pay off if a large group comes in for lunch. A combination of small and large tables, such as our Art Deco Pedestal and Rectangular tables (both in silver), will make sure there is enough seating room for people who want food as well as drinks.

Keeping sofas to the perimeter of the room will allow more space for tables and movement through the middle of your establishment, whilst also creating comfy, tuckedaway corners for post-shopping coffee and cake.

Not just a drink The industry has grown rapidly thanks to a combination of independent, specialist shops and chain brands. Coffee has also become an experience, not only due to the popularity surge millennials have given it, but because of the demand for Instagram-worthy décor and innovative coffee.

This doesn’t mean you have to serve everything in mason jars, but there are still ways to make your shop individual and interesting enough to keep customers coming back – and keep them posting about you on social media. Perhaps there’s a particular blend that you love, but no-one else seems to be selling it.

It’s not just about food to go and coffee anymore either.

Consumers expect a wide range of tea, with green tea becoming increasingly popular, as well as other herbal or fruit infusions. Milk alternatives are also expected as standard, such as oat milk or almond milk, whether the customer is lactose intolerant or not.

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THE SAMMIES

Independent Sammies Award for: Lettuce Eat Healthy, Peterhead

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ormer social worker Lorraine Duthie took the bold decision to give up her career and open a healthy takeaway in Peterhead instead after her husband had a serious heart attack.

The result was Lettuce Eat Healthy, which has gone from strength to strength since it opened, and now also includes a café and a successful catering business. This May, after only four and a half years in the business, she landed a Sammies Award for Best Independent Retailer Café, a stunning achievement for someone with no previous experience in the business.

“We started off as a takeaway because of the size of the unit that I had,” she told us. “My husband had a very serious heart attack when he was only 40, and the prognosis was not very good; my main aim was to start getting people in the local town to eat healthier - that’s why we’re called Lettuce Eat Healthy.

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“Everything was freshly made on the premises using local ingredients wherever possible, and we started by selling soup, sandwiches and salads with just three staff and myself. There was quite a bit of competition from other cafés in Peterhead but none doing what I was doing, with fresh made sandwiches made in front of customers from our own menu. Our bread is made by a local baker 20 miles away, made to our specifications.”

By November it was starting to get cold, and she decided to put on a daily special – a Macaroni Cheese - on their Facebook page.

It took off right away and sold really well. “The next day we were getting phone calls asking what our next daily special was. That then led into baked potatoes and the menu just evolved from what our customers were wanting.

“I’d always been a big foodie, but it became particularly important because of my husband’s

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THE SAMMIES medical condition, and I had always wanted to run a business like this myself.

“My husband is actually now back at work, but he may come into the business in the near future, because we’re now up to two delivery vans and we are supplying food to a lot of meetings and businesses.”

As an illustration of how busy they are, they recently supplied a function for 250 people two weeks running. At the time of speaking they had film crews coming over from Abu Dhabi and they were going to be supplying them with packed lunches.

“They phoned just out of the blue.” They were also about to supply the Lord Provost of Aberdeen and guests with lunch.

Their sandwiches were - and still are – sub style.

The best seller then and now is The Highlander which includes brisket beef, bought cooked and shredded from the local butcher, combined with an onion marmalade, Scottish cheddar or mozzarella, and an option of haggis on the top. It’s then put into the Merrychef oven.

“We sold 3,820 of those in the first year of opening, nearly all to our men customers. We actually got so fed up with making them that we put them as the second option on the menu, rather than the first.

Our thinking was that because men were creatures of habit, they would select the one straight from the top, but no, they just kept buying the same one!”

“Then we started to do outside catering because we were being asked by people for meetings at work or corporate events. That really took off and before we knew it we were doing buffets and urns of soup and that became another element of the business.

“Last year we opened an extension at the rear of the shop to seat another 40 people and we have been so busy since then. That gave us the status of a café with table service and an extensive menu and I now have 18 other staff. Everything is still freshly cooked though!

“I joined the British Sandwich Association within a year of opening my doors. I felt I wanted to take the business very seriously so, I thought, why not, we’ll go straight to the top. I felt I wanted to know what was going on outside my door and beyond. Now I know what’s going on in Parliament and the current legislation - I also read the magazine Sandwich & Food To Go News cover to cover.

“We entered the Sandwich Designer of the Year last year with a sweet sandwich and got through to the final. We didn’t win but it was a real eye-

opener for us: there were people from companies like Greencore in the final doing things with sandwiches that we’d never seen before! We’re quite naïve in our wee corner in north-eastern Scotland. It was worth it to go along just to see the sort of things other people were doing. For instance, things such as a charcoal bun, which I had never come across before, and is now on our menu today, I’m happy to say.

“It proved a bit difficult to get hold of initially.

Eventually we found a supplier, although they wouldn’t normally deliver as far as us. But when I phoned him up and told him we’d won the Sammies award he sent a rep. up the next week.

“It was such a pleasure to go down to London and pick up the award. To me it was, like, “The café is being recognised by the people who really know the business.”

“Our takeaway numbers are actually going down now because more people are sitting in after opening the café extension. It’s a really nice environment. We have a word for it in Scotland which is a ‘Sitootarie’, meaning an under-cover outside area. So we’ve designed it to look like you’re sitting outside, although you are actually inside. The roof is made of perspex covered with branches and twigs and there’s decking on the floor, so it looks like the outside.

“The majority of our customers are local people.

But we’re open on a Saturday – we do an all-day breakfast – and we have a lot of tourists then.

Cruise ships are also starting to come to Peterhead because they’ve deepened the harbour and that will also mean more new customers. So, all in all, I’m very excited about the future. When new people come in they request new food or introduce you to new food.

For me you can never stop learning and the day you stop being passionate about the business, is the day to hang up your apron.”

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ADVICE

Turning up the

HEAT In the food to go sector

With over twenty years in the industry, Gary Thacker, Director of National Accounts at Uxbridge-based foodservice equipment manufacturer Fri-Jado UK, is well placed to provide food to go operators with advice on ways to develop their businesses for increased sales and greater profits

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ustomers looking for food on the move are no longer content with sandwiches and cold snacks. Diners are seeking a broader menu range with freshly cooked hot food high on the wish list.

We have seen a GARY THACKER sustained increase in sales of hot pre-packed snacks and meal solutions, including whole chickens, chicken portions, panini, pies, sausage rolls, pasties, hot rolls, wraps and cooked breakfast items. Hot food now represents a significant proportion of total food to go sales and a hot food offer is now a prerequisite for successful food to go operators.

By understanding your clientele and tailoring your menu accordingly you can also benefit from

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increased sales. Consumers now see convenient, healthy option food as a solution for home dining as well as snacking on the move and a trend towards more flexible mealtimes, especially amongst young families, has created additional revenue opportunities. Food to go operators can now trade over extended periods, changing the menu throughout the day to suit breakfast, lunch and teatime services.

STORE LAYOUT, KITCHEN THEATRE AND MERCHANDISING Kitchen and store designs are becoming increasingly complex and food to go operators are demanding a wider range of equipment, often within limited floorspace. Ergonomic and labour-saving store layouts help operational efficiency and speed of service, which is why many food to go operators are turning to equipment manufacturers, distributors and kitchen concept specialists to deliver fit for purpose and competitively priced store configurations, using state-of-the-art CAD facilities.

There is a growing trend for open kitchen configurations with cooking equipment front of house. Such layouts make optimum use of available floor space and provide customers with a view of the food preparation process. This creates kitchen theatre and stimulates customers’ sight and smell senses, promoting impulse purchases. Visibility of food in the customers’ line of sight is critical to effective merchandising.

SPECIFYING THE CORRECT EQUIPMENT The choice of which equipment is best for your operation will depend upon various factors, including budget, store size, customer footfall and menu offer. Equally important are criteria which directly impact on the performance and profitability of your business, such as food quality and safety, energy efficiency, ease of use and life cycle cost.

Combi Ovens The combi oven is a ‘must have’ for any food to go business which serves hot food and/or cooks ingredients as part of the menu offer. The combination of radiant heat and steam used in the combi ovens means that they are ideal for cooking, baking, roasting, steaming and frying, providing total kitchen versatility.

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ADVICE Our hot counters benefit from upper radiant heat and a precision-controlled humidification system, holding product at 65°C or above, throughout the unit, ensuring food quality and safety. Chilled units incorporate high performance refrigeration and precise humidity control to maintain stable storage temperatures. The design incorporates a low velocity airflow, which significantly reduces food dehydration, for optimum food quality, freshness and appearance.

Accurate temperatures, in hot and chilled counters, ensure that food is held over extended periods, without deterioration.

COMBI OVEN

With over 100 different models, we offer the world’s broadest choice of combi ovens, which includes 6 grid, 10 grid and 20 grid units. For limited space environments, we also offer slim models, which are available in 6 grid and 10 grid sizes. In operations where floor space is limited modules may be stacked, creating totally integrated units.

Our combi ovens are available with a choice of touch pad controller with 500 programmes/15 phases, or a digital controller with 50 programmes/10 steps. Both controller types are user-friendly for ease of operation even by unskilled personnel. The feature rich combi ovens have been designed to deliver fast cooking cycles, consistent standards of food quality, maximum yield, optimum control, functionality and operator safety.

The range includes a unique passthrough option, which allows raw product to be loaded from the rear of the oven and cooked food unloaded from the front, eliminating the risk of cross contamination.

The passthrough feature simplifies food preparation procedures and creates additional kitchen theatre, maximising the visibility of the cooking process.

Counters and Serveries Serve over counters are extensively specified for food to go applications as they combine visibility of food with the convenience of service at the point of purchase. Grab and go operators are increasingly adopting, in-line counter configurations, which allow the side by side merchandising of hot, chilled and ambient food.

The Fri-Jado range of counters includes modular and custom models, available in a variety of case lengths. There is a choice of square or curved glass profiles, which provide high visibility of merchandise, promoting impulse purchases. Cabinet illumination further enhances the visibility of the food on display.

COUNTER

Fri-Jado counters feature triple glazed side panes, which provide excellent insulation and prevent heat transfer between units, allowing hot and chilled food counters to be butted against each other without heat transfer. As standard, the counters are manufactured in stainless steel facilitating cleaning regimes. They may be supplied with a wide variety of custom finishes, including tiled, stone and wood cladding. For custom counters, we offer a design service, using 3D modelling software, to produce fully rendered illustrations of proposed counter layouts.

Hot Food Merchandisers High visibility of food and ease of access for browsing and shopping are important criteria for grab and go customers. These objectives are best achieved, for pre-packed hot and chilled food, with open front, multi deck display cabinets, located at front of house.

For the display of pre-packed hot food, we offer our range of MD merchandisers, with HOT FOOD MERCHANDISER three, four and five

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ADVICE tier displays, each of which is available in 600 mm, 1000 mm and 1200 mm widths. The upright design of the display units offers a large capacity relative to footprint, making maximum use of sales floor space.

The large display area of the cabinets reduces the potential for shelf stock being exhausted and consequent lost sales, especially during periods of peak trading.

The MD merchandisers incorporate a patented hot blanket holding technology, which delivers a consistent and food safe holding temperature of above 65°C, maintaining cooked food at the perfect quality and appearance for at least four hours The MD models also benefit from air curtain technology on the front of each shelf, retaining hot air within the cabinet and recycling it. This feature limits warm air spillage, creating an energy saving of some 20%.

Rotisseries The sustained increase in customer demand for hot take away food, including freshly cooked healthy option poultry has provided additional profit opportunities for food to go outlets. Forward thinking operators are specifying rotisserie ovens to take advantage of these revenue streams. Typically, the rotisseries are located front of house to create kitchen theatre, with the visual attraction of rotating chickens and the smell of roasting birds promoting impulse purchases. The use of rotisseries is not limited to cooking whole birds; by replacing spits with baskets, the rotisseries may be used for roasting chicken portions, meat joints, sausages and other popular snacking items.

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Our range of rotisseries includes a five spit model with the capacity for 20 birds or five baskets and an eight spit model with the capacity for 40 birds or seven baskets. To increase cooking capacity units may be stacked to double potential output. Our rotisseries are available with programmable or manual controllers.

They feature an open cavity design, which allows fresh air to enter the cooking chamber for crispy and succulent chicken. Fresh air intake and a double-loop air flow system ensure efficient and consistent heating throughout the whole chamber, cooking a full batch of chickens in 60 minutes, some 30% quicker than conventional rotisseries and a saving of 5% in energy costs.

We have recently launched models with an autoclean system, driven by requirements for improved operational efficiency, reduced labour cost and lower cost of ownership through limited maintenance requirements.

SUPPORT, WARRANTIES AND TRAINING The efficient and reliable operation of foodservice equipment is critical for the performance and profitability of a food to go outlet. Service downtime due to equipment failure is costly and inconvenient and you need to ensure that any problems are rectified quickly and effectively at minimum cost.

The best way to avoid potential equipment failure is to ensure that equipment is professionally installed and is subject to a regular regime of servicing and preventative maintenance. To this end, always ensure that the dealer or manufacturer, who supplies your equipment, has a reputable and professional after sales service team.

Always check out warranties from dealers and manufacturers, which can vary considerably throughout the industry. At Fri-Jado, we offer an unprecedented five-year parts and labour warranty on our range of MD hot food merchandisers and one year parts and labour warranties on all other products.

Equipment and staff training help food to go businesses make the most of their foodservice equipment and maximise the efficiency of their operations. We run comprehensive training courses, either at our dedicated demonstration kitchen or at operators’ sites, as well as providing customer specific documentation. We are also happy to work closely with our dealers and customers on menu development initiatives, which allow end users to expand their food offers for increased sales and maximum profit. www.frijado.co.uk

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Fri_

MAKING FOOD TO GO IRRESISTIBLE For over 80 years Fri-Jado has been leading the way in providing equipment for preparing, holding and displaying hot and chilled food.

Rotisseries

Counters

• Models with capacities for 20 or 40 birds

• Modular or custom designs with a choice of curved or square glass profiles

• Reduced cooking times and energy savings

• Hot, chilled and ambient models easily multiplexed to form in-line counter runs

• Optional, labour saving auto-clean system

• Accurate holding temperatures for optimum food quality over extended periods

Combi Ovens • 6, 10, 20 grid and compact models • Choice of userfriendly touch pad or digital controller • Unique passthrough feature for food safety

Hot Food Merchandisers • 600 mm, 1000 mm and 1200 mm cabinet widths, available with 3, 4 or 5 tier display • Patented hot blanket holding technology for food safe temperature of above 65°C and 20% energy savings • Cooked food held at perfect quality and appearance for at least four hours

Want to know more? +44 (0)1895 272227 uk.info@frijado.com www.frijado.co.uk Fri_Jado Ad -A5.indd 1

11/07/2019 15:41

PACKAGING

How to choose the most sustainable packaging Head of London Bio Packaging Madeline Robbins gives her top 10 tips

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oday’s customers expect fresh, natural, local, organic and even free-from food options, so the same amount of attention should be paid to delivering sustainable packaging choices.

The packaging is there to protect the food, make it look beautiful and appetising, keep it hot or cold, and make it easy and convenient to consume – but sustainability has become the hottest topic and that’s where London Bio Packaging comes in. We aim to sell the most sustainable disposables on the market today and offer two ranges of eco food packaging – Sustain and Revive – allowing sandwich and coffee shops to choose the road to sustainability that best suits their business and increasingly well-informed customers. Here are my top tips for choosing the most sustainable packaging…

1. Learn your waste streams Look and learn. What waste streams and infrastructure operate in your area? The details can vary enormously, and every postcode is different! From recycling to composting, find out what is actually available, as that will dictate your packaging choices.

2. Match your packaging to the local waste infrastructure If composting is available, then you’ll want to choose compostable packaging. But if recycling

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is best for your business, then look at recyclable packaging like our Revive range.

If you’re more concerned about the materials your packaging uses, both ranges are made from the good stuff: Sustain is made from plants, renewable resources, and Revive is made from recycled plastics and card.

3. Provide the right bins Be clever about bins! Right packaging, right bins. Once you’ve ensured that your packaging matches the waste streams available, make sure you provide and correctly label the right bins too.

4. Train your staff Sustainable packaging ‘waste’ is a resource so it has to go into the correct bin to have a second life. Training is one answer, but why not consider putting pictures of which type of packaging should go into which bin? It’s a simple but highly effective way to remove doubt.

5. Educate your customers A lot of your packaged products will be ‘food to go’, so the waste is leaving the building. Educate consumers by displaying information about how best to dispose of packaging. And whenever you can, encourage re-use, for instance refillable water bottles, containers, cutlery, or coffee cups.

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2020 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO DIRECTORY Each year we publish a trade directory listing details of companies and their services provided.

Sanfoodd w ich to INTER NATIO NAL

go news Annual Trade Directory 2019

From cheese to salmon, plates to shop-ďŹ tting.

The Directory is distributed to members and subscribers, inserted within our trade magazine in Spring and distributed at events during the rest of the year.

If your business would like to be listed in the 2020 Directory please contact

Paul Steer on 01291 636342 or email paul@jandmgroup.co.uk DEADLINE IS MARCH 15TH 2020.

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8. Join a trade association The Sustainable Restaurant Association provides information to help you make the right decisions – and runs some cool campaigns such as ‘Foodprint – food made good’ and ‘Food waste: bad taste’.

6. Know your audience Ensure your offering fits your customers’ needs. From changes in consumption occasion and time of day, there are strong trends towards gluten or dairy free and the rise of veganism. Packaging and accurate labelling has a role to play in identifying that range of choice.

7. Celebrate your achievements You’ve chosen the most appropriate packaging and bins. Tell everyone! Use posters, table talkers, till tents and window stickers to inform consumers about your sustainability decisions and encourage them to play their part. And why not brag about it on social media or on your website?

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9. Learn about packaging Ask two questions. ‘What is the packaging made from?’ and ‘What can it be used for after it has carried out its primary function?’

Our Sustain range includes commercially compostable hot and cold food takeaway packaging made from either oil-based plastic-free, and tree-free bagasse – a fibrous material made from a waste product of sugar cane production – or a mixture of sustainable forest paper – farmed from a responsibly managed forest that are replaced faster than they are consumed.

Meanwhile, takeaway packaging in our Revive range promotes a circular economy through recycling, as all products are made with recycled paper, recycled card, recycled plastic – and can be recycled again.

10. If in doubt, ask…

London Bio Packaging is here to help you choose the right packaging for your business, your customers, and the planet. info@londonbiopackaging.com 020 7471 3700

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Invest in an EPoS system Buying an EPoS system might seem an extravagance for a new sandwich business, but it will be worth every penny. Evie Cooper explains why

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ew and small businesses often spend a lot of time doing things the hard way. Budgets and resources are limited, and this leads small businesses to make do with what they have.

There are some instances in which this makes sense, but in certain cases, this puts small businesses at an overwhelming disadvantage.

If you don’t have a EPoS system for your small business (or at least have a current and efficient one), you’re missing out on a lot of opportunities to help your business grow.

EPsS systems make so many things easier - they aren’t just for ushering your customers through the checkout process. You can help your business grow to be everything you’ve ever wanted with the right system for your needs.

These small mistakes can quickly accumulate into the equivalent of a big mistake - especially where money is concerned. Losing invoices or receipts, improperly filling them out, or making miscalculations can come back to bite you in the end.

THERE ARE FOUR TELL-TALE SIGNS YOUR SMALL BUSINESS REALLY NEEDS A EPOS SYSTEM: You’re noticing a lot of errors Without a EPoS system, you’re likely to be dealing with a lot of paperwork and a lot of trust. You can’t automate anything, and this often leads to small mistakes.

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EPoS Without a system, you might even be more vulnerable to theft. A disgruntled employee could take a few pounds here and there without anyone noticing because of the inevitable margin of error that comes with doing everything by hand.

An EPoS system will know if it’s short a few pounds.

It will also know who used it, and who can be asked about any missing money or errors. It’s good to know, even if they were honest accidents or a miscalculation of a few pennies.

You can’t serve customers quickly Think about how much time you spend doing things the hard way. When things get busy, you likely need multiple people to complete transactions. It takes a while, and you need to be very careful and thorough to keep your information accurate. Before you know it, the line is backed up, and people are getting impatient. You don’t want anyone to get impatient enough to leave.

Long lines damage customer experience. They get impatient and they have places to be. It might put such a damper on the experience that they don’t come back, even if they love your products or service.

If they see you operating without a system and taking a long time to do so, they might even see this as a sign of unprofessionalism. You might still have long lines with a system, but you’ll be able to clear the queue a lost faster.

You always feel underprepared An EPoS system does a lot more than process payments and ring up services or merchandise. It also collects valuable information that can be used to automate a lot of aspects of your business. It can tell you what your bestselling products are, what you sell more of during certain times of the year, who is

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ringing up the most merchandise, and how well you fare during a sale versus other times of the year.

The data you receive from a system can help you create a better future for your business. You’ll know how often you need to reorder products or materials.

You’ll know which of your employees are worth their weight in gold. You’ll be extra prepared the next time a sale rolls around. Since Epos Now utilises cloudbased technology, you can access that information from anywhere. You can be making predictions and analysing your findings while employees are using the machine.

Your current system is slow If you already have a EPoS system, you might not realise that you’re in desperate need of a new one. Outdated machines take forever to load. They’re prone to crashing and errors. They might take a few minutes to process payments, leaving customers worried that their card might be declined. If a stormy day causes the power to flicker, it might take half an hour for your system to reboot.

Slow systems are more than inconvenient - they’re unreliable and possibly even dangerous. The more out of date your system is, the more vulnerable it could be to malware or other security threats. Point of sale malware is a real concern among consumers. With data breaches and information theft being a prevalent part of our everyday lives, many customers don’t want to risk sliding their card at a system that could be compromised.

A great new EPoS system can drastically simplify both your life and your small business. It may be costly upfront, but for what it does, it will pay for itself in no time. If you want your small business to grow, you simply can’t afford to be without one.

Evie Cooper is a project manager working on online databases like UkAreaCode.co.uk and PostcodeChecker.co.uk.

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ONLINE ORDERING

Making your online ordering system pay How can you target the right customers in the right way and grow your revenue through an online ordering system? Steve Whiteman,, Head of Sales & Strategy, Butterware Ltd, has the answers

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ou’ve taken the plunge and launched an online ordering system. Great move! Our experience shows that, used in the right way, an online ordering system can significantly increase your revenue. In fact, a number of our customers have seen year on year increases of 20%.

However, setting up the system is only the first step.

If you stop there you’re likely to spend a lot of time looking at an empty order page.

For starters, it’s likely that many of your existing customers won’t want to change the way they order from you, at least not straight away (no one likes change!). But that’s OK because the real power of an online ordering system is the ability to access far more customers spread across a wider catchment area. The way to really grow your revenue is by using the system to bring in new customers who will return again and again.

But new customers are unlikely to simply stumble upon your ordering website and mass marketing is hard work and time consuming. So how can you find those new customers and start to make your ordering system pay?

The solution is to focus your time on targeting the right customers in the right way.

At Butterware we’ve been helping our clients to do this for over nine years. Our approach is to work closely with our clients and help them to be successful with their ordering platform. Over that time, we’ve developed a four-step approach, outlined below.

STEP 1 – DIVIDE UP YOUR MARKET Trying to target all of your potential customers at the same time will take a lot of effort and is often

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ONLINE ORDERING unsuccessful. Instead, spend some time looking at your local market – who are the big employers? Are there any colleges, offices or other large organisations you can focus on? Also, where is the competition – supermarkets, restaurants, chain lunch shops?

The best approach is to get out and explore your target area. Your online ordering system can help by providing details of customers and their locations, so that you can quickly spot when and from where new customers are coming.

STEP 2 – WORK OUT WHO YOU ARE GOING TO TARGET In our experience the fastest way to grow is to focus on office workers – they have easy access to the Internet, tell their colleagues and will usually stick to the same outlet once they find one they are happy with. However, we also have clients who’ve been very successful with college students, universities and a range of other organisations.

The key is to consider what makes your target customers unique.

For example, if you’ve decided to target a law firm who are sited near a supermarket then maybe they would appreciate bespoke sandwiches and high-quality ingredients. Alternatively, for workers with fixed lunch breaks, maybe the most important thing for them is to have the food ready and waiting the second the break bell sounds.

STEP 3 – WORK OUT HOW TO TARGET YOUR NEW CUSTOMERS This is where you get to be really creative. There are hundreds of ways you could try to advertise your ordering site. A few points to consider are:

Once again, your ordering system should be able to help. Working with our clients, we’ve developed a range of ways to promote sales, from ‘recommend-a-friend’ schemes to vouchers and pre-pay tokens.

There really is a wide range of options for you to try, which leads on to step 4…

STEP 4 – MEASURE AND REPEAT This is where an online ordering system comes into its own. Using the statistics generated by your system, you will quickly be able to tell if your targeted marketing campaign is working – are orders growing from the area or office you’ve targeted? Look out for invites and registrations too – this can be a good way to tell if your customers are recommending you to their colleagues.

If this doesn’t work, or when the growth tails off, go back to step one and repeat the process. Our most successful clients will repeat this a few times each year – adding more regular customers every time they do.

That’s the way to really increase your revenue.

DON’T FORGET THE EXTRAS Once you have regular customers, there are even more opportunities to grow revenue: - Offices often need to order buffet food. Set up a parallel buffet order site to make this really easy.

- Many of our customers tailor their site so that extras can be added (such as crisps, drinks, chocolate, etc.) easily and without additional delivery costs; this is a great way to really boost your profits.

If you’d like to know more about online ordering for delivery and collection, or how to market your site effectively, please drop me a line: steve@butterware.co.uk

1) What’s your key message?

For this refer back to your target customers, will they be looking for ‘bespoke’, ‘timely’ or any other specific feature? Make sure this comes across in your advertising.

2) How to get the message across?

Flyers could work with some customers, for others you could try calling the office direct – we’ve found that many office managers are keen to help. What about a few carefully placed signs on the route from the office to the chain shop? Or social media can work – if you can find a message that connects to your customers – maybe wishing the college football team congratulations when they win a match and offering a discount?

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CATERING

Cost-effective catering disposables solutions: Getting the balance right Finding the right balance between cost and quality of product has never been more vital for snack, sandwich bar and food to go facilities owners and managers, according to managing director of quality disposables manufacturer and supplier, Herald, Yogesh Patel.

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nybody on the brink of launching a small catering concern has to have one eye on costs and margins at all times. It’s a necessary distraction: if costings are out, profits immediately suffer and the business, already precariously balanced in those all important early days, will be put under undue strain.

It’s incredibly important, therefore, that packaging and the cost of auxiliary items are factored into the overall cost of the sandwich, cup of coffee, muffin etc. We’re not just talking

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bags and cups; note has to be made of plastic or wood spoons and forks; disposable gloves used in food prep; napkins and lids of cups and containers used to hold food products. All these items come at a cost to the facilities owner and must be accounted for in order to keep the business ticking over and finances in profit.

A lot of the auxiliary items are easy products to overlook when it comes to costing an item for purchase but it’s essential that they’re factored in as these particular disposables all stack up.

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CATERING From the disposable packaging and cups supplier’s point of view, they fall foul of the tendency to squeeze these products, with a constant demand for price reductions from the food to go and catering managers who are keen to keep their own prices down to ensure that their customers are happy, while also desiring the quality best suited to the food and drink that they’re selling and in keeping with their brand.

Disposable products that aren’t fit for purpose can have a negative effect on repeat business and, ultimately, prove to be quite damaging to a business’s reputation. This means that there’s a thin line to be trod between not overspending, avoiding eating into the profit margin and getting the product right.

Unfortunately, packaging, cups and most other catering disposables tend to form the element of the ‘food to go’ experience that’s first to be downgraded when profit margins are squeezed in the café and sandwich bar market.

These components are often credited as the least likely part of the product to be noticed by the consumer and so the perception is that they can be reduced in quality, if necessary. The top line of thinking here is that the customers are programmed to notice what they’re going to eat, first and foremost, and not the utensils used to eat it or what the food comes wrapped in.

This cavalier approach to all the parts that complement the food and drink offered for consumption is, at best, shortsighted.

Take, for example, cups. If the cup you are given for your hot beverage isn’t fit for purpose it means that your hands are likely to get burnt or that the drink is impossible to carry. This then affects the overall experience. It doesn’t matter how good the drink’s taste, the memory is that it couldn’t be drunk on the go because it was too hot to carry.

The same applies to disposable bags. If a bag rips or tears it’s, at best, irritating. At worst, it could render the product inedible if said food item is dropped on the floor. Basically, buy too cheap and you shoot your cost-saving effort in the foot as the customer won’t come back or may demand a refund or a replacement portion.

Beware false economy. Any squeezes on costs will always be destined to find its way down the food service chain to the packaging and catering disposables, in the first instance, but there has to be a line in place in order to protect the end product

that’s placed in front of the consumer.

Don’t overlook the impact of your packaging on the brand in the early days. It’s worth bearing in mind - poor packaging simply doesn’t look very good.

This, again, can have an overwhelmingly negative effect as many of us work on face value and we are attracted, initially, by what we can see.

The packaging is possibly the first point of contact for the consumer with the product and so, if it is obviously cheap and of poor quality, it immediately lets it down, ruining the overall effect.

Ultimately, the appearance of the packaging gives a perception of the quality the customer should expect to receive. If said packaging, bag or cup is branded then that’s a double whammy as the association with your name is, straightaway, a negative one.

It takes a long time to build a brand and get a good name and yet an inordinately short time to damage that same brand and reputation, which then poses the question: cheap packaging and disposables – are they really worth it?

Finally, no comment on auxiliary products can be left without a nod to the environmental issues that continue to sit front of mind, dominating news headlines and now, very much, a part of the collective psyche. The customer is highly savvy and may well expect your cups, packaging, stirrers and napkins to come boasting their own green credentials.

If your customers are likely to form a part of this growing environmentally-knowledgeable majority then you need to factor in eco-friendly, auxiliary options and make sure you price accordingly. There is a price to pay for the sustainable option but, if it’s what the customer wants and the customer knows that’s what he or she is paying for, it keeps everyone happy and is definitely worth the extra spend. www.heraldplastic.com

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PACKAGING

Building a memorable brand Building a memorable brand is what helps your company stand out from the competition and in the £2.8bn sandwich market there’s certainly a lot of it, says Protos Packaging director James Fussell

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ny time a customer buys a tasty sandwich from your shop you have the opportunity to not only reinforce a relationship between the delicious sandwich and your company brand, but you get to advertise to every person walking past in the street.

You also advertise to the potentially thousands of followers or friends on social media when they snap a photo of the food they’re enjoying.

Though brand building is a whole field of study, the majority of which is beyond the scope of this article, we’d recommend looking online and finding brands that you can identify with for inspiration before working with a creative professional or

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packaging company to create something that’s both memorable and clearly communicates what sets you apart from the competition.

It’s certainly worth your time getting this right so what are the options?

Sustainable Packaging Sustainability is an important topic for both businesses and customers alike, so it’s important to decide whether you want to look eco-friendly or be eco-friendly, as these aren’t necessarily the same thing!

Despite the media frenzy regarding “Single Use Plastics,” things are not quite as they appear when

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PACKAGING you examine the facts. Though again this is a huge debate and beyond the scope of this article, it’s worth considering the following points: - Paper bags have a much higher carbon footprint (4x) than plastic bags, contributing to climate change - Paper bags are significantly heavier than plastic bags and cost more to transport Anyway, let’s get to the options…

Clear Printed Bags Clear printed bags can be a great way to present your products, showing off the sandwich inside while displaying your brand’s logo on the outside of the bag. These can come with resealable strips to safely secure the contents.

Though it’s worth getting in touch with your packaging supplier to confirm your requirements, here’s a list of the available material options – all can be printed with your branding.

• ProPylene (Recyclable, lowest cost) • ProGanicPLA (Industrially Compostable) • ProGanicNF (Home Compostable) Ovenable Bags Ovenable bags are a perfect choice if you have a hot counter. As an additional bonus they allow the customer to reheat the sandwich in the oven

when they get home without even having to take it out of the bag.

• ProPET (Recyclable) Greaseproof Paper Sheets A great option for those who want to take the paper option, famously used by Subway.

• ProFormance Paper White (Recyclable and Compostable) • ProFormance Paper Brown (Recyclable and Compostable) • ProFormance Foilised Paper (Great for Burritos!

Used by KFC) Snack Angles A newer and less commonly used form of packaging, a two-side sealed paper bag that’s great for Baps and Burgers.

ProFormance Paper Laminate Whichever option you choose it’s worth spending some time selecting which packaging supplier you want to work with to your bring your concept to life. We recommend Protos Packaging Limited (sales@protospackaging.co.uk +44 (0)1453 511126) as a reliable and competitive option.

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HELP US TO

HELP YOU

The British Sandwich and Food To Go Association aims to ensure the best market conditions for our industry.

From lobbying Government to organising British Sandwich Week, we aim to provide the best environment for you to trade in, plus a wide range of benefits.

This all comes with membership: Facing the Brexit staffing challenge – Our business needs good people. We are lobbying to ensure Brexit does not lead to the door shutting on the people we need to keep going.

Reducing Energy and Telecoms costs – Our specialist advisor will shop around to get you the very best deals – and it’s free!

Insurance with Free Membership – Our specialist insurers offer really keen prices for shop and business insurance – and independent retailers can get free membership if they use them.

KPMG Accounting offer – Members can take advantage of a three months free accounting offer from leading accountants KPMG. Training – Our discounted on-line hygiene training is focused and saves you money and time.

Assured Guidance – Members following our Assured Advice are protected from enforcement challenges.

Free Advice – From legal to technical advice, our members have free access to experts.

Buying ingredients or equipment from abroad? Our agreement with Cornhill offers exceptionally keen exchange rates.

Business rates and financial help – We have teamed up with a specialist business finance consultancy who provide members with advice on everything from business rates to raising finance.

Cutting Fuel bills – Members can enjoy savings of up to 5p per litre on diesel & petrol, and up to 10p per litre at motorway pumps, with a free no-obligation fuel card.

London hotel discounts – Save money when staying in London using the unique Association booking code with Grange Hotels.

HELP US TO

HELP YOU BY JOINING TODAY

Plus you get free password access to

our online magazine and guidance

Visit www.sandwich.org.uk

Or Call Sandra on

01291 636348

ADVICE

New ideas in grab and go merchandisers Williams energy saving Multidecks reduce power consumption by 20%+ Williams aims to offer the most comprehensive collection of chilled grab and go merchandisers on the market. Called Gem Multidecks, the series features a wide choice of sizes, configurations and colours. Now the company has expanded the range with two new lines: the G Series, which uses the latest ‘green’ technologies to make grab and go more eco-friendly, and the Scarlett, which is Williams’ first heated Multideck.

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Scarlet - the hot new grab and go Multideck Scarlet from Williams delivers instant, consistent, reliable and safe heat in four individually controlled temperature zones.

Operates at 65°C to 70°C - the ideal holding temperature for pies, sausage rolls, pasties and soups.

Its low operating noise level and attractive design makes it perfect for browsing customers!

Multidecks from Williams: the complete range of hot and cold merchandisers

www.williams-refrigeration.co.uk

ADVICE When it comes to energy efficiency in grab and go merchandisers, the new G Series provides marketleading options.

It is the first series of Williams Multidecks to use a hydrocarbon refrigerant as standard, an addition that reduces energy consumption and has an ultra-low Global Warming Potential and zero Ozone Depletion Potential. All models are available with a choice of thermally efficient self-closing front sliding or hinged glass doors. The doors are double glazed with thermic low emission glass and inert gas for superior thermal efficiency. Other energy saving features include low energy fans and LED strip lights.

The new Scarlet heated Multideck is designed to match the chilled versions, so that it can be suited beside cold units for an attractively coordinated appearance. It uses halogen quartz lamps to ensure hot items such as pre-cooked pies, pasties and soups are kept safely. The unit has four individually controlled temperature zones, so operators can keep different foods at their ideal hot-hold temperature.

Space saving grab and go For a site short on space, Williams R Series Multidecks provide the perfect option. This slimline range makes it possible to maximise every inch of retail space available, while not compromising on storage capacity. The smallest model in the range has a footprint of just 960mm wide by 695mm deep, but with three adjustable shelves has a capacity of 201 litres. Despite diminutive dimensions, an eyecatching LED illuminated display combined with a wide selection of colour combinations make the

R Series impossible to miss, while syncing perfectly with any decor. A variety of accessories and options is available, including impulse snack selection baskets for added merchandising potential, food tray slides, glass shelves, mirrored panels and illuminated shelves.

Multidecks to the Max… Grab and go capacity is maximised with Williams M Series Multidecks, a range capable of handling the challenges of the busiest periods of the day.

The largest model in the series offers a capacity of 917 litres. For high volume sites, individual Multidecks can be joined together and linked to a remote refrigeration system.

Make your grab and go stand out…

Williams Multidecks are available in a comprehensive range of colours to suit an individual sites décor and branding. For operators wanting to take ‘stand out from the crowd’ a bit further, Williams offers its Chameleon service. This uses a tough, long-lasting vinyl wrap that is applied to the Multideck to create a truly striking display.

Williams’ in house team can supply the graphics, or the customer can create them. Either way, the sky’s the limit in terms of what can be achieved – from subtle art to eye-popping design statements!

Williams Refrigeration offers a comprehensive range of commercial refrigeration. For more information visit www.williams-refrigeration.co.uk.

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FEATURE

The Milk Shed, Oxfordshire The Milk Shed café, Weston on the Green, Oxfordshire has some truly amazing coffee and food and has become a favourite destination outlet, in spite of being in the middle of nowhere. Here owner Lucie Greenwood tells Simon Ambrose how the business got off the ground I’m in rural Oxfordshire at around 10.0am, not far from the M40, looking for a café outlet called the Milk Shed.

The sat. nav. is telling me I’ve reached my destination but can this really be it? There’s a bunch of agricultural buildings of various uses and some fields with horses, as well as a car park with a fair few vehicles in it, but surely this can’t be where one of the UK’s top café venues is to be found?

I check the website again – the Milk Shed is included in a piece from Great British Chefs, outlining their UK top 15 café and sandwich shops.

This is what it says about the place I’m looking for: ‘What began as a venture into artisan ice cream soon turned into a one-stop shop for all of

Oxford’s breakfast and lunch needs. The Milk Shed is a bustling café serving locally roasted coffee, homemade ice cream and plenty of delicious sandwiches. The signature dish has to be the club sandwich, which contains charred chicken breast, pancetta, Gruyere cheese, slow-roasted tomatoes, basil mayonnaise and rocket, but there are lots of other daily specials to appease all appetites.’

Then I spot the sign for the Milk Shed, a singlestory building - possibly a former dairy - and push open the door, rather fearing the worst as it seems as quiet as the grave from the outside.

To my amazement, it’s rather like one of those surprise parties where the party erupts in full swing when you’re through the door. The place must be

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ADVICE

at least half full with families, cyclists, people having breakfast, people reading the papers and drinking coffee. In fact, I later learn that it’s a quiet week as it’s just after half term!

It’s a long room with low ceiling and flagstone floor, perfect for the purpose. There are a lot of non-matching pine short and long trestle tables, and equally non-matching chairs, all definitely eclectic shabby chic. Every table has a jar with quirky combinations of plants such as decorative ornamental cabbage combined with gypsophila.

There’s some lovely quirky touches and if it hasn’t been in Country Living magazine yet, it’s only a question of time.

The amazing thing is that there are so many people here, and there are more coming in as a party of lycra-clad cyclists chain up their bikes outside. So it’s the first question I pop to founder Lucie Greenwood, when she joins me at my pine table: where’s everyone coming from?

“People come from all over, there are lots of regulars from the villages and they often come two or three times a week, but there are also customers who come from much further away, some even from as far as Northampton,” she says. It turns out to be

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a favoured stop for cycling parties on a regular route.

“It was just a pretty café selling ice cream when I bought it nearly five years ago. I was in event catering before so I wasn’t new to the food business; plus my parents had a café when I was a teenager, so I used to be in the kitchen with dad.

“I’ve been really lucky with The Milk Shed. When I first moved out here and I started the café I thought there’s just not enough places around doing food like this – especially as I lived near Borough market before and was used to having that fantastic food around. There are lots more around here now.”

At the very least it shows how it’s possible to build a successful coffee and food business as a destination outlet, with the right offer.

Interestingly, Lucie used to work in a sandwich shop, always great training for owning one yourself, of course. In fact, in a blog on her website she writes: “When I was about 17 I got a job in a sandwich shop in Slough. I know, not very glamorous I hear you say, but this was not just any sandwich shop; it was a yuppy sandwich shop! In the era of ‘The Sloane’ we offered masses of different sandwiches, all made to order on purpose-built units a bit like Welsh dressers, with refrigerated shelves which held row upon row of margarine tubs to enable easy reach of all the most popular fillings of the 80’s: pesto, mozzarella, banana, pastrami, hummus, cream cheese, and coronation chicken. Once made, each sandwich was wrapped on a heated metal stand with the roll of cling-film attached to a wire at the back, making it quick and easy, the warmth swiftly sealing the plastic wrap. All very high-tech!

“Our hundred or so filling options were printed onto a posh little leaflet designed to perfectly fit into a filofax, with the classic 6-punch holes already perforated (genius, I thought) and displayed in stands on the shop counter. During its heyday the queues would stretch out the door around the block at lunch time, while we worked like maniacs at our stations. I lived for a short while in the flat above and I doubt during that time that I ate anything but sandwiches or versions of. My favourite midnight feast though was to sneak down to the shop kitchens and toast a couple of slices of malted granary bread, spread gluttonously with far too much butter, pile with corn kernels and fold

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ADVICE each piece in half like a kebab so the sweet yellow nuggets bathed in a pool of liquid butter, melted by the warmth of the crisp, chewy toast.”

Back to the present and I’ve got the Milk Shed’s Coffee Roastery cappuccino and a speciality hot club sandwich in front of me at the time of my visit.

The coffee is fantastic and there’s no doubt that this is a really serious sandwich in the sense of the amount of work that’s gone into it … it’s also a seriously good sandwich as well, with all the tastes combining in a really exquisite way.

It’s a combination of chicken marinated in herb oil and grilled, crispy pancetta ham, emmental cheese, rocket, their own basil mayonnaise and slow-roasted tomatoes done for four hours in the oven. There’s also a streaky bacon sourdough sarnie and a Milk Shed cheese sandwich, with delice de bourgougne with chutney, grapes and biscuits.

“We’ve had the club sandwich and bacon sandwich on since we opened and they’re much loved,” she says. “We’re mainly known for the foodie side of things and brunch at the weekend. The menu doesn’t change much, but whenever we take something off we get emails straight away complaining!

“But we do change the specials every day. At the weekend we also have three or four brunch dishes on the specials board. We get a queue

at 9.0am at the weekend and it’s like that all weekend.

Other toast-based items could be warm peperonata on toast with buffalo mozzarella, pea shoots and toasted seeds; and toasted Milwaukee rye with avocado, pan fried halloumi, roast tomato, herbs and seeds.

Breakfast and the weekend brunch is a huge favourite, and includes such top sellers as soft scrambled eggs with slow roast tomatoes, smoked tomatoes, smoked salmon or crispy bacon.

Then there’s the home-made cakes. Where to start with this? They really are exceptional and include goodies such as a clementine cake with crème fraiche, seasonal cupcakes, chocolate and hazelnut brownie and chocolate and hazelnut brownie with ice cream. They still sell a lot of their wonderful looking home-made ice cream from a large multi-variety cabinet at the kitchen end of the room.

Like the sandwiches, the specials are also really exceptional and include such dishes as grilled mackerel fillets on toast with rocket and chunky tartare; smoked haddock chowder with crispy pancetta and toast; pulled lamb salad with freekeh, garlic yoghurt and pomegranate; brioche French toast with maple syrup, fresh banana, and greek yoghurt; and basque squid stew with toast and aioli.

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