There’s no doubt that sunshine can make a massive difference to trading. Let’s hope that the good weather gets a good run this year, so that pubs can profit. Judging by Orchid’s preparation and performance – see some truly impressive results below – there’s plenty that all pubs can do to ensure they are positioned to benefit…
The summer weather for the end of May Bank Holiday weekend sent figures soaring across Orchid Group pubs:
- For the four days Friday to Monday, Orchid pubs saw a 5.2% increase on the same period last year.
- Saturday 25 May was the busiest Saturday of the year so far with net sales exceeding £800k.
- The Alexandra in Harrogate and Pickhurst in Kent marked outstanding performances on the Sunday, each taking more than £11k each in sales.
“We expected a strong weekend as we have done a lot of planning and preparation to encourage customers in over Bank Holidays and special occasions, but the sunny weather really gave us an extra boost,” says Simon Dodd, Commercial & HR Director at Orchid Group.
Highlights
LFL four-day net sales across Orchid’s eight divisions included:
- Pizza Kitchen & Bar up 26.2%
- Carveries up 19.4%
- Dragons up 11.4%
In terms of individual pubs, the top pubs for net Sunday sales were:
- Alexandra, Harrogate: +44.7% LFL
- Pickhurst Tavern, Kent: +87%
- White Swan, Southampton: +50.1% LFL
For the Monday, the biggest net sales were seen at:
- Pickhurst Tavern, Kent: +229.4%
- Cock & Dragon, Barnet: +15.5% LFL
- White Swan, Southampton: +33.5%
“The weather obviously played a part in encouraging people to enjoy a day out, but it is also clear that our pubs hold a real attraction for customers,” Simon continues. “Of all the places they can choose to go people come back to our pubs time and again, as they know they always get great food, service and value.
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