60 seconds with…Sarah Prentice, Sales & Marketing Director – Blue Apple

How was the re-opening of your business and how was it carried out in line with safety procedures put in place to allow social distancing? 

How was the re-opening of your business and how was it carried out in line with safety procedures put in place to allow social distancing?

A number of our clients employ key workers, so we have operated throughout 2020. This ensured we were always ahead and in-line with the constantly changing health and safety COVID-19 requirements and operating safely and efficiently within government guidelines. This experience enabled our teams to safely re-open our other restaurants and as part of this, we introduced a new pre-order and pay app that enabled customers to book a collection time slot to allow social distancing.

How is the general feeling and feedback from your team members and your customers now the lockdown is over?

Our teams are all hungry to get back to normal and our customers are delighted to be back in a working environment and have our fabulous Pip & Bean coffee served with a smile every day. We have had loads of positive comments and feedback since we re-opened our restaurants,  we loved it recently when some customers were tweeting to team members working at home that the café was open and the food was delicious ― that made us very happy!

What role has technology played in supporting your re-opening plan?

Our new pre-order and pay app has definitely given our clients the reassurance that we can control and measure the physical distancing onsite. It has also been great in reducing food waste and keeping our costs in control whilst the numbers on site are down. More regular virtual client meetings have also been really effective and enabled quicker communication especially during the recent lockdown changes.

What market trends are you seeing since re-opening?

Customers are tired of working and eating at home! With staff returning back to work in their offices we have seen our coffee sales increase (plus an extra naughty treat or two!). Our new hot pots have been sell-outs especially the Korean chicken pots and bao buns. Spend per head has gone up and we have introduced new take home grazing boxes and cook/bake at home kits that have been really popular.

What techniques have you used to build sales and re-engage customers?

Our new app has definitely helped, and it has also given our customers the platform to ‘bespoke’ their dishes. A number of our restaurants are now producing freshly made to order dishes such as pizzas and topped flat breads which is a real draw for customers.

What positive lessons do we need to learn from what the industry has been through?

Regular communication with both your clients and team is key. Also, having the ability to adapt the food offer and team size to the numbers on site and making sure the offer is concise and achievable. Our industry is the best; companies have collaborated and supported each other and so many teams have worked tirelessly and donated to some amazing charities. Let’s all try and remember this and keep it going!

Blue Apple website: https://blue-apple.co.uk/