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Casual Dining 2018 – A Talk with CEO of Jamie’s Italian
Team Offbeat | 23 Feb

This week Offbeat Creative attended the ‘Casual Dining’ trade show held at London’s Business Design Centre, Islington. We had the opportunity to check out some of the latest casual dining product innovations and to gain an insight into the latest movements in the hospitality industry.

Amongst a line-up of informative and inspirational speakers, we attended a talk given by Jonathan Knight, the CEO of The Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group on the recent downfall of the business. Here’s what he had to say.

Jamie’s Italian received a hugely positive response from its customers when the restaurant first launched 10 years ago. They had a recognisable figure head, a great social media presence, ethically sourced and nutritional produce and great site locations. During the first 5 years, they enjoyed growth in the casual dining sector and they became a strong leading brand. However, as the casual dining market grew, they remained stagnant and “rested on their laurels”. They ignored smaller brands who offered similar but cheaper concepts and the competition overtook. Jamie’s had forgotten what they stood for, what the brand was about and had failed to evolve at the same pace as Jamie.

They now recognise that change was not implemented quickly enough and as a result, have made decisions to help secure the future of the business leading to the closure of 12 of their UK sites. They have recently undergone a management restructure and plan to invest far more into their staff and into reviving the remaining 25 UK restaurants.

Having lost touch with the brand, they aim to reconnect with their figurehead by tapping back into the brand’s key values – nourishing, brave, honest and joyful. These are the fundamentals on which the brand was built and by staying true to these values they hope to get back on track!

With a programme of industry leaders highlighting the ever-evolving nature of the casual dining industry, we cannot stress enough the importance of staying true to your brand whilst remaining relevant – you cannot be complacent in an age of change.

For help with your coffee shop or restaurant’s brand or interior design, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

By Charlotte Anderson

Opening a coffee shop or restaurant and need advice on brand or interior design? Let’s discuss your concept at hello@offbeatcreative.co.uk or call 020 7060 3121