Hear from members how successful Profitnet can be...
MOUNTAIN RANGE RESTAURANTS - bringing the best of alpine-style dining to Sussex
David Downard, chief executive officer of restaurant group Mountain Range Restaurants, came across Profitnet in action at one of his own venues where the group had been meeting. He started chatting to the group, and thought Profitnet sounded interesting.
“I have always been self-employed and friends who worked in larger organisations frequently pointed out that I was at a disadvantage because I missed out on all of the networks and training, meetings and discussions that go on. But Profitnet gives you access to many similar things.”
The business currently has three pub restaurants built on a concept originally inspired by the higher quality mountain restaurants found in the French and Italian Alps.
David values the help that Profitnet has given him in finding appropriate consultancy and courses.
“These things are quite hard to access if you are on your own. You have to think what do I need, how do I fund it, and then get out there and find it.” He also finds the peer pressure a powerful force in that each member has to report back to the group on what they have done since the last meeting. He feels that helping to solve others’ issues can give immense insight into your own. Since joining Profitnet the business has undergone significant change. On a practical level the management has changed the way it communicates and organises tasks. But most importantly, the whole direction of the company has shifted. From the presentation to the Profitnet group and the discussions that followed, David started to work on changing the group’s brand positioning. David says “I am using my Profitnet time exclusively on defining the brand because that’s where the future value is for the company.”
All three of the pub restaurants have beaten their targets for the first quarter of 2009 with the most established showing 25 per cent increase in turnover compared to 2008.
“We are actually flying along now despite the economic climate” says David. “This growth has definitely coincided with the clear thought and vision I developed with the Profitnet group. I was absolutely amazed that the university did things like this – I had no idea that they interacted with the business community. In fact I am investigating the possibility of taking on a graduate soon.”
David is looking for a new site and will soon be taking on new staff. The largest restaurant, the Black Horse in Findon, is being set up as a management training centre so that future managers will develop and refine their management skills there, under the watchful eye of David and his senior staff.