Working with a vendor in your pub 

When first starting a food brand in your kitchen you need to make sure they are producing food that goes with your target market. If you are a good location for the older demographic then you'll probably want more seasoned dishes. Nothing too extravagant or off setting where they wont purchase anything. With 53% of alcohol consumed with food it is imperative that your target market is met with food they want to have a drink with for your partnership to flourish.

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The restaurant you're working with also has the job of making sure the food is up to par for the pub they are working in. Having this mutual understanding of what is expected of each of the partners creates a good working relationship that will last. 

Food sales

When making revenue off the residency there are plenty of ways to make money from what food they are producing. Taking a percentage of sales off the food is a great way to make sure the restaurant you're working with is doing their best to make the best food. While wet sales go up when food is present, the quality and type of food is a big contributing factor to food sales. The vendor will want their food to be showcased along with the pub's drinks to bring more awareness to the residency you have. With more food sales, more money from that percentage. 

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Special events 

Creating a good customer experience is very beneficial to your pub and including food on the menu is a helpful way to increase commerce. Part of working with a residency is having special events to showcase their food and your drinks. This is a great way to create a new plan for making revenue in the pub. Special events will attract new customers and can generate more leads for future renters. Organising a special event will make you work closely with the food brand in your kitchen which will create a long lasting bond and have them stay around longer. These events will also help the brand of your pub reach a larger audience which leads to more revenue.

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Want to learn more on making sure your brand is seen, check out this blog here.

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A couple of ways you can help your residency showcase their food is through giving them options on how they want to present their food. Whether it's through a catering event or an incubator program as long as they are making their food known your pub will profit. Having a good working relationship allows for more opportunities to have a successful pub residency. 

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An interesting opportunity can be offering cooking classes in your pub during off hours. This will promote the pub and can also lead to potential vendors wanting a place in the kitchen. Having people come in and enjoying the environment of the pub and a couple of pints while they are cooking will also boost foot traffic to the pub. 

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Be Flexible 

Being flexible is a big part of having a food brand in your kitchen and making it work. There can be many challenges when running a dual business especially if it is the first time you have a food brand in your pub. Having a flexible menu to appeal to the audience in your pub is one of the most important parts of this relationship. If the food does not match the vibe customers wont order it.

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Another important part is to be flexible on rent and additional fees. When writing out the contract you want to make sure the food brand is getting what they need to succeed. Lastly, hours of work will need to be flexible to make sure the food brand is getting prime time for customers so their food can be sold and help you make a profit.

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The menu you collaborate on with your vendor will have to be flexible in order to keep customers satisfied. They may have to make changes throughout the year and account for seasonal dishes as well. Having breakfast, lunch and dinner options can also be important if your pub sees customers all day. Some items may be ordered more than others, taking that into consideration you may want to switch up the menu. Maybe some customers are seem ordering a particular dish with the same drink; that could become a combo deal. Having a differentiated menu will be a huge benefit to getting your revenues up and having your food vendor succeed. 

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Revenue Models 

When inviting a vendor into your kitchen there are multiple options to make money from them. The biggest way of generating revenue will be your monthly rent you charge them while they are working in the kitchen. There is also the hourly option if they are only working for a select time or for a specific event. 

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Another way to charge them can be the fixed fee they are charged. Instead of a monthly rent you can charge a one time fee if it is a short term contract. This way you can get all your  money when you need it to cover overhead costs and other liabilities. 

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Along with the overhead rent you can charge additional fees like storage, parking fees, late fees etc… to cover more of the cost. These fees may scare away some food brands who want to rent with you so a good option is to throw all these costs into an extra fees category. 

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Additionally if you are not interested in having food in your pub and are still wanting to lease out your kitchen for an extended period you can offer it as a dark kitchen. A dark kitchen can be beneficial to your business because it will not impact your existing customer base because of its service type. With a dark kitchen all you need to do is provide a space for delivery drivers to pick up food and a way to get it to them.

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Your Pub Menu

When deciding to partner with a food brand you need to take into account what type of cuisine they come with. Whether that could be asian food, BBQ or pizza they have the ability to make whatever their restaurant offered in the first place. Lots of pubs nowadays are straying away from traditional food and leaning more towards different styles of cuisine. For example Red Dog Saloon is an American BBQ restaurant that recently partnered with The Worlds Ends and has found huge success in their partnership. After listing their kitchen on our marketplace our team found Red Dog Saloon was the perfect fit for The Worlds End. 

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Read more about Red Dogs success here.

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Offering a variety of menu options can help cater to the diverse demographics visiting your pub. BBQ might not suit every customer, so consider exploring alternative cuisines that could better align with their preferences and potentially boost sales.

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When people visit a pub, they often expect classic staples like fish and chips or a Sunday roast. But what else might they crave after a few pints on a Friday night? If you're unsure, here are some ideas to consider:

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1. Introduce variety to appeal to a wider audience.

2. Partner with a vendor that complements your pub’s identity, ensuring they can consistently deliver their dishes and promote their brand effectively.

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By thoughtfully curating your menu, you can enhance the dining experience and broaden your pub’s appeal.

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Why choose Oya Kitchens for pub residency

We understand the challenges faced by food vendors and pub/bar owners. Our mission is to enable food vendors to thrive by finding the perfect location via our commercial kitchen marketplace, and residencies are a key part of that equation. We facilitate the end-to-end process of viewing, booking, and managing empty or underused foodservice spaces, eliminating the hurdles of lengthy commercial commitments and expensive overheads. Here are some frequently asked questions that may help clear some things up.

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