The Raikes Journal’s Post

I thought we’d take a look at a business story that’s been bubbling away in the Stroud Valleys for a while now, a business that today (Friday 8 November) expands into Cirencester. That story leads the edition linked below that and emailed out to subscribers to The Raikes Journal yesterday. I thought it deserved a closer look, not least because Raikes has history with the organisation in question. It was one of the first big features we wrote when it emerged - more as a movement than a business - back in the Covid-19 pandemic, during Raikes’ first iteration. What fascinates me is that here is a business that really shouldn’t work at all, but is thriving, charting its own course across the unforgiving hospitality sector, that has an incredible following, pays the living wage and above, doesn’t even charge set prices, gives its produce away for free or below cost at times, and faced down eviction for the second time in the last three years just this summer. Yet here it is opening its second restaurant-come-café in Cirencester. By the power of some kind of counterintuitive alchemy it creates jobs and is inexplicably winning by investing in ‘building community around good food’. That business is many people's food hero, The Long Table. As regular visitors to Raikes will know we paywall some of the main stories to give back to those members who support us by paying for their subscriptions to make what we do possible - and that allow us to give some of what we do away for free so everyone can enjoy it. A little bit like The Long Table, I guess. We’re a community interest company too. All the main reads on The Raikes Journal are unique. You won’t get them anywhere else. We’re not an aggregator site, a portal for press releases or advertorials and we don’t rush to post stuff before anyone else does. We care about journalism. We care about giving you some quality and we care about community and about Gloucestershire. As we said, a bit like The Long Table. NB: We believe we now publish the best-read newsletter of its kind for Gloucestershire, pound for pound. I hope you enjoy the read. Stroud & District Chamber of Trade & Commerce | Stroud District Council | Invest in Gloucestershire | Cirencester Chamber of Commerce | Cirencester Town Council | Tom Herbert | William North | #food | #restaurants | #hospitality | Cotswold District Council | Stroud Brewery - a certified B Corporation

You can use your restaurant week to promote your local restaurants. All good. Or you can use it to build up your local food ecosystem, which transforms your place into a destination, your local restaurateurs into entrepreneurs and your local business owners into contributors to the local food cluster. Surge of attention and sales for a week, or long term boost to your local economy. Choose wisely.

Don't. open. a. cafe. I've been working with cafe owners for over a decade. My biggest piece of advice to someone wanting to open a cafe? Don't do it. To have a financially successful business in the hospitality industry, you need to do one thing and do it well. The problem with a cafe is that you're trying to cater to everyone's needs: ☕ Coffee 🥐 Pastries 🥣 Breakfast 🥪 Lunch 🍟 Takeaway That's like trying to operate 5 different businesses in one location. By trying to cater for everyone, you end up doing a lot of things mediocre at best. And then what happens when the cafe is treading water? Cafe owners apply for a liquor license and open for dinner. It's too much! In today's trading conditions, you need to do one thing and do it well. Strip it back. If you're a cafe owner reading this, it's not too late. Find what you do best, hone in on the numbers, niche down, and do that thing better than your competition.

Take control of your finances effortlessly with KloudEats! Enjoy flexible payouts on a weekly or monthly basis, tailored to suit your needs. Manage your money your way and focus on what matters most – your restaurant's success. #KloudEats #FlexiblePayouts #FinancialFreedom #RestaurantSuccess

As we enter the last quarter of the year, it is important to continue and implement strategies that increase your profit margins. Here are some ways your restaurant can finish strong. https://lnkd.in/gUHWGAHt

Running a restaurant isn't child's play; it's a complex business. 🤯 One surefire way to speed up the downfall is to ignore the costs on your menu. 💸 Sure, it might seem like a hassle to crunch those numbers, but trust me, it's the key to unlocking more profit. 💰 If you're serious about turning your restaurant into a thriving business, it's time to face the numbers head-on. 👉 Join me, https://lnkd.in/e93ysMY, and let's ditch the hobby mentality and get your restaurant on the path to profitability! #MenuCosts #FinancialWisdom #RestaurantSuccess

🌟 Join us in making this Small Business Season shine! 🌟 How are YOU pledging to support local businesses? Will you be shopping, dining in, grabbing takeout, stopping by to browse, or leaving a review for your favorite spots? 🛍️🍽️✨ Take the pledge with us! Let’s show our community some love and keep it thriving. Comment below with how you'll participate and tag a friend to join the pledge! 💚🛒 #SmallBusinessSeason #ShopLocal #SupportSmall #TriCountyChamber #SupportLocal #SmallBusiness

This may be controversial, but have you seen my comment section? 👇 Let’s clear this up: Restaurant Armageddon isn’t about empty restaurants. The ones sitting empty are the overpriced spots. Demand still greatly outweighs the supply, so most won’t ever sit empty. The real issue? Restaurants are closing at a record rate because they can’t keep up with rising costs of rent, supplies and staff. And guess what? These are many of your favorite local places. Some people may not see this because of the privileged bubble they're in, but the reality is that the majority are feeling the impact. Many Miami locals can confirm this. But don’t worry. We're not backing down. If anything we're rising up. F+B is here to help restauranteurs find new, up-and-coming neighborhoods they can survive in before they blow up. Want more of my thoughts on this? I’ll make a longer video. Let me know in the comments. ⬇️

Why should people have to pay for services they don’t use? Thing is, rates don’t really work on a case-by-case basis. Instead, they get pooled into a chunk of collective money – so councils know how much they have altogether, and can then best decide how to use that pool of money to deliver the things your rohe needs. Think of it like a restaurant. Part of what you pay goes towards covering the cost of the ingredients in your dish. Another chunk of your money goes towards other important things, like the power bill, or the staff who cook and serve your meal. Even if you don’t utilise every service the restaurant provides – like the cocktail maker, or the loo – all these things help make this restaurant a well-equipped, delicious and vibey place to dine. Councils aren’t that different – your rates collectively ensure your community is a place that has everything ALL your locals need and want. So even if you don’t use every single service, your rates collectively go towards ensuring your home city or district or region is a safe, functioning, welcoming and vibrant place for everyone to live. It all evens out in the end.

As we enter the last quarter of the year, it is important to continue and implement strategies that increase your profit margins. Here are some ways your restaurant can finish strong. https://lnkd.in/gJeDPFNX