Chapter 3

Jim was as good as his word and it was arranged that the Jays would go for lunch at Brendan's present pub on Wednesday and then have a discussion with him that afternoon. They were warmly greeted by Brendan on arrival although he soon left them to their own devices as he had things to do with the pub being open. Being a Wednesday it was not that busy but the Jays estimated that about a third of the tables were taken, mostly by retired people but some were obviously businessmen. There were a couple of men who came in for a pint and a sandwich.

"So," said Brendan when he joined them, "you're going to take over the Crown. That's where I cut my teeth fourteen years ago."

"I hadn't realised that was where you started," said James.

"Yup! I'd worked in pubs for several years beforehand and been a bar manager like you. I wasn't a cook though."

"What was the Crown like when you took it over?" asked Jenny.

"Typical small country pub of that time. You could get a drink there, of course, but evening meals were mixed grill and chips and lunchtime was sandwiches, cheese and pickle or cheese and no pickle. I reckoned that serving a variety of simple well-cooked food would be a money-spinner. It wasn't a new idea by any means but it was new to the area and I didn't have any competition. It's a different kettle of fish now. You must now have four or five pubs within five miles of you trying to do that and generally doing it quite successfully like Jim."

"So how did you kick it off?" asked James.

"Well, the most important thing was to find a good cook and, to be honest, I poached my first. I was hoist in the end though," he chuckled. "He got to reckon he was God's gift to the catering business and left me after three years for a big hotel in Bournemouth as a sous-chef. He earned more than I paid him but he was no longer his own boss. He asked me for his job back eighteen months later but by then I'd found your friend, Gareth, and he, poor fool, has stayed with me ever since other than that brief period when he worked for Jim but that was really only while he was courting Mattie."

"He's the one who taught me everything I know and got me thinking beyond the pale," said James appreciatively.

"Well, in that case that's your first problem solved."

James smiled appreciatively. "The big problem though is getting back the custom you built up."

"Yes, and as I was saying, you've got local competition. You've got to start from a position of strength which means your food has got to be at least as good as everyone else's. Not just cooked and presented as well but subtly different. Now, say you were doing rack of lamb, what would you do to make it more special but no more expensive than your competitors?"

James gazed at him. There was more to the question than met the eye. "I'd need to know how they are doing it before I could answer that."

"Good answer. So, in the next few weeks, get about and see what their menus are like. You don't have to spend vast sums of money and eat there. Menus these days are very descriptive. Go round, have a drink, chat to the landlord, introduce yourself, talk about their problems and read their menus. If you can strike up a good relationship with them you may be able to dream up some joint ventures that'll bring you each or all more money."

"What sort of things are you thinking of?" asked Jenny. "It seems to me that darts matches and so on are a thing of the past."

"Football or cricket league," answered Brendan, "staged at each pub in turn. The occasional games night or quiz might be a good idea too."

The Jays nodded.

"But," said Brendan, "that's not going to bring in the real money. You need to establish a clientele of regular diners and lunchers, and business lunchers. You also need to grab the office Christmas parties."

"Easier said than done," said James.

"True but word of mouth is the most potent source of advertising. Get to know your present customers and make a fuss of them. Confide in them that you need their help in getting things going. They'll lap that up. Give them little low cost extras like appearing at their table and replenishing their wine glasses free, once."

"Free dinner for one for every new couple introduced?" asked James.

"Bit expensive, I'd have thought, because you'll need to start on low profit margins."

"Mm, point taken."

"Another thing is set yourselves and your staff high standards from the word go and stick to them. I go round my dining-room morning and evening to make sure that the tables are spit clean, that there are no finger marks or smudges on the glasses, that the salts and peppers are full and so on. Your loos need to be spotless and fresh smelling. Your staff, however casually you let them dress, need to be clean and tidy. Keep a close eye on them, particularly to start with, to make sure they know and keep up to your standards. And be ruthless if they don't. First slip: a rocket. Second slip: OUT! I know that sounds a bit sergeant-majorish but it really is the only way."

The Jays nodded.

"How do we get the local businesses in?" asked Jenny.

"Word of mouth again. Flyers just go in the bin unless it's a special occasion. Find out who your customers work for and ask them to spread the word for you. Secretaries are invaluable. 'Ooh, Mr So and So, why don't you try the Crown? Me and my boyfriend went there and had ever such a good meal. And they're ever so friendly'."

The Jays chuckled at his imitation.

"Tell you something else. Glamorous barmaids can be an advantage but, much more important, is character. A heaving bosom and a breathless 'Yes, sir' is much less effective than a quick wit and a memory for customers. Same with your boys. They don't need to look like film stars but they mustn't have dreadlocks. The young women need to think they're not unattractive. The older ones need to look on them as the sort of young men they'd like their sons or grandsons to be. Again a quick wit, a ready smile and a good memory. Now those are the ideals and you're obviously not going to pick winners right away but, even so, be choosy from the word go. Remember what I said about setting standards from the very start."

Again the Jays nodded.

"So if we had an opening party, would flyers be a good idea?" asked James.