Securing good retail sites for any food operator in central London is very challenging. So how does a fledgling business compete with the large high street incumbents on getting the best sites at the right price?
Hummus Bros, the Mediterranean Quick Service Restaurant, used its initiative to extend its business from quietly feeding thousands of customers for the last 10 years and creating a fanatical following for its unique food all over central London.
From a chance comment…
A chance comment in late 2013 from a customer who worked at Goldman Sachs led to the founders, Christian Mouysset & Ronen Givon, being called to a meeting at Goldman Sachs head office, to see if they would be interested in running a pop-up in the corporate restaurant. It sounded like a great idea but there were some technical obstacles that had to be overcome first.
Ronen explains, “There was a health and safety issue as far as the contract caterer sub-contracting other companies that were not accredited to the same level. Whilst they loved the idea of getting a high street brand into their building, they would understandably not compromise on food safety.”
As it happened, Hummus Bros had supplied food to another large contract caterer for the London 2012 Olympics so its operations had already been accredited to the right standards, which required significant resources to achieve at the time. This solved the logistical problem for the caterers at Goldman Sachs and the ball started rolling soon after that first meeting.
First day sales surpassed expectations
“We had no idea what to expect and it seemed rather strange why the contract caterer would allow us onto their patch” says Christian. “Our sales on the first day surpassed our wildest expectations and we ran out of food. It was one of those moments in business when the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and you realise there is a serious opportunity.”
Win-win for contract caterer – and Hummus Bros
It turns out that dwindling footfall and lack of variety can be a real headache for FM companies running large corporate restaurants. It became clear from the data that the Hummus Bros pop-up was creating a win-win situation. Hummus Bros was growing sales whilst the contract caterer was seeing higher footfall and sales too. The corporate canteen became ‘cool’ and customer feedback ranged from excitement to downright ecstasy at having Hummus Bros on site every week. Needless to say the fixture became a permanent weekly event at Goldman Sachs and the company now runs in excess of 50 corporate canteens per month in large investment banks, legal, accountancy and media firms.
350 pop-ups: many more to follow
In November 2014, barely a year later, passed the 350 pop-up milestone with a pop-up in the ITV studios on London’s Southbank corporate restaurant.
Outlining plans for the future, Jonathan explained that he expects “to double the number of popups next year as there are now 5 pop-up teams in place and opportunities to run pop-ups at concerts and sporting events at the weekend.”
Growth in other channels
On the back of increased brand footprint, Hummus Bros has also seen spectacular growth in other non-traditional retail channels, such as deliveries through its own website or specialist services such as Deliveroo and City Pantry, the corporate versions of Just Eat.
“It’s not for the faint-hearted because the corporate clients demand excellence in all areas,” says Christian, “but if you’re prepared to invest in your brand, production processes and training then working in partnership with the contract caterers can be very successful. It really is a case of thinking outside the shop”.
About Hummus Bros
Hummus Bros was founded in August 2005 by Ronen Givon & Christian Mouyset.
Christian & Ronen (who look like brothers but aren’t) explain that “Hummus Bros was born on a glorious hot day in May 2003, when, as two college friends, we were searching for something filling and healthy that would taste great, and still leave some change for drinks at the Union Bar. Passing on the usual options of pizza or sandwiches, we stumbled out of a small specialist delicatessen with three basic ingredients: pitta bread, hummus and olive oil. In no time at all, the bowls of hummus were wiped spotlessly clean. ‘I could eat a good meal like that every day!’ someone remarked. We looked at each other and smiled – a dream was born: to open a place dedicated to hummus.”
Hummus Bros pioneered the concept of the hummus bowl – a layer of hummus with a delicious topping such as beef stew, falafel salad, guacamole or tabouleh. Everything, including the hummus, is made daily in-house in their fully SALSA-accredited central kitchen and is delivered fresh to shop every morning. Through its four shops in Soho, Holborn, Cheapside and Exmouth Market, Hummus Bros now serves over 8,000 customers per week with its delicious, Levantine inspired food.
The menu has options for vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters as well as individuals who have food intolerances and includes side salads, mezzes, wraps (falafel & chicken), baklava, and homemade gluten-free brownie. Hummus Bros also makes its own lemonade and spiced apple drinks. For the full menu click here.
In August 2014, the Hummus Brothers published their first book retracing their first steps and packed with 60 of their best recipes. See the book here
After being one of the first businesses in Europe to use Foursquare and pioneering the use of other social platforms, Hummus Bros are continuing to innovate by launching a crowdbond to fund the expansion of the business in partnership with Crowd2Fund. For more details click here.
Hummus Bros has also provided a free delivery service and this now represents over 10% of its sales and continues to grow.
For more information about Hummus Bros click here
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