“At Beach Street, we wanted an independent business with big business tactics, with the right systems and processes in place. That’s why I’m such a good Kobas champion. Implementing such systems requires an initial money and time investment, but it pays off and makes everything easier. What also attracted me to Kobas is the one monthly fee and you get everything, even what comes after, and that’s great!”
Jim Cleaver
Founder, Beach Street Restaurants
Success Story
About
Independent restaurant group since 2005
Powered by Kobas since 2019
Venues
Sector: Restaurant / Gastropub
4 venues across Kent
Featured products
Hospitality EPoS | Stock Management | Recruitment | Rotas & Payroll | Xero Integration
Beach Street Restaurants is a restaurant group operating in Kent, brought to life by the expertise of trained chef, Jim Cleaver. Driven by a mission to deliver top culinary experiences at an accessible price point, each venue offers a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere.
The journey began in 2005 with the opening of flagship restaurant, 81 Beach Street. Building on this success, the group expanded with The Granville in 2015, Coastguard in 2017, and The Coach in Hacklinge in 2023.
Jim’s vision and experience, supported by a dedicated team, have earned Beach Street Restaurants numerous accolades. Just a year after opening, 81 Beach Street was named Best Restaurant in Kent, followed by the coveted award for Best Sunday Dinner in England. These wins are a testament to the team’s commitment to serving up top-notch food in a relaxed setting.
Challenges
Soon after opening venue number three, The Granville, the management team began grappling with operational disparities across the group. Each location had its own method for cashing up, ordering ingredients, and conducting stock takes, often using Excel spreadsheets and handwritten records. Jim says some things were even recorded on the back of envelopes!Managing processes in this way led to frequent data inconsistencies and inaccuracies, making it difficult for management to make data-driven decisions across the business. Additionally, the decentralised stock processes resulted in ingredient prices differing across suppliers, impacting both cost control and even quality consistency.
Beyond this, Jim had previous experience working at establishments where technology usage was minimal or not in use at all. He found that this resulted in staff working increasingly longer hours which also reduced team morale. This is something that Jim wanted to ensure wasn’t prevalent across his own business moving forward. Recognising the need for streamlined operations and standardised practices, Jim Cleaver and his team sought a comprehensive system to address the error-prone and labour intensive processes.
The search for a hospitality system
In 2019, the team began searching for a unified hospitality management system and discovered Kobas. Impressed by the suite of management tools and user-friendly EPoS, Jim Cleaver saw an opportunity to revolutionise the group’s operations. With software designed to streamline every key operational area, from inventory control to staff scheduling, Kobas soon rolled out across each venue.
One of the main attractions was the ability to centralise ingredient management, enabling consistency in purchasing decisions and pricing strategies across all venues. Additionally, the EPoS system promised smooth service across front-of-house operations too, enhancing service efficiency and guest satisfaction.
Operational success with Kobas
After implementing Kobas, Beach Street Restaurants experienced a shift in its operations. The system now helps to facilitate real-time tracking of inventory levels, enabling proactive stock replenishment, and minimised wastage. By standardising procurement practices, the group continues to achieve substantial cost savings while upholding quality standards.
As for the team, using the same system across the business has simplified staff training and onboarding, empowering team members to adapt seamlessly to shifts at other venues from time to time without the need to quickly learn a new one.
When it comes to data, Jim Cleaver and the management team now have the ability to access critical and accurate information from any location, enhancing decision-making agility and enabling the team to respond swiftly to evolving trends and customer preferences.
The impact of Kobas on Beach Street Restaurants’ bottom line has been profound. By harnessing the power of Kobas technology to help reduce wastage, optimise labour allocation, and introduce strategic stock ordering processes, the group has achieved unprecedented cost savings. The decision to invest in Kobas not only delivered a return on investment, but also positioned Beach Street Restaurants for sustained growth and success in the competitive hospitality landscape.
By introducing innovation and pushing for operational excellence, the group reaffirmed its commitment to delivering next-level dining experiences while driving operational efficiency and profitability. And, when asking Jim Cleaver if he’d recommend Kobas to another operator, his response was an astounding “ABSOLUTELY!”. Thanks a lot Jim.