case study
The creation and launch of a new hotel restaurant
within the Center Hotels group
within the Center Hotels group
Lóa Bistro - Baked camembert with rosemary, walnuts, cranberries and honey
We were engaged by Center Hotels in Iceland to create the food vision, and develop the menus and operations, for a restaurant within their new hotel – Center Hotels, Laugavegur.
Center Hotels Laugavegur is a 100 room hotel located in a prime position in the centre of Reykjavik's main shopping street, an area popular with an international clientele of tourists, families and business travellers.
Working alongside the founders and branding agency partner on the concept design, we co-created the brief for the development of a modern, casual bistro restaurant – an operationally simple to deliver bistro offer, with a menu full of exciting and recognisable dishes, ideal for an international crowd and relevant to the local market.
The project involved our 3 stage concept creation service - a structured and tested process that delivers a cohesive and commercially viable restaurant brand, food offer and operational model.
Center Hotels Laugavegur is a 100 room hotel located in a prime position in the centre of Reykjavik's main shopping street, an area popular with an international clientele of tourists, families and business travellers.
Working alongside the founders and branding agency partner on the concept design, we co-created the brief for the development of a modern, casual bistro restaurant – an operationally simple to deliver bistro offer, with a menu full of exciting and recognisable dishes, ideal for an international crowd and relevant to the local market.
The project involved our 3 stage concept creation service - a structured and tested process that delivers a cohesive and commercially viable restaurant brand, food offer and operational model.
Concept Creation Service
Stage 1 - Concept Definition
Working alongside stakeholders to challenge and strengthen the overall concept and food and drink vision.
● Research – local market immersion
● Consumer trends
● Competitive review
● Customer insight
● Customer journey planning
● Research customer need-states
● Menu vision & architecture
● Food identify
● Annual menu framework
● Day-part planning
● Operational planning
● Site requirements
● People planning
● Strategy and development framework created
Outputs – Concept defined on paper and in-depth culinary brief created, along with operational feasibility plan
● Research – local market immersion
● Consumer trends
● Competitive review
● Customer insight
● Customer journey planning
● Research customer need-states
● Menu vision & architecture
● Food identify
● Annual menu framework
● Day-part planning
● Operational planning
● Site requirements
● People planning
● Strategy and development framework created
Outputs – Concept defined on paper and in-depth culinary brief created, along with operational feasibility plan
Stage 2 - Development
Menu and recipe creation stage, developing a fully costed and operationally deliverable concept.
● Recipe development
● Stakeholder tastings
● Full product/dish costings
● Crockery sourcing
● Packaging sourcing
● Equipment requirements
● Kitchen layout principles
● Product specifications
Outputs – All menus and dishes developed to agreed targets and quality standards, with a kitchen designed to budget
● Recipe development
● Stakeholder tastings
● Full product/dish costings
● Crockery sourcing
● Packaging sourcing
● Equipment requirements
● Kitchen layout principles
● Product specifications
Outputs – All menus and dishes developed to agreed targets and quality standards, with a kitchen designed to budget
Stage 3 - Implementation and launch
Leading the training and implementation stage of the project, working shoulder to shoulder with the client to ensure a smooth & successful launch.
● Training material
● Photographic assembly cards
● Operations handbooks
● Performance monitoring tools
● GM / Head Chef training sessions
● Pre-launch team training
● On-site team training
● Soft launch support
● Full launch support
Outputs – On time restaurant opening, set for future success
● Training material
● Photographic assembly cards
● Operations handbooks
● Performance monitoring tools
● GM / Head Chef training sessions
● Pre-launch team training
● On-site team training
● Soft launch support
● Full launch support
Outputs – On time restaurant opening, set for future success
Our work