Loungers:
Kitchen Reset Project
Project Overview
Loungers approached us with a big challenge. The business, which operated around 70 sites across the UK and was growing rapidly, had challenges in the kitchens – long waiting times for food, inconsistent food and high turnover of kitchen staff.
Our work involved creating a Gold Standard kitchen layout – a set of principles and kitchen layout building blocks that would allow Loungers to standardise their kitchens. We also implemented a kitchen management system and put in place best-in-class kitchen training materials and operational tools.
Our work kickstarted the Loungers 'Kitchen Reset' program – an initiative to retrofit all existing sites and build all new sites to this new standard.
This work has resulted in quicker and more consistent service to customers, increased kitchen productivity and better working conditions for the kitchen team.
Our work involved creating a Gold Standard kitchen layout – a set of principles and kitchen layout building blocks that would allow Loungers to standardise their kitchens. We also implemented a kitchen management system and put in place best-in-class kitchen training materials and operational tools.
Our work kickstarted the Loungers 'Kitchen Reset' program – an initiative to retrofit all existing sites and build all new sites to this new standard.
This work has resulted in quicker and more consistent service to customers, increased kitchen productivity and better working conditions for the kitchen team.
Egg Soldiers x Loungers:
Our Approach
Our Approach
Operational Review
We visited 15 sites across the country, spending time in each kitchen to get a full understanding of the different kitchen setups and ways of working across the estate. We learnt as much as we could – from operations to people to equipment, kitchen layouts, supply chain, dishes and more. Armed with all of our insights and learnings, we produced a report for Loungers head office where we detailed our findings and summarised our improvement recommendations into a strategic plan and planned a Gold Standard kitchen operation.
Trialling a New Vision
Following on from our report and presentation to the Loungers board, they agreed to trial our vision in three of their sites. This meant shutting the sites for a full kitchen refurb before the sites 're-launched' with new kitchen layouts, different equipment, new training and new operating processes.
The three sites were monitored closely for a number of months, feedback was gained from staff and data points reviewed. The improvements and effects were clear – this was a winner. We finalized a future rollout plan which is now being driven through the business. All new sites are built based on our gold standard layout design, smart equipment improves food consistency and quality and the operating systems allow team members to learn the ways of working quickly. Loungers are a great business to work with and they are setting a new standard in the casual dining and pub sectors.
The three sites were monitored closely for a number of months, feedback was gained from staff and data points reviewed. The improvements and effects were clear – this was a winner. We finalized a future rollout plan which is now being driven through the business. All new sites are built based on our gold standard layout design, smart equipment improves food consistency and quality and the operating systems allow team members to learn the ways of working quickly. Loungers are a great business to work with and they are setting a new standard in the casual dining and pub sectors.
Client Feedback
- Jake Bishop, Co-Founder"Loungers undertook one of its largest and most ambitious projects ever and called on Stefan to help. The 'resetting' of our kitchens in terms of process, kit and standards was a mammoth task and challenged a lot of our existing ways of working. The guidance, teaching and implementation was carefully curated and delivered; the results were game changing.
"Loungers simply wouldn't be the business it is today without the huge Back of House transformational project, that Stefan was integral to. Also, a top chap to work with."
More of our work