Toasting their success

As Scottish & Newcastle Pub Enterprises marks the 10th anniversary of its launch of the pub industry's first franchise, the company is also celebrating the success of franchisees Lynda Stevenson and Linda McKay after their first year behind the bar at Bar West in Hamilton.

With 450 pub franchises, Scottish & Newcastle admits it was a hard choice to make, but Alan Carmichael, S&N Pub Enterprises' operations and sales manager, says with no experience as independent business people and limited experience of the licensed trade, the pair have exceeded all expectations in their first year.

Prior to taking on the pub, Ms Stevenson had been a midwife for 10 years while Ms McKay handled sales and marketing for Fly Globespan for almost 20 years. During a casual chat, the friends had discovered that Ms Stevenson had always dreamed of running her own pub and Ms McKay wanted a business in which she could use her life long passion for cooking. When the "to let" board went up outside their local, they knew it was the opportunity they had been looking for.

Then named the Silver Tassie, the pub was a traditional men's drinking house in need of some TLC. But the women had vision and felt that with the right changes, the site had greater potential and the ability to attract a much wider range of customers. "They wasted no time," recalls Mr Carmichael. "In the first six months, they transformed the pub in a high-impact, low-spend joint investment with us to brighten its look, changed its name to promote the revamp, launched an all-day food menu serving everything from traditional pub grub to Italian and Asian dishes and put the pub on the map as a live music venue from Thursday to Sunday nights. And, one year on, they aren't complacent. They are always looking forward, listening to their customers and thinking of new ideas to stay one step ahead."

The pair have not just got it right front of house. "Behind the scenes," says Mr Carmichael, "they have enthusiastically and conscientiously embraced all the support the franchise package offers to ensure they are on top of the figures and that Bar West stacks up financially. They are always keen to review their financial and stock taking reports and act on the advice given."

The results are impressive, with trade up 150% and a business that can sustain the hard work of two people at the top. And in a people business where good staff and excellent customer service are vital to success, the pair have made the transition from employees to employers with impressive ease.

"They are very hands on, working alongside the staff and motivating them by their own example of hard work, professionalism and enjoyment of the job. And it shows in the friendliness and warmth of Bar West's atmosphere," explains Mr Carmichael.

"Both Linda and Lynda gave up full-time, successful long-term careers to take on a pub franchise. They have really gone for it in every area. And, to my mind, they have been truly successful: making their mark with their own creativity and ideas, creating a great pub which their customers love, building a robust franchise business
and, at the end of 12 months, still so obviously enjoying the life of a licensee. They deserve to be 'Franchisees of the Month'," he says.