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Tom stopped opening every site himself

A 34-site restaurant and pub group that still ran every decision through its founder.

Tom Ashby · Restaurant and pub group · London and the South East · 1,150 staff · since February 2024

Where it started

Tom approved every site, menu change and general-manager hire. Three of the last five openings ran late and over budget, EBITDA was 6.1%, and his week ran to 68 hours.

Tom's week

Month 1

Month 12

Month 1

Month 12

68hours

Site visits and firefighting20
Approvals14
Recruitment8
Investors and bank6
Leading the exec team4
Strategy and new sites6
Admin10

68hours

Site visits and firefighting20
Approvals14
Recruitment8
Investors and bank6
Leading the exec team4
Strategy and new sites6
Admin10

68hours

Site visits and firefighting20
Approvals14
Recruitment8
Investors and bank6
Leading the exec team4
Strategy and new sites6
Admin10

What we did

The operations board, which now owns openings, menus and general-manager hiring.

Feb 2024

Eight site visits, one pattern

Every stalled decision was waiting on Tom.

Apr 2024

An operations board

Four people now own openings, menus and GM hiring.

Jul 2024

One opening playbook

A 16-week plan, owned by the operations director.

Feb 2025

Five openings, all on time

Revenue £47m, EBITDA 9.8%, a 46-hour week.

What changed

Twelve months in, from the management accounts.

Revenue

£38m

£47m

Revenue

£38m

£47m

Revenue

£38m

£47m

EBITDA margin

6.1%

9.8%

EBITDA margin

6.1%

9.8%

EBITDA margin

6.1%

9.8%

Tom's week

46 hrs

Tom's week

46 hrs

Tom's week

46 hrs

“

We'd grown to thirty-four sites on my energy. Ines helped me build a business that could open the next five without me in the room.

Tom Ashby

Founder and CEO,

Harrow & Pike

Built by

Visuvate