The underlying theme of the annual OGRO (Organisation of Golf Range Owners) Conference and Exhibition was profit enhancement. There was an abundance of ideas for new revenue streams but delegates were particularly interested in a presentation from Tony Roestenburg, managing director of Convex Leisure.
Mr. Roestenburg, a man of considerable experience in all departments of the hospitality business, spoke about the food service opportunities at golf ranges and golf clubs. Convex is looking for new partners in golf and is willing to operate on several different options: a joint venture; a profit share, or a royalty on sales.
The minimum requirements would be 300 sq ft; a stable footfall and good customer flow and, most importantly, a single point of entry for all services: the bays, the golf shop and the food and beverage outlet. The company is prepared to look at greater involvement with golf including club house management or even full venue management.
Tony Roestenburg commented that in many cases the physical layout of golf clubs and ranges does not lend itself to maximising ‘spend penetration’. In other words it is too easy for customers to get straight from the car park and on to the golf course or to the golf range without going anywhere near the tempting displays of new merchandise in the golf shops or being stopped in their tracks by the arresting smell of freshly ground coffee and newly baked bread. What could and should be a captive market has escaped far too easily.
He stressed the importance of brands and illustrated his talk with an illustration of the Costa Coffee Shop at Tonbridge Golf Centre. Paul Dubrow of Tonbridge Golf Centre confirmed that the Costa Coffee Shop has been a great success, even attracting people to visit the centre for its f&b offering alone.
Convex Leisure is developing its own coffee shop brand to be known as “Piacetto Expresso” but recognises that customer demographics are important in order to establish what’s right for any given location. “There are big opportunities in your industry that we can develop with you,” concluded Mr Roestenburg.
Convex Leisure www.convexleisure.co.uk