Collective for independent restaurant sector launched
Restaurant Collective is open to all members who run single site venues or a small group of sites.
Former founders of restaurant booking service Livebookings (now Bookatable) have formed Restaurant Collective, a member-led and owned, non-profit community, with a mission to “champion the UK’s independent restaurant sector at a time when it needs it most.”
In an announcement, Restaurant Collective said its ethos is to provide independent operators with a “louder voice and the support they need to succeed in today’s challenging marketplace.”
This includes advice on running their business; mentorship and tips from restaurateurs, access to an exclusive online marketplace offering “great” supplier deals; and “greater power and control” over their online presence.
Founding members include chef Brian Turner and Michelin-starred Andrew Pern.
Restaurant Collective will also aim to encourage consumers to support local independent eating and drinking venues.
“The ethos of hospitality has always been to bring people together and provide them with an enjoyable and memorable experience. This remains the case today, the difference being, with significantly increased competition and attention on eating out, it’s more complex running a restaurant nowadays compared to when I opened my first venue many years ago,” Turner said.
“That’s why I firmly believe Restaurant Collective is a fantastic initiative, and one that I’m very proud to be a part of - bringing together independent and smaller operators to support one and other. It’s certainly something that would’ve been of great assistance to me and my peers when we were starting out in the industry.”
Restaurant Collective is open to all members who run single site venues or a small group of sites, as well as those from larger groups who are looking to connect with and support like-minded operators – plus supplier partners in a sponsorship capacity.
