Sainsbury’s has officially kicked off the rollout of its dine-in & takeaway concept with the opening of a new Restaurant Hub in Sydenham.
The supermarket has opened its second Restaurant Hub inside the south London superstore, a so-called “dining destination” where shoppers can find a series of popular high street restaurant franchises, including Caffè Carluccio’s, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Slim Chickens and Ed’s Easy Diner.
The concept, which is being executed in partnership with the brands’ owner Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), will now roll out more widely across the retailer’s estate following a successful trial in Selly Oak, Birmingham, last year.
Earlier this year, Sainsbury’s came under fire for putting thousands of jobs at risk when it decided to launch Restaurant Hub nationwide, as it meant it was closing around 200 of its in-store cafés as well as many of its food counters in favour of the dine-in area.
At the time, CEO Simon Roberts said he was “absolutely committed” to supporting colleagues in any way possible “during this uncertain time”.
“Of course, we understand this is very unsettling for our colleagues, but we must keep adapting our business to make sure we are offering customers the best possible food and drink at affordable prices.”
The new Sydenham dining hub, which opened on Friday (2 September), marked “the next step” in the company’s plan to transform its eat-in, takeaway and home delivery food and drink offer.
This is the first of at least 30 Restaurant Hubs that Sainsbury’s is planning to open in the next year. If the format proves popular, it will roll out to 250 of its stores over the next three years, it said.
“We’re very excited to have opened our second ever The Restaurant Hub in partnership with BRG, giving customers in Sydenham the chance to enjoy a meal in-store, or at home, from a great selection of restaurant brands,” said Sainsbury’s commercial food director Rhian Bartlett.
“We have worked really hard to create a brilliant destination for local customers and I feel sure the new offer will be enjoyed for many years to come.
“We look forward to using the learnings from The Restaurant Hub in Sydenham, together with ongoing feedback from Sainsbury’s customers and colleagues, to help us as we open more.
“Our investment in this programme is part of our wider ambition to ensure our stores are a hub of inspiration that delight our customers with great value and distinctive, tasty food.”
BRG CEO Satnam Leihal also said that customers “love the choice of being able to order multiple brands in one order”, as well as the flexibility of eating in, picking up a takeaway or having different brands delivered at home at the same time.
Sainsbury’s’ partnership with Carluccio’s first started with the opening of a Caffè Carluccio’s in St Albans last year, before the two came together to launch the Restaurant Hub format.
No comments yet