Little Italy

How was Barino developed?

We started developing the idea about 15 months ago. What I always had in mind, was quality and freshness of ingredients; simplicity of the offer; something which was casual and does not represent a big commitment of time or money; and an offer which spans several categories, so you can make the best use of the time in this space.

The coffee from Workshop is top notch. For breakfast we have eggs, and we bake the sweet pastries. Then we have a range of beer and selected Italian wines. For every time of the day you have a good reason to come for a pit spot.

The space is 50 sq m, with a kitchen where we can do pretty much everything, a coffee station, and about 25 seats. We are also going to add more seating at the back. Everything has an Italian twist – I believe it is tasty, healthy and friendly, in a casual, nice environment for a kiosk.

Who is behind the business?

There are four shareholders – me, my wife Sylva Woon, who has a strong retail background with Starbucks and was CMO at Clark’s, Tim Grant, who has a background in rowing and fitness, and Giuseppe Ugolotti Verdoni, who is the co-founder of The Italian Job pub group.

Giuseppe and I have a similar background, he is from McKinsey management consultants, and I have corporate background with Kraft. I decided I wanted to do what I am really passionate about out, which is coffee and food. Giuseppe has experience in the sector, and knows what he’s talking about, which is important - though I am the more hands on partner.

Why Westfield?

Westfield is a big name, and we thought it was a good place to start. We got this opportunity which was not easy to get, and thought it was a good starting point to get a flagship – once you make your name, you can use it with other landlords.

It’s very strict here – you are not free to do what whatever you want – but I like it. They don’t cut any corners; it’s very professional. They liked the concept, how we presented it, and bought into it immediately. From the moment we started to discuss this, to the day we opened, it was only eight months. It was built overnight. Everybody bought their skills to contribute.

What is your approach to operations?

This market is very competitive. The offer in London is amazing across many sectors. Even big groups and big names are struggling – people who know what they’re doing are in still trouble. You need to offer something which is different and unique. Once the concept is clear you need to execute it properly. I apply these principles – using the best ingredients we can afford, a very simple offer so we do not need super skilled staff, and keeping the price reasonable. The first thing I say to staff is if they’re not 100% happy with something, do it again. If you start to compromise you become complacent, and there’s a deterioration of quality. We have 60% of cutometers returning, which I think is a very good number.

How do you plan to expand?

The menu we developed six months ago is now optimised. I believe we are going in the right direction. The focus now is to keep on working to improve it.

Westfield very happy and may talk to us about other opportunities in Stratford and another centre they are building in Croydon. We could even have a second establishment here in White City - this is the largest shopping centre in Europe, so there would be no cannibalisation.

The second target is high-end residential, where customers are quite sophisticated, neighbourhoods like Parsons Green. It would be a completely different type of operation, with regular daily frequenting customers.

Also we see the high street as a possible target for us. We offer everything people working in banks and the city will want. It’s quick, it’s good, it’s tasty. They may even stop by before going home for a drink or a beer.

This is a good moment to find good opportunities at reasonable prices. The sector is struggling. With all this uncertainty it brings some improvement in the prices. It’s a good moment to find the right place.

How will you stand out in the market?

There are other places serving Italian food under this type of concept, but what makes the difference is the execution. It’s all about the emotional memories that we keep when we leave.

It’s very difficult to have something truly innovative and original especially in London. But if it works in London, it will probably work elsewhere.

We source the cold cuts directly from Italy. Our prosciutto and Parma ham is 24 month aged and award winning. It can be complicated to manage, but it’s much better quality and better prices. We have two strategic wine suppliers and with coffee we have a long-term agreement with Workshop. The focaccia and bread we developed with a London bakery from New Zealand.

We are quite unique on the booze. Prosecco can be everything from barely drinkable, to almost a champagne quality. I have a new berlucchi, which is better than the majority of champagnes. At £11 for a glass, it’s not super cheap but it’s outstanding. Then we have prosecco, which is £7 and is very good and extra dry. I also have prosecco malibran which is made in the traditional method, unfiltered and super dry. It’s something really different that you don’t find elsewhere.

What’s your next move?

On the concept, 99% of the job is done. If you open another one, you find the location, an architect, and build it. The work on the look and feel is done, the design is done, the menu is ready, the suppliers we have. There is a huge synergy when you expand. If it’s a bigger establishment we may decide to have a bigger oven, the size will be bigger. But conceptually nothing will change.

The location is a major concern. You need to look at footfall, the supply in the area, and what you bring to the party. But people will always want to eat out, you can’t do everything online.

Maybe in the future we can have twists like Barino Pasta, or Bairno Pizza, but at the moment we will establish the core brand.

Probably the first few sites will be owned by us, but franchising is something we could do to expand faster, to create a brand.

Are there any sales and customers insights you can share?

Coffee is the biggest seller in terms of units, but in revenue it is booze, as one bottle is the equivalent of about 20 coffees. Food comes third. Everyone drinks, some people want a sweet or a pastry.

There are two types of customers – those that stop for a coffee and spend three pounds, and those that sit down for a meal and for a table spend £50. These two have different needs. In weekends lots of people come and grab something and get going. Then you might have a table of 15 ladies stopping by and having 15 bottles of prosecco.

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