Spring 2019

26 WR180091 Perfecting the Key Ingredients to Success Style On the back of their recognition in LUXlife Magazine’s 2019 Winners’ Review programme, we spoke to Blues Bar & Grill’s Director, David Maich, to find out why they deserved to be named Leicester’s Sports Bar of the Year. Creating a successful sports bar relies on a few key ingredients. Whilst the sports aspect remains an obvious focal point, enduring success lies in the atmosphere, the service, the drinks and the food. If one is lacking, the equilibrium fails. Each must be able to stand on its own, enticing customers from far and wide to step over the threshold and enjoy what lies within. Sports bars, typically an American stalwart, have seen a period of intense growth over the last decade, with new establishments popping up seemingly every week. Few manage to capture that all essential ‘spark’ that has differentiated the Blues Bar & Grill from their peers and competitors. They know what works – where their strengths lie- and they stand by them, as David explains further. “Our business offers a casual dining experience with flame-grilled or smoked core products – we source, trim and prepare everything we serve with an enormous amount of heart. Words like home-grown, homemade, and made from scratch are terms we live by! We add to this amazing culinary experience with our coil and foil beer technology to ensure the perfect pint every time. Adding to this experience, and true to our name, we showcase all major sporting events on BT or Sky sports and throw in some live music in between. In addition to the restaurant, we also have a successful events business, with an exclusive space upstairs, which is capable of accommodating 150 guests with a full bar and disabled access.” Rather than resting on the strength of his establishment, David sees the Blues Bar & Grill as a ‘work in progress’, something that will be continuously honed and improved over time. “We are always learning, and we receive all comments as constructive. We seek to constantly figure out how best to improve our service standard, value proposition and constantly reinvest in the business to maintain and enhance our aesthetic look and feel.” Part of this drive hinges on a need to stay ahead of an industry which is constantly moving forward. For David, adaptation is utterly essential, especially when tackling notoriously busy game days: “We have adapted our business to coincide with the influx of volume – our customer must receive the service and quality standard they deserve. We will never cut corners no matter how busy we are – I would rather turn away business than over-commit and under deliver. Equally, as we are predominantly an events-driven venue, our challenge is to drive footfall down to this area outside of the football season and build-up our walk-in trade. We want to become a destination outside of ‘game day’.” Finally, David speaks for a moment on the bar’s recent success. “I’m very proud of the team whom have excellent leadership from Mervin Ramsamy, who sets the pace in the business for everyone. One of the reasons behind our success is the ethos of ‘if we don’t love it, we probably won’t do it.’ We stick to what we do best and deliver that standard consistently. “As for the future, we will look at innovative ways to stay market-relevant, with a plan to join one of the home delivery companies and become more accessible online.” Company: Blues Bar & Grill Address: Filbert Way, Raw Dykes Road, Leicester, Leicestershire LE2 7FQ Website: http://www.bluesbargrill.co.uk Telephone: + 44 (0) 116 448 8962