supports this notion: “I think we need to understand the terminology a bit better. People think if it’s a bad restaurant, it’s part of a chain, and if it’s good, it’s part of a group of restaurants which isn’t really fair. I think a chain is a higher number of restaurants that are identical to one another and formulaic in their business plan and style, whilst a group is a collection of restaurants who are a little bit more quirky and free.”
Insurance firm Simply Business states that between 2013-2014, there were a quarter more independent food stores, and the largest growth in food businesses has been London with 20% of the new independent shops located in the city.
Dojo, an app for iPhone and Android users was launched in August 2014, designed by Londoners for Londoners to help find the trendiest eateries in the capital.
Co-founder Devran Karaca, 24, described the inspiration behind the app: “Dojo came out of our frustration in London. It would be very difficult to find something a little bit unique and quirky to do with our friends. I think everyone knows about chains, you see them on the streets all the time, they’re a proven business model. When we spoke to people in the 20-30 age bracket, it was independents that they wanted to know about.”
The response to the app has been very high, with tens of thousands of people using it. Devran and his team set out to create an app that can be used on a daily basis. He said: “We tell you how far away the restaurant is, which tube station its nearest to, what time it’s open and tips about what you should order there.”
Devran is keen to support independents through the app: “For them, it’s free advertising. Independents don’t have a lot of money to spend on marketing so it’s great.
“There’s always going to be space for chains, because with a chain, you know what you’re getting; you will always find tourists going to chains because they don’t really know where to go when they go to a new city.”
“It’s very very simple to use.”
Outside of London,
Russell Brown, Michelin-star chef at Sienna Dorset in Dorchester, is a perfect example of a chef setting the pace in the independent sector: “I think anybody who makes the decision to open a restaurant and makes a success of it, has got to have a huge amount of passion
and drive behind them, and that’s got to be good for the customers”.
Sienna Dorset was opened by Russell in 2003 and awarded the Michelin-star at the beginning of the recession in 2010. Russell said: “We perceive ourselves as being very different to the brands. We’re a different offer, quality level and price bracket but everywhere is competition. Our menu is about seasonality, good-quality produce and good-quality cooking.”
Russell is very clear on his ideal restaurant scenario: “More independent restaurants will give you diversity and make the dining scene nowhere near as homogenous.”
Russell believes there is still room for both sectors of the industry however: “Chain restaurants vary in quality from branch to branch. If you find a good one, the food can be very enjoyable and of a good standard.”
With regards to the industry as a whole, Russell believes there is a market for both independent and chain restaurants: “I’m hopeful to see high streets full of vibrant, successful independent restaurants who are using local producers, but that might be an unrealistic and romantic view.”
It’s probably safe to say there’s a foodie in all of us, desperate to try the new independent Italian around the corner. But as a culture, it’s likely that we’ll stick with a Big Mac when we’re on the go.
By Molly Mileham-Chappell
