Orchid launches 'pizza pub' concept

The group has carried out an £80,000 conversion of The George in Harpenden, which now offers a large range of pizza including chicken tikka, hoisin duck and sweet chilli chicken.

If the trial continues to be a success, Orchid will bring more pubs into its Pizza Kitchen and Bars division, which includes a number of former Bar Room Bar sites that already have a pizza offering.

Pizza delivery​

The strategy is to use the expertise developed at Bar Room Bar and apply it across its pub portfolio. Planned future developments for the format include takeaway and delivery options, plus a live music offering, according to Pizza Kitchen and Bars marketing manager Maria Williams.

“The strength of the pizza pub is that it offers high-quality pizza in a casual environment. I think it will start expanding, offering take out pizza and delivery. I'd also expect customers to soon be able to order via their iPhones.

"Over the next few months we'll be focusing on making music an important part of the Pizza Kitchen and Bar offer; right from the background music we play, but also with regular live music."

Italian market​

The UK consumer’s appetite for pizza shows no sign of abating but, while the dish is popular across the country, its uptake in pubs has so far been sporadic. Orchid is the first major pub group to move into this area and is already reaping the rewards – it has reported a like-for-like sales increase of 60 per cent at The George in the week following the conversion.

The pub industry is well suited to serving pizza as preparation requires few kitchen staff, it is a cost-effective and high margin product and good for sharing. However, it pitches the struggling pub sector against the deep-discounting Italian chains, meaning that pricing will have to be competitive for pubs to make a success of it.