With 2012 shaping up to be a mammoth and memorable year of sport for the UK, Orchid reckons it’s important to have something matching in size to enjoy with all the entertainment on offer.
Cue the ‘O’ burger, Orchid’s epic new offering fit to share between four or tackle on your own – depending on how hungry you are.
Designed to be perfect eating throughout the summer of sport, the Orchid Group also hopes the ‘O’ burger will instil some competition amongst customers, and pubs are aiming to run contests as to who conquers the burger in the quickest time.
With 2lb of meat in the burger layered with beef tomatoes, lettuce, onions, gherkins and Cheddar, accompanied by huge chunky chips, which indulgers can dip into a selection of delectable dips, eating the burger is certainly going to take some determination – and possibly some training!
Orchid’s Head of Food, Sarah Thomas, says: “The burger is huge and eating it is definitely a sport in itself.”
No stranger to sport
Orchid is no stranger to backing sport: nearly all of their pubs have Sky Sports and ESPN, with various businesses having multiple screens.
The pub company dubbed 2012 ‘The Year of Sport’ and have not relented in their dedication to entertaining sports fans, notably highlighted through their nationwide darts tour ‘Legends in your Local’.
The ‘O’ burger is available until the end of August in the Orchid Group’s Independent Local, Modern British, and Free House Dining businesses.
‘Dragons’ drive sales at Orchid pubs – every day
With their unusual fusion of a Thai restaurant alongside a traditional British pub, the Orchid Group’s ‘Dragons’ are proving Thai cuisine is an everyday treat.
“Dragons is one of the fastest-growing segments at Orchid: they are a massive success story for us,” says Commercial & People Director Simon Dodd.
“They are a truly unique concept and not easy to replicate. The secret of our success lies in the fact Dragons are all about the people and authenticity. Our highly skilled and flexible teams can run fine fresh Thai dining one minute and a pub quiz and cask ale festival the other. There is nothing else like it.”
Dragons cut through old-fashioned preconceptions that exotic food is only for certain groups or occasions. Rather than being busiest at weekends, Dragons have a consistent trade from Monday to Sunday, making Thai accessible every day, with customers from every age, demographic and background giving Thai a go.
Part of making Dragons truly authentic is the high level of Thai staff. Thai chefs and waiting teams work alongside their British colleagues to ensure a unique customer experience.
Clever marketing with different activities and offers for each day of the week helps support this:
- Thai Tuesdays – diners can enjoy a main meal, side order and a drink for just £7.95 every week. This offer is so popular, sales rise on average by 14% each Tuesday.
- Over 50s – the Dragons have their very own Diamond Club where older customers can join free and enjoy a main meal, side order and a drink for just £7.95. With 4669 already signed up, the older clientele are getting more adventurous with their food.
- Sunday sharing – the ‘bring a friend for free’ offer on Sundays means people can treat a pal or family member for free.
- Daily Lunch Club – weekday from noon to 6pm, giving customers the choice of Thai main and side dish with drink or an English dish and drink for just £7.95.
- Thai takeaway – For those who prefer a cosy night in, orders are welcome and receive a 10% discount. 25% of sales are accounted by takeaway trade.
Positive feedback
In the latest round of customer experience surveys, 87% said they would be very likely to recommend Dragon pubs to a friend. All said they felt the food was very good value for money, more than half felt they received “outstanding” service and three-quarters said there was nothing that could have been done better to improve their experience.
Positive contributions
Dragons really are run as tight family units. And a big part of this is being active in community.
Dragon pubs adopted an Orphanage which was hit hard in the 2006 Tsunami and has supported them ever since. Called Baan Tharn Namchai, it’s run by the Thai Children’s Trust, and many of the managers have been out there volunteering and getting to know the children.
Recognising the British links, the pubs also support organisations in their local areas too – such as nearby schools, churches and community groups.
For more information on Dragon pubs, visit our website