00:00The hospitality sector in Birmingham's feeling the squeeze, costs are rising, jobs are down and closures keep coming.
00:07But not everywhere is folding. In the jewellery quarter, a new Japanese restaurant is setting up.
00:13On its own, it's another restaurant, but it speaks to something wider.
00:17Even in tough conditions, people are still taking risks. They're betting there's appetite for something different.
00:23So what does this tell us about demand, resilience and the state of the local economy?
00:28Restaurants are dropping left, right and centre. Margins are getting tighter.
00:32All the prices are going up, especially chicken and poultry.
00:35So we need to make sure what we do is we utilise everything. We don't waste anything.
00:41And then the bottom line's good. So with that, that allows us to make a good profit margin.
00:47So we can enter the market confident that even if we're not especially busy, we still have a good breakeven point.
00:57Birmingham's known for its food scene, but it's not just about curry and chips anymore.
01:02Diners here are after more variety, more global flavour.
01:06Whether it's Korean barbecue, Thai street food or ramen, it's not a trend, it's a shift.
01:11And it's that shift that's bringing new ideas to the table.
01:14But in a city where eating out isn't always cheap, how much of this is driven by real demand?
01:20What do people really want to eat and why?
01:22I think a lot of the driver is cost. I think it's not necessarily new places to go, but just places that people can go and afford to eat.
01:29A good price point for what it is is always good. I think in Birmingham there is a lot of choice already, but there's a lot of chains.
01:36And I can't necessarily speak for everyone, but I know for myself, I like it when there's new independent restaurants, especially people that have like come from other countries and they're serving quite authentic cuisine.
01:46That tends to be a big pull.
01:47I think it's got to be appealing and it's got to be for everyone, not just one sort of, you know, like food general place should be a bit of everything and plus priority as well, because not everyone can afford priority foods and, you know, going out for meals as well.
02:01Launching a restaurant isn't just about passion anymore. It's about mathematical survival, energy bills, staff wages, stock costs, all climbing.
02:10So if you're opening something new, you'd better have a plan. Some are cutting menus. Others are banking on taikawai sales. Some are changing suppliers or doubling down on prep.
02:21But with so many unknowns, what's the formula? We want to know how the business is still opening now.
02:27Reckon they can make it work and what it tells us about the state of hospitality more broadly.
02:32I mean, first of all, it's financial issues. We've got to come up with quite a lot of money.
02:36We're a small independent business. So we've done this via crowdfunding and we got a grant from Birmingham Council.
02:41We've employed local builders and stuff like that, which has been great.
02:44We've created a good net worth of people, which I was a little bit hesitant. You know, how do we break into this market?
02:51It's all about being as social as possible, getting to know as many small businesses and really networking, which has been something I've enjoyed doing.
02:59We've enjoyed doing.
Comments