Mastering the art of hospitality for a growing restaurant group

From reservations to guest experiences, OpenTable’s innovative solutions enable the the Gladwin brothers to focus on crafting a tapestry of flavours and experiences.

Explore plans

Contact sales

Mastering the art of hospitality for a growing restaurant group

Explore plans

Contact sales

Fast facts

	Restaurant name: Gladwin Brothers
	Type of restaurant: Restaurant group
	Locations: United Kingdom
	Year founded: 2012

Since 2012, the Gladwin brothers have embarked on a culinary journey that’s captured the imagination of diners in London. With five restaurants dotted across some of the capital’s most sought-after locations, not to mention a family farm and vineyard in West Sussex, Richard, Oliver and Gregory have woven a tapestry of flavours and experiences that are uniquely their own.

But behind the scenes, the brothers need to keep everything ticking over nicely and maximise the potential of each restaurant. In OpenTable, they have found an ally, and it has become an essential component in the day-to-day operations of all five restaurants.

The family affair

This story begins with three brothers who all share a passion for food. Richard is the General Manager and oversees all five restaurants, The Shed, Rabbit, Sussex, The Fat Badger and The Black Lamb. Oliver is the chef and creative flair, while Gregory is the farmer, sourcing the local produce used at each restaurant.

Their love affair with food started before this current venture which is more than ten years strong. Touching on their experience, Richard says, “Before we launched The Shed in 2012, I’d been opening restaurants in London and New York, and my brother had been cooking in big kitchens in the capital.”

Their other brother, Gregory, was busy starting a beef and sheep farm in Sussex, and the idea of a concept involving all three of them was born. “We clubbed together and decided this was the road that we wanted to take,” Richard recalls.

Evolving with the times and OpenTable

Ten years is a long time in the hospitality industry, and Richard has seen many changes first-hand. I can’t believe that in 2012 we started with a diary and a horizontal graph”, Richard says, referring to how they used to take reservations.

Since then, they’ve implemented OpenTable Pro across each site. In a busy restaurant, the reservations come in waves, relentlessly. OpenTable has become a lifesaver for the Gladwin brothers regarding restaurant bookings. “Automated reservations are a huge time saver for us.

“The automation is amazing. Also, OpenTable’s systemising of the booking process is excellent and means we can allocate the right size table to the right group of guests and increase covers.”

Fast facts

	Restaurant name: Gladwin Brothers
	Type of restaurant: Restaurant group
	Locations: United Kingdom
	Year founded: 2012

Since 2012, the Gladwin brothers have embarked on a culinary journey that’s captured the imagination of diners in London. With five restaurants dotted across some of the capital’s most sought-after locations, not to mention a family farm and vineyard in West Sussex, Richard, Oliver and Gregory have woven a tapestry of flavours and experiences that are uniquely their own.

But behind the scenes, the brothers need to keep everything ticking over nicely and maximise the potential of each restaurant. In OpenTable, they have found an ally, and it has become an essential component in the day-to-day operations of all five restaurants.

The family affair

This story begins with three brothers who all share a passion for food. Richard is the General Manager and oversees all five restaurants, The Shed, Rabbit, Sussex, The Fat Badger and The Black Lamb. Oliver is the chef and creative flair, while Gregory is the farmer, sourcing the local produce used at each restaurant.

Their love affair with food started before this current venture which is more than ten years strong. Touching on their experience, Richard says, “Before we launched The Shed in 2012, I’d been opening restaurants in London and New York, and my brother had been cooking in big kitchens in the capital.”

Their other brother, Gregory, was busy starting a beef and sheep farm in Sussex, and the idea of a concept involving all three of them was born. “We clubbed together and decided this was the road that we wanted to take,” Richard recalls.

Evolving with the times and OpenTable

Ten years is a long time in the hospitality industry, and Richard has seen many changes first-hand. I can’t believe that in 2012 we started with a diary and a horizontal graph”, Richard says, referring to how they used to take reservations.

Since then, they’ve implemented OpenTable Pro across each site. In a busy restaurant, the reservations come in waves, relentlessly. OpenTable has become a lifesaver for the Gladwin brothers regarding restaurant bookings. “Automated reservations are a huge time saver for us.

“The automation is amazing. Also, OpenTable’s systemising of the booking process is excellent and means we can allocate the right size table to the right group of guests and increase covers.”

Making sure everything flows

In the fast-paced world of restaurants, staff need to act quickly with few issues. Having OpenTable help operate the restaurant often makes everything that much easier. Richard is particularly impressed by how easy OpenTable is to use, saying, “It’s the usability of it that impresses me.

“It’s so easy for everyone to pick up, which allows us to run a busier service because the team knows the backend of the system and is able to master it quickly.”

OpenTable has essentially become an extension of the Gladwin brothers’ restaurants, which allows them to focus on what they do best: creating unforgettable culinary experiences.

It’s all in the Experience

Richard’s role encompasses more than overseeing the restaurant’s setup and general operations. He’s also involved in every aspect of marketing, from creating and testing new cocktails to exciting guests with special promotions.

OpenTable also helps here, especially with the ability to use Experiences. In fact, it’s one of the standout features for the Gladwin brothers at Sussex in Soho. Richard is aware that many guests booking at Sussex have a finite amount of time before a West End performance starts, and guests often book a meal before catching a show.

“We serve Beef Wellington and wanted to offer a pre-theatre offer at Sussex in Soho. Using the Experiences feature means we can craft a specific menu and have foresight over what guests plan to order.

“It allows us to plan better and get an idea of timings, meaning Sussex can optimise turnover rate. Guests can pick a starter and a dessert from the Experiences menu before arriving, and the whole thing can be done much faster without compromising the guest experience.

“This approach isn’t usually our mentality, but it works when guests prefer to keep their visits shorter because they want to experience a West End show.”

Making sure everything flows

In the fast-paced world of restaurants, staff need to act quickly with few issues. Having OpenTable help operate the restaurant often makes everything that much easier. Richard is particularly impressed by how easy OpenTable is to use, saying, “It’s the usability of it that impresses me.

“It’s so easy for everyone to pick up, which allows us to run a busier service because the team knows the backend of the system and is able to master it quickly.”

OpenTable has essentially become an extension of the Gladwin brothers’ restaurants, which allows them to focus on what they do best: creating unforgettable culinary experiences.

It’s all in the Experience

Richard’s role encompasses more than overseeing the restaurant’s setup and general operations. He’s also involved in every aspect of marketing, from creating and testing new cocktails to exciting guests with special promotions.

OpenTable also helps here, especially with the ability to use Experiences. In fact, it’s one of the standout features for the Gladwin brothers at Sussex in Soho. Richard is aware that many guests booking at Sussex have a finite amount of time before a West End performance starts, and guests often book a meal before catching a show.

“We serve Beef Wellington and wanted to offer a pre-theatre offer at Sussex in Soho. Using the Experiences feature means we can craft a specific menu and have foresight over what guests plan to order.

“It allows us to plan better and get an idea of timings, meaning Sussex can optimise turnover rate. Guests can pick a starter and a dessert from the Experiences menu before arriving, and the whole thing can be done much faster without compromising the guest experience.

“This approach isn’t usually our mentality, but it works when guests prefer to keep their visits shorter because they want to experience a West End show.”

“It’s the usability of it that impresses me. It’s so easy for everyone to pick up, which allows us to run a busier service because the team knows the backend of the system and is able to master it quickly”

Richard Gladwin, Managing Director
Gladwin Brothers

Maximising marketing with OpenTable

OpenTable’s marketing reach has also been of significant benefit. Richard notes, “I think the marketing element, the network, is the big thing for us. Whether it’s locals or tourists, they tend to use OpenTable to book restaurants, and we see a lot of bookings this way.”

He’s also fond of using Boost Campaign to attract more guests, as well as email marketing features on Pro. One example was the “We Miss You” campaign, which encouraged guests who had previously booked to revisit.

The Gladwin brothers attribute over 200 extra covers and almost £9,000 in revenue to the We Miss You campaign, run through Pro. It’s an example of how they are tapping into every avenue of OpenTable to maximise opportunities and boost business.

Five restaurants, one goal

For the Gladwin brothers, OpenTable has become more than just a reservation system. It helps them navigate the challenges of the modern restaurant industry. From reservations to marketing to guest insights, OpenTable has provided the tools they need to stay ahead.

With a family farm, a vineyard, five restaurants, and a passion for hospitality, the Gladwin brothers continue to innovate and grow. And with OpenTable by their side, they’re poised to take their restaurants to new heights.

The Black Lamb Interior of the restaurant

Maximising marketing with OpenTable

OpenTable’s marketing reach has also been of significant benefit. Richard notes, “I think the marketing element, the network, is the big thing for us. Whether it’s locals or tourists, they tend to use OpenTable to book restaurants, and we see a lot of bookings this way.”

He’s also fond of using Boost Campaign to attract more guests, as well as email marketing features on Pro. One example was the “We Miss You” campaign, which encouraged guests who had previously booked to revisit.

The Gladwin brothers attribute over 200 extra covers and almost £9,000 in revenue to the We Miss You campaign, run through Pro. It’s an example of how they are tapping into every avenue of OpenTable to maximise opportunities and boost business.

Five restaurants, one goal

For the Gladwin brothers, OpenTable has become more than just a reservation system. It helps them navigate the challenges of the modern restaurant industry. From reservations to marketing to guest insights, OpenTable has provided the tools they need to stay ahead.

With a family farm, a vineyard, five restaurants, and a passion for hospitality, the Gladwin brothers continue to innovate and grow. And with OpenTable by their side, they’re poised to take their restaurants to new heights.

The Black Lamb Interior of the restaurant

Let’s do this

Explore plans

Contact sales