Patrick McKillen Jnr, whose Press Up Entertainment group owns Wagamama, Dean Hotel and Sophie’s Restaurant, has inked a deal with British company GAS (Great Annual Savings) to conduct an extensive review of its running costs in a bid to trim overheads and input costs.
Alexandra Handzlewicz of PUE said: “We were looking to save money on our running costs but didn’t want the hassle of renegotiating contracts with all of our individual suppliers. The appointment of GAS has taken that job out of our hands, and the company’s experience in dealing with these issues will enable us to make significant cost savings as we look to grow the business.”
GAS is based in Seaham in Co Durham and was established in 2012. It has created a reputation for tough bargaining with suppliers and service providers, and recently announced plans to double its 150-strong workforce by the end of June 2017. The company started life in a small office in South Shields in 2012 but has expanded rapidly, swelling its customer base to almost 1,600 and moving to bigger premises on the Spectrum Business Park in Seaham.
CEO Bradley Groves (pictured) said: “We’re thrilled to be working with one of Ireland’s most distinguished leisure and hospitality operators. During a review of their business, we discovered that some of the contracts had lapsed and, as a result, many sites were paying above-market, out-of-contract rates.
“We’ve now been able to address this and we’re currently undertaking an audit of individual sites to see where we can make further savings.”
In Association with
Following the review, which covered contracts between PUE and its key service providers, the two companies have now struck a deal that has a target of €100,000 savings over the two-year contract.
McKillen Jnr’s company has interests in hotels, bars, restaurants, venues and nightclubs. The group provides employment for more than 1,000 people across 26 businesses, which include Wagamama, the Vintage Cocktail Club, Captain Americas Cookhouse and Bar, and Peruke & Periwig, the eatery famed for its 'Around the World in 80 Cocktails’ menu.
