A North East cost management specialist has extended its international footprint after striking a deal with the owner of a well-known global restaurant franchise.
Dublin-based Press Up Entertainment Group (PUE), the parent firm of Wagamama, Dean Hotel and Sophie’s Restaurant, appointed Great Annual Savings Group (GAS) to conduct an extensive review of its running costs in a bid to save substantial sums of money.
Following the review, which covered contracts between PUE and its key service providers, the two companies have now struck a deal that will see the leisure operator make savings of more than €100,000 (£83,600) over the two-year contract.
The partnership marks the latest milestone in the expansion of Seaham-based GAS, which 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 in the past year, swelling its customer base to almost 1,600 and moving to bigger premises on the Spectrum Business Park in Seaham.
Bradley Groves, chairman and chief executive of Great Annual Savings Group, 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 elapsed 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.”
PUE has interests in a variety of sectors, most notably hotels, bars, restaurants, venues and nightclubs. The group provides employment for more than 1,000 people across its 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. All of the businesses are headquartered in the Republic of Ireland.
Alexandra Handzlewicz, group cost controller at 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.”
So far this year GAS has helped businesses make collective savings into seven figures, including around £250,000 for customers in the hospitality and tourism sector. The company works with customers in a range of sectors, including manufacturing, hospitality and tourism, construction, engineering and retail.
For further information about Great Annual Savings Group visit www.greatannualsavings.com.