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controlling interest
G1 Group
features, April 2008, COMMENTS
Known for innovation and determination, G1 has taken the Scottish licensed trade by the scruff of the neck and show no signs of letting up. Michael caught up with Angus Lawrie and Emma Banks from the group and sneaked a look at new venue, Common
Back in 1990, a fresh-faced Stefan King took his first step into the night trade, opening Club X on Glasgow’s Royal Exchange Square, and in doing so launched the G1 Group that over the proceeding 18 years changed the shape of the leisure industry in Scotland. Waiting until 1993 to launch second outfit, Delmonicas, the history books show this was the start of the G1 revolution, which has been prolific ever since; opening many of Glasgow’s iconic venues, purchasing the Big Beat Group in 2001 and taking their crusade to the rest of Scotland in 2002.
When director of marketing, Angus Lawrie joined G1 in 1998, the group commanded a portfolio of 10 venues and in the subsequent years, grew together with the company. With 43 managed venues currently populating their rich estate, the prevalent risk of the company’s ethics being compromised by growth has been counteracted by the introduction of Emma Banks as director of operations. NIGHT caught up with Emma and Angus to get the lowdown on the G1 Group and to take a look at Common, the latest G1 offering to occupy the original Royal Exchange space.
“Our success is based on unique individuality, every brand being different, catering for a niche,” says Angus. For anyone that has visited more than one G1 venue, it’s easy to see that whilst a certain quality level is consistent, the variation in the styles is vast, as generic rollouts are avoided in favour of distinct openings. It is this tact that Emma cites as the reason G1 continues to flourish in tighter economic climates, as she explains: “The group is highly innovative and leads the field with its portfolio of venues. Its robust and energetic, non-formula driven strategy is unique in the licensed trade.”
The success of G1 can be measured by the continued growth of the business. Having built an impressive base of venues in Glasgow, the group has branched out to Edinburgh, Dundee, and Aberdeen and whilst the offerings in these three cities are impressive, non more so than Picardy Place in Edinburgh, it is in their home city that the depth, style and impression that G1 makes, can truly be gauged.
“My favourite must be Arta (opened in 2000) because it has stood the test of time and still has an amazing wow factor,” enthuses Emma. It is impossible to ignore the imposing Lanarkshire House on Ingram St, near George Square, which G1 transformed into the Corinthian, a multi-functional, glamour house that is a must-see for anyone visiting Glasgow. The west end of the city is now abundant with a variety of G1 places, especially focused around Ashton Lane with The Loft, Nude, Radio, Cul De Sac and licensed cinema, the Grosvenor taking their places on the west end’s busiest street, and new bar and restaurant, Salon, barely a stones throw away. With a strong presence on the south side and a formidable array of bars and clubs in the city centre, how can G1 keep up their focus on diversity and attention to detail?
“People development is a priority for G1. The group is about to launch its new retail staff development programme ‘Open Doors’, which leads to its management development programme, ‘Elevator’. Whilst the diversity of venues creates a challenge, structuring for growth, it ensures the group stays at the cutting edge of the market,” explains Emma. “If we didn’t create unique venues, we would struggle, because at times we are our own competition, Ashton Lane’s the perfect example of it. G1’s all about trying to be the first to do everything, Babaza (formerly Club X, now Common) was the first late night bar/club, The Corinthian was the first proper hybrid venue in Scotland and The Social was at the forefront of the café/bar trend in Glasgow” adds Angus.
Both are clear on their reasons for working for G1 with Emma, who has over 15 years experience in retail hospitality with Allied Donecq, Spirit, Yates and Punch, specifying the ‘quality of design, training and customer offer’ as the main attractions. With 10 years at the company under his belt, Angus is still enjoying himself: “Every time there’s a hint of a chance of becoming bored, another fantastic project comes along and that’s been really what G1’s about; one exciting project after another.”
February 2006 saw the birth of the Iona Pub Partnership, G1’s venture into the leasehold market, at a particularly volatile time in the trade that saw many operators realign their business following the introduction of the smoking ban, some of which have really struggled. During two years of existence Iona has acquired 100 outlets, in a determined fashion and with a strong focus. The strategy of the group is to operate the best pubs in the areas where they are located, and to make these viable and profitable small businesses with sustainable growth.
Some argue that the ‘big players’ in the tenancy market have been too rigid in the wake of recent political changes, resulting in the sale of property in a bid to centralise and downsize, which has given Iona the ideal opportunity to quickly build an impressive portfolio over a short period of time. How can Iona expand amid such turbulence when others are shrinking?
“Some of the big guys are struggling having people tied into buying stock at expensive prices and charging high levels of rent. We can offer flexibility with shorter lease periods, affordable rent, don’t charge a fortune for the beer and we don’t put them on deals they can’t afford. We also supply a support package that covers: marketing, training, food advice and bar support,” explains Angus.
So what does the future hold for G1?
New developments include The Byre: “A high quality, family-friendly restaurant and bar on a Greenfield site. It is another innovative development for the group,” explains Emma. More plans are in the pipeline, sure to make 2008 another interesting year for G1. Otherwise it’s business as usual, managing and redeveloping existing sites to keep them fresh. The latest venue to come off the production line is the new incarnation of what was originally Club X, launched late last year as Common.
Inspired by the design work carried out on London’s prestigious Burlington Club, G1 approached Jimmie Martin Design to take on the task of reinventing a space that has played such a prominent part in the history of the group. The move to involve external parties was slightly abnormal, as G1 work in a fairly self-sufficient way. In a similar vein, Common is the first club that Jimmie Martin have carried out a full design on, renowned more for creating bespoke furniture.
Angus recalls a straightforward thought process behind choosing Jimmie Martin, as he explains: “We like your stuff, we’ve seen what you do, we want you guys to come back with some crazy ideas. We like the idea of each room having a completely different feel and we like the spray painting.”
The ground floor entrance from Royal Exchange Square is joined to the below ground club by a corridor and staircase framed by trashy chic gold walls, spray painted by random yet Glasgow related graffiti, and lit by starry ceiling lights. The club proper is an intimate space, dominated by an oversized, central, square bar that draws people in from the different partitioned areas that surround this focal point. Each of these areas has a completely different feel to the next, something that the designers were keen to create, as Martin from Jimmie Martin explains: “We decided to create different spaces throughout the club. Our aim was to mix a bit of fun and boldness with certain classic features combined with a rough concrete effect on the walls. Different colours, textures and light effects throughout combine with artwork on furniture and walls to help achieve this.”
The nature of the design is extreme; one area is themed in the style of a two-tone, dominatrix pad, and another looks like a mock up of Johnny Rotten’s office. These stark contrasts create a feeling of space, in what is essentially a small club. A 360-degree, anti-clockwise tour of the club, leads around the different design pockets that resemble exhibits from a modern-art gallery, finishing up at the DJ booth and compact dancefloor at the front of the club.
“One of the main challenges with the space is working with what we have. We’ve got the layout, so how do we make it different each time? Working with Jimmie Martin has helped us achieve that,” comments Angus.
Common is proving to be a hit with a trendy, mainstream crowd enjoying the bar/club six nights a week and the individual elements of the design. The cubby-holes provide very different surroundings within the same space but also encourage interaction between them, creating an atmosphere described by Angus as “a party in your house”.
Words: Michael Nicholson
From: April 2008
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What history, very impresive ,and long may G1's success continue ,however can we expect anything wonderful to happen at the old Stuart Hotel building in East Kilbride ,I believe the building belongs to the group, at present it is an eyesore and has been for some time now
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