Norse, a Harrogate-based and Nordic inspired restaurant is rolling out changes that will help offer better value at their off-peak times. It will allow flexible diners to eat during the week at a better price when compared to a Friday and Saturday evening.
The restaurant has introduced tickets for tables and now gone one step further by offering different prices depending on when you want to eat.
Owner Paul Rawlinson said:
Harrogate is a really competitive market for independent restaurants especially with the arrival of lots of new chains over the last few months. We wanted a way to broaden the appeal of the restaurant and offering additional value to incentivise guests to visit at quieter times.
Offering different prices depending on when you use a service is something that is common for airlines and hotels but not something that is often seen in the restaurant industry, especially in Yorkshire.
Diners will have the option of choosing to eat either a 4 or 8 course set menu. The price of the 4 course menu ranges from £25 at 6pm on a Tuesday to £40 at 7pm on a Friday or Saturday.
Paul Rawlinson said:
This is about offering guests choice about when they dine so they can decide what’s best for them. We’re costing the menus on the full ticket price so it means that we’ll make less profit on the food at certain times, but if we can feed more guests overall that represents an opportunity.
If we’re going to survive against the backdrop of increased competition then we need to give ourselves every advantage by being innovative in our approach to business. My job is doing everything to drive that outside the realms of what the chefs can put on a plate or the front of house can pour into a glass.
The restaurant is using a reservation system called ‘Tock’ that was created in Chicago for a group of restaurants including ‘Alinea’ – recently announced as the World’s 15th best restaurant.
CEO of Tock and Co-owner of The Alinea Group Nick Kokonas said:
For us perhaps the most exciting aspect is that we get to work with restaurants all over the world and learn, perhaps not surprisingly, that the desire to provide great hospitality is universal. That Tock helps these chefs, restaurateurs, and their patrons is gratifying for our entire team.
- Norse was listed in the Michelin guide and the Good Food Guide in 2015 and was a finalist in The Observer Food Monthly Awards in the category ‘Best Restaurant’. It celebrated it’s 2nd birthday on 4th April 2016.
- Owner Paul Rawlinson is a former Army Engineering Officer who trained with Prince William at Sandhurst and served 5 years including a tour of Afghanistan with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. He blogs about owning a hospitality business at paulrawlinson.co.uk
