The Jam House continues to make the right sounds

Feb 20 2009 Business Profile by Jayne Howarth, Birmingham Post

have to entertain the diners and those who come to listen to the music. It was one of the first things he did when he took on the place – and it did mean having to part company with a handful of musicians.

He says: “Everyone wants to have a good time and while some of the bands were clearly very talented musicians, there was no immediate segue – and that is a problem. Being able to interact with the audience is crucial as it stops the ‘them and us’ feel.

“Before I started, I could hear people in the audience talking. They were having a nice time but they were louder than the musicians.

“We had to look at the way we presented the bands and needed them to be entertainers as well as musicians.

“I didn’t want to compromise anyone’s musicality but we all had to make a compromise. It did mean some bands didn’t continue with us and that was a shame, especially as they were considered friends.”

It meant that the Jam House was able to cement its reputation as a live venue par excellence, welcoming both established artists and those who had yet to make a name for themselves.

He cites Ian Parker, a blues guitarist, and the precocious talent of Joanne Shaw-Taylor, a 17-year-old blues guitarist, as names to watch in the future.

They are slowly moving up the order, from new-talent Tuesdays to the big Friday and Saturday night gigs.

For a man who claims not to do the “hard sell”, John, who also manages the Edinburgh Jam House, does a pretty convincing job when it comes to marketing the place.

He acknowledges that it is a difficult climate in which to be running a business at the moment and is at pains not to sound negative.

As far as he is concerned, there is still plenty to be optimistic about, despite the downturn in corporate business and nervousness about spending.

He admits the only time he really noticed that the downturn was affecting business was late last year.

“All year we had been hearing in the media about the potentially disastrous financial climate but it was only in November when I thought they probably had a point,” he says.

Several large works’ parties cancelled their festive celebrations, which led to corporate business shrinking by eight per cent. Luckily, it managed to claw back on public business but it was still three per cent down overall.

It was a far cry from December 2007 when it enjoyed its best Christmas, serving 5,500 meals in three and a half weeks.

“Public business has been strong for us and it has pulled us into January,” he says, leaning forward, hands crossed and resting on his Chinos.

“We are still having corporate inquiries but it definitely isn’t as strong.”

When you consider that a large function for 250 guests could bring in about £15,000 revenue, any dent in corporate business is a worry.

But, married father-of-six John is confident that the future is nothing but bright for brand Jam House.

Long-term, Luminar Leisure is looking to open a Jam House in every major city in England, and perhaps take it to Ireland. It’s not a good time to look at growing the business like that yet so efforts are being concentrated on the organic evolution of the Birmingham and Edinburgh venues.

And, for that, you need dedicated, well-trained and happy staff.

The hospitality industry is notorious for its difficulty with staff retention. The norm is for a 150 per cent-200 per cent turnover in staff every year. But John is proud that his turnover stands at an enviable 45 per cent.

He is coy about why he should be able to retain staff in this volatile industry but he admits that it means those who do work for him are well-trained, which means they are more confident – and that leads to better service.

“There are people there who were there when it first opened,” he laughs, “and ten members of staff have been there for five years. If they are confident and well-trained their personality can come out more and that is better for the club and the restaurant.”

Cut John open and he might bleed the word “hospitality”. He is quite clear that there is no room for anyone at the Jam House who doesn’t share his passion for customer service.

He says he owes it to the customers to ensure they are given the best service; no one is allowed to be given a gig unless he has heard them first. He goes to about a dozen gigs a week.

“We have to avoid being passé and we do make sure there are a variety of genres but I won’t compromise on quality,” he asserts.

“We are a niche product and I think we do it well. I want the customer to come in and enjoy a full experience of a meal, live music and dance.”