Restoration News Álvaro Fdez. De la Rubia, Grupo Lola: "The COVID-19 has accelerated things that were already changing"

By Ana I. García

One of the things that the Covid-19 pandemic has left within the Spanish restoration panorama is the birth of new groups that arrive strong.Although in this case specifically, the ‘new’ appellation must be used with some precautions.2021 has been the year in which the young Lola group has established itself as a holding company of several brands focused on healthy and traditional food.We speak above all with Álvaro Fernández de la blonde, its general director.

Because, although Grupo Lola as such is a newly created conglomerate, in reality its trajectory is quite long.Since, as Fernández de la blonde himself explains “it began being a catering taken by my mother, which is turned around and becomes food to wear under the brand of Lola's kitchen.Over time it evolves to FoodService Obrador for Restoration, which began receiving third parties.Later, when large chains products began to demand, the level of demand, quality, food security, processes ... and then enters the delina’s equation ”also evolves.

Buy Casual Brands

En 2018, Delina’s formaba parte del portfolio de marcas operadas por Casual Brands (Taco Bell & Juan Valdez Café). Había evolucionado de ser una compañía que se distinguía por sus sándwiches, ensaladas…, a funcionar como restaurante con cocina preparada, cuyos platos le eran suministrados de forma progresiva por La Cocina de Lola. “Fuimos escalando posiciones hasta que les hacíamos prácticamente todo menos la Coca-Cola”, bromea Fernández de la Rubia. “En todo ese proceso, cambia el negocio y sus ubicaciones: de ser locales a pie de calle pasa a estar en empresas. De hecho, cuando comenzamos a trabajar con ellos tenían 25 locales a pie de calle y dos córners en empresas. Cuando lo compramos, en 2018, ya solo eran cuatro locales de calle, pero 19 córners en empresa”.

The restaurants were acquired by another operator.Grupo Lola took the corporate part, those 19 corneres and began with their concept development plan.

“David ate Goliath, because we were a small company, which invoiced a million and peak of euros;Delina’s five.In 2019 we reached almost six million billing the entire group, opening even points of sale the same year we made the purchase.We turned reasonably fast because we had a lot of knowledge of the market.As suppliers that we had been, we knew Delina’s very well and, from the outside, many times you see things that from within.We were very clear about what had to be done, together that I think we were a team of very good integrators.In 2019 we turned the concept and did very good job, ”recalls Álvaro Fernández de la blonde.

And the pandemic arrived

But, in the midst of this process, 2020 arrived and those responsible for a concept that opted to grow in companies saw how they sent all their workers to their homes: the Covid-19 had arrived.

How do you react to that?From Grupo Lola they made it clear.“We realized that the process was going to be long, but also that things were going to end up returning more or less to their site.The Covid has changed things, but it has also accelerated many others that were already doing it.Teleworking?A percentage will stay, but it will become more or less where it was. ”

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To understand what happened with the arrival of the pandemic in the group, it is necessary to explain first how it is formed, since four are the pillars where the Lola group business is based: first, the corporate restoration division (in The one that would be located Delina's), Horeca (serving third parties, including collectivities), retail (restaurant -On the light- and its own virtual marks) and catering (Delina's and Gratia -alta range -catering). Knowing this, its general director explains that “during the pandemic, the Horeca part, Foodservice, continued with the engine working and helped us maintain billing; Delina’s, evidently, closed all the points of sale, very fast and then the return was made with droppers; The catering part disappeared ... but the Horeca part worked and the retail, restaurant. We turned it and enhance the delivery. Catering and Córners disappeared or reduced their activity a lot, but the FoodService part remained strong and has made us more competitive. ”

Return to normal

But little by little there was a time when all activities recovered, even with restrictions, still far from the end of a health crisis that already lasts too much and that raises questions that can directly affect Delina's such as that if the activity inThe companies and, therefore, in their meals locations, they will recover completely.

"With all this time of pandemic, many have lost the habit of preparing the Tupper just around the offices," argues Fernández de la blonde.“In the end, if I return to the office and I have a good operator, already like there.Apart, companies are promoting a lot, since they spend less time in them, to endow beautiful spaces, where they eat well and where people socialize.Because the Spanish socializes with a coffee or drink.So, even with less public in some places we are invoicing much more than before in offices. ”

Another activity that recovers, although with certain nuances, continues the manager, is catering.Small caterings of meetings, individual, in Caja, "the great corporate events will still take, but the service of organic menus, of boxes for meetings ... that is being strong again."

However, the great bet of the group raises from the hand of the corners and business restoration, where much of the development of this 2022 will focus. A growth opportunity where the rules of the game have also changed, since the host seeks somethingmore than price in the operator you hire;Quality prevails, something that is offered from Grupo Lola.“For us there is an opportunity for growth in the brutal corners, because before the one he hired he received you with a‘ what is the price of your coffee and your menu? ’, When you had not yet told him anything.Now the approach is another: people go less to the office and want to offer an experience to employees when they do;a quality experience ”.

Starting from that premise, the forecasts are good, since Álvaro Fernández de la blonde states that at the end of 2022 the group will be above the 50 points of sale.“In the corner part we will grow a lot.In the part of FoodService we have started relations with several new chains with which there is also a line to develop important and in retail the model already we have it, now what you have to do is start promoting it.The catering drinks a lot about the corner.It is one more service that you give companies: gratia for large high -end events and then Delina’s Catering of Meetings ”.

The example of IE

As far as Corners is concerned, with Delina's, Lola Grupo is already present in large companies such as Telefónica, Enagás, Mahou, Inversis, Cabify or one of the most recent, the IE, where each and every one has been testedof the bases that support this business model.

“The EI has trusted us because we will be able to serve all its centers and in all their needs in one way or another.With a single supplier you will have: the corners, the management of the vending, foodtruck, canteen, service to residences of students ... a single operator solves everything. ”

Thus, Delina’s deals with 100% of the IE operation: the University of Segovia, María de Molina in Madrid, the new tower in the Chamartín complex -also in Madrid -, etc.In short, to serve some 6,000 students who, says the manager “None expects queues.Here there is a service that does not occur in any university in Spain, because IE puts the student in the center of everything and the requirement for all the operators who deal with them is bestial at all levels.That makes you better as an operator.Delina’s is better since he is here. ”

So much better than one of the key aspects that are patent in the EI more than in any other client, apart from the quality of the offer, it is sustainability: “The student of the IE prefers to have an ecological coffee, even more expensive.Here is very careful with the sustainability part which also implies that the price is a bit higher.But that is part of the institution's DNA: it demands sustainability and that things become better.We have to make people easy to be ecological.In most corners, for example, there are no longer bottles of water: they are sources, filtered water, which is lower cost for the student and all the plastic that is either recyclable or compositional. ”

The advantage is that Delina’s in that aspect, continues Álvaro Fernández de la blonde, “I had already traveled that stretch.Sustainability was a plus and from Lola's kitchen.A few years ago we had to change prices because we changed all the packaging to recyclable or compositional and not all customers understood it.It was complicated.When we arrived at the EI, we only had to travel 20% on the road, because you can always do better, but we already had the other 80% of the duties done. ”

Ceded images: Peidró communication