CASE STUDY – EVERARDS
How Everards Reduced Staffing Waste by 14%
Everards x S4: Driving Efficiency, Productivity and Consistent Performance Through Operational Excellence
Everards’ Beer Hall in Leicestershire is a well‑known, high‑footfall site with a broad customer base – from dog walkers to quiz nights and live music. For Tom, their Operations Manager, running such a dynamic venue comes down to one thing: having the right team deployed in the right way, every day.
Tom explains: “The right team is really important, because the dream is that everything is delivered consistently.”
Before working with S4labour, labour management felt reactive: “Prior to S4, it was almost like… that’s your budget, crack on. We’re in a different world now.”
The Operational Excellence Programme changed Everards’ approach to labour planning, productivity, and on‑site execution. By running detailed observations, challenging existing assumptions, and showing the team how to work smarter, S4labour helped Everards unlock immediate and sustainable gains.
One of the biggest wins came in the kitchen. Tom shared that they were previously over‑staffing quiet periods: “Between three and five, we were having four or five members of staff on – we were like… what?”
Through the programme, they identified opportunities to streamline deployment without cutting hours, leading to major efficiency gains: “Back of house was the biggest impact – it was huge. Around 14%.”
Importantly, labour optimisation didn’t come from slashing hours, but improving operational clarity: “It wasn’t slashing the rota or people’s hours. It was making us work a lot smarter.”
With clear deployment plans for both peak and quiet shifts, stress levels reduced and commercial performance improved: “Now we’ve got a rota that operates fairly, the team aren’t stressed, and peak trading means we’ve got the right people – which is the key time to deliver more sales.”
The programme also strengthened leadership accountability: “Everyone has a bit of accountability now – not just me. From ops to HR to the kitchen team, everyone has access and visibility.”
For Tom, what stands out most is the closeness of the partnership: “I’ve never worked this closely with a labour partner before.”
And the results speak for themselves: strengthened sales, improved productivity, and an operation ready for future growth. As Tom puts it: “S4 has allowed us to grow sales with the right team, but also allowed us to lean up when sales dip.”
His recommendation is clear…
“I would recommend people go to the Ops Excellence Roadshow.”
Interested in doing what Everards did?
We’re hosting three small, high‑value roundtables in London, Birmingham and Bristol for ops, HR and finance leaders. Tom (our Head of Operational Excellence) will share how operators are improving deployment, reducing labour waste and saving millions through smarter labour management.
Expect high-level networking, honest conversations with peers and practical ideas you can put to work straight away.
“S4 has allowed us to grow sales with the right team, but also allowed us to lean up when sales dip. I would recommend people go to The Ops Excellence Roadshow.”
