St George & Sutherland Shire Leader

"No brainer": The service saving this expanding restaurant business money, time and stress

Rapid growth: The Light Years team managing director James Sutherland (right), creative director Kim Stephen, chef Robbie Oijvall, and Milla the dog at the new Newcastle venue. Picture: Marina Neil
Rapid growth: The Light Years team managing director James Sutherland (right), creative director Kim Stephen, chef Robbie Oijvall, and Milla the dog at the new Newcastle venue. Picture: Marina Neil

Story in partnership with Beevo.

Launching a 110-seat restaurant while keeping three others running during the unpredictabilty of a pandemic might sound like a nightmare, but for the dynamic team behind the expanding Light Years group it's been a challenge they've embraced.

The popular Asian bar and diner concept that began with one Light Years restaurant in Byron Bay in September 2017 now includes three more venues along the east coast - Burleigh Heads, Noosa and the latest, and largest so far, Newcastle, which opened January 4.

The Newcastle opening is just the start of another busy year. Soon to come is a stylish new flagship Light Years restaurant in Byron - three times the size of the original - plus the launch of two new concepts, a Middle Eastern diner called Habibi and Japanese grill bar called Moonlight, also in the popular coastal destination.

"There have certainly been times when we had some doubts, times when you think, wow, are we going to get through this," said Light Years managing director James Sutherland, about the past two years.

"But with a brand like ours, with the kind of growth trajectory we've had, there's a risk for the business if you do nothing and don't keep moving forward.

"The fact that we've been able to get this latest restaurant open and running so successfully during difficult times will hold us in good stead and help us keep ahead of our competitors. But it has been pretty full on at times."

Even at the best of times, being at the helm of a such a fast-growing business comes with intense pressure to ensure no detail is overlooked.

In an industry like hospitality, renowned for high overheads and tight margins, one of the keys to ongoing financial success is staying on top of fixed costs, particularly during one of the most difficult times for the industry.

One of the biggest costs is utilities. For the Light Years team managing this part of the business came with an added degree of difficulty - launching across different states and markets, dealing with a variety of ever-changing suppliers.

Fortunately, this was one management task Mr Sutherland and the team haven't had to spend their limited and precious time on.

Light Years is one of thousands of Australian businesses that have partnered with Beevo - a specialist service that hunts down great rates on essential services, like electricity and gas, for businesses.

Eyes ahead: Light Years stylish new Newcastle venue, the latest opening for the restaurant group.
Eyes ahead: Light Years stylish new Newcastle venue, the latest opening for the restaurant group.

Beevo has saved the business both money and time, allowing the team to concentrate on what they do best - building and operating successful restaurants. In January, Beevo's regular review of Light Years' costs found them an estimated saving of more than $9,500 a year on their current bills.

Mr Sutherland said once the Light Years team had realised the savings in time, cost and "mental health" Beevo could deliver it was a "no-brainer" to sign up.

"We're a pretty typical small business that's grown quite quickly," he said. "You have limited resources, especially at the beginning, and so to keep growing you have to keep your overheads as low as possible.

"We all have only so many hours in a day and so many things to concentrate on and do really well. We don't have the hours it takes to be testing the market and sorting through to find the best service suppliers. It's time and distraction we just don't need, so Beevo has been a godsend."

In the beginning: Light Years in Byron Bay where the blend of fresh and colourful Asian food, cool cocktails, and tropical decor first wowed customers.
In the beginning: Light Years in Byron Bay where the blend of fresh and colourful Asian food, cool cocktails, and tropical decor first wowed customers.

Beevo currently has more than 50,000 customers across Australia and collectively finds them the most competitive rates on a range of services including gas, electricity, waste management, telcos, cleaning and insurance.

As well as locating good deals and organising connections, Beevo steps in to resolve any issues with a service. Plus, it regularly reviews its customers' bills to ensure they're still on great rates.

Beevo's Lilly Macdonald - Light Years' dedicated account manager - said while it's important for all businesses to keep a close eye on costs and cut down on unnecessary expenditure, it's particularly important for hospitality businesses. And utilities are one of the best areas to find savings.

"Electricity prices go up every year so it's something you need to stay on top of. It's about paying less for the exact same service," she said.

"The reality is all businesses are time poor but Beevo are specialists when it comes to your utilities."

For Light Years, working with Beevo is like having an extra trusted partner, Mr Sutherland said. "They just get it done. We don't need to worry about it; we know we've got a great rate and we're going to make a saving. And if something does go wrong they are absolutely all over it."

With Beevo monitoring Light Year's essential services costs, the team is freed up to focus on the many other priorities on their to-do lists.

Mr Sutherland said his main focus at the moment is on growth, with the three restaurant openings in the pipeline, and negotiating the ongoing challenges caused by COVID-19.

"It's never been a more difficult environment for hospitality, with everything from staff shortages and increased costs, to supply chain shortages," he said. "It never ends.

"With all of that, being able to rely on Beevo to look after the fundamental things we need is taking those headaches away. It's such a huge help."

For more information visit www.beevo.com.au or call them on 1300 763 764.

Story in partnership with Beevo.