Agenda item

The Director of Tourism Culture and Economy submits a report on the business case for the new Café at the King Richard III Visitor Centre.

The Director of Tourism Culture and Economy submitted a report on the business case for the new Café at the King Richard III Visitor Centre.

The General Manager of the King Richard III Visitor Centre (KRIII) presented the report.

Key points included:

·       This was a £551k project to bring the café to the front of the site so that all visitors could make use of it.

·       This would involve the conversion of space, lowering the floor and windows and creating a doorway to create a café seating area.  Additionally, the existing reception area would be converted to be a café servery area as well as a place to sell tickets.

·       There could be outside seating on the street.

·       The existing café would be converted to an education space, this could also be hireable.

·       This was an ‘invest to save’ scheme whereby expenditure would be reduced, and income would be increased and service on the site would be improved.

The Committee were invited to ask questions and make comments. Key points included:

·       In response to a request for assurances over the budget, it was explained that lots of work had been done to remove unknowns.  Many surveys had been taken ahead of the project, and this proposal was the second iteration.  Costs and factors needed had been considered and factored in.  Additionally, there was a £100k contingency and research and surveys had been conducted to avoid additional costs.

·       It was requested that a report come back to the Commission 12 months following the opening of the new café to ascertain whether expectations had been met in terms of customer numbers and cost/benefit.

·       It was noted that the existing café had a record year since the pandemic and income had increased 10% year-on-year.

·       In response to a query on whether the King Richard III Society had any association with the site, it was clarified that the Leicestershire Branch of the Richard III Society met at the King Richard III Visitor Centre monthly and there was a section of retail sales that were their products.  Additionally, there were connections with the national Richard III Society and associations with both their past Chair and their current Chair, and Phillipa Langley would be giving presentations at the site.

·       In response to a query on the impact on the site whilst the works were taking place, it was clarified that the major works would take place in the temporary exhibit area, so this would minimise the impact on the rest of the experience.  The rest of the site would not be affected until the breakthrough, which was aimed to take place during the winter period when the museum was closed.

·       In response to a query about how the new café would be advertised, it was noted that the offer in the area included the museum as well as the tomb and the cathedral. As such, the cathedral was worked with closely and between the museum and the cathedral there were over 50k visitors per year.

·       In response to a query about what would happen to the temporary exhibition space where the new café was to be situated, the information and stories in this area would be covered elsewhere in the museum.

AGREED:

1) That the presentation be noted.

2) That comments made by members of this commission to be taken

3) That a report come back to the Commission 12 months following the opening of the new café to ascertain whether expectations had been met in terms of customer numbers and cost/benefit.