You opened in Margate just over a year ago, was expansion something you were already thinking about when the Folkstone opportunity came about?
It was an organic process, but it happened sooner than I initially wanted. Folkstone is somewhere I holidayed a lot as a kid, and since moving back to Kent it’s a place we’ve visited quite a lot. We were approached by Creative Folkstone to see if we’d be interested in opening a restaurant in the town and this site was subsequently offered to us. I’m not usually someone who believes in fate, but a month before me and my partner had walked past it on a visit and commented on how beautiful it is. It used to be a pub, up until either the late 90s or early noughties. More recently it was a pop-up creative space, which was great, but it was never in constant use.
Is Pomus Folkstone designed to be more a pub or a restaurant?
The benefit of our design is it’s quite flexible. The plan was to make it feel like it’s always been there, without it feeling too shiny and new. It definitely doesn’t feel like a pub - more like a New York bar. It’s a light and airy space, the sort of place you can pop in for just a drink, but also for dinner. We opened last week and have had as many coming in for a full meal as have been coming for a glass of wine and a snack. It’s a modern design, but with a lot of mid-century texture to it.
Has the concept changed at all?
It’s the same in terms of ethos between Margate and Folkstone. It’s sharing concept with a monthly-changing menu that has an emphasis on showcasing local ingredients but takes inspiration for the cooking from across the globe. That’s the beginning and end of the similarities on the menu, though. Other than the olives there’s no crossover in terms of dishes. There’s a lot of local nuances in what we serve. We have dayboats in Folkstone, so there’s a lot more fish on that menu. From a wine perspective, the similarities are that we work on a cash margin, meaning we can offer some really high-end wines at a good price. The restaurant in Folkstone is bigger too with a mixture of seating and a larger terrace, while Margate is a smaller, cosier space.
How different is it operating a restaurant in Folkstone compared to Margate?
Like Margate, Folkstone has a mix of locals and tourists, but the difference is our location is right in the centre of town and so there’s a bigger footfall. It’s 10 minutes from the harbour and one of the first streets you come across when coming back from the beach or harbour. By contrast, in Margate we’re so set back from the seafront that you really have to be looking for us. There’s a lot more people who will be able to stumble across us in Folkstone.
How do you deal with the peaks and troughs of a seaside town?
There’s always going to be seasonal variation across in both towns as there’s more people visiting in the summer, but it’s about how you set your business up. There will be some businesses whose model is focused entirely on the summer and targeting the tourist crowd, but we’ve worked to be part of the community, and we’ve price ourselves to be just as welcoming to locals and visitors. We’ve got a good local following in Margate, and it was still busy and worthwhile operating in the winter. The summer obviously brings additional revenue, but it’s more putting some extra icing on the cake rather than doubling our takings. The core demographic is those who live in the town and visit us all year around.
Your career has included stints with the Jamie Oliver Group and White Rabbit Projects. How have those experiences informed your journey as a restaurateur?
They’ve been invaluable. Over my career I’ve been part of teams across different businesses and part of about a hundred restaurant openings. Doing my own thing under my own steam with my own funding and design, it’s brutally hard. I genuinely do not understand how people who have never worked in the industry can open their own place, because I’ve still found it super challenging. When you’re setting up your own business you have to be over everything, and I’ve been lucky to have a broad experience across the industry. I was with Jamie Oliver from one restaurant to a hundred globally, and that allowed me to see what really works, prepare for any mistakes and look out for what might go wrong. Working with Chris Miller at White Rabbit helped me properly understand how the financials of a running a restaurant business works. I don’t think I would have been able to open my own business without doing either of those jobs.
Do you have plans for further Pomus restaurants?
I’m really happy with where we’re at. We’re planning more supper clubs and pop-ups, as well as events and collaborations with local vineyards. There’s a lot to keep us busy. From an expansion point of view, I’d never say never, but the original plan wasn’t for Pomus to have a mass rollout. I do have other concepts I’m working on though, including a coffee and brunch idea I’d like to get off the ground. It would be a chance to focus on more of the day part, but retain that ethos of monthly changing menus, great seasonality and great value that I’ve established with Pomus.