42 NZB JUNE 2018
Uncompromising evolutionSARAH SPARKS IS AN AUCKLAND-
BASED FREELANCE WRITER. EMAIL
[email protected]H
ip Group is a hospitality
goliath turning over $40
million annually from 12
sites across Auckland,
and employing nearly 500
people. If they do not grow it, bake it or
make it, they source it direct from the
farm to the table.
Fourteen years ago though, Hip Group
was just a neighbourhood nipper, a
humble sum of one called Café on Kohi.
The dream then is the same now; “to
create really great service in a casual
café environment”, says co-founder
Jackie Grant.
It’s clear that the success of Hip Group
has been built on values like empathy,
courage, curiosity and truth. “Everything
has been a learning curve,” she says.
Continually asking “What would we like
here?” backed up by an uncompromising
sustainable food philosophy has been
credited by Jackie as the “driving force” in
all decision-making.
“It’s always been about how to make
that customer experience incredible.”
Ensuring both customers and staff get
what they want has been paramount. “If
we learn and innovate by changing it up
then it will be motivating for our staff to
stay with us.”
Expansion has been fuelled by an
undying commitment to “great quality” yet
it’s led to making courageous calls. Somepeople have not aligned to the vision so
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couple of years we struggled.”
Connections were lost with chefs
wanting hothouse food in the off-season
or butchers peddling non-free range
ingredients. Yet, despite the challenges,
staying curious with an uncompromising
standard has led to innovations ranging
from developing an artisan bakery to
making tubs of tasty gelato that’s
churned on-site.
Never in her wildest imagination,
though, would Jackie have known what
would unfold in the business. Within a
decade of opening her relationship with her
partner fell over, triggering a departure
from the business for two years.
“I was distraught being away and felt my
absolute being was cut off. It was my life.”
Then in 2016 she came back as an
advisor.
“So my ‘grit’ is spending the last two
years rebuilding after being CEO for nearly
a year now.” Figuring things out on her
own while her former partner remains a
shareholder and trustee has been a true
test of character and self-belief.
They say where there is a will there is a
way. After stepping back in, Jackie quickly
assembled a “circle of wisdom, of people
who are really good at what they do”. Most
were existing staff.
She knew she needed to change thingsup again. “We weren’t talking about
being magical.”
So a values discussion soon followed to
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and “change”. Hip Group was feeling its
mojo once again.
Jackie set up her new circle for success
by collectively sharing responsibility and
accountability. “We built a business plan
together and I am proud to say that we
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During the process she renegotiated
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million capital expenditure at the
company’s Britomart site.
‘Grace’ was found not long after
becoming CEO. It was clear to Jackie that
the operation urgently needed a head of
HR, a CFO and GM’s to head each site. At
the Board’s request Jackie accepted she
needed to engage a consultant to validate
what she was doing.
Sam Gadd from Humankind got the nod
to assess the new workplace action plan.
After interviewing all of the team Sam was
amazed that Jackie was spot-on thanks to
trusting her intuition.
“We did a leadership day recently and
over 20 people had rejoined the company
in the last month,” she says.
Jackie ¿JXUHGWKHUHEXLOGKDGWRVWDUW
from the inside out. “When you work in
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believe in what they’re doing to do it right.”
She says it’s all about raising the
standard by taking away little “unconscious
experiences” that customers don’t need, so
they have a great experience.
Now after a year of “tidying up, doing
remedial work to ensure everything wasn’t
broken,” Hip Group is evolving once again,
and with a multimillion-dollar upgrade of
Café on Kohi.
In a way Jackie’s back where it all
started, yet this time she is all the wiser
and incredibly stronger.GR raceBUSINESS OWNERSHIP
IS A TRUE TEST OF
CHARACTER AND
SELF-BELIEF – AS
SARAH SPARKS
DISCOVERED FROM
HIP GROUP’S
JACKIE GRANT.