Within just a year of reimagining the café at Eastbourne District General Hospital, the NHS in-house team achieved an incredible 70% increase in turnover.
This remarkable success story highlights the power of combining the expert insights, a motivated on-site team, and effective management. Together, they have unlocked the café’s untapped potential and brought a fresh lease of life to this vital space.
The Turning Point
The journey began when a major contract caterer decided to withdraw from their agreement at Eastbourne District General Hospital, citing lack of sales despite various attempts to revitalise the
space. East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust saw an opportunity to bring the café back in-house, commissioning Cooper8 to assess the operation and assist in developing a new café concept that would meet the needs of staff, patients, and visitors alike.
Small Changes, Big Results
Through our detailed assessment, we identified several small operational and design improvements, each aimed at addressing key pain points:
• Improving sight lines across and around the space to enhance visibility
• Streamlining the counter layout to reduce wait times and allow staff to engage more directly with customers
• Improving the signage and café visibility to make the café more accessible and inviting (a shout out to Brighton based Verti-Grow for bringing our vision to life)
These cost-effective enhancements created a solid foundation for success – demonstrating that a major overhaul isn’t always necessary to achieve transformational results. Sometimes, a series of thoughtful, targeted changes can have just as big an impact!
A Refreshing New Identity
To complement these operational enhancements, we developed a vibrant new café concept that aligns with East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust’s broader mission of enhancing the wellbeing of patients, staff, and visitors. This revitalised identity not only serves the café but also creates a strong foundation for potential future developments across the Trust’s portfolio.
Exceptional Results and Local Collaboration
Key to the success has been the dedication of the NHS in-house team, and their effective management, who have embraced these changes with enthusiasm.
By partnering with local artisan coffee suppliers (Burgess Hill based Horsham Coffee Roaster) and leveraging the in-house kitchen for freshly baked goods and sandwiches, the team have brought an authentic, high-quality touch to the offer, further enriching the dining experience for customers.
And it doesn’t end here, as we celebrate this incredible milestone, we’re already looking to the future as we build on this success and move into Phase 3 of this journey.
At Cooper8, we are incredibly proud to have played a role in this transformation and can’t wait to showcase what comes next. This project proves that with the right expertise, a clear vision, and a collaborative spirit, small changes really can make a big impact.