Ember & Oak
London9 Months
Reduce Delivery App Dependency & Reclaim Margin.
Business Snapshot
Month 0 → Month 9 Performance
0%
From 60%0%
From 18% (inc. social & loyalty traffic)0
Email + SMS (From 2,100)£0
From ~£76k (modeled on share shift)0%
From 31%*Rolling 90-day average comparison. Orders were completed on the brand’s own website ordering system and booking engine. Social functioned as an attention and capture infrastructure.
The Leverage
- Ember & Oak operated 4 high-footfall restaurants in Central London.
- 60% of delivery revenue was flowing through Uber Eats and Deliveroo.
- Average commission: 27%.
- Repeat diners were being re-acquired through paid platforms.
- Social presence existed. It was aesthetic. It was not infrastructure.
Margin recovery and customer ownership, not just "more engagement."
Content Loop
3 recurring weekly formats:
- Behind-the-kitchen authenticity
- Limited-time direct-only offers
- Guest proof and testimonials
Proof Loop
- Customer reviews are reshared weekly.
- User-generated dining content curated daily.
- Chef and staff spotlight content humanized the brand.
Capture Loop
Bio link routed to:
- Direct booking page
- Direct delivery ordering page
- SMS signup for "direct-only perks"
Amplification Rule
Paid boosting only on:
- High-performing organic proof posts
- Direct-order promotional windows
- Event campaigns
Measurement Loop
Weekly tracking:
- Website orders originating from social traffic
- Email and SMS subscriber growth
- Delivery source breakdown
- Repeat booking rate
- Commission paid by platform
Baseline Reality
- The restaurants were profitable, but margin pressure was increasing.
- Delivery platforms controlled customer data, repeat visibility, and promotional leverage.
- Social posting was irregular and creative-driven.
- Followers increased.
- Owned revenue did not.
Constraint
- London's delivery ecosystem is saturated.
- Organic reach fluctuates.
- Offer fatigue is common.
- Customers default to convenience apps.
The Leverage Insight
Delivery apps are distribution layers.
If you do not build your own distribution loop, you rent your customers forever.
- Creates identity
- Creates recall
- Creates incentive
- Captures contact
Intervention Moves
- Built "Direct Diner Club" via SMS loyalty
- Introduced direct-only bundle offers not listed on apps
- Implemented in-store QR capture tied to social incentives
- Re-routed social traffic to controlled booking hub
- Launched weekly chef-special exclusives
- Used social polls to increase participation and revisit frequency
- Implemented remarketing only to loyalty subscribers
Proof Set
18% → 44%
60% → 38%
2,100 → 11,800
31% → 54%
~£27,000 to £38,000
Depending on volume and seasonal varianceEconomics Translation
Assumptions clearly labeled:Additional repeat bookings increased in-store revenue by ~£10,000 to £12,000 per month.
~£38,000 per month at peak months
Not a guarantee.
Control & Tracking
- Weekly commission reporting by channel
- Social-attributed website sessions
- Email and SMS growth velocity
- Repeat booking frequency
- Offer redemption tracking
- DM automation metrics
Next 90 Days
- Segment loyalty base by spend behavior
- Introduce automated birthday-triggered offers
- Target 50% direct share
- Reduce delivery platform share under 30%
If social is generating attention but not ownership, you are still paying rent.
We will audit your revenue channels, quantify your platform dependency, and build a controlled capture system that shifts margin back into your business.