The Devonshire. Some things shouldn't scale.
The Devonshire on Piccadilly is one of London's hottest pubs: packed every night, impossible to book. Rolling it out would kill the magic, and that might be its smartest move.
THE GIST ON THE DEVONSHIRE: "One of a kind"
Why is The Devonshire so hot?
The Devonshire, on Piccadilly, has become one of London's hottest pubs. It's packed every night, impossible to book, and even pulling in celebrity moments. Florence Pugh was seen pulling pints there the other day.
Why not roll it out?
Normally this is when investors swoop in, take what works, roll it out and cash in. But the Devonshire's whole appeal rests on it being one of a kind. Get rid of that and you kill the magic.
The private equity playbook is find a hit and multiply it. Not everything can survive that treatment.
What is the lesson?
There's real value in scarcity, in being unique and not ubiquitous. Some businesses create more value by staying singular than scaling endlessly. In an economy addicted to scale, the smartest move is staying small.
Should a great pub stay a one-off?
Your take. One tap, then see how everyone else voted.
Quick answers
Why won't The Devonshire expand?
Its appeal rests on being one of a kind, and Huw says rolling it out would kill the magic.
What is the private equity playbook?
Find a hit and multiply it, which not everything can survive.
See you on the next one.
What should the next one be? Suggest a topic for Huw to explain
The conversation
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