The Challenge
The Pantry Group including Daisies, The Other Side and Side Piece was already a high-performing hospitality business with three successful venues and a strong reputation in Perth’s competitive café market.
Managing Director Sam Kaye wasn’t looking to rescue a struggling business. Instead, he wanted to create greater clarity around the company’s future direction, strengthen the leadership team and ensure the business was equipped to continue growing in an increasingly challenging operating environment.
The key objectives were to:
- Create a clear strategic direction for the business.
- Align the leadership team around common goals and priorities.
- Improve leadership capability and self-awareness.
- Build the foundations required to scale the business sustainably.
Our Approach
We began by gaining a detailed understanding of how the business was performing beyond the financial results.
Business Diagnostics
A series of diagnostic assessments examined:
These diagnostics provided an objective picture of where the business was strong and where future opportunities existed.
Leadership Development
Each member of the leadership team completed a Harrison Assessment, providing detailed insight into their behavioural strengths, decision-making styles and areas for development.
This was complemented by Positive Intelligence coaching, helping leaders recognise the mental habits that influence performance, relationships and decision making. The combination improved both individual self-awareness and the way the leadership team worked together.
Strategic Planning
With this information in hand, we facilitated a strategic planning workshop with the leadership team.
Together we:
- Clarified the company’s long-term vision.
- Identified strategic priorities.
- Agreed on key initiatives.
- Defined measurable outcomes.
- Developed a practical one-page strategic plan that provided clear direction for the entire organisation.
Rather than creating a lengthy document that would sit on a shelf, the plan became a practical roadmap to guide decisions and keep the leadership team aligned.
The Outcome
The Pantry Group finished the engagement with:
- A clear strategic direction for the business.
- Greater alignment across the leadership team.
- Improved understanding of individual leadership strengths.
- Practical tools for stronger communication and decision making.
- A simple strategic plan that provided focus and accountability.
Most importantly, the business was better positioned to continue growing while maintaining the culture and quality that had made it successful.
Client Feedback
Managing Director Sam Kaye reflected on the value of the partnership:
“I want to say a genuine thank you for everything you’ve done for us over the past six months. You’ve been a fantastic sounding board, challenged our thinking, and helped us navigate a lot as the business has grown.
We’ve really appreciated your support, advice and the time you’ve invested in us.
Thanks again, Justin. We genuinely appreciate everything you’ve done, and I hope our paths cross again in the future.”
Looking Beyond Today’s Success
One of the biggest misconceptions in business is that coaching is only for organisations experiencing difficulties.
The Pantry Group demonstrates that even successful businesses benefit from stepping back, challenging assumptions, investing in leadership capability and creating clarity around future direction.
Strategic planning isn’t about fixing what’s broken—it’s about ensuring today’s success becomes tomorrow’s foundation for continued growth.