Digbeth Dining Club is one of the Midlands’ most distinctive, and operationally complex hospitality groups. Across Artum, Hockley Social Club, a fast-growing comedy arm and a major events business that can involve up to 70 independent traders in a single day, the team runs multiple formats, trading rhythms and operational models under one umbrella.
Despite that complexity, Digbeth operates with precision. Labour costs sit between 15–22% depending on venue model. GP holds at 70–71%. And labour now lands within 0.38% of plan — a level of accuracy most operators never reach.
But getting there meant replacing spreadsheets, inconsistent reporting and venue-by-venue guesswork with one operational backbone. That’s where Nory came in.
The complexity behind the culture
When Operations Director Nicol Dwyer joined, Digbeth had strong cultural foundations but no unified operational system. Labour planning varied widely across venues. Stock and waste processes were manual and inconsistent. Reporting didn’t line up between Herbert’s Yard, Hockley Social Club and the seasonal event sites.
Nicol, who had worked with major software-led hospitality brands earlier in her career, immediately felt the gap.
“We had nothing that talked to each other. Labour was guesswork. Stock was manual. Reporting wasn’t consistent. It just wasn’t sustainable.”
To scale and to protect both GP and labour as the business grew, Digbeth needed one source of truth.
One system, many operating rhythms
Data-led labour planning
Nory’s demand insights now show Digbeth exactly when guests arrive, spend and slow down, allowing managers to build rotas around real patterns rather than historic habit.
The result is a level of accuracy that is rare in hospitality: labour cost within 0.38% of plan, week after week.
“Now we know exactly when people are in the building spending money. That changes everything.”
Herbert’s Yard has become the benchmark. In busy weeks, labour sits around 15–18 %, while more complex sites like Hockley sit closer to 22% - still tightly controlled given the variability of the model.
Waste logging and GP visibility
The team now logs waste daily in Nory, turning what used to be a manual, inconsistent process into disciplined habit. Variances are easier to trace, and the impact on GP is immediate.
“Stock talks to you. With Nory, you can actually hear it.”
Demand-based ordering ties directly into that rhythm. Teams order only what they need, aligned to predicted demand, reducing overspend and protecting Digbeth’s consistently strong GP of 70–71%.
Standardisation without losing autonomy
Hockley Social Club, Herbert’s Yard and Digbeth’s roaming event sites all have different operational rhythms. Pre-Nory, those differences made standardisation difficult. Now, each venue keeps its character — but shares the same backbone for labour, waste, ordering and reporting.
“We’re an independent business with a corporate mindset. Nory lets us keep that independence while making the operation consistent and scalable.”
The impact
Nory has helped Digbeth build a more consistent, controlled operating model. Labour lands within 0.38 % of plan, giving leadership confidence in weekly performance rather than relying on after-the-fact corrections. GP remains stable at 70–71 %, supported by disciplined waste logging and demand-led ordering. Managers have clearer visibility across venues and events, and far less manual admin. Service, trader relationships and guest experience all benefit from that shift in focus.
For Nicol, the change is simple: her team can finally operate at the standard they expect.
“If I asked people to run this business at the standard we want, using spreadsheets alone, our staff turnover would be wild. The software makes the workload sustainable. It lets managers actually manage.”
What’s next
Digbeth opens a new venue in March 2026, with additional sites planned for 2027–28. Its comedy and events arms are expanding rapidly, and large corporate partners continue to fuel demand.
Nory will sit at the heart of that growth — standardising labour, stock, waste and reporting across every new site without diluting what makes Digbeth unique.
“We’re a small team with a big mindset. Nory gives us the structure to grow in the right way.”
If you're interested in understanding how Nory can help you're business, get in touch with our team.