Simon Mitchell, 46, serves as the CEO of Kerb, which manages a 24,000 sq ft food hall in Covent Garden, London, and provides catering services to venues like the National Theatre and Aston Villa’s stadium. Additionally, it operates a social enterprise aimed at helping individuals enter the hospitality sector or launch their own street food endeavors.

Established in 2012 by Petra Barran, a former street food vendor, Kerb connects 160 independent traders with customers. The organization reported revenues of £25 million last year, with projections indicating £35 million for this year. The traders, referred to as “members,” contribute a percentage of their revenue, typically 30% at corporate events, 23% at food halls, and 15% for street market pitches. While food halls impose a minimum fee, street markets do not have one; a notable example is a market that has operated every Thursday for 12 years outside the Gherkin in the City of London.

In 2019, Kerb secured financial support from a family investment office to assist in launching its Covent Garden food hall and subsequently sold a 30% stake to Compass Group in 2020, which has since facilitated corporate catering contracts.

Originally, the mission statement read: ‘To create opportunity and joy from the kerb up.’ The focus was on creating opportunities for independent businesses and fostering a fun work environment. ‘From the kerb up’ signifies the street origins of the business.

While the original statement had merit, it was deemed overly complex. During Covid, Kerb sought a new, inspirational statement that everyone could unite behind.

This led to a refined mission of: ‘To be the most impactful hospitality company in the world.’

This new directive informs all actions taken by the company.

Now, in every initiative, two key questions are asked: first, is this opportunity beneficial for our members [the food traders]? Second, what impact can we generate?

For instance, in San Francisco, where Kerb manages a food hall for Ikea, the location is challenging, situated in the Tenderloin area, a district facing significant difficulties. However, this environment also presents unique opportunities. We’ve employed a coach to engage with local organizations to help individuals secure employment at our food hall, aiming to provide a pathway off the streets.

Our commitment lies with supporting small businesses, whether it’s sourcing local products or addressing food waste. Recently, our team gathered to reinforce this principle: while profitability is important, contributing positively is equally essential.

Is it bold to aspire to be the best globally?

The ambition is valid, as we have not yet achieved that status. Setting high goals motivates us. Initially, I was doubtful when we considered the Seven Dials Market—a prime 24,000 sq ft property in Covent Garden. However, determination led us to secure it.

With international operations and partnerships with Ikea and Compass, opportunities abound. The food hall trend is rapidly expanding and thriving.

Thus, while ambitious, we believe in aiming for significant challenges rather than short-term goals. Our vision is to compete on a larger scale.

The formulation of our mission statement is merely the beginning; the implementation is where true challenges lie.

In terms of being ‘impactful,’ the rollout of our social initiatives has progressed well but requires considerable resources and personnel for coaching.

We often find ourselves asking, ‘How can we expand this while managing costs?’ Progress has been slower than desired, but we’ve utilized partnerships to bridge gaps, such as funding our San Francisco coach through the Ikea project.

Continually supporting independent food enterprises is a priority.

Earlier this year, we removed three of our top-performing traders from Seven Dials after their growth outpaced our structure. For example, Truffle Burger expanded to five locations after thriving at Seven Dials. We had to evaluate whether growth was the priority or if we should offer opportunities to smaller businesses.

Our focus is on smaller vendors rather than those motivated by private equity to rapidly expand their reach through Kerb.

Authenticity is paramount. We’re cautious of those who leverage the industry as a rapid ascent, often claiming street origins without the true struggle.

My advice? Avoid mission statements that serve merely as a formality.

Our need to redefine the mission statement stemmed from searching for purpose; we needed a concise and inspirational directive.

It is crucial to motivate the team with a mission that transcends profit. While we are a business with investors requiring commercial success, that is not our sole focus.

This ethos shaped our current mission. As we succeed and enjoy our journey, we must also consider what additional positive impacts we can create. This approach has proven empowering for the business.

Simon Mitchell shared these insights in a conversation with Richard Tyler, editor of the Times Enterprise Network.