Jerk Junction
Using guest insight to drive operational excellence
Jerk Junction's story
Jerk Junction brings the vibrant flavours of the Caribbean to North West England with authentic dishes and a lively atmosphere. The Manchester-born brand has built a loyal following by combining fresh ingredients with the rich culinary traditions of Jamaica and the islands.
The Challenge
Jerk Junction wanted to be able to measure:
-
Consistency
Across a number of areas, including customer service, allergy handling, food quality, and portion sizes.
-
Upselling
Identifying missed opportunities and increasing revenue through smarter guest engagement.
-
Review Responses
Ensuring timely and consistent replies to reviews, whilst also lifting review scores.
The Solution
-
Mystery Guest Audits
Guided by Jerk Junction’s goals, HGEM implemented a bespoke Mystery Guest Audit programme to objectively measure operational and service standards, capture real guest experiences, and monitor consistency across all three locations.
-
Tailored Approach
Working closely with the Jerk Junction team, each section of the audit was carefully structured to focus on a different value – ensuring that operational standards and guest experience were consistently upheld across the business.
The Outcome
-
Actionable Insights
Jerk Junction now benefits from clear, data-driven insight brought together in one central dashboard – The Hub – giving the team a clear view of where to focus improvements and what matters most to guests across every touchpoint.
-
Upselling
Guest insight has enabled the team to make practical changes on the floor, resulting in a £2–£3 increase in spend per guest while maintaining an elevated dining experience – a clear example of insight-led improvement delivering value for both guests and the business.
-
Review Responses
From the beginning of HGEM’s partnership with Jerk Junction, online reviews were identified as a key area for improvement. Within just two months, a targeted focus on reviews saw their Google Reviews score increase from 2.5 to 4.4, response rate increase from 50% to 94%, and response time improve by 93.1%
-
"HGEM's insight from Mystery Guest Audits, along with Review Management, has been invaluable.
In the current hospitality climate, providing a positive guest experience has never been more important. With the support of HGEM, we are striving for a 10/10 in overall experience, including food quality, wait times, and more.
The data they have provided so far is already making a significant difference at Jerk Junction.”
Mickey McCarthy | Managing Director
