All in all, Workplace has been transformational for Pizza Pilgrims – and looking forward to finding new ways to use it to engage our teams.”

– Thom Elliot, Co-Founder, Pizza Pilgrims

Company Overview

Starting out as a van selling Neapolitan-style pizza on Berwick Street Market in London, Pizza Pilgrims has grown into a beloved brand with 14 locations across London and Oxford. Known for their authentic pizzas and vibrant culture, they’ve built a loyal customer base. But behind the scenes, communication with their team was a different story

The Challenge

Pizza Pilgrims faced several communication challenges, particularly when it came to reaching their frontline workforce: 

• Disconnected Teams
  With no corporate email addresses, frontline employees were often left out of the loop. They relied heavily on fragmented WhatsApp groups for company updates, making it difficult to ensure consistent and effective communication. 
   

• Culture Under Threat
  As a brand known for its lively and inclusive culture, Pizza Pilgrims struggled to keep their team engaged and connected, especially during the uncertainty of COVID-19. They needed a solution to maintain their sense of community, even when employees were furloughed or working remotely. 
   

• Rapidly Changing Business Demands
  The pandemic meant constant operational changes. Pizza Pilgrims needed a fast, reliable way to communicate evolving business demands, redeploy teams, and support employee training—all while maintaining their signature company spirit. 
  
  

The Solution

Cocentric partnered with Pizza Pilgrims to transform their communication and employee engagement strategy. Bringing their consultancy expertise and human approach, Cocentric guided Pizza Pilgrims through every step, ensuring the solution was tailored to their unique culture and needs. 
 

Here’s how our team delivered results: 

• Strategic Planning and Rapid Deployment
  With a six-week timeline, Cocentric designed a fast-track deployment plan to launch the new communication platform. By understanding Pizza Pilgrims’ values and challenges, they crafted a strategy that would resonate with every team member—from HQ (The Pizzabase) to the frontline. 
   

• Human-Centred Consultancy and Training
  Cocentric provided comprehensive training for project teams, ensuring they had the knowledge and confidence to lead the rollout. They also selected and empowered 30 Workplace Champions from the frontline to promote the new platform, leveraging peer influence to drive engagement. 
   

• Seamless Activation with Connect by Cocentric
  Using Connect, Pizza Pilgrims made it simple for email-less employees to activate their accounts using just their date of birth and employee ID. This was especially crucial for their decentralised workforce, ensuring everyone could join easily using their smartphones.
  

• Culture-First Launch Strategy
  We helped Pizza Pilgrims create a vibrant, memorable launch, including branded packs sent to every team member and a live-streamed ‘Slice News’ broadcast by founders Thom and Jamie James. By planning Workplace-exclusive events and competitions within four themed Houses (Mozzarella, Basil, Flour, Tomato), they infused fun and excitement into the new communication hub. 
   

• Integration with RotaReady for Effortless Sync
  Cocentric ensured seamless synchronisation between Connect by Cocentric and RotaReady, their HR system. This meant employee data was automatically updated, and team members were instantly grouped by restaurant location, simplifying communication and collaboration
  
  

The Result

With Connect by Cocentric, Pizza Pilgrims not only solved their communication challenges but also elevated their company culture to new heights. Here’s what they achieved: 
 

• High Adoption and Engagement
  The launch was a huge success, with 83% of employees joining the platform, 89% of whom are active weekly. By leveraging our strategic consultancy and culture-focused initiatives, Pizza Pilgrims achieved rapid adoption and enthusiastic participation. 
   

• Strengthened Culture and Community
  Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Pizza Pilgrims maintained and even grew their lively, inclusive culture. Dedicated groups like ‘Happiness Days’ and ‘Ideas Matter’ provided safe spaces for team members to share experiences, ideas, and what drives their happiness, fostering a sense of belonging and community. 
   

• Efficient Team Redeployment and Training
  With the Training Hub on the platform, employees quickly adapted to new roles and responsibilities. Learning and development were enhanced through peer-to-peer sharing, while the integrated Wellness Hub supported employee wellbeing. 
   

• Operational Efficiency and Collaboration
  Communication became streamlined and efficient. The Supplier Issues group became a game-changer for inter-restaurant communication, solving problems faster. Intra-restaurant communication was enhanced by creating dedicated groups for each location, ensuring clear and relevant updates. 
   

• Recognition and Success
  Pizza Pilgrims’ exceptional use of the platform didn’t go unnoticed. They won the Workplace from Meta Award for Small to Medium Business Excellence, recognising their rapid six-week launch and innovative approach to employee engagement during COVID-19.