Guest record and new food concept
2019 was a huge success in LEGO® House, reaching no less than 281,786 paying guests and thus a 15% growth compared to 2018. But this success comes with a cost, says Managing Director Jesper Vilstrup:
“We are really proud that we in 2019 exceeded our expectations for the number of guests in both the Experience Zones and in the public area of LEGO Square. But unfortunately having this many guests means that we cannot provide the dining experience we would like to in our eateries - the capacity is simply too low. And that applies both to the kitchen and in the restaurant areas."
Therefore, management has made the decision to close the fine-dining restaurant, LE GOURMET, and the restaurant will therefore not open with the rest of the house after the winter close-down on January 18, 2020.
Jesper Vilstrup says:
“Closing LE GOURMET has been a difficult decision as we basically love the restaurant and the idea of having a great gourmet restaurant in Billund. On the other hand, it is no secret that it has been difficult to attract a continuous flow of guests into the restaurant. And when you consider that we have capacity challenges for our dining LEGO House guests during the day, it ultimately makes sense to utilise the space better.”
Already in weeks 6 and 7, LEGO House will test a new food concept. It will be a modern "share food" concept, where guests do not receive individual servings, but share the meal with their friends and families at the table.
It is therefore not a question of involving the upper floor to expand the popular MINI CHEF restaurant - but instead to offer an entirely new food concept, which is especially relevant on the days when there are a lot of guests in LEGO House.
“Our kitchen, which serves MINI CHEF, is already too low on capacity, so we can't increase the production in there. With the new “share food concept” we get a delicious alternative to MINI CHEF and our BRICKACCINO café, which we expect our guests will welcome. It is still very important for us to provide a high quality experience, and this applies whether you play in the Experience Zones or whether you have to refuel in the eateries, ”says Jesper Vilstrup.