Jacques Borel – VAT cut to 5% would create 670,000 sector jobs: A new study released today (Tuesday, 30 April), commissioned by the Jacques Borel VAT Club, which represents 43 major pub, restaurant and hotel operators, has concluded th … view

Greene King sells record 700,000 meals over Easter; achieves like-for-like sales growth every month except March: Greene King has reported like-for-like sales in its managed division rose 2.2% in the 51 weeks to 21 April 2013 – up every … view

Subjects: The widening pub food spectrum, Margaret Thatcher and the market, alternative thinking and tomorrow’s consumer

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Spirit reports Ebitda per pub hits £187,000 per annum – set to overtake JD Wetherspoon: Spirit Pub Company has reported Ebitda per managed pub has hit £187,000 pre central overhead, up 35% since 2010. The figure places it just behind … view

Luke Johnson – ‘we did the right thing waiting another 15 months to sell Giraffe’: Sector investor Luke Johnson has reported that he and the other owners of Giraffe had been tempted to sell the company 15 months before it was bought … view

Ethnic restaurants have suffered major loss of trade to supermarkets: Figures from insights firm NPD Group show that the UK’s ethnic takeaways and restaurants have suffered a decline of 123 million visits over the past three years. Duri … view

Fat Cat Café Bars and Fat Cat Restaurants slips into administration: Derbyshire-based Fat Cat Café Bars and Fat Cat Restaurants, the companies led by Matt Saunders that operated a chain of 11 bars and gastropubs, have been placed in adm … view

Punch chairman – ‘we are concerned that Vince Cable has decided to abolish the tie’: Punch chairman Stephen Billingham has defended the company’s business model in the wake of moves unveiled yesterday to set up a statutory code of … view

Rushmore Group raises £500,000 in two weeks through crowd-funding: Rushmore Group, the six-strong London bar operator led by Jonathan Downey, has raised £500,000 in 15 days through crowd-funding on website Crowdcube. The latest round of … view

Vince Cable fires gun on consultation to ensure pub tenants “no worse off than free-of-tie pubs”: The government has begun a consultation on how to the principle of ensuring tied pubs are no worse off than free-of-tie pubs should be i … view

Punch Taverns provides details on why it will not support administrative receivership – and the consequences of default: Punch Taverns has provided more detail on why it will not support a proposal from senior bondholders to implement a … view

Punch Taverns – an administrative receivership is out of the question: Punch Taverns has reported that it regards an administrative receivership as out of the question after a meeting with its senior bondholders to discuss its plans to … view

Downing boss – it’s a good time to invest in pubs: Steve Kenee, who is investment director for the Downing Pub EIS that has invested with Antic London, Pub People Company and recently funded Geragrious in buying 12 London pubs out of … view

Freezing March causes 3% drop in pub and restaurant like-for-likes: Snow and freezing temperatures across the country contributed to a 3% fall in collective like-for-like sales among 27 large pub and restaurant operators compared with Mar … view

Geof Collyer – the weather will have hit all the pub groups: Deutsche Bank analyst Geof Collyer has forecast that the recent poor weather will have affected all the quoted pub companies. He said: “We have adjusted all of our pub secto … view

Zolfo Cooper report – Powder Train had series of management issues: Powder Train, the five-strong operator of pub restaurant freeholds funded by Jack Bowyer, whose family owned Gale’s Brewery for more than 100 years, and linked to M … view

James Grimes – London pubs market seeing boom conditions; tied leases selling for more than £500,000: James Grimes, whose company AG&G has sold more than 110 pubs in London for in excess of £1m in the past three years, has reported bo … view

Robert Cain Brewery plans £50m brewery village: Liverpool’s Robert Cain Brewery, which is facing a strike off notice at Companies House, has unveiled plans to develop a £50m tourism, leisure and retail destination on its current seven … view

David McHattie is the new chief executive of ALMR: David McHattie has been named as the new chief executive of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) in the wake of a decision by Nick Bish to stand down after 20 years in th … view

Companies House files strike off notice against Robert Cain Brewery: Companies House has filed a notice to strike off Liverpool brewer Robert Cain. The notice comes after the company was three months late in filing its annual accounts. It … view

Brasserie Bar Co targets 20-strong estate of pubs in the next three years; considers reviving Chez Gerard: Brasserie Blanc operator Brasserie Bar Co, led by Mark Derry, is to target an estate of 20 pubs in the next three years after its f … view

Eat reports turnover up, profits down; aims for 200 sites in the next three to five years; HMRC wants to reclaim £2,763,173 VAT: Sandwich shop chain Eat, which has 118 sites and was founded by Niall and Faith MacArthur, has reported turn … view

CGA – Sunday is the key day for food (and drink) sales in pubs: Sunday has become the key day for food and drink sales in pubs, insights firm CGA has reported. Sunday is the most popular day for food sales with 22% of all weekly sales c … view

Former Greene King executive Craig Lewis becomes first Tiger Bills franchisee: Craig Lewis, the former Greene King operations director and Pubmaster senior operations manager, has become the first multiple franchisee of Tiger Bills, an � … view

Coffer Peach Tracker – like-for-like sales up 7% over Easter; restaurants see biggest benefit: The Easter weekend provided a boost for Britain’s leading restaurant and pub groups. Collective like-for-like sales were up 7% on the four- … view

Propel – capacity expansion, asset utilisation and organic growth will drive managed pub food sales: Propel managing director Paul Charity has forecast that managed pubs share of the eating out market will continue to grow, driven by ca … view

George Osborne pledges more support for pubs: Chancellor George Osb … view

Domino’s UK reports 6.6% rise in like-for-likes in first quarter: Domino’s UK has reported like-for-like sales rose 6.6% in its first quarter to 31 March thanks to sales of new products such as the Domino’s Hot Dog Stuffed Crust, a … view

Shepherd Neame offers new flagship tenanted pub branding flexibility: The iconic Kings Head pub in Wye near Ashford, run now by Scott Richardson, who was previously manager of Atomic Kitten singer Liz McClarnon, has become the first Sheph … view

Hakkasan closes Chrysan restaurant six months after opening: Hakkasan has closed its Japanese restaurant Chrysan si … view

Beds and Bars plans new bar concept for Edinburgh; prepares for 38 million Euro Paris opening in the summer: Pan-European hostel provider Beds and Bars, led by Keith Knowles, is to open a new bar concept at its Belushi’s site in Edinbur … view

Brakspear opens first managed pub ‘with Geronimo Inns influence’ after £750,000 investment: Henley-based tenanted pub operator Brakspear has re-opened its Bull Inn in Bell Street, Henley, close to its offices, as its first and flagsh … view

Richard Stringer joins Faucet Inn as operations director: Industry veteran Richard Stringer has joined … view

City Pub Company raises another £8m; seeks joint chief executive: City Pub Company, headed by Clive Watson and David Bruce, has become the most successful EIS company in the sector in recent years after successfully raising £15.8m in le … view