Better burger branded boom bottoms out in the US: Influential US magazine Restaurant Finance Monitor has questioned whether the branded better burger boom in the US is fizzling out after lacklustre performances from a number of major play … view

Whitbread reports 6.8% like-for-like growth: Whitbread has reported 6.8% like-for-like sales growth in its 11-week fourth quarter to 13 February. The sales growth is an acceleration of full-year trends in the 50 weeks to 13 February, whic … view

Sector lines are blurring as operators morph: The eating-out market is changing and traditional segmentation lines are blurring, four casual dining pioneers argued at the Casual Dining show in Islington, London yesterday. While the trade … view

Restaurant Group like-for-likes up 3.5%: The Restaurant Group, which operates 440 restaurants and pubs, has reported like-for-like sakes grew 3.5% in the eight weeks to 23 February with total sales up 10%. Total sales grew 9% to £580m in … view

15 branded Bristol restaurants join forces to offer deals: A total of 15 branded restaurants in the Cabot Circus area of Bristol have joined forces to offer diners a deal. The Come Dine with Cabot campaign offers customers special deals o … view

A Red tape costs government £3m in lost taxes as McMullen opens new-build: Hertford-based McMullen has opened its first new-build pub in 25 years in Milton Keynes – The Prince George. But the project has taken six years to come to frui … view

“Who killed Cock Robin? I, said the sparrow, with my bow and arrow, I killed Cock Robin…” Unlike the sparrow, no one has stepped forward to accept b … view

Jamie Rollo – managed pubs worst hit by a 5% rise in wage bill through National Minimum Wage: Morgan Stanley leisure analyst Jamie Rollo has argued that the UK’s managed pub operators would be worst hit by a 5% rise in their wage bill … view

Patisserie Valerie prepares for float: Patisserie Valerie is planning a float that would value the company at more than £150m, according to The Sunday Times. A listing would deliver a large profit to Risk Capital, the investment business … view

Giggling Squid founder criticises VAT non-enforcement: Andy Laurillard, founder of the Thai restaurant chain Giggling Squid, has criticised VAT non-enforcement, claims his company is undercut 20% by restaurants not paying VAT. He reports … view

Le Pain Quotidien reports increase in profits in 2013: Belgian bakery chain Le Pain Quotidien has reported UK pre-tax profit rose to £802,887 in the year to 29 December 2013 compared to £585,108 the year before. Sales rose 3.9% to £30, … view

Hakkasan buys US nightclub company as its eyes development of “multi-faceted global lifestyle brand”: Hakkasan Group, the company that was founded in London’s Hanway Place in 2001 and runs eponymous Michelin-starred Cantonese restau … view

BrewDog woos Europe’s top beer bloggers with five-star visit to brewery: BrewDog has flown ten top beer writers and bloggers from Europe and the UK to its brewery in Elen, Aberdeenshire in a charm offensive. The writers on Monday’s tr … view

Nick Batram – Domino’s franchisees done less well that the company since 2007: Peel Hunt leisure analyst Nick Batram has argued that the traditional split of profit between Domino’s UK and its franchisees – one third to two-thirds … view

Allegra – foodservice market will grow by 3% in the coming year: Insights firm Allegra Foodservice has found that emerging fast food concepts, coffee shops and the further proliferation of the street food movement will be the sales grow … view

Olympic legacy produces record number of visitors to the UK: The UK has begun to reap the legacy of the London Olympics in 2012 with a record number of visits by overseas residents last year, with foreign tourist spending during their tri … view

Punch Taverns bondholders to table debt-for-equity swap: Punch Taverns’ bondholders are weeks away from presenting their own plan to restructure the company, involving a major debt-for-equity swap. A major bondholder group, which repres … view

Punch withdraws restructuring proposals: Punch Taverns has withdrawn its restructuring proposals “following feedback from a range of stakeholders”. The company looked to be on a collision course with bondholders over a vote on its res … view

Pub and restaurant groups report 7.2% like-for-like January sales jump: Pub and restaurant groups enjoyed an upbeat start to 2014, thanks to the weather. Collective like-for-like sales were up 7.2% on January 2013, a month that was badly … view

Cold weather sends US sales down by 3.3% for McDonald’s; strong in Europe: McDonald’s has reported better-than-expected global sales at established restaurants for January as gains in Europe and China helped the company offset a sharp … view

M&B examines entry into Irish market: Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) is sizing up expansion opportunities across Ireland, with up to six potential locations already thought to have been identified in Cork and Dublin, the Irish Examiner has rep … view

Shimla Pinks bought in pre-pack after collapse: The upmarket Indian restaurant Shimla Pinks in Broad Street, Birmingham has been sold in a pre-pack deal after administrators were bought in last month. The restaurant’s owner, Grillfair L … view

Corney & Barrow reports disappointing year: London wine bar operator Corney & Barrow has reported a disappointing year with a 7% drop in like-for-likes sales that followed an 11% drop the year before – headline sales were down 3%. The c … view

Batemans launches “momentous” raft of new craft beers and rebrands: Innovative family brewer and retailer Batemans, winner of the Sainsbury’s Great British Beer Hunt for the past two years, has marked its 140th birthday by launching … view

Adam Fowle becomes Enterprise Inns non-executive: Adam Fowle, the former Mitchells & Butlers chief executive and current chief executive of Tesco Family Dining Group, has been appointed a non-executive at Enterprise Inns. His arrival come … view

Punch creditors draft alternative plan: Punch Taverns bondholders are working on an alternative plan to restructure the company’s debt pile. It has emerged that Rothschild, which is advising an Association of British Insurers’ commit … view

Cafe Loungers – costs ‘well-controlled’ in year sales rose 47%: Cafe bar concept Loungers, led by Alex Reilley and Jake Bishop and backed by Piper Private Equity, has reported costs were ‘well-controlled’ as turnover rose 47% to … view

Drake & Morgan launches Facebook booking app: London-based bar and restaurant group Drake & Morgan has launched its very own Facebook booking app to make bookings seamless with customers’ online social networking. Helping to create an i … view

Inventive Leisure reports successful re-finance: Inventive Leisure, the Revolution vodka bar operator, has reported the successful re-financing of its bank facilities, following continued strong trading in December and the roll-out of its … view

Artisan Burger Co reveals rewards scheme for investors: The fledgling better burger concept Artisan Burger Co has unveiled a rewards scheme for investors. The company is looking to raise £240,000 in return for 15% of its equity through … view

Paveley steps down at Admiral Taverns: Jonathan Paveley has decided to step down as executive chairman of Admiral Taverns after leading the business for four years. The group has appointed John Sands as non-executive chairman and Kevin Ge … view

Sector set for strong January results as companies report robust like-for-likes: The sector looks likely to have seen very strong January trading as smaller companies begin to report robust like-for-likes in the month, driven by the snow- … view