Greene King like-for-likes accelerate: Greene King has reported that its managed division like-for-like sales have accelerated to 4.8% in the last 16 weeks from 4.1% earlier in the financial year. In a pre-close trading update for the 52 … view

British Street Food in talks with private equity investors: British Street Food, the company that acts as a marketing and promotional platform, connecting street food to street foodies, has begun talks with private equity investors. There … view

Whitbread reports 3,000 new jobs created in past year: Whitbread has reported it has created 3,000 new jobs in the UK in the past year as it reported sales up 13.0% to £2,294.3 million (2012/13: £2,030.0 million) in the year to 27 Febru … view

   

Britvic rolls out multi-million-pound assault to boost quality of draught soft drinks dispense: Soft drinks firm Britvic is rolling out new equipment, new fonts and new glassware to boost standards in the £2.3bn on-trade draught soft dri … view

Starbucks reports reduced UK losses: Starbucks UK has reported that its losses in the UK fell by 32.7% to £20,465,123 in the year to 29 September 2013. Turnover dropped to £399,405,183 from £413,392,826 the year before. There was a net … view

Harry Ramsden’s reduces losses: The 18-strong fish and chip shop chain Harry Ramsden’s, which is owned by Boparan Ventures and led by Joe Texeira, has reduced losses in the year 29 December 2013. The company made a loss before tax of … view

Greene King Leisure Spend Tracker finds UK spending more on eating out as 2014 progresses: The average British household spent £200 on out-of-home leisure activities in March, which amounts to a total nationwide spend of around £5.1bn, … view

Camerons starts to add to Head of Steam estate with managed conversion: Brewer and retailer Camerons is to convert one of its existing managed pubs to the premium-beer The Head Of Steam trading template next month – the company acquired … view

Luke Johnson – London is crying out for New York-style artisan super-sites: Sector investor Luke Johnson has told Propel that London is ‘crying out’ for its own version of the three giant restaurant and artisan foodservice super-sit … view

Gondola chairman – ‘we’ve had a strong first half to our financial year’: The chairman of the Gondola Group, Chris Woodhouse has reported good progress across the company’s key brands in the first half of its current financial y … view

Fuller’s acquires two freehold riverside pubs: Brewer and retailer Fuller Smith & Turner has completed the purchase of two new freehold sites on the banks of the Thames in London. A site in Fulham Reach will open later in 2014 and a sec … view

Jamie Rollo – JD Wetherspoon like-for-likes have out-performed peers for two years: Morgan Stanley leisure analyst Jamie Rollo has reported that JD Wetherspoon’s like-for-like sales have now been materially above its leading pub and r … view

Authors: Martyn Cornell, Tim Foster and Ann Elliott 

 

Jonathan Kaye – we’d like ten Cleavers by the end of 2014: Prezzo chief executive Jonathan Kaye has told Propel his company would like to have ten Cleaver sites by the end of 2014. It is planning between 25 and 30 openings at a cost o … view

Downing invests in Modern Asian Deli brand: Investment fund Downing LLP, which has sizeable co-investments with pub operators Antic London and East Midlands-based Pub People Company, has provided development capital for Modern Asian Deli … view

Enterprise develops ready-made food formats at three sites: Tenanted pub company Enterprise Inns has stepped up its focus on food with the development of ready-made formats at three pubs. The move is part of a initiative by Enterprise tha … view

Punch requests bondholder meeting to avoid default: Punch Taverns has asked to meet bondholders on 29 April to vote on waiving covenants to avoid default. The company stated: “Since its announcement on 28 February 2014, Punch has contin … view

Gerry Ford – I think we will end up with 30,000 pubs; criticised for paying no Corporation Tax since 2007: Caffe Nero founder Gerry Ford has predicted that the UK will end up with circa 30,000 pubs. Ford told The Sunday Telegraph: “I … view

Revolution vodka bar operator reports scale of profit drop in 2013: Revolution vodka bar operator Inventive Leisure, now renamed New Inventive Bar Company and led by former Barracuda Pub Company chief executive Mark McQuater, has reported … view

   

Ralph Findlay – there’s a sea change going on in the pub sector: The chief executive of Marston’s, Ralph Findlay, has argued that a sea change is going on in the pub sector, which is starting to be perceived as a source of innovatio … view

Yummy reports 29% rise in March like-for-like sales: Four-strong Yummy Pub Company, led by Tim Foster and Anthony Pender, has revealed a stellar 29% rise in like-for-like sales in March. The company had enjoyed double-digit sales growth f … view

The Restaurant Group appoints new chief executive: The Restaurant Group has named Danny Breithaupt as its new chief executive. He will join the Board on 1 September 2014 at which point he will take up the position of chief executive follo … view

Ian Neill – US market there for the taking by UK brands: Ian Neill, the former chief executive of Wagamama and current chairman of Las Iguanas, believes the US market is “there for the taking” for ambitious UK operators. Neill, writ … view

Fuller’s to deliver beer to Heathrow flagship pub by pipeline: London brewer and retailer Fuller, Smith & Turner has unveiled the world’s first beer pipeline delivering beer directly to a new pub. Starting at Fuller’s brewery in Chi … view