Giggling Squid secures Bath site, eight more in legals: Thai brand Giggling Squid has secured a new site in Bath and has eight more in legals. The latest acquisition takes the group’s portfolio to 13 sites. The company, which introduced … view

Spirit reports like-for-likes up 1.5%: Spirit Pub Company has reported like-for-like sales in its managed division up 1.5% in the 28 weeks to 7 March, with total net sales up 4.5%. Ebitda was £71m (2014: £60m). Profit before tax was £3 … view

Whitbread – Costa now twice as popular as Starbucks in the UK: Whitbread has reported that Costa Coffee is now the preferred choice of coffee shop, in a survey undertaken annually by YouGov, for 38% of consumers (up from 22% in 2008), w … view

Whitbread extends growth milestones: Whitbread has extended its growth targets. The company now plans to have circa 85,000 Premier Inn rooms by 2020 compared to the current figure of 59,138. It also plans to grow Costa Coffee system sales … view

Downing looks to raise up to £40m for its EIS Pub Fund and actively seeks operating partners: Downing, a long-term investor in the sector, is looking to take advantage of investors’ appetite for EIS products and raise a further £20m t … view

McDonald’s to unveil turnaround plan on 4 May: McDonald’s chief executive Steve Easterbrook will unveil details of his turnaround plan for the company on Monday 4 May. Current initiatives include simplifying its menu, selling healthie … view

Charles Wells and Chris Gerard to open second Apostrophe Pubs outlet: The Bedford brewer and retailer Charles Wells is teaming up with Chris Gerard of Innventure to open a second outlet under the Apostrophe Pubs name, after the success of … view

Starbucks reports like-for-likes up 7% around the world in Q2: Starbucks has reported like-for-like sales around the world rose by 7% in its Second Quarter (Q2), the 13-week period ended 29 March, with a 3% rise in traffic. America like-f … view

HVS London – more than half of the world’s hotels are now branded: Over half of the world’s hotels are now branded properties, with franchising being the operating model of choice for most of the large hotel operators, a new report … view

Punch Taverns reports 54% rise in First Half profit: Punch Taverns has reported Ebitda of £105 million (2014: £108 million) in the 28 weeks to 7 March, in line with expectations. It has reiterated full year underlying Ebitda guidance of … view

Pret A Manger reports LfLs up 9.7%: Pret A Manger has reported like-for-like sales rose 9.7% in the year to 1 January 2015, with sales up 16% to £594m. Its coffee sales have hit the one million a week mark with revenues also boosted by n … view

SSP launches brew house and barbecue concept: Transport hub foodservice specialist SSP Group has opened a bespoke concept called The Spinning Jenny’s Brew House at Manchester Airport’s Terminal 2. With a design that captures the vibe … view

Everyman raises £20m to buy four cinemas: Everyman Media Group has raised £20 million via a placing of 23,529,412 Ordinary Shares at the Placing Price of 85p per share. The Placing Shares have been conditionally placed by Cenkos, as age … view

G&D Ventures buys Animal Inns sites: G&D Ventures, which is the vehicle of business partners Gregory Adjemian and Daniel Smith and operates the Bib Gourmand-recognised Ingham Swan, near Stalham, Norfolk, has bought independent restaurant … view

Searcys reports £2.6m loss as turnover drops £4.3m: High quality caterer and champagne bar operator Searcys has reported a loss of £2,604,684 in the year to the end of June 2014 compared to a loss of £63,506 the year before. Turnover … view

Eat reports £26.3m loss in year it invested £11.7m: Eat has reported that losses more than doubled to £26.3m in the year to 26 June 2014 from £12.8m the year. Turnover was slightly higher at £93,952,875 compared to £93,595,652 the y … view

Big Easy withdraws £3m mini-bond after investor approaches: Big Easy, the US-style barbecue and lobster shack restaurant with three sites in London, has withdrawn its mini-bond offer after receiving approaches from a variety of investors … view

Peyton & Byrne reports £2.5m loss, British Growth Fund investment: Contract caterer and cafe operator Peyton & Byrne has reported a loss of £2,562,809 in the year to 30 March 2014 on turnover of £22,830,000. The company made a profit o … view

TLC Inns to explore investment options: TLC Inns, the award-winning pub and restaurant operator led by Steve and Jo Haslam, is to explore investment options to allow the company to double its Grand Central Bar and Grill operation. The com … view

NewRiver Retail – Marston’s pub portfolio performing well: Property firm NewRiver Retail has reported that the 202 pubs it bought from Marston’s for £90m in November 2013 is performing well as it progresses plans to create convenie … view

Cambscuisine enters talks with investor, close to securing second Smokeworks site: Award-winning Cambridgeshire gastro-pub and restaurant operator Cambscuisine has entered talks with an investor as it seeks to expand the Smokeworks concep … view

Byron Hamburgers reports £5.58m profit: Better burger brand Byron, led by Tom Byng, has reported turnover grew 34.5% to £55,229,000 in the year to 29 June 2014 (2013: £41,052,000). Pre-tax profit rose to £5,589,000 from £4,430,000 th … view

Majestic acquires Naked Wines in “transformational deal”: Majestic Wine is to acquire Naked Wines, a customer-funded international online wine business to create an international, multi-channel specialist win retailing group. The comp … view

Camden Town reduces valuation by £25m: Camden Town Brewery has reduced its eye-watering £75m valuation on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube to £50m after an unnamed set of investors began talks to buy a 20% stake for £10m. Previously, t … view

Bulldog makes first acquisition after £4.5m investment: Independent coaching inn operator the Bulldog Hotel Group has made its first acquisition in the wake of a £4.5m investment by the Business Growth Fund last week. It has acquired th … view

Starbucks commits $250m to graduating 25,000 employees in next ten years: Starbucks has announced that the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, first introduced in June 2014, will now offer 100% tuition coverage for every eligible US Star … view

Bella Italia to debut retail park site as five open: Five new Bella Italia restaurants are set to open in just ten weeks, including two firsts for the revitalised chain. Its first retail park site will open in Bristol next week while Heme … view

Giggling Squid hires advisor as its seeks investment: Thai brand Giggling Squid has hired Grant Thornton as its corporate advisor as it seeks investment. Founder Andy Laurillard said: “They have a great team, in a high quality field, wi … view

Booker Group chairman to step down, like-for-likes up 1.7%: Wholesaler Booker Group has announced that Richard Rose, having served three terms of three years each, as chairman of Blueheath Holdings and then Booker Group, in accordance wit … view

Vini Italiani launches crowdfunding: Vini Italiani, the award-winning Italian wine bar and wine merchant, has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs, looking to raise £250,000 in return for 11.63% of its equity – so far, £50,060 h … view

Loungers – we’re on track for 100 sites by end of 2016: Loungers, the Bristol-based café/bar operator founded by Alex Reilley and Jake Bishop, is ‘very much on track’ to reach 100 sites by the end of 2016 as it opens its 60th sit … view

Thwaites to invest £25m from Marston's deal in buying new pubs: The £25m that the Blackburn-based operator Daniel Thwaites is getting for selling its beer trading operations and the Wainwrights Golden Ale and Lancaster Bomber beer bran … view