Azzurri Group reports profits up 26.5% to £31.8m: Azzurri Group, the owner of ASK Italian, Zizzi and Coco di Mama, has reported adjusted profits rose 16.5% to £31.8m in the year to 28 June 2015, with turnover up 6.6% to £217.7m. Steve … view

Marston’s – we’re looking for other avenues of expansion: Marston’s has reported that it looking for other opportunities for expansion as it nears completion of a three-year plan to optimise its pub estate. The company reported un … view

Draft House goes early on Living Wage, launches career development path, maps out expansion: Under the banner “Higher, Fairer, Clearer”, craft beer pub group The Draft House has this week introduced the National Living Wage for all ho … view

M&B – we’ve been hit by fast-casual competition and must change: Mitchells & Butlers has admitted that more than half of its Toby Carvery and Harvester sites have been hit by competition opening nearby – and must now build better ba … view

JD Wetherspoon and Pret A Manger lead the way on food hygiene: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has reported that JD Wetherspoon and Pret A Manger top the rankings for high food hygiene scores among large companies and brands. The FSA has … view

BBPA – pubs are carrying one of the heaviest tax burdens in UK economy: Britain’s pubs are carrying one of the heaviest tax burdens in the UK economy, according to a new report published today (Monday, 23 November). The report from Ox … view

Lifestyle Hospitality launches £500,000 crowdfunding to expand Burgerfest: Lifestyle Hospitality Group, which currently has 12 sites in the UK and is led by James Eyre, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £500,000 to expand it … view

Brighton ethical chicken brand Hen launches crowdfunding push: Hen, the ethical chicken brand founded in Brighton by Philip Ilic, has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube, looking to raise £100,000 in return for 11.76% of its eq … view

Scottish-based Bar Soba aiming to become UK-wide brand and build 30-strong estate in next three to five years: Scottish-based cocktail bar and pan-Asian street food restaurant concept Bar Soba is aiming to become a UK-wide brand and build … view

London Union founder Henry Dimbleby defends £31.5m valuation: Henry Dimbleby, founder of street market business London Union, has defended the current £31m valuation of the business, an increase of £27m since the start of the year when … view

Punch to invest £250m to £300m in estate as part of strategy review: Punch Taverns has unveiled its new strategic focus in the wake of the arrival of Duncan Garrood as chief executive. Garrood said: “Since joining in June, I have unde … view

McDonald’s aims to become 95% franchised as it converts 4,000 restaurants to franchise: McDonald’s is to convert 4,000 directly managed restaurants to franchise before 2018, with a long-term goal to move from 81% franchised to 95% fra … view

Enterprise Inns – 50 multi-site operators interested in partnering us, rapid learnings in building 800-strong managed estate: Enterprise Inns has reported that it has received around 50 expressions of interest from multi-site operators … view

JD Wetherspoon reports operating margin slips to 6.2%: JD Wetherspoon has reported that for the 13 weeks to 25 October 2015 like-for-like sales increased by 2.4% and total sales increased by 6.1%. Sales have been slightly higher in the la … view

Chilango raises £1m on Crowdcube in eight days: Mexican brand Chilango has raised £1m on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube in eight days – the company previously raised £2m through a mini-bond. The company is offering 3.26% of its equi … view

Deltic boss – Halloween has turned into the busiest night of the year: Deltic Group chief executive Peter Marks has reported that Halloween has turned into the busiest night of the year for the bar and nightclub operator. Marks reports … view