Operators urged to have say on draft London Food Strategy: Operators are being urged to have their say on the draft London Food Strategy as mayor Sadiq Khan outlines his vision for “good food” in the capital. Khan has set out his prio … view

Unsecured creditors of Burger King franchisees left £20m out of pocket: Unsecured creditors of two Ipswich-headquartered companies that together operated more than 30 Burger King outlets across the UK will be left out of pocket by almost … view

Bridgepoint confirms Pret A Manger sale: Bridgepoint has confirmed it is to sell Pret A Manger to JAB, a global investment firm with a proven track record of investing in premium brands. The transaction is expected to be completed during … view

FT – JAB Holdings set to buy Pret A Manger: Luxembourg-based JAB Holdings is set to buy British sandwich chain Pret A Manger for 1.5 billion pounds ($2.0 billion), including debt, from its private equity owners, the Financial Times has … view

Hotcha director facing bankruptcy petition over £4m owed to business, VAT fraud and money laundering investigation ongoing: James Liang, director of Chinese takeaway franchise Hotcha, is facing a bankruptcy petition over an unpaid overdr … view

Taiwanese fruit tea concept YiFang launches debut permanent UK site, secures second: Taiwanese fruit tea concept YiFang has launched its first site in the UK and secured a second, both in London. The brand, which also operates a pop-up in … view

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Dining out still in growth but delivery booming: Consumers are still eating out even though the popularity of delivery is increasing, according to new research by purchase intelligence platform Cardlytics. The study, based on spending ins … view

Oakman reports like-for-likes up 5.2% since year end, updates on pipeline: Oakman Inns & Restaurants has reported like-for-like sales are up 5.2% in the first seven weeks of the new financial year and updated on its pipeline. The company … view

NewRiver acquires Hawthorn Leisure for £106.8m: NewRiver, which owns a portfolio of about 330 pubs, has acquired Hawthorn Leisure from an affiliate of Avenue Capital Group for an enterprise value of £106.8m. This represents a net initia … view

Just Eat teams up with Sarah Willingham to launch business booster initiative for restaurant partners: Just Eat has teamed up with investor and former Dragons’ Den star Sarah Willingham to launch a growth initiative for the company’s … view

Just Eat teams up with Sarah Willingham to launch business booster initiative for restaurant partners: Just Eat has teamed up with investor and former Dragons’ Den star Sarah Willingham to launch a growth initiative for the company’s … view

The Restaurant Group reports like-for-likes down 1.8% in most recent seven weeks: The Restaurant Group has reported an improving sales performance with like-for-likes down 1.8% in the first seven weeks of the Second Quarter. The Restauran … view

Casual Dining Group expands hotel franchise portfolio with London Town deal: Casual Dining Group, which operates about 290 mid-market restaurant brands including Cafe Rouge, Bella Italia and Las Iguanas, has signed UK franchise agreements … view

UberEats acquires online restaurant ordering platform OrderTalk: UberEats has completed the acquisition of OrderTalk, the Dallas-based provider of online ordering software and service solutions to UK and US restaurants. OrderTalk’s tech … view

NewRiver confirms in exclusive negotiations to buy Hawthorn Leisure: NewRiver, which owns 300 pubs, has confirmed it is exclusive talks to buy Hawthorn Leisure, NewRiver stated: “NewRiver notes press comment regarding the potential acqu … view

Various Eateries plans considered approach to Coppa Club expansion as brand’s like-for-likes increase 22%, Strada set for refresh: Various Eateries, which operates the Coppa Club, Strada and 31 Below brands, saw like-for-like sales incr … view

TGI Friday’s staff stage first UK strike over tips: Workers at two TGI Friday’s branches have staged the brand’s first strike in the UK. Waiting staff at sites in Milton Keynes and Covent Garden walked out today (Friday, 18 May) in … view

Subjects: There must be 50 ways to leave the EU, cutting choice, coffee shops can lead the charge to save our high streets and coping with a crisis 

Easycoffee opening up to 40 sites in next 12 months as it accelerates expansion, all stores profitable at Ebitda level: Easycoffee chief executive Nathan Lowry has told Propel he expects the company to open between 30 and 40 sites in the … view

Carluccio’s CVA imminent: Carluccio’s is on the verge of entering into a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), Propel understands. The majority of Carluccio’s 103 UK restaurants are profitable but a tail of sites – thought to be ab … view

Miller & Carter won’t become ‘monster’ brand: Urban has said Miller & Cart … view

CDG Group – rent to turnover percentages are unsustainable: A very large majority of London hospitality businesses anticipate that they could close or relocate sites, a new study reported in City AM has revealed. Some 90% of restaurateu … view

Ei Group to concentrate on investing in existing estate rather than acquisitions, unveils tenth managed joint venture: Ei Group chief executive Simon Townsend has told Propel the company plans to concentrate on investing in its existing e … view

Ei Group reports like-for-like net income up 0.6% in first half: Ei Group, the largest owner and operator of pubs in the UK, has reported like-for-like income was up 0.6% (first-half 2017: up 1.6%) in its 3,856-strong Pub Partnership divi … view

Home House team to launch Marylebone private members’ club aimed at entrepreneurs, investors and innovators: The team behind London luxury members’ club Home House is to launch a venture in Marylebone aimed at high-growth entrepreneur … view

UK consumer spend on night out rises 6.9%: UK consumer spend on a night out rose 6.9% to £59.40 between February and April compared with the same period last year, according to the latest Deltic Night Index. More than half (56.4%) of UK … view

UK consumer spend on night out rises 6.9%: UK consumer spend on a night out rose 6.9% to £59.40 between February and April compared with the same period last year, according to the latest Deltic Night Index. More than half (56.4%) of UK … view

Douglas Jack – Marston’s likely to have been held back by the snow: Peel Hunt leisure analyst Douglas Jack has forecast that Marston’s interim results are likely to have been impacted by adverse weather at the start of the year. He … view

Sector like-for-likes drop 1.2% in April: Britain’s managed pub and restaurant groups saw sales slip in April. Latest figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker showed collective like-for-likes down 1.2% on the same month last year … view

Tim Martin – ‘I have never used Wetherspoon app and have no intention to’: JD Wetherspoon founder Tim Martin has revealed to Propel he has never used the company’s order and pay app – and has no intention of doing so. The app ha … view

JD Wetherspoon reports like-for-like sales up 3.5%: JD Wetherspoon has reported like-for-like sales increased 3.5% for the 13 weeks to 29 April 2018. Total sales increased 2.8%. Year-to-date like-for-like sales have increased 5.2% and tot … view

US fast casual segment sees single-digit sales growth in 2017, chains to expand into new global markets: The US fast casual segment has rebounded since 2016 but experienced a consecutive year of single-digit sales growth performance in 20 … view

Caskade Caterers secures £29.4m for Taco Bell roll-out: Caskade Caterers, the Taco Bell and KFC franchise business, has secured a £29.4m funding package from HSBC to support its ambitious expansion plans. The £13m loan, £10m revolving … view

BrewDog appoints chief financial officer: Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog has appointed Jason Marshall to the newly created role of chief financial officer. Marshall brings a wealth of experience to the role having served in the Coca … view

Worldpay launches pay-at-table solution as younger diners stress over service delays: Payments processor Worldpay has launched a pay-at-table solution as younger diners become increasingly frustrated by speed of service, especially when w … view

TGI Friday’s staff to stage first UK strike over tips: Workers at TGI Friday’s are to stage the brand’s first strike in the UK following ballots at two branches. Waiting staff at sites in Milton Keynes and Covent Garden are set to w … view

The f … view

Laine owner to roll out business model across additional pubs, open to further sector deals: The new owner of Laine Pub Company plans to take the business model outside Brighton and London through additional investment and acquisitions an … view

Whitbread directors get £12m share bonanza: Whitbread directors have been handed more than £12m of shares – as it prepares to demerge its Costa Coffee business. Chief executive Alison Brittain was awarded £2.1m worth of shares under … view

Bill’s reports turnover and Ebitda boost, averaging 5,000 a week app downloads: Bill’s Restaurants, owned by Richard Caring, has revealed its app is receiving an average 5,000 downloads a week as it reported a turnover and Ebitda boos … view

Mother Clucker in funding talks for expansion as it prepares to open debut bricks-and-mortar site: John Upton, chairman of buttermilk-fried chicken specialist Mother Clucker, has told Propel the company is about to “kick-off a fundraisi … view

Steve Easterbrook – McDonald’s UK is ‘on a roll’, Grand Mac sales far exceed any other promotion: McDonald’s chief executive Steve Easterbrook has singled out the UK business for particular praise in an analysts’ call. He repo … view

Adam Marshall secures first site for new street food and karaoke concept, Lords of Poké and Coco di Mama also sign for Paddington Central scheme: Street food and karaoke restaurant Huckster, a new concept from Grand Union co-founder Adam … view