Veeno co-founder steps down as company welcomes new partner: Andrea Zecchino, co-founder of Italian wine cafe Veeno, has stepped down as the company welcomes a new partner. Veeno has appointed Rodrigue Trouillet as commercial director, wh … view

Cuisi … view

Rooney Anand – customer service scores are increasing because we’re not distracted by Spirit integration: Greene King chief executive Rooney Anand has told Propel the increases in its customer services scores are driven by the fact th … view

Greene King reports Pub Company like-for-likes up 2.7% in first half: Greene King has reported like-for-like sales in its managed Pub Company division increased 2.7% in the 24 weeks to 14 October 2018. It said the performance was driven … view

Hospitality businesses falling short of maximising apprenticeship levy, 40% don't properly understand scheme: Fewer than half of hospitality businesses have used the majority of their apprenticeship levy despite some funding expiring with … view

Patisserie Holdings prepares to drop auditor: Patisserie Holdings is preparing to drop the auditing firm that oversaw its books before a £40m black hole was discovered in its accounts. The move to replace Grant Thornton comes days after … view

Sunday Times 100 Best Employer eyes profit share scheme as it aims to grow turnover to £40m by 2025: Buzzworks Holdings managing director Kenny Blair has said the company is looking to grow turnover to £40m by 2025, while it also hopes … view

Turtle Bay reports revenue up 7% to £68.1m: Caribbean restaurant Turtle Bay has reported revenue increased 7% to £68.1m for the year ending 24 February 2018, compared with £63.7m the previous year. Group Ebitda before exceptional costs … view

Greggs reports like-for-likes up 4.5%: Food-on-the-go retailer Greggs has reported like-for-like sales increased 4.5% for the eight weeks to 24 November 2018 with total sales up 9%. The company said like-for-like performance was “ahead … view

M&B still has ‘huge opportunity’ around apprenticeships: Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) group HR director Susan Martindale has said the company still has a “huge opportunity” around apprenticeships, with apprentices now in half of its … view

Restaurant Group shareholder reports it is ‘likely’ vote against Wagamama deal: A Restaurant Group shareholder, Castlefield, which holds 2% stake in the company, has announced that it will ‘likely’ vote against the plan to acquir … view

Wimpy boss – restaurants with new modern look are seeing turnover rise 22% on average: Wimpy UK general manager Chris Woolfenden has told Propel restaurants sporting the brand’s new modern look have seen turnover increase 22% on avera … view

Fuller’s expects another 65 weeks of closures in second half as it accelerates investment programme: Fuller’s chief executive Simon Emeny has told Propel he expects another 65 closure weeks in the second half of the financial year as … view

M&B to expand delivery offer and focus on joint ventures: Mitchells & Butlers chief executive Phil Urban has said up to 400 of the company’s sites could “lend themselves to delivery”. The company is currently offering a delivery ser … view

M&B to launch Miller & Carter in Germany, reports full-year results: Mitchells & Butlers has reported full year like-for-like sales up 1.3% in the 52 weeks ended 29 September 2018 and up 2.2% in the most recent seven weeks. Total revenue … view

Eclectic Bars to launch Le Fez in Putney to spearhead ‘next generation of nightclub experiences’: Eclectic, a subsidiary of Brighton Pier Group, is to launch new concept Le Fez in Putney, south west London, to spearhead the “next ge … view

Marston’s – ‘we’ve performed well in a difficult market’: Marston’s has reported underlying profit growth in all trading segments for the 52 weeks ended 29 September. Underlying turnover was up 15% to £1.14bn and underlying p … view

Ei Group to look at monetising managed investments portfolio in 2020, ‘enough on plate’ to consider acquisitions: Ei Group chief executive Simon Townsend has told Propel the company has “enough on its plate” to consider making acq … view

BII appoints Mark Robson as chairman: The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has appointed Red Mist Leisure managing director Mark Robson as its new chairman. Robson, who graduated from Sheffield Hallam University in 2000 with a degree … view

Ei Group reports full-year managed like-for-likes up 7.1%: Ei Group has reported its managed estate saw like-for-like sales increase 7.1% for the year ended 30 September 2018. Like-for-like net income in its leased and tenanted estate inc … view

Various Eateries now on ‘strong financial footing’ as it prepares for expansion, Coppa Club like-for-likes up 19.8% in 2018: Various Eateries has said the company is now on a “strong financial footing” as it prepares for expansion … view

Sector like-for-likes up 0.2% in October, London significantly outperforms regions: Britain’s managed pub and restaurant groups saw collective like-for-like sales grow just 0.2% in October, according to the latest Coffer Peach Business … view

Fuller’s appoints interim finance director: London brewer and retailer Fuller’s has appointed Deborah Stevenson as interim finance director with effect from Monday (19 November). As a result James Douglas, who announced in September h … view

A … view

Liberation Group appoints Jonathan Lawson as chief executive: Channel Islands-based brewer and retailer Liberation Group has appointed Jonathan Lawson as chief executive. Lawson has more than 20 years’ experience in the retail and pub s … view

TRG gets Wagamama deal support from proxy advisor: The Restaurant Group’s (TRG) campaign to persuade shareholders to back its £559m takeover of Wagamama has received a boost after a proxy adviser backed the deal. Institutional Sharehol … view

Tony Hamlin – there’s never been a better time for operators to get a great leasehold deal in London: Tony Hamlin, managing director of hospitality business lender First Merchant, has said there’s never been a better time to get a g … view

Kate Nicholls outlines Brexit deal: UK Hospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls has outlined the major points of the Brexit deal agreed by the cabinet yesterday. She told members: “I have just come off a call with No 10 on the detail a … view

Costa extends loyalty programme to self-serve machines in first for UK on-the-go coffee industry: Costa Coffee has extended its Coffee Club loyalty programme to Costa Express machines across the UK following a trial. Now available at Cost … view

Rooney Anand to become chairman of WorldSkills UK: WorldSkills UK, the education and skills charity, has announced the appointment of Rooney Anand as the new chairman of the WorldSkills UK board. Anand, who is chief executive of the natio … view

Supper club WeFiFo launches £400,000 crowdfunding campaign to recruit UK hosts and expand internationally: Supper club WeFiFo has launched a £400,000 fund-raise on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube to recruit UK hosts and expand internati … view

Giggling Squid rent to turnover percentage less than 6.5%, negotiates new supply chain deals: Giggling Squid co-founder Andy Laurillard has told Propel its rent as a percentage of turnover is now less than 6.5% on average across the estat … view

The Restaurant Group announces fully underwritten rights issue: The Restaurant Group has announced a fully underwritten rights issue, which is intended to raise gross proceeds of approximately £315 million, to be used to fund part of the … view

Mark Jones – Carluccio’s was ‘three weeks away from going bust’ but will ‘end year with 75 profitable and sustainable restaurants’: Carluccio’s chief executive Mark Jones has said the company was “three weeks away from goi … view

Gourmet Burger Kitchen creditors approve CVA: Creditors of Gourmet Burger Kitchen have “overwhelmingly” approved its company voluntary arrangement (CVA). The company, owned by South African-based Famous Brands, put forward proposals t … view

There is a mode … view

Leisure sector slowdown accelerates in first half of 2018: The slowdown in the leisure sector accelerated in the first half of 2018 as more pubs and bars shut, new research has revealed, although independent numbers remained stable. The l … view

Daniel Davies – Brooklyn trip helped inspire me to create New Brighton leisure quarter: Daniel Davies, founder of CPL Training and chairman of the Institute of Licensing (IoL), has said a study tour to Brooklyn, New York, helped inspire … view

Wetherspoon reports 5.5% like-for-likes in Quarter One, Tim Martin recovers from burst appendix: JD Wetherspoon has reported 5.5% like-for-like sales growth for the 13-week period up to 28 October 2018, its First Quarter – and total sal … view

Pubs and restaurants help drive 4.4% growth in consumer spending for October, confidence at joint lowest level for four years: Pubs and restaurants helped drive a 4.4% year-on-year growth in consumer spending during October, according to … view

Deliveroo increases restaurant partners to 17,000, new exclusive deals with PizzaExpress, Wagamama and Azzurri Group: Deliveroo has increased the number of restaurants and takeaways available on its platform to 17,000. It has also announc … view

Sector’s biggest benchmarking survey sees Ebitda as percentage of turnover steady as operators ‘find new ways to absorb costs’: Ebitda as a percentage of turnover has risen 0.1% in the past year to 10.8% as operators start to find � … view

Novus sells three Tiger Tiger sites to Deltic: Novus, the London bar and restaurant operator, has exchanged contracts for the sale of three Tiger Tiger sites to The Deltic Group for an undisclosed sum. The sites are in Newcastle, Manchest … view

Record number of restaurant closures: More restaurant businesses collapsed in the first nine months of this year than in the whole of 2017, according to new figures. The Times stated: “Middle-market chains are bearing the brunt of the s … view

End of warm weather impacts positive pub experiences: The pub and bar sector’s average social review score across Facebook, Google and TripAdvisor has plateaued after three months of consecutive increases, with the results correlating t … view

Oakman Inns appoints Butlins managing director as chief operating officer: Oakman Inns and Restaurants has appointed Butlins managing director Dermot King as chief operating officer. King will join Oakman Inns from the Bourne Leisure-owne … view

UK’s hotel sector stands firm in tough year: The UK’s hotel sector has stood firm in what is proving a tough trading year, with overall occupancy in London slightly up and the regions remaining flat in the year to date. HVS chairman R … view

Patisserie Holdings – no new information on company’s financial position at general meeting: Patisserie Holdings has revealed it will not provide “any new information” on the company’s financial position at today’s (Thursday, … view

Carluccio's appoints Graham Ford as commercial director: Carluccio’s, the Italian all-day restaurant group led by chief executive Mark Jones, has appointed Graham Ford as commercial director. The appointment comes as Carluccio’s gears … view