Casual Dining awards winners are named: The nation’s best casual dining restaurants and pubs were revealed last night (Wednesday, 27 February) at the Casual Dining Restaurant & Pub Awards 2019. The event took place at the London Marriot … view

Megan’s looks to raise £6m for expansion to 17 sites by end of 2021, appoints managing director: Megan’s, the London-based cafe and deli concept owned by Tossed founder Vincent McKevitt, has begun fund-raising as it seeks to raise ci … view

Future of Patisserie Valerie management team thrown into doubt: The future of Patisserie Valerie’s management team led by Steve Francis, which was expected to take the troubled business forward after the majority of the brand’s estate … view

Fishworks returns to expansion trail by securing Loch Fyne site: Fishworks, the Boparan Restaurant Group-owned brand, is to return to the expansion trail, Propel has learned. The company is understood to have secured the Loch Fyne restaur … view

Hotel Chocolat reports “encouraging start’ in New York and Japan: Hotel Chocolat, the premium British chocolatier, has reported revenue up 13% to £80.7m for the 26 weeks ended 30 December 2018. Excluding its new US and Japan start-up … view

Live&Loud, backed by former Punch boss, launches £500,000 crowdfunding campaign: Live music specialist Live&Loud has launched a £500,000 fund-raise on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube for expansion. The company, whose backers include for … view

Rufus Hall becomes chairman of Epic, Jo Probert become managing director: Rockpool Investments, the private equity investment firm, has appointed a new chairman and managing director for its Epic Pubs, Heroic Pubs and Aspley Pubs business … view

UK’s casual dining restaurant numbers drop for first time in nine years while drink-led venue closure rate slows substantially: Britain’s supply of casual dining restaurants dipped for the first time in nine years in 2018 as a sustain … view

M Restaurants boss to introduce £10 per hour starting wage, urges other sector businesses to follow suit: M Restaurants will introduce a starting wage for all employees at £10 per hour, with founder Martin Williams urging other sector b … view

Uber to cut food delivery fees as battle with Deliveroo and Just Eat hots up: Uber will cut fees for food delivery in the UK and Ireland and allow restaurants to use its app but carry out their own deliveries as competition hots up with J … view

Just Eat UK boss – new food hygiene programme about ‘driving up standards across takeaway industry’ but success down to operators: Graham Corfield, UK managing director of online food delivery business Just Eat, has told Propel its … view

Exclusive – Polpo seeks CVA as it struggles with £550,000 unpaid VAT bill: Award-winning central London business Polpo, owned by Russell Norman and Richard Beatty, is to seek a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) and sell two loss-maki … view

Market Halls founder – we want to bring ‘new lease of life’ to shopping centre food environment, at least 15 similar opportunities: Market Halls founder Andy Lewis-Pratt has told Propel the company aims to bring a “new lease of li … view

Market Halls to launch new dining concept, at Intu Lakeside: Food hall business Market Halls is to launch a new concept at Intu Lakeside shopping centre in Thurrock, Essex. Market Halls opened two major central London sites in Fulham and … view

Greggs reports like-for-likes up 9.6%, likely to beat profit expectations: Greggs has reported an “exceptionally strong” start to 2019 wit total sales up 14.1% for the seven weeks to 16 February 2019. Company-managed shop like-for-lik … view

London kitchen pay rises as front-of-house salaries fall for second year: Average salaries for chefs and kitchen employees in London increased 14.8% in 2018 but front-of-house staff saw a decrease for the second year in a row, according t … view

Sector like-for-likes down 1.8% in January: Britain’s managed pub and restaurant groups saw like-for-like sales fall 1.8% in January compared with the previous year, according to the latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker. Pub and restaur … view

Sector like-for-likes down 1.8% in January: Britain’s managed pub and restaurant groups saw like-for-like sales fall 1.8% in January compared with the previous year, according to the latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker. Pub and restaur … view

Exclusive: Giggling Squid set to appoint advisors to consider its options: Giggling Squid, the Thai tapas brand founded by Andy and Pranee Laurillard and backed by Business Growth Fund (BGF), is set to appoint advisors as it considers its … view

Baker & Spice sold to Department of Coffee and Social Affairs for £2.5m: Patisserie Holdings has completed the sale of Baker & Spice to the Department of Coffee & Social Affairs for a total consideration of £2.5m. The company stated: � … view

EasyCoffee raises more than £3.5m to open 24 sites this year: Cafe bar operator EasyCoffee, part of the EasyGroup family of brands, has raised more than £3.5m in private equity to open 24 coffee shops this year, Propel has learned. Foun … view

Andy McCue to step down as The Restaurant Group boss: The Restaurant Group has announces that chief executive Andy McCue has informed the board of his decision to leave the company due to extenuating personal circumstances. The company st … view

Whitbread now targeting more than 110,000 rooms in UK, looks at streamlining number of restaurant brands: Whitbread is now targeting more than 110,000 hotel rooms in the UK and has said it will look at streamlining the number of restauran … view

EAT owners put business up for sale: Fresh food to go retailer EAT is being put up for sale amid a glut of competition from high street and online delivery rivals. Sky News has reported EAT's owners, led by the private equity firm Horizo … view

YO! Sushi launches UK’s first DNA-based dining experience: YO! Sushi has launched a “DNA dining experience” in partnership with genetic testing company DNAFit. YO! Dinner, YO! Way has been launched on the back of a report by YO! Sus … view

Black Sheep Coffee reveals plans to double UK estate and for international growth: London-based independent coffee shop Black Sheep Coffee, which operates 24 sites, plans to double the size of its UK operation within 12 months, while link … view

Canada-based bakery cafe Cinnzeo seeks partner to launch in UK: Canada-based bakery cafe Cinnzeo is eyeing a move into the UK market. The company is looking for a UK master franchisee or experienced area developer that can lead the roll-o … view

Firezza founder launches Neapolitan pizza concept in Norway: Firezza founder Edin Basic has launched a Neapolitan pizza concept in Norway, Propel has learned. Basic, who sold Firezza to PizzaExpress in 2016, has opened Mano with plans for … view

Sports Direct confirms Patisserie Valerie bid: Sports Direct, owned by Mike Ashley, has confirmed it has made a bid to buy Patisserie Holdings, the parent company of Patisserie Valerie, out of administration. The offer is one of a number … view

Authors: Glynn Davis, Louise Ellison, Ann Elliott and Lucy Pedrickview

Chapati Man sells London franchise rights: Chapati Man, the spicy Indian wrap festival and event catering business, created in London by husband and wife team Chris and Andrea Rai in 2007, has sold the Chapati Man franchise rights for Lon … view

Hop Stuff assessing funding options for next stage of growth as it eyes eventual IPO: Hop Stuff Brewery is assessing its options as it prepares for its next stage of growth, Propel has learned. Founder James Yeomans said the company would … view

Boparan reviews options for Giraffe and Ed’s: Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG) has appointed advisors to review options for its Giraffe and Ed’s Easy Diner chains, Propel has learned. The company, which is led by Tom Crowley, has starte … view

Ei Group reports 2% like-for-like net income growth in leased estates, managed pubs up 5.7%: Ei Group, the largest owner and operator of pubs in the UK, has reported that the financial year, the 18 weeks to 2 February, has started well fo … view

Former FSA boss calls on industry to ensure ‘every customer has the information they need to make the right choice’ as Pret prepares to roll out full ingredient labelling: Pret A Manager will roll out full ingredient labelling across … view

Dishoom and Vinoteca in negotiations to open in Birmingham: Dishoom and Vinoteca are in negotiations to open in Birmingham city centre later this year – taking two sites at a new development, 1 Chamberlain Square. Development managers … view

Luke Johnson supportive of legal action against Patisserie Valerie auditor following £21m Assetco damages award: Patisserie Valerie chairman Luke Johnson has confirmed he is supportive of potential legal action against Grant Thornton. T … view

Papa John’s takes £192m investment from hedge fund: Pizza firm Papa John’s has unveiled an investment of up to $250 million (£192 million) from hedge fund Starboard Value, rejected a rival offer from founder John Schnatter, who is s … view

Tortilla boss – there’s scope to treble UK estate: Richard Morris, managing director of Mexican restaurant group Tortilla, has told Propel there’s scope to treble the size of the company’s UK estate. Morris said he plans to open s … view

Google continues to be customers’ go-to review platform: Google continues to outstrip Facebook and TripAdvisor for its percentage share of online reviews, according to new statistics from Feed It Back’s monthly social review tracker. … view

Patisserie Valerie set to be sold off piecemeal: Patisserie Valerie looks increasingly likely to be sold off in chunks, with its unreliable accounts deterring even those bidders that specialise in distressed companies, reports the Financi … view

Opportunity for operators to turn ‘competitive socialising concepts into national brands’ as market rapidly expands: Significant opportunities exist for entrepreneurial brands to establish themselves within the competitive socialising … view