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Market Halls set for £20m cash injection: Food hall operator Market Halls is close to agreeing a £20m funding deal with private equity firm Bridgepoint to accelerate its growth plans. The company, which currently operates from two centr … view

Heartstone Inns has ‘number of acquisition and development opportunities in pipeline’, like-for-likes up 3% in first quarter of 2019: Heartstone Inns has a “number of acquisition and development opportunities in the pipeline”, whi … view

TRG announces start date for new CEO: The Restaurant Group (TRG) has announced the start date for new chief executive Andy Hornby will be Thursday, 1 August. The company also revealed current boss Andy McCue will step down with effect fro … view

Famous Brands – focus is on ‘making GBK best burger business in UK and not a sale’: Famous Brands chief executive Darren Hele has said the company has no plans to sell Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) but is focused on making the brand … view

GBK like-for-likes up 8.1% since year-end, Wimpy sees sales growth: Gourmet Burger Kitchen’s (GBK) like-for-like sales are up 8.1% in the 12 weeks since 28 February 2019, its parent company Famous Brands has stated. Famous Brands said s … view

Independent cafes, restaurants and bars see growth as shopping centres replace struggling chains: The number of independent stores in shopping centres has grown as landlords become “increasingly creative” with space to replace chains … view

Comptoir Group – like-for-like sales ahead of last year, exploring ‘multiple opportunities’ for organic and franchise growth: Comptoir Group, the operator of Lebanese and eastern Mediterranean restaurants, has said like-for-like sal … view

Wadworth puts 24 tenanted sites on the market: Devizes-based brewer and retailer Wadworth has put 24 of its tenanted pubs on the market, Propel has learned. Wadworth is selling nine pubs on an individual basis and 15 as part of a package. … view

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M&B explores converting Chicken Society to delivery-only model, launching new concept: Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) is exploring a move to convert Chicken Society into a delivery-only brand, Propel has learned. M&B chief executive Phil Urban … view

M&B reports like-for-like sales up 4.1% in First Half: Mitchells & Butlers has reported like-for-like sales growth of 4.1% for the 28 weeks to 13 April. Adjusted operating profit was up £10m to £151m. Total revenue was £1,186m, up by � … view

Millennials drive boom as staycations set to rise by a third: Millennials are driving a boom in staycations as they look to escape their smartphones and social media, according to a new report by Barclays Corporate Banking. The study fore … view

Bank to go after Jamie Oliver after UK restaurant business collapses: Bank HSBC and one of Britain’s biggest food suppliers are poised to pursue Jamie Oliver over debts after the chef’s UK restaurant business collapsed into administr … view

MOD Pizza secures new funding, targets 1,000 locations: MOD Pizza has secured a $160m equity financing led by private investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R), which will aid its growth ambitions to reach 1,000 locations within the … view

Jamie Oliver’s UK restaurants crash into administration: Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group has called in administrators only two years after narrowly averting a collapse, putting more than 1,000 jobs at risk. Oliver’s 23-strong Jamie’s … view

Restaurant closures accelerate but wet-led pubs and bars bounce back: The number of restaurants in Britain fell 2.8% in the year to March 2019, the latest edition of the Market Growth Monitor from CGA and AlixPartners reveals, with high s … view

Tom Watson to ask CMA to investigate Amazon’s investment in Deliveroo: Labour deputy leader Tom Watson has asked the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to investigate Amazon’s investment in Deliveroo latest $575m funding round. A … view

TRG reports like-for-like sales up 2.8%: The Restaurant Group has reported “current trading is in line with our expectations with group like-for-like sales for the 19 weeks ended 12 May 2019 up 2.8%” – it holds its AGM today. The co … view

Inception Group to assess growth options: Inception Group, which operates an eclectic collection of London bars and restaurants including Mr Fogg’s, Bunga Bunga and Cahoots, has appointed advisors as it looks to assess its growth option … view

Giggling Squid updates on pipeline, all sites profitable: Giggling Squid, the Thai tapas brand founded by Andy and Pranee Laurillard and backed by BGF, has updated on its pipeline as it expands its geographical footprint. The company plan … view

Ramsay set for US expansion following new investment: High-profile chef Gordon Ramsay is set to ramp up his presence in the US on the back of a new investment deal. Propel understands the chef is close to concluding a deal with Lion Capit … view

Lilley – Abokado is ‘exitable’ this year: Mark Lilley, co-founder of Abokado, the London-based, healthy eating chain, has told Propel he believes the 24-strong company will be in a position to seek an exit for backer Kings Park Capi … view

Baton Berisha promoted to managing director of The Ivy Collection: The Ivy Collection has promoted Baton Berisha to managing director, effective immediately. Berisha joined the group in 2014, before being promoted to director of operation … view

Campaign calls for introduction of industry-wide accreditation scheme to drive ‘greater clarity’ on tipping: A campaign has been launched to push for the introduction of an accreditation scheme in a bid to give operators and diners mo … view

Escape Hunt reports progress in the UK: Escape room operator Escape Hunt has reported revenue of £2.31m in the year ended 31 December 2019, compared to £870,000 the year before. It has opened eight owner-operated UK sites in Bristol, Bi … view

Pubs see like-for-likes surge 5.3% in Easter sunshine as restaurant sales plummet: Managed pubs saw like-for-likes surge 5.3% in the Easter sunshine but restaurants struggled in the heat, with sales declining 19.4% compared with Easter 20 … view

Capdesia acquires minority stake in Wasabi; set for further growth: London-based private equity firm Capdesia, which was founded in 2017 by Christopher Unrath and Niels Lorijn, formerly of US private debt firm CapitalSpring, has acquired … view

Kricket founders put spin-offs and international expansion ahead of fourth London site: Will Bowlby and Rik Campbell, founders of Indian small plates concept Kricket, have told Propel the brand is eyeing potential spin-offs and internatio … view

Cote reports sales growth although adjusted Ebitda down: The parent company of the 93-strong French brasserie chain Cote has reported a 4% increase in revenue to £146.3m in the year to 29 July 2018. However, adjusted Ebitda was down to � … view

Rosa’s founders to launch Chinese noodles concept with TriSpan support: Rosa’s Thai Cafe founders Alex and Saiphin Moore will launch Chinese noodles concept Hoh Sek Noodles this summer in London’s St Katharine’s Dock, Propel has l … view

JD Wetherspoon reports like-for-like sales up 7.6% in latest quarter: JD Wetherspoon has reported like-for-like sales increased by 7.6% and total sales increased by 8.4% in the 13 weeks to 28 April 2019. Year-to-date like-for-like sales h … view

Hakkasan to focus on international growth as it ends MGM Resorts management partnership at Las Vegas venues: UK-based restaurant and nightclub company Hakkasan Group is to focus on international growth as the business ends its partnership … view

Exclusive – Pod put up for sale after continuation of negative sales trend: Pod, the 22-strong, London-based healthy eating operator, has been put up for sale, Propel has learned. Pod has appointed RSM as advisor to run the process with … view

Domino’s Pizza reports UK like-for-likes up 3.1% in First Quarter, weak international performance: Domino’s Pizza has reported group system sales were up 4.5% in the 13 weeks to 31 March 2019. The UK market saw like-for-like sales up … view

Gourmet Burger Kitchen sees full-year operating losses widen to £4.6m: Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) has seen its operating losses widen to £4.6m for the year ended 28 February 2019, leading to earnings at parent company Famous Brands fa … view

Douglas Jack – expect steady growth for Marston’s: Peel Hunt leisure analyst Douglas Jack has said he expects Marston’s to have shown steady growth in its first half of the financial year. Issuing an ‘Add’ note on the shares wit … view

Ethical food and drink sales hit £8.2bn, forecast to grow 17% in next five years: Ethical food and drink sales hit £8.2bn in 2018, with British consumers increasingly conscious of what they are buying, according to new research by Minte … view

The Restaurant Group confirms Andy Hornby as chief executive of £630,000 base salary: The Restaurant Group has confirmed the appointment of Andy Hornby as chief executive. The company stated: “We will update on Andy Hornby’s start da … view

Yum! Brands reports KFC UK sales up 19% in first quarter against last year's delivery saga: Yum! Brands has reported KFC system sales in the UK rose 19% for the first quarter ended 31 March 2019, compared with the previous year when a del … view

Cask Marque launches ‘all-beer’ scheme to ‘drive up standards and maximise profits’: Cask Marque is taking what it has learned from its cask beer scheme and is applying it to all types of beer by launching a new accreditation sche … view