YO! reports group adjusted Ebitda up 47% to £12.5m after pivot to multi-brand Japanese food group, momentum continuing in new financial year: YO!, the global multi-brand, multi-channel Japanese food group, has reported total sales from B … view

Just Eat reports sales rose 30% to £465.5m in First Half: Just Eat, the global marketplace for online food delivery, has reported sales rose 30% to £465.5m in the six months to 30 June 2019. Profit before tax was down 98% to £0.8m (H1 … view

Greggs to trial opening until 9pm, sees growth opportunities around drive-thrus and travel hubs: Food-to-go retailer Greggs is to trial longer opening hours until 9pm at a “number of shops” that will include a new hot food offer, as i … view

Bill’s reports like-for-likes up 8% in first half of 2019, makes two key promotions: Bill’s Restaurants, owned by Richard Caring, has reported continued growth, with like-for-like sales up 8% in the first half of 2019. The company sai … view

Propel launches ground-breaking Operations Directors’ Conference: Propel has launched the Operations Directors’ Conference in which some of the sector’s leading operators will share expertise, ideas and insights into all areas of op … view

Just Eat and Takeaway.com reveal terms for possible merger: The board of Just Eat and the management board of Takeaway.com have reached an agreement in principle on the key terms of a possible all-share combination of Just Eat and Takeawa … view

McDonald’s UK expands trial of extended breakfast hours, delivery now accounting for more than 10% of sales at sites offering service: McDonald’s UK is expanding its trial of extended opening hours for breakfast while delivery now acc … view

Starbucks reports global like-for-likes up 6% in third quarter, raises full-year outlook: Starbucks has reported global like-for-like sales increased 6% in the 13 weeks to 30 June 2019 and has raised its full-year financial outlook. The l … view

NewRiver sees ‘significant’ acquisition opportunities arising from Stonegate’s takeover of Ei Group: NewRiver chief financial officer Mark Davies has told Propel he believes Stonegate’s acquisition of Ei Group could generate “s … view

Fuller’s ready to capitalise on growth opportunities after £250m brewery sale: Fuller’s has reported it is ready to ‘capitalise on attractive and profitable growth opportunities’ after selling its brewery to Asahi for £250m. rev … view

Sethi family plans pubs move: Karam, Jyotin and Sunaina Sethi, the family behind JKS Restaurants and London venues such as Gymkhana and Brigadiers, is set to make a move into the pub sector. Propel understands the family plans to take ove … view

Orderswift and Stuart expand direct delivery partnership across the UK: Online ordering platform Orderswift and on-demand logistics specialist Stuart have expanded their direct delivery partnership to cover 34 cities and towns around the … view

Hop appoints co-managing director as street food concept plans biggest fund-raising round: London-based Vietnamese street food concept Hop has appointed long-time non-executive director Josh Wyse as co-managing director as the company ge … view

Starbucks signs deal with Brightloom: Starbucks has announced a deal with Brightloom (formerly eatsa), a San Francisco and Seattle tech company that is working to create a best-in-class end-to-end digital customer experience platform for … view

CDG reshapes leadership team, half-year like-for-likes up 3%: Casual Dining Group (CDG) has reshaped its leadership team by appointing three brand directors across Bella Italia, Café Rouge and Las Iguanas, Propel has learned. Following t … view

Crosstown co-founder launches online ordering technology: Crosstown co-founder JP Then has launched on-demand ordering technology Slerp. Following three years of development, Slerp has launched with three foodservice brands based in Londo … view

UberEats plans launch of restaurant accelerator programme in London: UberEats is planning to launch a restaurant accelerator programme in London to cater for unmet demand from customers on its food delivery platform. UberEats is planning … view

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Exclusive: Black Sheep Coffee acquires eight Taylor St Baristas cafes: London-based independent coffee shop Black Sheep Coffee has acquired eight Taylor St Baristas cafes, Propel has learned. Black Sheep Coffee is understood to have acqui … view

Ei Group accepts 285p per share offer from Stonegate Pub Company: The boards of directors of Ei Group (EIG) and Stonegate Pub Company Bidco Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Stonegate Pub Company, have reached agreement on the terms a … view

Roxy Ball Room appoints advisors as it eyes new growth fund: Roxy Ball Room, the Leeds-based, competitive socialising concept, has appointed advisors to review its options as it looks to secure new investment, Propel has learned. The seve … view

Businesses and customers join forces to oppose late-night tax in London: Local businesses, residents and customers in Southwark have joined forces to oppose the introduction of a late-night levy. UKHospitality and local businesses have ga … view

David Page – we’re securing better deals with landlords by broadening number of sites we negotiate on, Franco Manca like-for-likes up 5%: Fulham Shore chairman David Page has told Propel he is able to secure better deals with landlord … view

Franco Manca chairman David Page reports rents dropping as much as 30% on re-let: Franco Manca operator Fulham Shore has reported sales rose 17% to £64m in the year ended 31 March 2019. Profit before tax was £1.4m (2018: loss of £0.1m) … view

Just Eat aims for ‘majority’ of restaurants with three-star hygiene rating or above by end of year as it begins publishing FSA details: Graham Corfield, UK managing director of online food delivery business Just Eat, has told Propel t … view

Sector like-for-likes up 1.4% in June as restaurants recover but pubs suffer hangover: Sector managed like-for-likes were up 1.4% in June as restaurants recovered but pubs suffered a hangover from last year’s heatwave and football fever … view

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Just Eat buys City Pantry for £16m: Just Eat, the market place for takeaway food delivery, has acquired City Pantry for initial cash consideration of £16m. The company stated: “City Pantry, founded by Stuart Sunderland in 2014, is Eur … view

Homeslice to carry out strategic review: London-based better pizza brand Homeslice has hired advisors as it carries out a strategic review of its business, Propel has learned. The company, which was founded by Mark Wogan, Alan Wogan and R … view

Muzinich takes controlling stake in Busaba: Muzinich, the New York-based fixed-income specialist, has acquired a controlling stake in Busaba Eathai, the Thai chain founded by Alan Yau. The US company, which provided the then 14-strong gro … view

Pubs Code Adjudicator launches investigation into Heineken's Star Pubs & Bars business: The Pubs Code Adjudicator has launched an investigation into Star Pubs & Bars, part of the Heineken Group. This is the first investigation by the Pubs … view

London Union looks to Manchester as it gears up for expansion, reports full-year Ebitda boost: London Union, the street food operator led by Jonathan Downey, is set to turn its attention to Manchester as it gears up for expansion. Downey … view

Patisserie Valerie to shut 14 sites following estate review: Patisserie Valerie is to close 14 of its smaller sites following a review of the estate, Propel understands. Owner Causeway Capital is believed to have been carrying out a detai … view

Bridgepoint paid circa £43m for franchisee Caspian when it set up new Burger King UK business: Private equity firm Bridgepoint paid circa £43m to acquire Caspian UK Group, one of the UK’s largest Burger King franchisees with 74 restau … view

Puttshack boss sees potential for 50 UK and 300 US sites: Joe Vrankin, the new chief executive of indoor mini-golf experience Puttshack, has told Propel there’s potential for up to 50 sites in the UK and 300 in the US. The company is se … view

MeatLiquor completes fund-raising, average like-for-likes up more than 5%: MeatLiquor, the Scott Collins-led concept, has strengthened its balance sheet with a further fund-raise from existing shareholders, as it reported like-for-like sa … view

C&C Group reports ‘solid start’ to current financial year: C&C Group, the drinks company which manufactures, markets and distributes branded beer, cider, wine, spirits, and soft drinks across the UK and Ireland, has issued a trading u … view

Duck and Rice to open two or three more sites in London before Asia roll-out: Ted Kennedy, director of Alan Yau’s Duck and Rice restaurant in Soho, has said the concept will look to open “two or three” more sites in London before ey … view

Hodgson – YO! Sushi no longer having to take unnecessary risks on UK restaurant sites having diversified business model: YO! Sushi chief executive Richard Hodgson has told Propel the company no longer has to take unnecessary risks on re … view

BBPA chief executive Brigid Simmonds to step down: British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) chief executive Brigid Simmonds is to step down after ten years in the role. Simmonds is leaving to become chairman of the new Betting and Gaming Cou … view

SSP appoints Richard Lewis as UK and Ireland chief executive: SSP Group, the operator of food and beverage outlets in travel locations worldwide, has appointed Richard Lewis as chief executive of SSP UK and Ireland, effective from 1 Septe … view

Five Guys UK reports £150m turnover: Five Guys JV, the UK joint venture between Sir Charles Dunstone and Five Guys founders Janie and Jerry Murrell and their three sons, has reported turnover rose by 23% to £149.6m in the year to 28 Dec … view

Supply and demand playing big part in salary levels amid large rises for UK management and leadership roles: Supply and demand is playing a big part in salary levels with large increases seen across senior management and leadership roles … view

Jones – Carluccio’s sales increase coming from covers growth, Fresca gaining traction: Mark Jones, chief executive of Carluccio’s, has told Propel the recent overall increase in sales at the brand has come from covers growth, driven … view

Late-night leisure spend continues to rise but pubs decline as cinemas find favour: Late-night leisure spend has continued to rise but the popularity of the pub is declining as cinemas find favour, according to the latest Deltic Night Ind … view