Wage increases must be mitigated by business tax cuts, says UKHospitality: UKHospitality has urged the government to cut business taxes to support higher wages. The government has announced it will adopt the Low Pay Commission's (LPC) rec … view

Burger King UK acquires 34-strong Kout Food Group BK estate: BK UK Group, the master franchisee for Burger King in the UK, has further strengthened its company-owned restaurant estate with the acquisition of 34 sites from Kout Food Group … view

CMA launches in-depth investigation into Amazon’s investment in Deliveroo: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an in-depth investigation into Amazon's investment in Deliveroo after the two companies decided against … view

Giggling Squid continuing to see growth ‘across the board’ as it reports full-year turnover and Ebitda boost: Andy Laurillard, co-founder of Thai restaurant brand Giggling Squid, has told Propel the company has continued to see growth … view

What a year it … view

Experiential leisure at all-time high, rooftop venues on the rise: Prospects for the UK’s leisure industry are positive as consumer confidence soars to its highest level in a decade, according to a new report from CBRE. The report state … view

Prospect Pubs & Bars reveals expansion plans as it unveils rooms at debut site: Prospect Pubs & Bars, led by Dan Shotton and Mark Draper, has revealed plans to add two or three sites annually to its portfolio in the next five years. The a … view

Late-night leisure spend rises 3.9%, more growth on horizon as ‘Brexit fog lifts’: Consumers are spending an average of £69.64 on a night out, a 3.9% rise from £67.05 a year ago, according to the latest Deltic Night Index. As well a … view

Number of emerging restaurant brands grows for first time in three years indicating ‘first signs of recovery’: The number of emerging high-street restaurant brands has grown 3.8% in the past six months following three years of decline … view

Fulham Shore reports revenue up 9.3% in first half: Franco Manca and The Real Greek operator Fulham Shore has reported turnover for the six months ended 29 September 2019 rose 9.3% to £36.0m, compared with £33.0m the year before. The c … view

BabaBoom breaks £650,000 fund-raise mark, Keith Bird latest industry investor: Fledgling kebab restaurant concept BabaBoom has broken through the £650,000 mark in its fund-raise on crowdfunding platform Seedrs – 162% of its original � … view

Years ago I commissio … view

Morgan Stanley – election result will have ‘mixed impact’ on pubs and is ‘good news’ for Whitbread: Analysts at Morgan Stanley have said the general election result will have a “mixed impact” for pubs and is “good news” … view

Fuller’s focusing on ‘getting business in top shape’ rather than acquisitions, first Bel & the Dragon conversion under way: Simon Emeny, chief executive of premium pubs and hotels business Fuller’s, has told Propel his focus in th … view

Fuller’s reports good progress in transformational year: Fuller’s has reported revenue was up 6% to £174.8m in the 26 weeks ended 28 September. Adjusted profit was level at £17.9m. The company reported a ‘good performance’ from … view

Rum Kitchen eyes further growth after securing former Byron site in Shoreditch: Rum Kitchen, the Caribbean-inspired restaurant and bar concept, is returning to the expansion trail after securing a site in Shoreditch, east London, Propel h … view

England leads the way as number of UK pubs rises for first time in a decade: The UK’s pub industry is reversing a decade of decline with a net growth of 320 pubs and bars, according to a new report by startup digital growth service Stam … view

NPD Group reveals five eating-out trends for 2020: Insights firm The NPD Group has revealed five trends that could shape Britain’s £57bn out-of-home (OOH) foodservice industry in 2020.

Just Eat board recommends rejected of Prosus 740p per share offer: The board of Just Eat has rejected a revised offer of 740p per share from Prosus. It stated: “(The board) continues to believe that it significantly undervalues Just Eat … view

TGI Friday’s UK continues to reshape management team: TGI Friday’s UK, the Robert Cook-led business, has continued to reshape its management team by appointing a chief marketing officer and people and culture director, Propel has lea … view

Pubs and restaurants feel pressure on eating-out spend as sector like-for-likes edge up 0.5%: Britain’s managed pub and restaurant groups saw like-for-like sales edge up 0.5% in November compared with last year, according to the latest … view

Stonegate puts circa 40 sites on market to address competition concerns surrounding Ei Group deal: Stonegate Pub Company is to bring circa 40 sites to market to address competition concerns surrounding its proposed £3bn acquisition of Ei … view

Robinsons acquires Individual Inns: North west brewer and retailer Robinsons has acquired six-strong managed pub operator Individual Inns for an undisclosed sum, Propel has learned. The deal sees Robinsons grow its managed division to 20 … view

Loungers reports sales and Ebitda growth in H1: Loungers has reported sales increased 22.0% to £79.8m (2019: £65.4m) in the 24 weeks to 6 October, with like-for-like sales growth of 5.4%. Adjusted Ebitda of £14.7m, up 25.6% (2019: £11 … view

Magic discount number is 30% to drive footfall in January: The magic number is 30% when it comes to using discount to drive diners through the door in January, according to new research by guest experience management expert HGEM. The surv … view

NewRiver buys Bravo Inns for £17.9m: NewRiver has bought community pub company Bravo Inns for £17.9 million, representing an Ebitda multiple of 6.8x. The transaction is expected to generate annualised outlet Ebitda of £2.6 million, equ … view

Big Mamma Group eyes Canary Wharf for food market concept: Big Mamma Group, operator of restaurants Gloria and Circolo Popolare, has lined up an opening in Canary Wharf for a food market concept, Propel understands. The French group is cl … view

Wadworth to build new brewery: Wadworth, the family brewer and regional pub operator, has announced that it intends to build a new brewery. Seeking to build on the brewing legacy that the firm established in 1875, Wadworth is looking to t … view

Oakman Inns to embark on £12m fund-raise to underpin further growth: Oakman Inns and Restaurants, the Peter Borg-Neal-led group, is set to embark on a new round of fund-raising, with a target of between £10m to £12m, as it looks to fur … view