Ole & Steen parent company hires advisors to test market: Danish Bake, the parent company of Danish bakery group Lagkagehuset, which owns the Ole & Steen brand, has hired advisors to review its options for the business, which could include a sale. As first reported by Mergermarkets, the business is set to begin working with advisors FIH Partners on its options, although Propel understands that no official process has commenced as yet. The business Ole & Steen – known in Denmark as Lagkagehuset and backed by majority shareholder Nordic Capital and L Catterton – currently operates circa 145 locations across Denmark, the UK and the US. Ole & Steen made its UK debut ten years ago, in London’s Haymarket. Ole & Steen currently operates 26 sites in the UK, with 23 in London, plus sites in Oxford, Guildford and Windsor. The brand operates five sites in New York City. Last June, Ole & Steen told Propel that it was in “double-digit like-for-like growth territory” on the back of a year “marked by continued investment and operational discipline”, which saw its Ebitda increase by 25%. The business said Ebitda for the year to 31 December 2024 rose to £4,890,689, up from £3,926,824 in 2023, highlighting the “success of efficiency measures and improved performance in the latter half of the year”. The company, which said 2024 was a “focused period of strategic execution for the brand”, saw a 5% increase in turnover for the year, with revenue up to £36,684,837 from £34,820,879 in 2023. Ole & Steen said its performance was bolstered by an “outstanding finish to the year”, with the fourth quarter delivering 17% like-for-like sales growth.

 

AlixPartners MD Graeme Smith to speak at first Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2026, open for bookings: Graeme Smith, managing director at AlixPartners, will be among the speakers at the first Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2026, which is open for bookings. Smith will talk about the current mergers and acquisitions landscape and investment/consolidation opportunities, who will be the winners and losers over the next 12 months and beyond, and which parts of the market will generate the most interest. The conference takes place on Wednesday, 25 March, at the Park Plaza, Victoria. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Operators can book up to three free places per company while Premium subscribers who are operators can book up to four free places. To book, email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.

 

Premium Club subscribers to receive updated Multi-Site Database with 3,536 operators and 19 new companies on Friday: Premium Club subscribers will receive the updated Multi-Site Database on Friday (27 February), at noon. The next Propel Multi-Site Database provides details of 3,536 multi-site operators and is searchable in seven main segments. The database features 1,021 (29%) casual dining operators, 805 (23%) pub and bar operators, 626 (18%) cafe bakery operators, 499 (14%) quick service restaurant (QSR) operators, 290 (8%) hotel operators, 238 (7%) experiential leisure operators and 55 (2%) fine dining operators. The database is updated each month, and this edition includes 19 new companies. The database includes new companies in the QSR sector such as Liverpool street food and cocktails concept The Bus Yard, Midlands Nashville hot chicken concept Hotville, and Yayas, the Glasgow-based German doner kebab and peri peri chicken concept. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five additional databases: the New Openings Database, the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who’s Who of UK Hospitality. All Premium Club subscribers will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events and discounts on specialist sector reports. Operators that are Premium Club subscribers are also able to send up to four members of staff to each of our four Multi-Club Conferences for free. Premium Club subscribers receive their daily Propel Info newsletter 11 hours earlier than standard subscribers, at 7pm the evening before. They also receive videos of presentations at eight Propel conference events two weeks after they are held. This represents around 100 videos of industry insight over the course of the year. Premium Club subscribers also receive exclusive opinion columns every Friday at 5pm, which include the thoughts of Propel chief operating officer – editorial, Mark Wingett, and a host of industry leaders from across the sector. A Premium Club subscription costs an annual sum of £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Premium Club for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

Restaurants see double-digit at-home sales growth in January: Britain’s top restaurant groups have started 2026 with strong growth in delivery sales but another sharp drop in takeaways, the latest NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker shows. The tracker, powered by CGA intelligence, reveals like-for-like delivery sales in January were 7.4% ahead of the same month in 2025. This is a sharp increase from growth of 4.1% in December, and the joint second highest figure since the start of 2025. Deliveries were boosted in January by widespread and persistent rain, which led many people to stay inside rather than eat out. Restaurants’ at-home sales have also been boosted by rollouts of new delivery offers. Total delivery sales in January – including from restaurants opened in the last 12 months, or ones where deliveries have been introduced for the first time ­– were 13.9% ahead of the same month in 2025. However, revenue from takeaways and click-and-collect orders dropped 9.1% on a like-for-like basis in January, as some consumers tightened their spending after Christmas and others switched to the convenience of deliveries. Takeaway sales have now fallen year-on-year for ten successive months. With deliveries and takeaways combined, the tracker indicates restaurant groups’ like-for-like at-home sales in January were 2.7% ahead of January 2025. This is fractionally below the UK’s 3.0% rate of inflation. Total sales were 11.8% ahead. The growth of at-home sales means deliveries accounted for 13.8 pence in every pound spent with restaurants in January. Takeaways and click-and-collect orders generated 5.0 pence. Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at NIQ, said: “The bright start to 2026 for delivery sales is a contrast to eat-in trends and a welcome source of growth for restaurant operators. With nearly one pound in every seven spent with restaurants now going on deliveries, this is clearly now a valuable and mature channel.”

 

Robinsons director – ‘the real challenge isn’t being pro-tax or anti-tax, it’s being clear about what actually keeps pubs busy’: Ben Robinson, director of pub partnerships at north west brewer and retailer Robinsons, has argued the real challenge for the sector isn’t being pro-tax or anti-tax, it’s “being clear about what actually keeps pubs busy”. Robinson said: “The pub and hospitality sector is overtaxed. Business rates, duties, energy costs and staffing pressures have piled up faster than margins can absorb. The strain is real and visible in towns, villages and cities across Britain. But I think we sometimes turn a fair complaint into an overly simple story: that tax itself is the problem. Pubs don’t thrive just because taxes are low. They thrive when people feel secure enough to go out, spend time and stay for another drink. That sense of security comes from functioning public services, healthcare, transport, childcare and safe communities, which are funded collectively. High-tax economies consistently show higher trust, well-being and social participation. That isn’t ideology; it’s demand creation. People with less anxiety spend more time and money in places like pubs. Local pubs can’t funnel profits offshore. We pay in, employ locally and keep places socially alive. When spending flows away from that ecosystem, it weakens the very sector we say we want to protect. We should absolutely push for a fairer tax regime for hospitality, but we should also be honest about consistency. If we believe pubs matter to communities, high streets and social life, our choices as consumers matter too. The real challenge isn’t being pro-tax or anti-tax; it’s being clear about what actually keeps pubs busy – customers with time and confidence, staff who can stay in the industry and communities that still gather offline. That’s a harder conversation, but it’s the one worth having.”

 

Sacha Lord lambasts chancellor’s adviser over ‘we don’t need any more restaurants’ comments: Night Time Industries Association chairman Sacha Lord has slammed chancellor Rachel Reeves’ entrepreneurship adviser, Alexandra Depledge, for saying “we don’t need any more restaurants”. Depledge made the comments in an interview with Insider Media, in which she urged investors to back fast-growing technology scale-ups. In the course of the interview, she said: “The UK can play in six or seven spaces and be number one. We should put all our research and capital into that. Things like photonics and quantum computing; things in advanced manufacturing where we are head and shoulders above everything else. We don’t need any more restaurants. I’m not anti-hospitality, but that’s not where my efforts are.” Lord, who also served as Greater Manchester’s Night Time Economy Advisor from 2018-2025, hit back on social media platform X, saying: “One of the government’s senior advisers finally admits ‘we don’t need any more restaurants’. They are no longer hiding it from us. I think it's disgusting. At least she has finally admitted she/the government have no interest in hospitality – the UK’s fifth biggest sector, the third largest employer.” JW Lees brewery owner William Lees-Jones added: “Think she needs to get out more and talk to some people who run real businesses, not just technology brothers/sisters. It feels like the government is in pocket of private equity – I can’t tell you how many people I keep coming across moving to Dubai and domiciling their new businesses there.”

 

Licensed Trade Charity adds Berkshire school to education arm: The Licensed Trade Charity (LTC) has added Claires Court School in Maidenhead, Berkshire, to its education arm, the LTC Education Group (LTCEG). It follows the acquisition last year of a new site in Waterlooville, Hampshire, which will open in September as Kennington School, a specialist autism school. LTCEG also comprises LVS Ascot in Berkshire, LVS Hassocks in West Sussex and LVS Oxford in Oxfordshire. Claires Court will retain its name, identity, ethos and day-to-day operation, ensuring continuity for pupils and families. The charity said the schools play a vital role in the charity’s wider work, generating a sustainable income that allows 100% of donations to go directly into its charitable works – providing practical advice, financial assistance and health and well-being support to tens of thousands of people across licensed hospitality each year. LTC chief executive Chris Welham said: “This is a positive and deliberate step that strengthens the charity’s foundations and our ability to support more people working in licensed hospitality. Claires Court shares our values and our belief in education that changes lives, and we are proud to welcome it into the LTCEG.”

 

UK’s oldest Indian restaurant delivers petition calling on the King to save it: Campaigners have delivered a petition of more than 20,000 signatures to Buckingham Palace and the Crown Estate, calling for urgent action to prevent the closure of Veeraswamy, the UK's oldest Indian restaurant. The petition calls on The King to intervene and reverse the Crown Estate's decision not to renew Veeraswamy’s lease at Victory House on Regent Street, its home since it first opened in 1926. Without a resolution, the Michelin-starred restaurant faces being forced from the site as it approaches its 100th anniversary next month. The Crown Estate has said it needs to undertake a comprehensive refurbishment of Victory House to bring the building up to modern standards and into fuller commercial use. The proposals would see the restaurant space converted into office accommodation. Ranjit Mathrani, joint owner of Veeraswamy, said: “We have taken legal steps to protect Veeraswamy's location, but the outcome won't be known until July 2026, and the risk of closure is very real. The legendary Veeraswamy Indian restaurant is a symbol of Indo-British cultural connection. It is one of the oldest rent-paying tenants on Regent Street. That’s why we’re calling on Your Majesty King Charles III to intercede with The Crown Estate to reconsider this short-sighted decision and protect a historic institution that has stood through war, migration and monarchy. We urge them to recognise the value of Veeraswamy as a living piece of shared cultural history – and to allow this historic institution to continue its story at the very place it began.”

 

Eatphoria reports 13% like-for-like sales growth in 2025 and group Ebitda of £3.5m, to open 12 restaurants this year: Multi-brand restaurant group Eatphoria has reported 13% like-for-like sales growth in 2025 and group Ebitda of £3.5m. The company, which started in 2014 as Wraps & Wings and has grown to five physical locations and more than 40 virtual ones, said in the 52 weeks ended 31 December 2025, total system sales grew 26% to £23.9m, with its like-for-like sales driven by a strong Wraps & Wings performance. Wraps & Wings, which accounts for 40% of system sales, was up 16%, while Eggsquisite system sales up were 11% year-on-year, Holy Bagel up 14% and Mad About Doner up 10%. There were 12 new cloud kitchen openings, bringing the group to 51 locations across the UK, and more than 1.14m customers were served, up 13% year-on-year. The group sold more than 2.5m portions of chicken wings, three million tenders and 250,000 servings of Baskin Robbins’ ice-cream. Post year end, as previously reported, secured a new multimillion-pound investment from TAN Food, part of Italian venture capitalist TAN Holdings. It has also appointed Matthew Chapman as head of sales, Tony Day as design and construction manager, Lee Brand as franchise development manager and Amit Harbhajanka as finance director. Looking ahead, Eatphoria, which has a long-term goal of 100 sites through its hybrid restaurant model, plans to open at least 12 of these locations this year, with the first expected to open in the second quarter. Chief executive Mohammad Shaikh said: “2025 was a transformation year for our business. It was not only a year of strong commercial success, but a year where we put much of the foundations that will support Eatphoria’s long-term growth in place and sets us up for a really exciting 2026. Over the coming 12 months, we see a significant opportunity to scale through our corporate store openings, brand licensing to contract caterers, universities, hospitality and stadium operators, and through franchising.”

 

Raising Cane’s lines up Tottenham Court Road opening: Raising Cane’s, the third-largest chicken brand in the US by sales, which is set to make its UK debut later this year, has lined up a site in London’s Tottenham Court Road for its opening pipeline, Propel has learned. Propel understands the brand has lined up an opening on the former Halifax site at 110-113 Tottenham Court Road. Earlier this month, Propel revealed that the US business had lined up an opening on the former Halifax site at 55 The Strand, and earlier this year, Propel revealed the brand has lined up an opening on the former Barclays Bank site at 463-465 Brixton Road. Raising Cane’s will open its debut UK site on the former Angus Steakhouse site at 21-22 Coventry Street. The site, which is thought to have been on the market for circa £1.4m, is set to open later this year as the first of several restaurants planned in London. Propel understands the brand is also in talks on a further site in Paddington. The Louisiana-based company, which was founded in 1996 in Baton Rouge by Graves and Craig Silvey, is understood to be working with property advisory firm Etch on its plans for the UK.

 

Brava Hospitality Group – Jamie’s Italian is set to ‘reimagine the high street through its exceptional, modern and generous hospitality’: James Brown, chief executive of Brava Hospitality Group, the Prezzo Italian operator, has said that Jamie’s Italian is “set to reimagine the high street through its exceptional, modern and generous hospitality”, as the brand gears up to make its return to the UK. Last year, Brava signed a partnership agreement to bring Jamie’s Italian back to the UK high street, with the first new Jamie’s Italian under the partnership opening in Irving Street, near London’s Leicester Square, next month (11 March). Spread over three floors, the restaurant will have space for 140 covers as well as an open kitchen and a bar serving Jamie’s Italian Tuscan wine on tap and handcrafted cocktails. The menu has been curated by Oliver and features a mix of new dishes and “much-loved classics”. Brown said: “This is a huge moment for Brava and the Jamie’s Italian teams. Together, we’ve spent months refining and elevating the offering to deliver on our vision. Jamie’s Italian is now set to reimagine the high street through its exceptional, modern and generous hospitality, and we are looking forward to welcoming the first guests to experience it.” Ed Loftus, global director of Jamie Oliver Restaurants, added: “We’re incredibly proud to be bringing Jamie’s Italian back to the UK. It’s a massive moment for the brand and a real privilege to be part of its relaunch. We’ve taken the time to carefully evolve the brand, holding on to everything people loved while refining it for today.”

 

BrewDog workers to protest as firm up for sale amid ‘catastrophic mismanagement’: Workers at Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog are set to protest outside the firm’s Union Square bar in response to the treatment of staff amid the sale of the business. Unite has confirmed a demonstration will be held today (Wednesday, 25 February) at 6.45pm. The union said the dispute comes after staff were left frustrated by a lack of consultation on the future of the business, a reduction in contracted hours and the abandonment of the real living wage commitment. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This sale is the result of years of catastrophic mismanagement – prioritising private equity returns over workers and a sustainable business. You cannot talk about restructuring without recognising the real people whose rent, food bills and childcare depend on these jobs.” Dennis Ellis, an Aberdeen-based BrewDog worker, said: “Yet again, workers across BrewDog have been left in the dark about what is happening with this sale. We found out at the same time as the press and have had one meeting with the chief executive, in which he said ‘there will be two weeks of uncertainty’ with no clarity about what happens thereafter. Our hours have been cut from 32 hours to 24 hours a week, despite being on full-time contracts. That’s a loss of roughly £400 a month – during a cost-of-living crisis.” BrewDog was put up for sale through restructuring firm AlixPartners earlier this month following five years of consecutive losses. Among those rumoured to be interested in buying all or parts of the business are BrewDog co-founder and former chief executive James Watt, who is reportedly planning to plough £10m of his own money into a rescue bid for the business.

  

Popeyes to open ‘first flagship restaurant in capital’: Popeyes UK, which is backed here by TDR Capital, has said it will open “our first flagship restaurant in the capital” this spring, in Tottenham Court Road. The US brand, which opened its 100th site in the UK in November, in London Bridge station, is understood to have secured the former Specsavers site at 6-17 Tottenham Court Road. Popeyes launched in the UK in 2021 and opened circa 50 sites in 2025. In November, Tom Crowley, chief executive of Popeyes UK, said there was “no public target” for new restaurants but that he believes it can “keep opening at a similar pace” in 2026. Last month, the business said it plans to open five new sites across Greater Manchester this year. By the end of 2026, the region will be home to nine Popeyes locations, creating more than 500 jobs.

 

Six by Nico confirms plans to launch a new concept called Lennox: Six By Nico has confirmed it is to convert one of its sites in Manchester to a new concept called Lennox. As revealed by Propel last week, Six By Nico, which is led by founder Nico Simeone, is to convert its site in the city’s Spring Gardens to the new format, which is set to offer “unapologetic, indulgent cooking built around flavours you already love”. The company opened the Spring Gardens site in 2019 before opening a further site in the city, in John Dalton Street, four years later. Simeone said: “As Six by Nico approaches its tenth year, I look to reimagine one of our most successful restaurant locations, Six by Nico Springs Gardens, into something new for the city. This hasn’t been a small decision. Spring Gardens has been one of our strongest and most loved restaurants. Six by Nico will always stand for immersive storytelling, six-course journeys and transporting guests somewhere new. That continues, and we’re investing further into Manchester through our Deansgate location and beyond. But as I look to the next decade, I’ve realised there’s another side of my cooking I haven’t shared – something more stripped back and more personal. That’s where Lennox begins. Spring Gardens won’t disappear. It will evolve. A new restaurant concept is being built in that space from the ground up.” Six By Nico currently operates 17 restaurants across 11 cities in the UK and Ireland. The company, which already operates two sites in the capital – in Canary Wharf and Fitzrovia, was set to acquire the former Wagamama site in Tavistock Street. However, the site is back on the market. Meanwhile, the company’s finance director for the last four and a half years, Stuart Sheils, has left to join Cawley Hotels & Restaurants as its new chief financial officer.

 

New competitive socialising concept Gameface to launch in Manchester: A new competitive socialising concept called Gameface is to open a site in The Printworks scheme in Manchester. The concept, which invites visitors to take part in “fast-paced challenges and enjoy sociable moments together”, will be spread across 5,423 square feet, and on the space previously home to Bingo Balls. Due to launch in spring, and having signed a ten-year lease, Gameface has been created by Stretford based Conductr, a creative innovation studio which designs and invents immersive experiences. With a capacity of up to 160 guests, groups can compete in teams of up to six and across ten physical or mental games. Penelope Banton, marketing manager for Gameface, said: “Gameface has been in development for the last 12 months and it’s fantastic to see the vision coming to life at its home in Printworks. As one of Manchester’s most iconic and central venues, it is the ideal setting to introduce Gameface and welcome groups of friends who love high-energy and fast-paced experiences.” Stärka acted for Printworks on the deal.

 

Sides begins food truck university campus tour as it seeks to capture ‘student loyalty’: Sides, the food business from YouTube collective Sidemen, has launched its first university food truck tour across the UK, as it aims to capture “student loyalty”. The business has partnered with food technology and campus innovation platform Dévorer to bring Sides to three campuses, including Westminster University next Tuesday (3 March) and Hertfordshire (College Lane) on Thursday, 4 June. The tour kicked off this week at Kingston University. Co-founder Robin Mehta said: “Most brands open stores. We parked one in front of 30,000 students instead. This week Sides launched its first university food truck tour across the UK. And no, it wasn’t just about selling chicken. Universities are where culture forms, where habits start, where loyalty is built early. If you win someone at 19, you don’t just gain a customer, you gain a ten-year relationship. Students don’t live in shopping centres. They don’t browse food courts on a Saturday afternoon. They live on campus. They move in packs. They follow energy. So, instead of waiting for them to come to us, we went to them. The food truck gives us physical brand presence in new cities, real-world sampling at scale, direct customer data capture, social content that doesn’t feel like an advert, and a low-capex way to test demand before permanent sites. It also fits culturally as Sides was built from creators, and creators build community by showing up where their audience is. This is the same principle, just on four wheels. Retail isn’t dying – passive retail is. If you want attention in 2026, you don’t whisper from a unit. You create moments.” Last week, Sides revealed it was aiming to open 15 new restaurants globally in 2026, including Scottish and Welsh debuts in the UK, plus further international growth to add to its two sites in Singapore.

 

Wagamama to up presence in Northern Ireland: Wagamama, The Restaurant Group-owned brand, is to again up its presence in Northern Ireland with a new opening in Belfast. The brand made its return to Northern Ireland in October after the closure of its two sites in the country last summer. The brand, which operates circa 170 sites in the UK and Ireland, closed its sites in Belfast’s Victoria Square and Dundonald in August. Wagamama reopened the Victoria Square site last autumn. The brand has now announced it will open a new 3,500 square-foot restaurant at Belfast’s Odyssey Place later this year, creating 40 jobs. Alice Eagle, senior regional sales and marketing manager at Wagamama, said: “We’re very pleased to be expanding our presence in Northern Ireland with a second Belfast location. Following the strong performance of our Victoria Square restaurant, this new opening at Odyssey Place represents an exciting next step for the brand locally.”

 

Chaiiwala to open Blackburn drive-thru: Indian street food brand Chaiiwala is to open a new drive-thru, in Blackburn. It plans to launch at Grimshaw Retail Park, offering the brand’s breakfast roti wraps, Bombay bowls, Wala wraps and dishes inspired by traditional Indian home cooking. Chaiiwala opened the UK’s first Indian drive-thru, in Bolton, Greater Manchester, in 2023, in partnership with the EG Group, and has since been rolling out further such locations. The Blackburn site will also be a fourth location for cousins, Yakub and Arif Master, who started franchising with Chaiiwala eight years ago. Sohail Ali, co‑founder of Chaiiwala, said: “Blackburn is an important town for us. With a strong existing footprint in the town and across Lancashire, our new drive-thru will enable us to deepen our connection with local consumers. It is also the fourth location of our fantastic franchisees Arif and Yakub. After opening their first store in 2017, the pair have been huge advocates of the brand and played an important role in shaping our franchisee engagement strategy as members of our franchise committee. This location – their first drive-thru – will present another opportunity for them to grow with us, while supporting our UK expansion strategy.”

 

Maki & Ramen opens at O2 for London debut: Japanese restaurant concept Maki & Ramen has opened at London’s O2 for its debut in the capital. Propel revealed last month that Maki & Ramen, founded in 2015 by Teddy Lee, had added a site at the live entertainment, leisure and retail destination to its 2026 pipeline. Maki & Ramen has now opened a 1,991 square-foot unit within The O2’s Entertainment District, offering 70 covers alongside a menu of Asian food and premium-quality sushi. Michael Salvador, chief operating officer at Maki & Ramen, said: “This is a significant step for us on the path to expansion, and we’re off to a strong start here at The O2 as we begin to build our portfolio across the capital.” Maki & Ramen is also lining up sites in London’s Old Street and Soho, which Lee told Propel earlier this month is “just the beginning of our story” in the capital. The 18-strong business, which recently opened its first restaurant site overseas, in Dubai, also has openings lined up in Birmingham and Southampton.

 

French Latin American dining concept Tigermilk confirms second UK site: Latin American dining concept Tigermilk, which made its UK debut last summer, has confirmed its second site here. Propel revealed in December that Tigermilk had lined up an opening in Spitalfields, at 1 Duval Row. Tigermilk founders Nina and Alexis Melikov have now revealed the restaurant will open in April, marking the group’s 13th opening since 2019. Set across two floors, the new restaurant will be the largest in the Tigermilk portfolio, with 280 covers, including a 50-cover terrace. Guests will enter through a courtyard before moving into the venue, passing through a sequence of interconnected spaces, from the main dining room to an orangery seating more than 80 guests. Above it all will be a six-metre-high bar, overlooking the courtyard and backed by more than 2,000 bottles and more than 250 tequilas and mezcals and a cocktail list. Nina and Alexis Melikov said: “We see Tigermilk as the Latin American answer to the European brasserie. With Spitalfields, we wanted to go further, bigger, louder, and more alive, while keeping what matters most: generosity, atmosphere, and a place people come back to without thinking twice.” In August, the team told Propel that it wanted to open three more London sites over the next 12 months and saw the “long-term potential for a meaningful footprint in the UK”. The brand made its UK debut in June by opening a 138-cover restaurant at 127 Charing Cross Road. 

 

Aparthotel operator Native Places parent hires new UK & Ireland MD: Digital hospitality platform Numa Group, which owns UK lifestyle aparthotel operator Native Places, has hired Philip Lassman as managing director for the UK and Ireland. Lassman joins Numa following more than eight years at Accor, where he most recently served as vice-president, head of development for northern Europe. He succeeds Olivia Immesi, who has stepped down after five years in the role. Prior to Accor, Lassman spent almost a decade at IHG Hotels & Resorts in a range of development roles, including development director for the UK and Ireland. Earlier in his career, he held roles at Hilton and Marriott International. Lassman said: “Olivia has left the business in a strong position, having established a clear strategy, a high-performing team and a distinctive culture. My focus is building on that momentum and continuing to deliver design-led, technology-enabled hotels and aparthotels while driving the company’s growth across the UK and Ireland.” Following the opening of Numa London Chelsea Green in December 2025, Numa said it continues its focus on expansion in 2026. This includes the planned openings of Native by Numa Fulham Broadway and Native by Numa Fitzrovia in London, as well as two launches in Edinburgh – in Water Street and Thistle Street. Numa has a presence in 15 countries and 37 cities, with a growing portfolio of 9,000 units. In the UK, its Native Places brand has four locations in London and one each in Glasgow and Manchester.

 

Michelin-starred chef Tom Sellers to open new Cornwall restaurant this summer: Tom Sellers, the Michelin-starred chef, will open a new restaurant in Cornwall this summer. Sellers will launch Mor at the Carbis Bay Estate in St Ives, following the success of his 2019 pop-up, Story by the Sea, in the same town. Sellers will work with local Cornish produce for a menu anchored by a raw bar and charcoal grill, featuring hand-dived scallops, day boat fish, ex-dairy beef and seasonal vegetables grown in the restaurant’s on-site kitchen garden. Dishes will include Cornish crab with steamed milk buns, house condiments and garden lettuces; and Nori wrapped, day boat mackerel escabeche with English wasabi and young ginger. The space will also incorporate a cocktail bar and an intimate 14-seat private dining room. Sellers said: “Cornwall has a magic unlike anywhere else in the world. At MOR, I want to capture that sense of wonder, connecting people to the sea, the seasons, and to each other through food, craft and storytelling.” Sellers’ HiStory Hospitality portfolio also featuring the two Michelin starred Restaurant Story, Story Cellar, Dovetale and Gwyn’s Bakery.

 

Heidi Bakery opens second London site: Heidi Bakery has opened its second site in London, and eighth overall, in Richmond. The business, which is led by Rory Shanks and Edward Durkin, has opened the outlet in Richmond train station. Heidi Bakery also operates a site in Chelsea. Alongside six eponymous sites, the group also operates Foggs in the Daniel department store in Windsor, and the Caracoli coffee shop in Alresford, Hampshire. The business acquired the then two-strong coffee shop operator Caracoli in 2019 following a company share sale. The deal saw Heidi Bakery acquire Caracoli’s stores in Alresford and Haslemere, Surrey. Durkin said: “We’ve always wanted to open in Richmond and think we've found the perfect spot. We're especially proud to be coming in as part of the wonderful restoration of Richmond station. Heidi Richmond will have one of our most beautiful counters yet, filled to the brim with quick-service, handmade food.”

 

Samyukta Nair to launch new Thai restaurant Miko Mei Fair: Samyukta Nair, the restaurateur behind the London-based Jamavar, Bombay Bustle, MiMi Mei Fair and Nipotina, is to launch a new Thai restaurant, Miko Mei Fair, in Mayfair. Set to open in April, the restaurant, in Curzon Street, will bring together MiMi Mei Fair’s “adventurous imagination with the culinary legacy of Koyn Thai”, which Nair previously operated. Occupying the ground floor of MiMi Mei Fair’s beautiful Georgian townhouse, the intimate space can seat up to 50 guests and includes a private dining room for eight. Nair said: “Miko Mei Fair represents a natural evolution, bringing together warm, intimate dining with the focus and discipline of fire led cooking. It is a celebration of Thailand’s energy and generosity, expressed through layered interiors, vibrant ingredient led dishes and heartfelt hospitality. At its core is Thai cuisine prepared with precision and soul, grounded in craft and designed to be shared. While Miko Mei Fair and MiMi Mei Fair share the same townhouse and devotion to detail, they each have their own identity and spirit. We look forward to welcoming guests to experience Thailand from the heart of Mayfair, in a setting that feels both alive and deeply personal.”

 

Yeye’s Noodle & Dumpling secures fourth London site: Yeye’s Noodle & Dumpling is to increase its presence in London with an opening in Soho. The concept, which is led by founder and head chef Jianxing Xiao, has secured a corner site on Wardour Street for an opening later this year. The company already operates sites in Wentworth Street, Artillery Passage and Middlesex Street. The business said: “At Yeye’s Noodle & Dumpling, we share the comfort of authentic Chinese flavours with London. From handmade beef noodles to juicy dumplings, every dish blends tradition, quality ingredients and quick service – crafted to make you feel at home.” CDG Leisure, which acted on the Wardour Street deal, negotiated a surrender and regrant, resulting in a new lease running through to 2041.

 

Experiential concept CityDays to bring Race Across the World adventure to three new UK cities: CityDays, which creates interactive city experiences that blend technology, storytelling and exploration, is to bring its Race Across the World adventure to three new UK cities. Following its launch in London and Manchester last year, CityDays is taking the experience based on the TV series to three new locations – Edinburgh, Bristol and York, this spring. Guests will navigate the streets of the city, working as a team to unlocking hidden secrets in a race to the finish line. Players will be given a budget to manage that can be spent on clues to help navigate the next leg of the journey. They will be scored based on their time and how much budget they have left, with their final score ranked on a live leaderboard throughout the day and week. The race takes participants on a 4km-5km mission through the city, typically spanning two to three hours and passing through partner venues including renowned pubs, cultural hotspots and famous landmarks. Each serves as a checkpoint where teams must solve escape room-style puzzles that guide them toward the next leg of the race. Tom Rymer, founder of CityDays, said: “Following huge success in London and Manchester last year, we are delighted to be bringing the Race Across The World Experience to three new cities: Edinburgh, Bristol and York! New puzzles, new characters, new decisions and new discoveries, all coming soon over three new thrilling races.” Race Across The World: The Experience is created by CityDays under licence from All3Media International on behalf of the show’s creators, Studio Lambert. 

 

Largest bakery and cafe brand in Israel opens site in London’s Oxford Street: Roladin, the largest bakery and cafe brand in Israel, has opened its fourth site in the UK for its luxury pastry concept, Donutelier, in London’s Oxford Street. The brand has opened the site at 4 Soho Place, 1 Oxford Street, with the 82 square-metre store becoming the smallest in its portfolio. Founded by Yaakov Hakak and Avi Kenan in 1989, Roladin currently operates circa 100 eponymous sites across Israel. In 2023, Donutelier made its UK debut, in the former Patisserie Valerie site on the corner of Charing Cross Road and Great Newport Street in London. A second site opened at 49 Upper St John Street, off Carnaby Street, in November 2024, and the brand opened its third UK site last November, at 442 Strand. The Strand site became Donutelier’s corporate flagship, spanning 112 square metres and featuring onsite bakery kitchens. Josh Rose, of Matta.London, acted on the Oxford Street and Strand deals.

 

Northern Ireland cinema operator sees profit jump as turnover increases to record £11.3m: Northern Ireland cinema operator Movie House has reported turnover increased to a record £11,270,446 for the year ending 31 May 2025 compared with £10,024,418 the year before. The company, which operates four cinemas in the country, saw pre-tax profit jump to £1,152,375 from £35,403 the previous year. Dividends of£67,742 were paid (2024: £70,000).

 

Scottish government rejects Flamingo Land’s plans for £40m Loch Lomond site: Plans by theme park operator Flamingo Land for a £40m development on the banks of Loch Lomond have been rejected by the Scottish government. The company had sought permission to build two hotels, a water park and more than 100 lodges at Lomond Banks near Balloch, West Dunbartonshire. The plans resulted in widespread public backlash, with more than 150,000 people signing a petition against the resort. After a revised set of proposals were rejected by the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park authority in September 2024, a Scottish government reporter overturned the verdict on appeal. However, Scottish ministers have reversed that decision after previously calling in the application, saying “significant concerns relating to flood risk and woodland loss” had been identified. Heather Reid, convener of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority, said: “This is a successful outcome that recognises the statutory aims of the national park and supports the long-term vision – where people and nature not only coexist, but thrive together. Jim Paterson, the development director for Lomond Banks, said it was “extremely disappointed” by the decision, adding the plans “represented a transformational investment in Balloch and the wider area”. He added: “We will now carefully review the decision in full and consider our options.” Flamingo Land has previously insisted its proposal would be a “major step away” from its other resort, which comprises a theme park, zoo and holiday village in North Yorkshire.

 

Arora brings two Bloc Hotels development sites to market for combined £6m: Arora Hotels – part of hotel, construction and property investment company Arora Group – has put two city centre sites earmarked for hotels in Birmingham and Glasgow on the market for a combined £6m. The group acquired the sites as part of its acquisition of Bloc Hotels in July 2025 for £12.6m. Arora has identified both assets as non-core to its long-term strategy and is seeking to recycle capital through disposal. In Birmingham, the freehold site carries planning consent for a 227-bedroom hotel and is being offered at £2m. The property is directly opposite the Grand Central shopping centre and adjacent to Birmingham New Street station. The Glasgow opportunity is also freehold and is priced at £4m. Located in West George Street, close to Glasgow Queen Street station, the site comprises the vacant Dale House building, previously operated by the Royal Bank of Scotland as a cash handling and storage facility. Planning consent is in place for a 276-bedroom hotel-led scheme. Enterprise Hotels & Hospitality is marketing the sites. Bloc Hotels comprised operating hotels at Gatwick airport and in Birmingham at the time of the acquisition, along with the development sites. Arora subsequently sold the Birmingham hotel in November last year.