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Story of the Day:

Young’s CEO – City Pubs has injected fresh energy into the overall business, brought top 30 pubs together to see how we can be more efficient: Simon Dodd, chief executive of Young’s, has told Propel that the City Pub Group estate, which the company acquired last March, has injected fresh energy into the overall business and made it push more boundaries. It comes after the company reported like-for-like revenue growth of 5.7% for the 52 weeks ended 31 March 2025, and said it had made a “fast start” to its new financial year. Last March, Young’s completed its acquisition of the 51-strong City Pub Group in a deal worth £162m. Dodd said: “I think the key for us is we’re at the start of the journey with City Pubs. Year one was about integrating systems, integrating the pubs into Young’s, and this year and the years ahead will be about investing in those pubs and really pushing them to the next level. We invested in nine last year, but only touched the surface on what we can do with City. It is going to be a big driver for us. We've got loads to go after with City. That business is a bit more dynamic, a bit more entrepreneurial than we are, or we were. As we got bigger, we lost a little bit of that edge of pushing the boundaries a bit. I think City has re-engaged our business in terms of how you can drive that sales line, how you can drive the wet part of your business. So, that's been a real positive and injected a bit of fresh energy into Young's. There's a lot more we can do in terms of capital investment, but they've definitely brought a new energy to Young's and made our team sit up and think we need to be pushing a few more boundaries.” Dodd said that the need to mitigate £11m of extra costs due to the changes in national minimum wage and national insurance has meant the business has “taken a good look at itself in terms of how we can be more efficient”. He said: “We got our top 30 pubs together, and we said what can you do to sell more beer and more food when you're really busy. We're investing in a lot of things like handheld ordering, which has been in our top 30 pubs, and click and collect. I think we did more than 500 transactions in the first week in the Oyster Shed when that launched. We also now have 40% of our bookings direct through our own booking platform. As Sir Tim Martin said the other day, ‘you do the big things well, and then you really start to evolve the little things’.”

Industry News:

Marston’s operations director Claire Robertson to speak at Operational Excellence Conference, open for bookings with 20% discount on tickets for Premium Club subscribers: Claire Robertson, operations director of premium pubs and bars within Marston’s, will be among the speakers at Propel’s Operational Excellence Conference, which is being held in partnership with Purple Story. The conference – which takes place on Wednesday, 9 July at One Moorgate Place in London and is open for bookings – is designed for operations directors, managers, area managers, site managers and chief executives who want to maximise performance. Robertson will talk about getting the best out of multiple teams. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Tickets are £295 plus VAT for operators and £345 plus VAT for suppliers. There is a 20% discount for operators and suppliers who are Premium Club subscribers. Email: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to book.

Premium Club subscribers to receive new searchable and segmented New Openings Database today: The next Propel New Openings Database will be sent to Premium Club subscribers today (Friday, 6 June), at noon. The database will show the details of 181 site openings, including which company has opened a site or its plans to open one in the future. The database will have details on what type of site it is and its location, and there will also be a website link to the businesses. The database is published on a monthly basis and Premium Club subscribers will also receive a 11,152-word report on the 181 new additions to the database. It is segmented into seven categories – cafe bakery, casual dining, experiential leisure, fine dining, hotels, pubs and bars, and quick service restaurants (QSR) – making it even easier for users to search. The database includes new openings in the QSR sector such as burger concept Bleecker launching in London’s Soho, Burger Drop opening in Edinburgh for its Scottish debut, and Chopstix opening in Brighton. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five other databases: the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the Multi-Site Database, 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 including the Operational Excellence Conference in July 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 will be sent a dedicated monthly newsletter that will highlight key updates in the sector and direct subscribers to all the vital content their membership offers. Premium Club subscribers also receive exclusive opinion columns every Friday at 5pm, which include the thoughts of Propel group editor Mark Wingett and a host of industry leaders from across the sector. This week’s Premium Opinion features Katherine Doggrell, Propel’s editorial advisor, explaining why the revenue management tactics employed by hotels are creeping into the wider hospitality sector. Meanwhile, Mark Wingett looks at the leading news stories from the week, taking in Jeremy Clarkson, Flat Iron and competitive socialising. 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.

Heineken – beer outpaced wider drinks market over last 12 months, with far more potential for growth in the on-trade: Heineken has said beer has outpaced the wider drinks market over the last 12 months, while new insight suggests there is far more potential for growth in the on-trade. The new Heineken Beer Report 2025: Doubling Growth in the Beer Market, shows the category growing faster than cider, wine, spirits and soft drinks in the UK on-trade. With a year-on-year value growth of 3%, the report said beer is now worth £13.8bn to pubs, bars and restaurants. In terms of subcategories, the bigger winners have been classic bitter ale and stout, which has increased its value versus last year by 15%, and no and low, which continues to grow in the on-trade, posting an increase of 46% in value. World lager continues to be the UK’s most popular pint, making up more than a quarter (29%) of the total market and still seeing growth year on year. The report also identified significant headroom for growth. It said with the way in which consumers use the on-trade and consume beer evolving – with fewer regular after work sessions or repeat visits, a move to moderation and a continuing shift to premiumisation – pubs, bars and restaurants need to adapt. The report said if operators do just that, they can tap into a potential £1bn growth in the market over the next few years. Advice includes creating price differentials within the offer to drive maximum sales value, seeing what trade up options are available, creating great experiences, making great first impressions on the customer and driving return visits. Will Rice, on-trade director at Heineken UK, said: “Beer is the biggest alcoholic drinks category in the UK on-trade and we are really excited about its future. The report re-emphasises the importance of the category to the on-trade, with so many consumers viewing beer as critical part of the pub going experience. That said, there is clear evolution to consumer behaviour when it comes to beer consumption. Our hope with this report is that it helps operators to understand these changing consumer trends and equips them to capture the growth opportunity these trends represent.”

Admiral Taverns and Greene King leading tenant satisfaction levels: Tied tenants of Admiral Taverns and Greene King are the most satisfied in their relationship with their pub company, with ratings of 79% and 78% respectively, according to the results of the 2025 Pubs Code Adjudicator survey of tied tenants. Star Pubs had the most improved level of satisfaction for the second year in a row – from 55% in 2023 to 70% this year. Marston’s satisfaction level at 72% represented the second successive decrease, totalling 13 points in two years. Stonegate Group tenants’ satisfaction level dropped four points to 43% while Punch Pubs stayed at 61%. This year’s results reveal overall average pub company satisfaction has remained stable, with six in ten (61%) tied pub tenants saying they are satisfied with the relationship with their pub company. The annual benchmarking survey highlights tied pub tenant sentiment about the UK’s regulated pub companies in England and Wales – Admiral, Greene King, Marston’s, Punch Pubs, Star Pubs and Stonegate. More than 1,200 tied pub tenants were interviewed on a range of topics, including rent, business development managers (BDMs) and awareness of Pubs Code rights. Just over half (59%) of tied pub tenants were satisfied with their current tenancy arrangement. This was a drop of nine points from last year, with tenants of Marston’s and Stonegate seeing drops of 14 and 11 points respectively. However, there was no significant change in the type of agreements cited within the study, with 44% under a traditional tied tenancy and 35% a tied lease. A clear majority of tenants that had negotiated or renegotiated their rent in the past two years were satisfied with the information they received. When asked about responsibilities for repairs, most tied pub tenants understood the process for how their pub company should deal with these – with the exception of Stonegate tenants, where fewer than half (47%) agreed they understood the process well. Stonegate tenants were also largely dissatisfied (62%) with how the company dealt with repairs at their pub. There were high satisfaction levels with BDMs, with more than 80% of tenants of Admiral, Greene King and Star satisfied in that relationship, while only 55% of Stonegate tenants were satisfied with their BDM relationship and 22% were dissatisfied.

Whitbread lodges legal challenge over Liverpool’s new tourist tax: Premier Inn owner Whitbread has lodged a legal challenge over Liverpool’s new tourist tax charge. The company has complained to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government following the approval of the visitor levy by 83 city hotels and serviced apartments, all part of the Accommodation Business Improvement District (ABID). The new £2 levy, introduced this month, supercedes the previous system that funded the business improvement district (BID) through a supplement on business rates. Liverpool City Council confirmed it would join forces with the Liverpool BID Company to address Whitbread's concerns. Both the council and the Liverpool BID Company expressed confidence the ballot was conducted in accordance with legal stipulations, but pledged to scrutinise all issues raised and respond to the secretary of state by the 24 June deadline. In the meantime, the government has confirmed that receipt of the challenge does not suspend the effect of the ballot. Bill Addy, chief executive of Liverpool BID Company, which oversees the ABID, told Business Live: “Sometimes there are larger nationals that don't want to take part in what is a city-centred approach, and that's clearly their right. The value placed in this is by the hotels who have championed it themselves and their hope to create a circular and sustainable visitor economy that is transparent in its investment directly to the visitor economy, and the visitor economy only.” UKHospitality has suggested there is an eight-week delay to the levy’s introduction “to allow for the appeal to run its course”. A minister will now review the situation to decide whether the ballot should be declared void. Following advice from the government, the council, in agreement with the BID, has decided any additional funds raised under the new levy will be retained by the authority while the challenge is being considered. These funds will be returned to the levy payers if the secretary of state concludes that the ballot result needs to be invalidated.

Event UK acquires Live Music Management UK: Event UK, the technology-driven contractor management platform, has acquired Live Music Management UK (LMM), the live entertainment agency with more than 20 years of experience supplying professional musicians, DJs, and entertainers across the country, Propel has learned. Event UK said the strategic acquisition significantly expands Event UK’s entertainment offering and “further cements its position as the go-to platform for sourcing, managing, and paying trusted contractors nationwide”. Founded in 1998, LMM has established itself as an agency for providing professional musicians and DJs to pubs, bars, hotels, weddings, corporate events, and private parties across the UK. The company’s expertise will now be fully integrated into Event UK's product suite, “enabling even more seamless booking experiences for both venues and performers”. “This acquisition allows us to broaden our entertainment offering and connect more venues with quality performers at speed,” said Matt Hegarty, chief executive of Event UK. “LMM brings a strong legacy of trusted entertainment partnerships, experience and reach in live music, which perfectly complements our scale and technology. This move allows us to deliver high-quality acts to more venues, faster and with fewer administrative barriers.” Tim Sponder, founder of LMM, said: “After many successful years supporting venues and events across the UK, we’re delighted to have found a new home with Event UK. Its technology and reach create exciting opportunities for our artists and clients, and we’re confident the LMM brand will continue to thrive as part of this next chapter.” LMM’s team and artist relationships will be transitioned into the Event UK ecosystem over the coming months.

Sector cycling charity initiative Pedalling To Pubs begins its 2025 journey as fundraising hits £85,000: Pedalling To Pubs, one half of the industry-coordinated bike trek raising money for Only A Pavement Away and the Licensed Trade Charity (LTC), has officially begun its 2025 journey. A total of 60 industry leaders have hit the road for a 220km sponsored bike ride across the Lake District – cycling from Penrith to Cockermouth, to Carlisle and then back to Penrith, crossing the finish line on Saturday (7 June). Currently in its third year, Pedalling To Pubs 2025 is already well underway to surpass last year’s total, with fundraising having reached £85,000 and climbing. The funds raised are vital for allowing the charities to support even more people entering, currently employed in or leaving the hospitality sector. Steve Alton, lead rider and chief executive at the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII), said: “At the BII, we see first-hand the challenges that hospitality is facing, and Pedalling To Pubs is a reminder of how brilliant our industry is at coming together to support each other.” Chris Welham, chief executive of the LTC, who is among the riders, said: “The funds allow us to continue providing health and well-being support, practical advice and financial assistance for individuals currently or previously working in the licensed hospitality community.” Greg Mangham, founder and chief executive of Only A Pavement Away, added: “The funds we receive from Pedalling To Pubs allow us to continue building brighter futures, giving those wanting to rebuild their lives a pathway into long term, stable employment within hospitality.”

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a fast-growing e-commerce brand specialising in premium designer products that is seeking a chief marketing officer to help elevate the customer experience, drive acquisition and reshape its digital presence. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The role will take full ownership of the marketing and digital strategy, leading the transformation of the online experience and driving performance across all channels. This includes overhauling the company’s websites to create a seamless and engaging customer journey, developing a high-impact acquisition strategy across SEO, PPC, paid social, CRM and partnerships, and shaping a distinctive, trend-led content and social media presence that resonates with the luxury market.” The salary is up to £150,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email gemma@corecruitment.com.

Company News:

Exclusive – Hayfin Capital Management acquires stake in Tavern Propco: Hayfin Capital Management, a leading European alternative asset management platform, has acquired a stake in Tavern Propco, the circa 150-strong business formed out of Ei Group’s former commercial property estate, for an undisclosed sum, Propel has learned. Tavern Propco, backed by Global Mutual and Davidson Kempner Capital Management, acquired the then circa 370-strong commercial properties estate from Ei Group in a £348m deal at the start of 2019. Hayfin and Global Mutual have acquired Davidson Kempner’s stake in Tavern Propco, with Global Mutual remaining as the business’ manager. Tavern Propco’s portfolio, which is spread across England and Wales, consists of high-quality freehold assets that are operated on a free-of-tie, rent-only business model. Propel understands Tavern Propco is keen to make further investments in freehold pub assets. Sapient Corporate Finance acted as sole financial adviser on the transaction.

Exclusive – company behind Ping Pong restaurants set for restructure: AJT Dimsum, the parent company of the four-strong Ping Pong restaurant business, is set for a restructure after filing a notice of intention to appoint an administrator, Propel has learned. Ping Pong, which operates four sites across London – in Soho, Southbank, St Christopher’s Place and Bow Bells House – is understood to have lined up Begbies Traynor to oversee the process. All four of its sites continue to trade. Propel understands that a combination of an increase in its cost base and rates, plus a softer Central London trading market, has led to Ping Pong taking the step to restructure. In November 2022, the London dim sum business was sold to its existing management team, led by Art Sagiryan, via a pre-pack administration for a total consideration of £3.21m. The business also operated restaurants in St Katharine Dock and Covent Garden at the time. The company was sold through a pre-pack administration to AJT Dimsum, an entity set up by Ping Pong’s existing management team, including chairman James Horler. The acquisition saved the jobs of all 225 staff who transferred to the purchaser. Ping Pong was founded in 2004 and previously also operated sites in Westfield London, Westfield Stratford and the Wembley Designer Outlet.

Spinners founder – the plan is to be in double figures over the next few years, will take a two-pronged approach to expansion: Jamie Bylett, founder and director at Spinners, the competitive socialising concept that earlier this week secured £4m in new investment, has told Propel the three-strong company plans to get to double figures over the next few years and create a “truly national brand”. Spinners, which Bylett founded in 2021, secured the new funding from Gresham House Ventures. Spinners currently operates sites – which offer electric clay shoots, duckpin bowling, crazy golf and electric darts – in Reading, Plymouth and Solihull. The new investment from will be used to support the launch of new Spinners venues around the UK, creating a “truly national brand for the business”. Bylett said: “We’re thrilled to secure this investment to bring the Spinners experience to more towns and cities across the UK. The support from Gresham House Ventures will enable us to accelerate our growth, and we look forward to announcing the location of new Spinners venues over the next few months.” Bylett told Propel the company’s roll out plans will be two-pronged. He said: “We'll be going to the biggest cities in the UK, but also looking to go asymmetrically to our competitors – to find places they're not in, perhaps some smaller market towns as well. The likes of Solihull, Reading and Plymouth are sat asymmetrically to competitors, so we will look to continue that as our strategy, but we will still be entering the big cities. It shows that there's a lot of potential if we're successful in those towns and cities. It stands us in good stead. The next opening is probably going to be early next year, but we will be breaking ground this year. The plan is to be in double figures over the next few years.” Bylett said the immediate focus is developing its leadership team. He said: “We’ve taken on a chief financial officer. We’re setting up a board consisting of an experienced chair, and multiple non-executive directors. We’ve done market research on where we're going to go next, but it’s creating that high quality leadership team that can help with those decisions we are putting together now.” Propel understands Spinners has hired Andrew Mathews, formerly group chief financial officer at VivaGym Espana and ex-finance director at The Gym Group, as its new chief financial officer.

Merlin enters into first UK franchise agreement for Madame Tussauds and The Dungeons as it hands management of Blackpool Tower and other leisure assets back to council: Merlin Entertainments has entered into its first UK franchise agreement for Madame Tussauds and The Dungeons as it handed back management of Blackpool Tower and other leisure assets in the Lancashire town to Blackpool Council. The Blackpool Tower will be managed by the council’s wholly owned tourism company, Blackpool Tourism. The Business Desk reported that the council-owned operation will manage Blackpool Tower (including Blackpool Tower Eye, Circus, Ballroom and Dungeons) and Madame Tussauds. The company, which operates Sandcastle Waterpark, has expanded its remit and will change its name from the Blackpool Operating Company to Blackpool Tourism. The company will take over the management of The Blackpool Tower and Madame Tussauds from 1 August, operating them alongside Sandcastle Waterpark and Showtown Museum. These new arrangements will replace the management of these attractions by Merlin, which has operated them on the council’s behalf since 2010. As part of this change, both parties have also agreed to enter a new partnership to enable Madame Tussauds and The Dungeons to continue to operate, marking Merlin’s first UK franchise agreements for the two brands. Blackpool Tourism will operate both attractions under franchise from Merlin, “ensuring the ongoing presence of these two popular attractions in the town, as part of the wider family of these iconic brands”.

Heavenly Desserts signs 50-plus store development deal for India, makes strategic UK hires: Artisan dessert restaurant Heavenly Desserts has signed a 50-plus store development deal for India. The brand has partnered with Bhatia Group for a roll out that will include flagship and franchise outlets across 20-plus Indian cities, starting with Delhi. “Bringing Heavenly Desserts to India is a defining moment for our brand and a deeply personal milestone for me,” said Heavenly Desserts managing director Yousif Aslam. “India's rich culinary heritage and deep appreciation for indulgent experiences make it the perfect home for our next chapter. Our vision has always been about crafting timeless experiences that connect people – and seeing that vision expand across borders is incredibly fulfilling.” In April, Heavenly Desserts told Propel it is to kick-start its international expansion this year with openings in Canada, Germany, Pakistan and India. The brand currently has two overseas locations, both in Canada, in addition to its circa 60-strong UK estate. The brand is set to add ten more stores in 2025, having already launched in London’s Elephant & Castle and Middlesbrough this year, including a unit in the West Midlands' Merry Hill shopping centre to follow this month. In order to assist with its growth plans, the company has made a number of strategic hires across its marketing, operations and product development teams. The operations team, led by global operations manager Wesley Williams, has welcomed Sanath Kanungo, Marius Herbst and Teresa Ryan, who join the internal senior area manager appointment of Warren Smith in providing dedicated regional support across the UK. Meanwhile, the development team has added Kamaal Khaliq as menu and product development lead. His role will be centred around driving culinary innovation and expanding the menu with customer-led, scalable offerings. Elsewhere, the marketing team has doubled in size since last summer and now includes Tayla Southby, Molly Brammall and Erin Lee.

KFC parent sues IRS in attempt to block $4bn tax bill: Yum! Brands – owner of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell – is suing the IRS in an attempt to block a $4bn tax bill over corporate reorganisation transactions that the company contends should be tax-free. The company’s complaint, filed in US Tax Court, alleges that the IRS made erroneous adjustments to the company’s 2013-15 taxes in attempting to levy taxes and penalties on transactions related to a 2014 series of reorganisations by Yum! Brands, reports Bloomberg. In the reorganisations, Yum! Brands realigned its divisions around each of its individual restaurant brands instead of on a geographic basis. Each of the reorganisations involved exchanges of notes for stock that Yum! Brands maintains are non-taxable, according to the complaint. But after auditing Yum! Brands’ 2013-2015 tax years, the IRS disagreed with the company’s stance. The agency told the company in 2022 that it had underpaid its taxes by $2.1bn, and also owed $418m in penalties. Yum! Brands has also said in its securities filings that it owes interest on the IRS’ assessments that now amounts to $1.5bn. Yum! Brands has said that it and the IRS attempted to resolve the matter through the IRS Independent Office of Appeals but were unable to do so.

Tristan Capital Partners completes acquisition of EasyHotel for €400m: EasyHotel’s €400m acquisition by Tristan Capital Partners’ opportunistic fund, European Property Investors Special Opportunities 6 has completed. The new owners are understood to be keen to “significantly grow the EasyHotel platform”, which consists of 4,700 keys across 48 hotels in 11 countries, comprising 16 franchised sites and 32 owned and leased hotels. The group was acquired from a consortium of existing shareholders including Citrus Holdco, a holding vehicle for Luxembourg-based real estate fund manager ICAMAP, and Canadian institutional investor Ivanhoé Cambridge, as well as EasyHotel founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, who held a 17.38% stake. Kristian Smyth, managing director of investments at Tristan Capital Partners, said: “Tristan’s funds have emerged as a leader in the European budget hotel sector with this transaction, bringing the total committed hotel investments to more than €1bn to date. The EasyHotel brand perfectly complements our growing portfolio, with a compelling offering that offers great value in centrally located destinations.” Last month, EasyHotel reported it had slashed its losses in the year to 31 December 2024, reducing them to their lowest level since before the covid pandemic. The company reported a pre-tax loss of €1,863,000 for the period, down from a loss of €10,560,000 in 2023. The group last made a profit in 2018, when it reported a pre-tax profit of £872,162. EasyHotel’s revenue grew from €77,339,000 to €80,086,000 and adjusted Ebitda was up from €26,332,000 to €27,072,000. Of the 2024 revenue, €78,053,000 came from owned hotels (2023: €75,398,000) and €1,858,000 from franchised (2023: €1,775,00). Furthermore, €32,816,000 came from the UK (2023: €32,398,000) and €47,270,000 from the rest of the world (2023: €44,941,000). Total average occupancy for all owned hotels stood at 78.4% (2023: 79.0%), with an average daily rate per room of €85.80 (2023: €79.90).

Kerb seeking help to find a permanent home in London, releases latest impact report: Street food collective and hospitality group Kerb is seeking a permanent home in London and is asking for the public’s help in finding and funding a suitable location. Kerb began life in 2012 as a collective of street food traders in the capital before opening its first food hall in 2019, in Seven Dials. Kerb has now grown into a global network of independent food businesses serving food halls in the UK, the US, Germany and Denmark. With a membership of 150-plus food businesses, Kerb champions local talent and works with street food entrepreneurs from less advantaged backgrounds. Now, the group is looking for a home of its own, according to chief executive Simon Mitchell. “Our main goal this year is to secure a permanent home in the heart of London, dedicated entirely to social impact,” he said. “This space will serve as a hub for food, community and impact – a place to host fundraisers, expand our programmes and run supper clubs, industry talks, cooking classes and much more. We’re looking for a space that could accommodate classrooms, kitchens, a photography studio, a central hub, offices and co-working space, equipment rental, community events and more. If you can help us with the space or investment to make this happen, please get in touch.” It comes as Kerb’s Impact Report 2025 showed in the year to March 2025, the group created revenue of £32.7m for its members, up 37% on the previous year, and served up 3.3 million dishes. It hosted 17,404 trading days across its venues, events and markets and invested £116,000 into 13 new food businesses via its Streets Ahead programme, which has now invested a total of £241,000 into 32 businesses. Kerb also gave 1,166 hours of free business and employment coaching, had 69 people referred to its coaching for work programmes and coached 26 individuals into paid employment. In the year ahead, as well as finding a permanent home, Kerb aims to refocus its incubator programme, expand the activities of its cookery “skola” in San Francisco, introduce sustainability impact badges for its members, deliver another Streets Ahead programme, increase its market trading opportunities, secure formal accreditation for its coaching for work programmes and introduce further work experience placements.

Former Marston’s regional ops director steps down as Coffee Planet’s head of partnerships: Former Marston’s regional operations director Scott Treasden has stepped down as Coffee Planet’s head of partnership operations. Treasden, who spent 12 years in several roles for Marston’s from 2001, moved to the UAE in 2013, initially as operations manager for Costa Coffee Emirates. He then spent just over a year each in operations and franchising roles with UAE coffee brand Second Cup International and Foodmark, which operates several fast casual dining brands across the region. Treasden joined Coffee Planet in July 2018, shortly after it opened its first and, to date, only UK site, in Cardiff. Initially joining as brand operations manager, he became head of partnership operations three years ago. Coffee Planet, which was founded in 2005, has 12 stores across the UAE and the Middle East as well as hundreds of “on-the-go” machines in convenance stores and a large-scale wholesale operation. The group has been looking to expand its UK coffee shop business for several years now and has exhibited at franchise expos as it looks to find suitable partners. “After seven fantastic years with Coffee Planet, the time has come for me to move on this month and face my next set of challenges,” Treasden posted to social media. “There has been much to celebrate over my tenure. The business has solidified across many territories – the UK, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – where the stores continue to open and thrive. Our footprint continues to grow as we seek out new partners in many countries. Seeds have been sown in south east Asia, North Africa the GCC region and the US. None of these successes would have been possible without the dedication of a wonderful team of colleagues or the foresight of our partners. As Coffee Planet celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2025, I have no doubt as to the bright future of this remarkable company.” Taking on Treasden’s brief will be Coffee Planet’s current director of sales and marketing Wesley Morrison, who has been with the business for two years.

Remarkable Pubs reports record £7.8m turnover: London operator Remarkable Pubs has reported turnover increased to a record £7,828,668 for the year ending 30 June 2024 compared with £7,271,702 the previous year. The 11-strong company saw pre-tax profit fall to £1,162,481 from £1,639,331 the year before, when the business sold one of its sites that realised a profit of £413,353. During the year, Remarkable Pubs acquired a 100-year lease on the former Leyton Technical pub in Leyton, which reopened as the Leyton Engineer in September 2024 following a refurbishment. In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “During the year, the company continued to concentrate on rebuilding its trade and seek sites that are suitable for investment. Trade across most sites has continued to improve and the company has continued to build its like-for-like turnover.” No dividend was paid (2023: nil).

Black Sheep Coffee’s first London franchisee to expand his footprint in the capital: Black Sheep Coffee’s first London franchisee, Imran Raja, is expanding his footprint in the capital. He has signed up to additional store commitments and exclusive development rights across the boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea, Islington, Lambeth and the City of Westminster. It comes just days after franchisee Namrata Pandya signed a new nine-store deal for locations across the boroughs of Barnet, Harrow, Camden and Southwark. And in April, franchisees Satar Wahid and Mgdad Alim signed a nine-site deal to expand the brand in Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Wandsworth and Kingston-upon-Thames. Meanwhile, Black Sheep Coffee has opened a new 3,000 square-foot café at 124 Edgware Road in north west London. In another new arrival for landlord The Portman Estate, a new 2,000 square-foot Costa Coffee has also opened at 108-110 Edgware Road.

Hollywood Bowl gets go-ahead for second Northern Ireland site: Hollywood Bowl, the UK’s largest ten-pin bowling operator, has been given the go-ahead to open its second Northern Ireland location. The company will open a 23,000 square-foot, 21-lane bowling alley in early 2026 as part of a £9m redevelopment of The Boulevard designer outlet in Banbridge, County Down, having agreed a deal with landlord Lotus Property. Planning permission for the venue has been granted by Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon County Council, with work due to start on site immediately. Chief financial officer Laurence Keen said: “We’re excited to open a 21-lane bowling alley and family entertainment centre at The Boulevard – our second location in Northern Ireland following our successful launch three years ago in Belfast. The brand performs extremely well across the UK offering an affordable contemporary entertainment experience for families, and friends to come together for fun games, enjoy food and drink and really make a day of it. We are encouraged by The Boulevard’s strong performance and are looking forward to joining the solid roster of tenant brands on site, welcoming customers keen to make the most of the scheme’s retail and leisure mix.” Hollywood Bowl has 75 sites across the UK and is also due to open a venue this weekend in The Chimes shopping centre in Uxbridge, west London.

Vue announces Nottingham opening date as cinema to return to Cornerhouse: A date has been set for the opening of a new Vue cinema at The Cornerhouse in Nottingham. Vue announced earlier this year that it would be arriving at the venue, filling the void left by the closure of Cineworld. Cineworld revealed it would be leaving in February and Vue confirmed just days later that it would be stepping in. An opening date has now been set for Friday 27 June, with films such as F1, Jurassic World Rebirth, Superman: Legacy, Smurfs and The Fantastic Four set to hit the screen. Narinder Shergill, general manager of Vue UK & Ireland, told Nottinghamshire Live: “We’ve been working hard to transform the venue at The Cornerhouse with the ultimate seat, screen and sound offering to ensure we are treating Nottingham to the ultimate big screen experience when they visit Vue.” The company said the multiplex will be made up of almost 1,300 leather VIP seats, with the biggest screen able to fit in 250 people. Ticket prices will start at £6.99, the brand said.

Chickpea Group confirms July launch for its first pub with rooms in Dorset: Chickpea Group, the hospitality business founded by siblings Ethan and Jordan Davids along with Tommy Tullis, has confirmed its first pub with rooms in Dorset will open next month. Propel revealed last month that the group would be opening The Fleur de Lis in Cranborne for its tenth pub overall and eighth pub with rooms. A July opening has now been confirmed for the 17th century inn, which is currently undergoing a renovation to create a refreshed layout while retaining as many of the original features as possible, as well as the creation of nine bedrooms. The inside will have around 80 covers for drinks and dining, including a private dining room for up to 12 guests, with a further 100 covers outside in a walled garden to the rear. The main bar will feature exposed beams, an open fire, banquette seating and cosy corners, while all the bedrooms will have king size beds with feather down bedding, Moroccan rugs and en-suite bathrooms. The food offering will include double smash burgers, handmade pies and fish and chips, alongside Nole pizzas and an array of bar snacks and puddings. There will be a wine list alongside beer and ale. “We are excited to be opening our first pub with rooms in Dorset,” Ethan Davids said. “The Fleur de Lys is a lovely boozer in a pretty and thriving village, and we’re very pleased to be reopening it for the community and for visitors from further afield. It offers everything we look for in a Chickpea country pub, including quintessentially British charm.” Last month, Propel also revealed the group is exploring different fundraising options and has strengthened its leadership team – hiring a finance director (James Underhill), operations director (Harry Russell) and hospitality director (Guy Hughes), as well as recruiting Stephen Oxley as its first non-executive director.

Trio of operators set to open Mexican-inspired cocktail bar in London for debut site: A trio of operators are set to open a Mexican-inspired cocktail bar in London for their debut site. Christian Pecoraro, Florian Schulze and Horacio Sainz – whose experience spans hospitality, music, design and architecture – will open Little Fires on Bethnal Green Road in Shoreditch this July. The cocktail list has been created in collaboration with the team behind Oaxaca's Sabina Sabe, which is listed in the World's 50 Best Bars and leans heavily into mezcal, other agave spirits and tequila. Alongside the cocktails, a wine list will lean towards natural and low-intervention. In the kitchen, Rodolfo Castellanos – a Top Chef Mexico winne and chef-owner of Origen Oaxaca in the country – will lead with a concise menu of Oaxacan-inspired snacks and small plates such as tostadas, elotes and ceviche. Little Fires will span two floors, with an 85-cover ground floor bar and dining room and a downstairs vinyl listening speakeasy bar, featuring an immersive mezcaleria experience, which will stay open late. DJs will play regularly in the space, with further collaborations and listening events to be announced. Pecoraro said: “Little Fires is about rhythm and energy, but with real attention to detail. It’s sophisticated but never stiff – we want people to feel the warmth the moment they walk through the door.”