Burger King UK CEO – there's a lot of white space for us to grow into, set to receive circa £35m of new investment: Alasdair Murdoch, chief executive of Burger King UK, which is backed by Bridgepoint, has told Propel there is still “a lot of white space for us to grow into” – with around 80% of the brand’s opening’s next year set to be drive-thrus. Murdoch was speaking after the business, which operates 574 restaurants – 284 of which are directly owned with the remainder sub-franchises – saw its revenue in 2024 increase by 7% to £408.3m, with underlying Ebitda up 12% to £26m. At the same time, Bridgepoint, which has backed the business since the end of 2017, has invested a further £15m into the company, with a further £20m set to be deployed over the next 18 months after the brand extended its master franchise agreement to 2044. Murdoch said: “We have a great partner in Bridgepoint. They’ve invested in the business and keep investing into the business, and this gives us a good runway for growth over the next year to 18 months. We have 40 sites in our pipeline already, with around 80% of next years’ openings set to drive-thrus. The plan is to open circa 30 new restaurants per year from 2026, with a particular focus on company-owned locations. On top of that, we will remodel over 30 sites next year. If you look at the numbers of McDonald's and KFCs, they are significantly bigger than ours, with both well over 1,000 sites each. There is a significant opportunity and a lot of white space for us to grow into. We are not chasing a number as such, we're going to open in a very pragmatic sense – open good restaurants and good drive-thrus. We see a significant runway of opportunities out there and our pipeline reflects that.” Murdoch said trading had remained resilient in 2025 and that there is an “inherent resilience within the quick service restaurant (QSR) sector”. On pricing, he said: “If you're in the QSR market, you’ve got to be very, very careful about price. I think one of the things that has helped us over the last 18 months is that we have priced a bit less than some of our other competitors. For us, it’s not so much necessarily the price, but the value and the abundance we can offer.” The company has also extended its master franchise rights for Burger King to the Republic of Ireland for the first time. There are currently circa 50 Burger King sites in Ireland, the majority operated by franchisees Applegreen and OKR Group. Murdoch said: “We’re not going to go in and do dramatic things. But equally, in the UK and Northern Ireland, our like-for-likes sales growth has been very strong over the last seven to eight years, and if we can help them with marketing campaigns or our supply chain skills, that can only be good for all of us.”

Bella Italia marketing director Megan Trimble among speakers at 2026 Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit, open for bookings: Megan Trimble, marketing director at Bella Italia, will be among the speakers at the 2026 Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit. Trimble will share how the brand has pivoted from a discount-led operator to one driven by experience, exclusives and innovation. She will reveal how Bella Italia is responding to a changing demographic, reinforcing value and differentiating from competitors with insights on marketing-led menu development, viral activations such as Bella Appreciation Day and Spritz Day, and how a heritage brand can reassert itself in a crowded market. Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit is returning for its eighth edition, and tickets are on sale. The event is a partnership between Propel and Think Hospitality, aiming to build a community, promote the sharing of ideas, recognise talent and define the future of eating out. Bookings are open for the two-day conference as the centrepiece of the January event series, taking place on 20 and 21 January at Hilton Bankside in London. A bigger venue allows for a dual-stage format, meaning more content than ever before. The conference will focus on technology, marcomms strategies, proposition, brand building, the latest market insights, digital developments and diversification of revenue streams. It is designed for customer focused chief executives, senior marketers, technology and innovation teams, as well as investors wanting to better understand the latest marketing, innovation and development opportunities to build market share and grow. For the full speaker schedule, click here. A one-day ticket for operators is £320 plus VAT while a two-day ticket is £575 plus VAT. Supplier tickets are £950 plus VAT for the two days. Propel Premium Club subscribers receive a 20% discount. To book, email: rmi@propelinfo.com.

Premium Club subscribers to receive updated Turnover & Profits Blue Book today: Premium Club subscribers will receive the updated Turnover & Profits Blue Book today (Friday, 12 December), at noon. The database will feature 11 new companies and 104 updated accounts. The database now features a total of 1,194 companies, with 746 in profit and 448 making a loss. The Blue Book is updated each month and ranks companies by turnover, profit and profit conversion, listing directors’ earnings for the past five years. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five other databases: the New Openings Database, 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 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 group editor Mark Wingett and a host of industry leaders from across the sector. In this week’s Propel Premium, James Hacon, managing partner at Think Hospitality Consulting, takes a look at sector brands entering into or expanding out of the UK market and the choice between the Middle East or the US, while Propel editorial advisor Katherine Doggrell looks back at a budget where the hospitality sector continues to support an economy which doesn’t support it. 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.

Panmure Liberum – Marston’s and SSP among companies with greatest upside in 2026: Anna Barnfather, analyst at Panmure Liberum, said that Gym Group, Marston’s and SSP Group are her top three picks for 2026 – representing those companies “with the greatest upside supported by positive earnings momentum and clear catalysts”. Barnfather said: “Marston’s was the strongest performer in the leisure sector this year, with the shares up 33% in 2025 year-to-date. Momentum is building and leverage is falling, substantially derisking the equity case, which is yet to be reflected in its current valuation, with its share price 52% below the net asset value (NAV) of 125p per share. Marston’s will release a first quarter trading update in January 2026, when we expect it to report strong Christmas trading. While like-for-like sales in the first eight weeks of FY26 were in line with the prior year, Christmas bookings were tracking up 11% year-on-year as of the end of November, further supported by a robust calendar of events. We model 2.5% like-for-likes sales growth in FY26 and flat Ebitda margins of 22.8%, leaving scope for upside with a minimal impact expected from business rates. Key catalysts for continued share price momentum include continued execution, driving margin and earnings momentum, which, combined with returns on five pub format capex spending, will drive net debt below the 4.0x threshold to trigger dividends and/or buyback. The share price trajectory should also be underpinned by uplifts in NAV per share as value transfers from debt to equity in line with the securitisation amortisation profile, boosted by upwards revaluations.” On SSP, Barnfather said that current trading indicates an acceleration in performance, with recent revenue growth of 6%, including a rebound in North America. She said: “Combined with the ongoing rolling cost-reduction programme, this provides confidence in the outlook despite continued challenges in Continental Europe, where the company has launched an external review of its Rail business. The next update will be a first quarter trading in January, where continued like-for-like growth and turnaround progress in Continental Europe would help maintain continued share price recovery. Further catalysts/support include the ongoing £100m share buyback, conclusion of European Rail review due May 2026 and potential partial sell down of TFS (recently listed Indian investee Travel Food Services) stake.”

Global Brands founder – Starmer lied to my face over tax raid: Global Brands founder Steve Perez, who runs hotels and restaurants in the East Midlands, has claimed Sir Keir Starmer lied to his face over taxes. The entrepreneur criticised the prime minister over the government’s stealth raid on pubs, hotels and restaurants. Perez said Starmer assured him before last year’s election that he had “nothing to fear from Labour”. In particular, Perez claimed Sir Keir had pledged to reform business rates if Labour came to power, acknowledging at the time that the property tax system was damaging the hospitality sector. However, Perez said instead, hospitality businesses have received the “opposite of support” from Labour. His criticism stems from chancellor Rachel Reeves’s decision to overhaul business rates in her budget last month, which is poised to drive up the hospitality sector’s tax bills rather than reduce them. Perez said one of his hotels will be struck by a £45,000 increase despite only having 27 bedrooms. He said: “This is the straw that’s going to break the camel’s back for many hospitality businesses. The worst thing is, this has been done through the back door, because I listened to the budget, and Rachel Reeves said it was going to be a golden era for hospitality.” He said he was joining a growing campaign among pub and restaurant chiefs to ban Labour MPs from their premises, adding that the hospitality sector was “as angry as the farmers had been” when the chancellor unveiled her inheritance tax raid last year.

KFC UK – with more support from the government we could close employment gap for young people: Chelsea Hamlyn, chief people and culture officer at KFC UK & Ireland, has said that employment programmes such as her own company’s Hatch initiative are helping close the employment gap for you people – but more help is needed. Latest figures show that close to one million young people in the UK are currently not in training, employment or education. Hamlyn told Personnel Today: “At KFC, we see the potential that young people bring to the workforce every single day. More than 65% of our workforce is under the age of 25, making us one of the largest youth employers in the country. We’re the first job of thousands of young people, and we’re proud to give young people a real sense of independence and responsibility. But the positive story of what hospitality can offer sits alongside a national challenge that cannot be ignored. As an industry, we have tens of thousands of jobs available – jobs that can provide financial independence, skills for life and real career pathways – but too many young people still can’t access them. Right now, many young people don’t have the resources or support to find jobs, and it’s even harder for businesses to find these young people, because all too often they are sidelined or fall out of training and education. The answer? More support for young people from businesses like ours. But we can’t do it on our own, so we’re calling for greater investment in these types of programmes. Employers like KFC are ready to offer the roles; what we need is a more joined-up system that reliably connects young people to them. With the right support and a renewed ambition from the government, we could do even more to close the employment gap for young people.”

Tom Kerridge – Labour tax raid makes it harder to keep restaurants open: Tom Kerridge has said Labour’s tax increases make it harder to keep his restaurants open, adding to a growing backlash over the chancellor’s raid on hospitality. The Michelin-starred chef told The Telegraph that Rachel Reeves’s business rates overhaul would more than double his property tax bills, with the chancellor offering “no additional support or benefit”. Kerridge said the increase threatened to make it more difficult to run his business, adding: “It tightens the pressure on cash flow and limits our ability to create jobs, invest in improvements or even keep our doors open.” Kerridge signed a letter in support for Labour ahead of the election last year and said that while he still backed the party, he disagreed with Reeves’s business rates changes. He said: “If hospitality venues across the country face the same burden, it will directly impact local communities and the vibrancy of our towns and cities.”

Amber Staynings – pre-booking is not a threat to pubs, it is a lifeline: Amber Staynings, founder and chief executive of strategic sales and business development expert Bums on Seats, has argued that “pre-booking is not a threat to pubs, it is a lifeline”. In his column in last week’s Propel Friday Opinion, Glynn Davis, a leading commentator on retail trends, said that “the sight of a plethora of tables booked ahead of time” is “one of the most annoying aspects of pub-going at this time of the year” and has now become “irritatingly widespread in pubs all year round”. But Staynings, responding in today’s (Friday, 12 December) Friday Opinion, said the argument is “rooted in nostalgia more than in the realities of today’s hospitality landscape”. She said: “Without the rise of pre-booked sales, our pub sector would not be seeing the strength, resilience and like-for-like growth it’s enjoying today. Pre-booking is not a threat; it is a lifeline. And more than that, it’s a strategic tool that allows pubs to trade confidently seven days a week in a world where costs, expectations and behaviours have changed beyond recognition. I completely agree that pubs should keep space for walk-ins, and the best operators absolutely do. But to suggest pre-bookings somehow undermine the pub’s spirit misunderstands both the economics and the evolving skillset behind running a successful site today.” Staynings will share more of her thoughts in today’s Friday Opinion, which will be sent out at 11am.

BBPA  demands  pub-specific  relief to  prevent closures and save thousands of jobs: Following an emergency summit of pub chiefs, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has issued an urgent call for the government to introduce a 30% pub-specific business rates relief to prevent widespread closures and protect approximately 15,000 jobs. It said almost 5,000 of the UK’s smallest pubs will now be hit with a business rates bill for the first time, pushing many to the brink. For the average community pub which will be hit by a 30% increase in rateable value (RV) and the loss of the vital 40% relief, this revaluation means a 63% rise in bills, roughly £6,000 more each year. The trade association said plans to soften the new rates with transitional relief will not counter the devastating impact. It said the sector’s total bill will mean a further £150m by 2028/29, even after transitional support, an increase of 32%. Furthermore, it said the minor 5p tweak to multipliers does nothing to fix the long-standing imbalance as pubs continue to massively overpay relative to their turnover. BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin said: “This Budget left publicans petrified and many fearing there is no way they can survive these sky-high bill increases or keep their home. The situation is so grave that it requires immediate action as the very existence of thousands of pubs is at stake. Without urgent intervention, communities will lose their pubs at an alarming rate and take with them livelihoods and jobs. A 30% pub-specific relief is the simplest, fairest and fastest way to protect Britain’s locals and we want to work with government so we can ensure the sector survives.” Meanwhile, the Scottish Beer & Pub Association (SBPA) has urged the Scottish government to provide clear and consistent guidance to local licensing boards ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Paul Togneri, senior policy manager at the SBPA, said: “We estimate that each Scotland match could generate an additional £3m for pubs and bars across the country. The late-night kick-offs, coupled with the potential for extra-time, penalties, water-breaks, and even weather delays mean that clear guidance to local authorities is crucial. We stand ready to work with the government and local authorities to ensure Scotland's pubs play a positive role in this historic tournament.”

NHS and HSC staff working on Christmas Day to receive discounted Uber rides and Uber Eats orders: National Health Service (NHS) and Health and Social Care (HSC) staff working on Christmas Day will be offered discounted Uber rides and Uber Eats orders. They will be eligible for £10 off two Uber rides, as well as a £10 Uber Eats discount. Their Uber account must be linked to their official NHS email address by the end of 21 December, and eligible users will receive a promo code, which must be used on 25 December 2025. Andrew Brem, general manager at Uber UK, said: “At Uber, we’re proud to support the NHS, whether it's through essential patient and staff travel provided year-round by Uber Health, or by giving discounted rides to the wonderful people who keep the service going on Christmas Day.”

Job of the day: COREcruitment is recruiting for a high-end, seasonal hospitality operation located on a private island in the Caribbean. As assistant general manager, you’ll take on a wide-reaching operational remit, supporting everything from beach club activity and logistics to guest services, maintenance, and day-to-day restaurant operations. This role is ideal for someone with the ambition and capability to move into a general manager position in the near future, as the business continues to expand. It offers a salary up to $70,000/£50,000. For more information, please contact danny@corecruitment.com.

 

Caffe Nero owner reports record half year sales of £338m: The Nero Group – the owner of Caffe Nero, Coffee#1 and 200 Degrees – has reported strong trading for the first half of its financial year to November 2025, with record sales of £338m driven by 5% like-for-like sales (9% above the same period in the previous year) and the opening of 26 new stores. In the UK, Caffè Nero reported record sales of £185.4m for the first half, reflecting overall growth of 7% versus last year with 5% like-for-like sales growth. The group also saw like-for-like sales growth of 8% in Turkey and 11% in Sweden. The Nero Group currently operates 1,151 stores across 11 countries with 11,000 employees, serving in excess of 150 million customers a year. There are 632 Caffe Nero coffee houses in the UK and ten new stores opened in the UK in the first half. It said Caffè Nero UK, during the summer and through the autumn, experienced significant success from its iced drinks menu, with matcha notably performing very strongly – driving an increase in iced drinks sales of sales of 50%, with matcha responsible for driving 85% of it. It said Caffe Nero’s new pistachio croissant was also a great success in the UK, with the business selling 500,000 units in the past three months. Caffè Nero founder and group chief executive Gerry Ford said: “Our first half was very strong. We had record sales at the group level and record sales at Caffè Nero UK. This marks two years of continuous sales records. At a time when many coffee businesses are struggling, our success is a reflection of the hard work and outstanding service from our store teams and the significant momentum we have built up through menu innovation. It’s been particularly encouraging that we are not only growing sales, but we are also growing our customer base.”

Pret A Manger hires Ross Warnes to head UK & Ireland business: Pret A Manger has hired Ross Warnes, formerly of Kraft Heinz and Unilever, as UK & Ireland president, to lead the brand’s largest market through its next phase of growth. Starting in January 2026, Warnes joins from Kraft Heinz where he held several senior roles, including area vice president – overseeing the company’s biggest business unit in the US – vice president of sales for northern Europe and UK & Ireland sales director. Pret said he will bring a wealth of experience driving growth for food and beverage brands, with experience at Unilever and Nestle’s UK businesses prior to his time at Kraft Heinz. Warnes will oversee Pret’s 500-plus site UK & Ireland estate, spearheading efforts to “grow market share, increase transactions and deliver even greater value to customers”. His appointment comes as Pret doubles down on its commitment to food and coffee innovation following July's successful launch of Super Plates, a premium range of bigger, high protein and nutrient rich salads, which it said is already driving incremental customer visits, as well as focusing on value for customers. In September, Propel revealed that Clare Clough was to step down as the UK and Europe managing director of the JAB Holdings-backed Pret after 15 years with the company. Pano Christou, chief executive of Pret, said: “I’m excited to welcome Ross to the Pret team overseeing UK and Ireland. Ross has great experience in growing food brands and leading high-performing teams. His leadership will be instrumental as we focus on growing our UK market share, driving transactions and delivering more value to our customers.” Warnes added: “I grew up with Pret and have always cherished its freshly made food, organic coffee and friendly service. It's been amazing to see it evolve over the years and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be part of its exciting future. I’m looking forward to joining the team and taking the Pret brand to new places across the UK and Ireland.”

West Cornwall Pasty – open to high street return, railway sites performing ‘extremely well’: West Cornwall Pasty has told Propel it is open to a return to the high street. The company was acquired out of administration by Samworth Brothers in 2017, at which point it had 33 stores alongside 19 motorway service station franchises. The shops were all closed, initially as a temporary measure, at the start of the covid pandemic – with the move made permanent later that year. The brand continues to thrive through circa 100 sites across its railway, retail, motorway service station sites and stadium operations. Speaking at the Propel Franchisor Showcase, commercial director Nick Anderson said while the company won’t be opening any equity high street stores, it will be an option for franchisees. “There is an opportunity in the high street 100%, for franchisees with the right location to get that return – whether that’s a full sit down to a grab and go area,” he said. “Not in terms of company-owned – we’ve already been there. Samworth Brothers acquired the business in 2017, but covid struck, it was decimated and they ended up shutting the business down. We thought we’d build the brand back in terms of out of home, without a great deal of interest in retail. We started that in terms of hot grab and go, developed our franchise model, and then with the foundations we have now, we think franchise is a great opportunity.” Anderson said the company currently operates across 11 mainline stations in partnership with SSP and Network Rail and hopes to have 20 locations by the end of 2026. He said: “We have several different concepts in rail, and all are performing extremely well – from full-service cafes to quick service kiosks. The cost in terms of set up with Network Rail isn’t cheap, but beyond that, in terms of other channels, I think there’s greater opportunities where the cost would be a lot more modest.” Anderson said the company is particularly proud of its sports stadium concessions. He added: “We have 13 concessions at Twickenham – plus a few at Leicester Tigers – and our pasties are the seconds best seller at Twickenham after Guinness.” West Cornwall Pasty was one of ten up-and-coming food and beverage franchisors which presented at the Propel Franchisor Showcase. All ten videos from the Showcase are being sent to Propel subscribers, with the West Cornwall Pasty video going out at 9am today (Friday, 12 December).

Warrens Bakery looking to expand presence in London transport hubs: Cornish company Warrens Bakery has said it is looking to further expand its presence in London transport hubs after opening a new flagship site in Liverpool Street, the UK’s busiest railway station. The 45-strong company said it has already had success with its Slough, Basingstoke, Cardiff and Bath railway stores, where it serves a range of Cornish pasties, artisan baked goods and freshly brewed hot drinks. Mark Sullivan, chief executive of Warren Bakery, said: “Our railway station stores in Bath, Basingstoke, Slough and Cardiff are popular amongst commuters and travellers, so we’re excited to grow further in this area by opening a flagship shop in the UK's busiest railway station. Our plan is to expand our presence in other London travel locations.” Katie Anderson, Warrens Bakery’s Head of Travel, added: “This is quite a journey for us, from the streets of 1860 Penzance to Liverpool Street Station in 2025. Our focus has always been on quality and choice, and we’re delighted to introduce people to our famous hand-crimped pasties, delicious baked goods and exciting new collaboration with roasted coffee experts Bridge Coffee.” In August, the company reported it made a loss in the year to 30 June 2024 and had shut more loss-making stores. It saw a pre-tax profit of £328,588 in 2023 turn into a loss of £11,011 as distribution costs rose from £6,570,675 to £7,298,527. Turnover increased from £13,712,278 in 2023 to £14,573,734.

Smash burger brand to open first equity store for 15th site overall, set to launch into the US in 2026: Smash burger brand Smacks Hamburgers is to open its first equity store for its 15th location overall. The store will open in London’s Victoria on Friday, 19 December. It rounds off a successful 2025 for the London-based brand which has seen it grow sales by more than 50%, to £8m in retail revenue, and launch new franchise stores in Brighton, Glasgow, Cardiff and Motor City Dubai – its international debut. It is set to follow this by launching into the US in 2026 – with a first store in Virginia. Launched in 2021, Smacks also this year launched its Nashville ‘Smacksville’ hot chicken range along with a secret ‘Smicken’ sauce. Founder Kaysor Ali said: “The new Victora store is a proud moment for us. From starting off in a small unit in Thornton Heath with no seats to being located within a 90 second walk of Victoria Station and directly next door to Nando’s is quite an achievement – all post covid and amongst the turbulent economic and cost of living crisis we have managed to navigate through. We chose the location because Victoria is a very well-known central London location, capturing both the great city of London as well as the surrounding highly populated residence. We managed to find a perfectly located unit at an affordable rate compared to other typical commercial units in the city.” The company has previously stated a target of 100 locations across the UK through both franchised and managed outlets. It has also just commenced its first investment raise, to expedite store growth, and is welcoming enquiries from prospective investors and from experienced franchisees.

Grind to launch first standalone travel café at Waterloo Station: Coffee shop operator and wholesaler Grind will open its first standalone café in a transport hub, at London’s Waterloo Station, next week. The café, located on the mezzanine level, opposite platform five, will officially open on Monday, 15 December and will have 35 covers. The new site, opened in partnership with One Retail, the retail specialist sector of Compass Group UK & Ireland, expands Grind’s footprint in travel retail beyond its partnerships with British Airways and Dubai International airport. The company said the opening will mark “a major step in Grind’s expansion beyond its East London roots and into the heart of the UK’s transport network”. David Abrahamovitch, chief executive and founder of Grind, said: “Bringing Grind to one of the UK’s busiest stations marks a major milestone for us – we can’t wait to bring our craft coffee to thousands of commuters at Waterloo. We’re offering travellers a completely new experience: a place where they can grab a great coffee on the go, sit down for brunch, or unwind with cocktails after a long day. It’s our first in a station, and we’re thrilled to make it happen with One Retail.” Grind currently operates 15 cafés, restaurants and cocktail bars and coffee trucks across the UK.

Chaiiwala opens final site of the year in Birmingham: Indian street food brand Chaiiwala has opened its final site of 2025, at the Fort Shopping Park in Birmingham. The brand, which has more than 100 locations across the UK and overseas, said the new site, its 13th opening this year, is run by local franchisees Balkar and Mandeep Garcha. The company said the new opening builds on Chaiiwala’s successful new store in Cape Hill, west Birmingham, which began serving customers in October and has been received with “highly positive local feedback”. To date, it has received more than 175 Google Reviews with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5. Sohail Ali, co-founder of Chaiiwala, said: “We’re delighted to wrap-up our openings this year with a fantastic new store at The Fort – one of Birmingham’s most exciting retail destinations. Building on our successful new opening in Cape Hill and wider portfolio of stores across Birmingham, this opening presents another opportunity to bring high-quality, accessible Indian street food to more locals in a new setting, just in time for any last-minute festive shopping.” The brand plans to scale up to 500 global locations over the next ten years. This includes significantly expanding its footprint in the UK and Canada with its existing multi-site franchisees, and exploring new international markets, including the US, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Paris Baguette opens fifth UK site: South Korean bakery café brand Paris Baguette has opened its fifth site in the UK, in London’s Notting Hill. The company, which has more than 4,000 stores worldwide and made its UK debut in 2022, has opened at 57 Pembridge Road. Last month, the company opened its fourth store here at Westfield White City. It was also a second UK franchise site for the brand, in partnership with BH Property Brothers, which also operates the brand’s Canary Wharf store. Speaking at the Propel’s recent Franchisor Showcase, Nico Gaillot, the chief operating officer of Paris Baguette UK, said: “We have secured a site in Waterloo for mid-February; and we will then be moving on to Richmond in around May or June. We also have a franchisee for Ireland and we’re looking for a site over there. By the end of next year, we should be on about ten stores if everything goes well.”

Sides to make Scotland debut with double opening: Sides, the food business from YouTube collective Sidemen, will early next year make its debut in Scotland with a double opening. The venues will be located in Glasgow’s St Enoch shopping centre and Livingston Designer Outlet, with the opening dates to be announced in due course. The expansion into Scotland adds to the existing Sides UK restaurants – including Lakeside in Essex, Bluewater in Kent, Boxpark Wembley, Merry Hill in the Midlands and the Arndale in Manchester – plus its first international location, which opened in Singapore in June. Aaron Moore-Saxton, managing sirector at Sides, said: “We have a great brand, a great product and we are ready to deliver new growth, starting in Scotland. Expanding our footprint into Scotland has been a huge ambition and we are thrilled to bring our unique hot-chicken experience to Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Livingston, as we meet our ambition of owning the hot chicken category in the UK.” Sides is also exploring opportunities for additional sites across the UK, as part of a “broader multi-year growth strategy aimed at establishing a strong and long-term footprint across the nation”.

Chicken concept Baked Bird opens first standalone site: Baked Bird, the healthy baked chicken concept, has opened its first standalone site, in London’s Soho. The concept, which was founded by Vimal Arumugam, Rosh Arumugam and Shai Arumugam, has opened at 11 Goodge Street. The award-winning Baked Bird opened its first physical location at Boxhall in London’s Liverpool Street earlier this year. Vimal (chief executive) and Shai, both with backgrounds in finance/IT, were inspired by Asian chicken tastes, while Rosh handles finance. The company said it is “a family-led business focused on healthier, innovative chicken dishes”. On the new Soho site, Baked Bird said: “Why central London? Because we wanted to bring something different. Yes, there are chicken shops everywhere but are there baked chicken shops? No. We wanted to create something new. The journey hasn’t been easy, but we’ve had support from some amazing people (you know who you are) and of course mum and dad. We’ve had great feedback and we take it all on board. We’re adapting, improving and growing every day.”

Nightcap and Tokyo Industries founders back new gameshow TV experience concept: Nightcap founder Sarah Willingham and Tokyo Industries founder Aaron Mellor are amongst the backers of a Gameshow LIVE! – which is described as the world's first live, competitive TV gameshow experience – set to launch next spring. The concept is the brainchild Josh Ford and Tristan Hoffman, who both worked on the launch of crazy golf concept Swingers. Ford, who was the creative behind the original Swingers crazy golf pop up, and Hoffman, the operations exec who launched Swingers and The Outernet venues, said their new concept blends competitive socialising and immersive theatre with premium food, drinks and hospitality, in a high-tech “interactive entertainment” venue. The company said: “Inspired by classic TV gameshow nostalgia fused with cutting-edge tech and a dose of Vegas showbiz, 200 players in 40 teams will compete from bespoke gaming booths in a glossy TV studio brought to life – with big red buzzers, dramatic lighting and a giant gameshow wheel. Guided by a charismatic, quick-witted host, teams battle it out on the leaderboard through classic gameshow rounds, competing to win iconic Gameshow inspired prizes for the lifestyle generation. Central to the experience, Gameshow LIVE! will serve a premium food and drink offering where guests can order signature cocktails and shareable snacks throughout the game by pressing a dedicated service buzzer in their booth.” Purpose-built for global scale, the company said its software platform underpins the brand's expansion strategy, targeting London, Manchester and major US markets. Propel understands the business is currently in the latter stages of contract negotiations for a site in London.

Senor Ceviche team to launch new rotisserie concept: Jonathan Murray and Dipak Panchal, who are behind Senor Ceviche in Soho and the award-winning The Black Dog pub in Vauxhall, are to open a new rotisserie concept in London next year. Opening in Soho early in 2026, Studio Royale will be “a rotisserie built on French mastery, an American sense of comfort and the pulse of contemporary music culture”. Murray is behind The Black Dog, Senor Ceviche and Korean Dinner Party – the last two based in Kingly Court, Soho – while Panchal co-founded Dirty Bones and is also behind food hall concept Arcade.

Burger Boi to open first store with Morrisons later this month: Premium smashed burger business Burger Boi will open its first store with Morrisons next week. Propel revealed exclusively in October that Burger Boi had signed a deal with supermarket company Morrisons to open sites within its stores. The first will now open at Morrisons Manchester Piccadilly on Monday, 15 December. Burger Boi currently has 15 locations across the UK. Last month, the brand signed a number of new multi-site franchise deals, “covering key territories across London and the north” – with the first site to open in Cannock.

Pure Leisure gets green light for new hotel at East Yorkshire golf course: Holiday park operator Pure Leisure has received planning permission for a new hotel at a golf course and leisure venue on the East Yorkshire coast have been given the green light. Bridlington Links Golf and Leisure Estate, part of the Pure Leisure Group, submitted an application to East Riding of Yorkshire Council earlier this year for development at the estate, located between Bridlington and Flamborough. The plans cover the construction of a one-and-a-half-storey, 84-bedroom hotel, reports Insider Media. Members of the council’s planning committee have now granted approval, which follows the outline planning permission granted in 2022. Pure Leisure, founded in 2004 by John Morphet, operates around 15 holiday lodge and caravan parks in the UK, as well as Tydd St Giles Golf and Leisure Estate in Cambridgeshire and Bridlington Links Golf and Leisure Estate in West Yorkshire, plus the 750-acre Westmoreland estate in Barbados. Earlier this year, it also acquired the Twin Lakes Country Club in Lancashire, which will operate under Pure Leisure’s Royal Westmoreland banner.

Chef Nathan Outlaw to close flagship site: Michelin-starred restaurant Outlaws New Road in Port Isaac, on the north Cornwall coast, will close at the end of March next year. Christie & Co has been appointed to sell the restaurant, which is spread across the ground and first floors, offering 60 seats with sea views, along with an external seating area. After ten years at this location, award-winning chef Outlaw has decided to integrate the business into his recently acquired Outlaws Guest House, where he will open Outlaw’s Bistro next April, while also still operating the Fish Kitchen at Port Isaac harbour. The chef relocated his two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Nathan Outlaw to Port Isaac in 2015 before relaunching it as the more casual Outlaw’s New Road during the pandemic. It won a Michelin star in 2021 and has retained the accolade ever since. The business will close in late March 2026 and is available freehold for £750,000. Outlaw said: “It has been an incredible ten years at this amazing location. Watching both my team and I develop, and seeing what we’ve achieved together, has been nothing short of remarkable. To close the doors on such a high feels right. It lets us carry that momentum straight into [new project] Outlaw’s Bistro. I’m also excited to see what the next custodians will do with the building. It’s a special place with a view that still catches me off-guard, even after all these years. I’m looking forward to seeing how it evolves over the next decade or two.”

Ascona Group secures £200m in funding to help expand estate: Ascona Group – one of the UK's fastest-growing forecourt operators, which has partnerships with the likes of Costa, Starbucks, Greggs and Subway across its 70 sites – has secured £200m in funding to help expand its estate. The group, which was founded in 2011 by chief executive Darren Briggs and has 850 staff, has received the support from private credit fund Blazehill alongside HSBC. The new facility has been put in place to refinance a portion of existing senior debt and provide committed acquisition facilities to expand its estate. Briggs said: "We are delighted to complete this important transaction for Ascona. This new acquisition facility marks a new pivotal moment in our growth journey as we continue to strengthen our footprint as one of the UK's largest innovative independent forecourt operators and one of Wales's fastest-growing companies." Simmons & Simmons, Trevally Capital and PwC supported Ascona while DLA Piper, Avison Young and Trevally Capital supported Blazehill.

Buckinghamshire operator acquires second pub: Buckinghamshire operator Elzan Seraj has acquired a second pub in the region. Seraj, who owns and operates The Dolphin in Stoke Hammond, has taken on The Birch in Woburn, near Milton Keynes. In a deal brokered by Christie & Cop, the pub was sold by family-run, local pub company Country Taverns, which also runs The Black Horse in Ireland, Bedfordshire, for an undisclosed price. A spokesman for the Campbell family, owners of Country Taverns, said: “We are sad to see The Birch leave our portfolio but delighted it’s going to such an experienced operator with strong local ties. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved here and confident the pub will continue to thrive under new ownership.” Seraj added: “I am thrilled to take on The Birch and continue the fantastic work of the Campbell family. This is a wonderful pub with a great reputation, and I’m excited to build on that and make it even more of a destination for the local community.”