Exclusive – Sessions ‘will take SoBe Burger to 80 QSR locations by the end of 2027’, ‘similar potential for Ivan Ramen and Mikos Gyros’: Dan Warne, founder of Sessions – the growth platform for original food brands – has told Propel the company will take SoBe Burger to 80 quick service restaurant (QSR) locations by the end of 2027, and that he sees similar potential for Ivan Ramen and Mikos Gyros. Using a model of acquiring brands, testing the market through delivery kitchens and then potentially rolling out bricks and mortar sites, Sessions has already opened 15 SoBe Burger stores to complement the reach it already has through 200 delivery kitchens. Warne said: “We should have six more SoBe Burger stores open by the end of the summer and should be at 30 by the end of the year. We see 80 by the end of 2027 as its market opportunity for QSR, with a far greater potential after that – and it’s not just a random number, we use data from its delivery kitchen sites to calculate where the demand is. We have Stoke Newington (north London), Leamington Spa, Worcester and Swindon locked in. SoBe Burger will do very well in the large university town market, and in the south west and Home Counties regional markets, as well as Scotland.” Warne said he sees “the same potential” in terms of QSR numbers for Mikos Gyros, the Greek street food brand he signed a partnership with last summer, and Ivan Ramen, the concept from chef Ivan Ramen which opened its debut UK restaurant in November. “With Mikos Gyros, we’ve got the model secured and we’re looking to put our foot down on it by the end of the year,” he said. “Ivan Ramen is going very well so far, and we’re looking to open a second London location within the next nine months and then expand aggressively. There is no dominant national player for the space that either brusiness is in, so we see the potential to really put our foot down.” Of Sessions’ other concepts, Warne said the company sees “huge potential” for Chick’n’Sours and is looking at the physical model it will deploy for Little Bao Boy.

 

Premium Club subscribers to receive new UK Food & Beverage Franchisor Database today: The next UK Food & Beverage Franchisor Database will be sent to Premium Club subscribers today (Friday, 8 May) at 12pm. The database now has 400 entries and more than 230,000 words of content on brands already franchising in the UK or looking to franchise here. Among the new entries are Manchester coffee house concept Michael’s Coffee House and The Beefy Boys, the better burger business backed by Manjit Dale, founding partner of TDR Capital. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five other databases: the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the Multi-Site Database, the New Openings 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 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. A new Premium Unlimited Plus option, which costs £1,995 plus VAT per annum, has some amazing additional benefits including four free tickets to Propel’s paid-for conferences – Excellence in Pub & Bar (19 May), Operational Excellence (9 July) and Talent & Training (15 October) – and the opportunity to run one free sponsored message or situation vacant notice during the year on the newsletter. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

 

UKHospitality calls for business energy support from government: UKHospitality has called for the government to support sector businesses in the face of increased energy costs. The trade body has written to chancellor Rachel Reeves, outlining six clear measures that Downing Street can take to help. These include an obligation for energy suppliers to offer new contracts, a cap on deposits demanded by suppliers and the avoidance of sector-specific profiling that has previously seen hospitality locked out of contracts. UKHospitality also wants to see fiscal support for businesses coming out of fixed-term contracts, and a pledge from the government to keep additional costs included within energy bills – outside of unit cost of energy – to an absolute minimum. There should be no additional levies put on hospitality energy bills to fund support for other sectors, and the current nuclear levy should be reconsidered, UKHospitality said. Additionally, it recommended the government refer the business energy market to the Competition and Markets Authority, to redress already identified competition issues. Finally, UKHospitality said costly and burdensome new regulations currently under consultation should be postponed, including the deposit return scheme, advertising restrictions and mandatory reporting requirements. Chief executive Allen Simpson said businesses are increasingly concerned about the impact of the crisis in the Middle East. He added: “Fixed-term contracts are providing some short-term protection, but this will fall away for many in the coming months. Rural venues are already seeing higher prices due to a doubling of the price of heating oil. We are urging government to urgently pull together, in discussion with industry, targeted measures that support the hospitality sector.”

 

Propel Premium Opinion – Nando’s UK CEO Mark Standish on the group’s 500th site and what comes next: Mark Standish, chief executive of Nando’s UK, talks to Propel’s Mark Wingett about what opening its 500th site means for the brand and what comes next for the business in today’s (Friday, 8 May) Propel Premium Opinion. Standish discusses the group’s expansion targets, the work it has done on staff recruitment and retention and why working at Nando’s is like a “contact sport”. Also in today’s Premium Opinion, which will be sent at 5pm, Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, discusses the allure of the “24-hour city” and why it has never arrived, while Simon Anderson, food hall consultant at Ideas Food Consultancy and ex-chief operating officer at Market Halls, looks at the new Arcade opening in London’s Covent Garden, and why a premium, curated food hall is backing itself to do the numbers an iconic casual-dining brand couldn’t. A Premium Club subscription costs an annual sum of £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Companies can 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. A new Premium Unlimited Plus option, which costs £1,995 plus VAT per annum, has some amazing additional benefits including four free tickets to Propel’s paid-for conferences – Excellence in Pub & Bar (19 May), Operational Excellence (9 July) and Talent & Training (15 October) – and the opportunity to run one free sponsored message or situation vacant notice during the year on the newsletter. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

 

Glynn Davis – ‘opportunity for operators as more people return to the office’: Glynn Davis has argued there is an opportunity for operators as people return to the office in increasing numbers. Davis, a leading commentator on retail trends, said studies have showed many big businesses now expect their employees to spend all their working days in the office, and that the move “is clearly widespread, judging by the demand for office property market across the UK”. Writing in today’s (Friday, 8 May) Friday Opinion, he points to Canary Wharf as an example, saying the destination “looked to be in serious trouble” post-pandemic but is “currently experiencing the strongest demand for office leases in the past ten years”. Davis said: “The implications of all this for hospitality businesses that are exposed to locations with office blocks seems pretty obvious. Although we will likely never return to the office working levels of the pre-pandemic era, the UK’s shift away from its status as the work-from-home capital of Europe undoubtedly represents a much welcome opportunity for many hospitality businesses.” You can read more of Davis’ thoughts in Friday Opinion, which will be sent out at 11am.

 

Oisin Rogers – ‘the good news is that, rare exceptions aside, we are nowhere near the £10 pint’: Oisin Rogers, landlord of The Devonshire in London’s Soho, has said that rare exceptions aside, “we are nowhere near the £10 pint”, and while rising costs across the industry have “certainly forced the hand of some, pubs need to remain accessible to all”. Writing in The Times, Rogers said: “On first glance, it looks like the news we all feared: the first sighting of a £10 pint in London. But that headline does not tell the full story — and a couple of Mayfair bars are hardly representative of the whole pub industry. I’ve known many a landlord over the years, and I know very few who take any pleasure in putting up the price of a pint. Rising costs across the industry have certainly forced the hand of some but pubs need to remain accessible to all. Pints that are too costly will price normal drinkers out of pubs, which defeats the object of being a pub in the first place. When we opened The Devonshire in 2023, we introduced a policy that we would always have a pint below a fiver. We’ve managed to keep this throughout three years of pressures on costs and we want to continue doing so for the foreseeable future. It’s costing us margin, of course, and we’re a busy pub in the middle of a very expensive postcode, but to us it’s hugely important that people feel that they can get value for money. We are not alone by any means. The environment we’re operating in is a long way from ideal, but even in the most expensive postcodes across London you can find pints that won’t break the bank. The good news is that, rare exceptions aside, we are nowhere near the £10 pint.” Rogers will be part of the Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference. The UK’s biggest pub conference takes place on Tuesday, 19 May at One Moorgate Place in London and is open for bookings. Rogers will be joined by Richard Colclough, co-founder of Parogon Group, Susan Chappell, divisional director at Mitchells & Butlers, Ted Kennedy, chairman of Coral Pub Company, and Tim Barrett, senior analyst at Deutsche Numis, to discuss building momentum and sales in a challenging market. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Tickets are £345 plus VAT for operators and £395 plus VAT for suppliers. There is a 20% discount for operators and suppliers who are Premium Club subscribers while Premium Unlimited Plus subscribers receive four free tickets to the conference. Email: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to book places.

Jason Atherton – ‘we’re opening restaurants abroad to subsidise UK venues’: Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton has said he is opening restaurants abroad to subsidise his UK venues against a backdrop of high taxes and a struggling hospitality sector. Atherton is currently in Forte dei Marmi, on the Tuscan coast in Italy, where he is preparing his newest opening, Maria’s, which will be in the Principessa hotel. The chef has restaurants all over the world, including in Dubai and St Moritz. He told The Guardian he was finding it easier to make a profit in countries “with more forgiving policies” towards restaurants, pubs and bars. Atherton said: “I am trying to sustain our business by opening abroad. We are opening one new restaurant in the UK, but we are very cautious – we are certainly not gung-ho like we were five or six years ago.” He believes “restaurants will not survive” if high taxes continue. “If we didn’t have a global brand, we would find it tough because the UK is tough,” he said. “I have restaurants that are losing money. We are not asking for handouts, we are asking for a fair chance to stay alive.” Although taxes and rising costs are keeping margins tight in the UK, Atherton thinks it is important to keep affordable options on the menu. The Michelin-starred chef has been determined to serve pints of beer for under a fiver, for example. He said: “I looked at the margins and decided to knock our pint down so people can come and have a pint. We also didn’t put the prices up at Row on 5 when we got two stars – they are the same as when we had one star.” Atherton is also opening a new venture on his Little Social site in London. He has again teamed up with his Row on 5 chef, Spencer Metzger, for French bistro concept Chez Rose, reports Hot Dinners.

 

Boardwalk celebrates graduation of 22 mentees and launches second mentoring programme: Boardwalk, the professional mentoring initiative focused on advancing women in hospitality to board-level roles, has celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of 22 mentees, which it said marked “a significant milestone in its mission to drive gender equity at the highest levels of the sector”. Among the graduating cohort, two mentees have already secured promotions to board-level positions, which the initiative said underscored “the tangible impact of the programme”. While the graduation marked a moment of celebration, Boardwalk emphasised that this is part of a broader, long-term movement for change. The organisation simultaneously announced the launch of Programme 2, with 33 mentors already committed. Applications are now open for the next cohort, targeting “high-potential women who are approximately one to three years from board-level positions and seeking the support to get there”. The second programme will include: one-to-one mentoring sessions with a c-suite leader, online learning tutorials and industry networking events. Shereen Ritchie, co-founder of Boardwalk alongside Ann Elliott and Christine Martin, said: “The demand we’re seeing for Programme 2 reflects both the scale of the opportunity and the work still to be done. There is no single solution to achieving gender equity at board level, but by connecting exceptional talent with experienced leaders, we can accelerate progress in a meaningful way.”

 

Licensing update: John Gaunt & Partners licensing solicitors has just published its latest licensing update. This month’s update includes some interesting developments in licensing within the courts along with some guidance around the Fifa World Cup, which kicks off shortly. The full update can be accessed here.

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a growing Asian restaurant business operating in London that is seeking a corporate chef. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “With a flagship site already at high volume and a newer site going well, the business is ready to scale up. The company needs someone to assess current operations, improve menus and systems and build a foundation for growth, with three or four more sites planned. This is not a hands-on cooking role but more strategic and operational.” The salary is up to £100,000. For more information, email olly@corecruitment.com

 

Exclusive – Greene King places ten freehold managed pubs on the market: Pub company and brewer Greene King has placed ten freehold managed pubs on the market, Propel has learned. The managed pubs, which are being marketed for individual sale by AG&G, are separate from the 13-strong portfolio of freehold hotels and pubs with rooms for individual sale, which Greene King placed on the market last month. Of the new package, eight have a combined value of circa £9.4m, with offers invited on the other two. The pubs are the Butley Ash near Prestbury, The Chequers near St Albans, Five Horseshoes near Hertford, Green Dragon in Braintree, Hinderton Arms on the Wirral, The Nags Head in Burntwood, The Old Bell in Oxted, The Robin Hood in Bognor Regis, The Roebuck near Preston, and Ye Olde Windsor Castle near Leatherhead. Four of the pubs are already closed, while the other six are open and trading as usual. In March, Propel revealed Greene King was introducing a new estate strategy across its circa 2,500-strong pub business, including the realignment of its managed estate, which would see 300 pubs placed into a new focused business unit. Greene King said it had evaluated its brand portfolio across its entire estate, identifying the most suitable sites for each brand and building “an efficient system to focus investment, maximise profitability and support each site's growth”. As part of this, the company has identified circa 300 managed sites that would be better served under different models. It is expected that roughly half of these pubs will be converted to leased and tenanted, or franchise venues within its Pub Partners estate, with the other half evaluated for a potential sale over the medium-term. Last week, Greene King said it produced a “robust” performance in the 53 weeks to 4 January 2026, with revenue up 3.6% to £2.539bn, on the back of strong peak trading, disciplined cost control and strategic investments.

Pret hires Stefan Porter as first chief supply chain officer: Pret A Manger has hired Stefan Porter to the newly created role of chief supply chain officer, where he will help drive the company's global growth ambitions. Porter joins from Azzurri Group, owner of ASK Italian, Zizzi, Coco di Mama and Dave’s Hot Chicken, where he served as group commercial director. There, he led the organisation’s group-wide commercial strategy across purchasing and supply chain, retail, ESG, energy procurement, quality, safety and technical. Before joining Azzurri, he spent eight years at Lidl GB, latterly as senior buying director, managing strategic supplier relationships within a fast-paced, highly competitive retail environment. In this new role at Pret, Porter will have responsibility for supply chain, logistics, buying, technical and sustainability functions. Pret chief executive Pano Christou said: “With his strong commitment to food quality, combined with his deep industry expertise and commercially minded approach, I believe Stefan will be a great asset to us as we continue to grow the brand.” Porter added: “I've long been a customer and fan of Pret’s freshly made food and coffee and I look forward to bringing my skills, passion and experience to the business at this period of growth.”

  

Locations identified for debut UK site for Saudi coffee brand Archi, in talks with landlords: London operator Emilio Malik has told Propel that he has identified several locations for a debut UK site for Saudi coffee brand Archi and is in talks with landlords. Malik, who is the co-founder of fine Lebanese cuisine restaurant Lazeez Tapas in London’s Mayfair, first said in December that he plans to bring Archi, which has 32 locations in Saudi Arabia, over here. Giving an update to Propel, he said: “We have identified a few locations for Archi’s first site in the UK and London and are in discussions with the landlords.” Lazeez Tapas has been shut for a refit and rebrand and will reopen later this month as Lazeez Mayfair.

  

Fish and chip shop concept seeing strong footfall at first franchise site, attracting interest across Home Counties and abroad: Fish and chip shop concept London Chip Club has told Propel it is seeing strong footfall at its first franchise site and is attracting interest from potential partners both across the Home Counties and abroad. Yoddi Papa, who is also behind La Fish in Chichester, Sandy’s in Folkestone and Chequers in Lenham, opened London Chip Club at 58 Villiers Road in Kingston, south west London, earlier this year. Papa said the site has been met with “an overwhelmingly positive response from the local community” with “strong footfall and enthusiastic customer feedback”. London Chip Club is working with Presman & Colard on its growth plans, and chief operating officer Charlie Mander said the franchise opportunity is “quickly gaining traction” with demand across “tier two locations, rural communities, commuter towns and residential areas”. He added “With interest across the Home Counties and two overseas markets, London Chip Club will soon be popping up in more locations. The success of the Kingston launch further reinforces the growing demand for elevated quick service dining concepts that combine tradition with operational innovation.”

 

Coyote Ugly and Which Wich franchisee launches new Irish dive bar concept in Cardiff: Breaking Brands, a franchisee for US bar brand Coyote Ugly and US hot customisable sandwich brand Which Wich, has launched a new Irish dive bar concept in Cardiff. Filthy McNasty’s has opened in the former DnB bar site at 93 St Mary Street, with DnB moving into the building’s basement. Breaking Brands owner Steve Lewis said: “We’re excited to be launching our first venue of the year, right in the heart of St Mary’s Street, Cardiff. Filthy McNasty’s is the latest concept from Breaking Brands – our take on a classic dive bar: stripped back, unpretentious, and built around great drinks, good music and an atmosphere that doesn’t try too hard. Opening a new site in today’s climate is never taken lightly, so this one means a lot to the team. Huge credit to everyone involved in bringing it to life.” Breaking Brands became a franchisee for Which Wich last year and opened the brand’s debut Welsh site in January, within St David’s Centre in Bridge Street. A second site is set to follow, in Cardiff’s Bus Interchange, although an opening date has not yet been confirmed. Breaking Brands has been Coyote Ugly’s master franchisee here for much longer and currently operates eight of its bars across the UK.

 

Maguro Group set to open Brixton site with new franchisee CMB Hospitality: Maguro Group is set to open the first franchise site in London for its Korean street food concept, Bunsik, with new franchisee CMB Hospitality. The new site, the concept’s 11th, will open next Friday (15 May) on the former Holland & Barrett unit at 490 Brixton Road. CMB Hospitality has lined up a further two openings over the next year for the brand. Jae Cho, founder of Bunsik, said the partnership with CMB signaled a new phase of growth for the brand. He said: “London is where Bunsik began, and it’s still central to how we think about the brand. Expanding into South London is an important step for us, and Brixton felt like the right place to do that. It’s an area with a strong identity, a lot of energy and a real connection between food and culture, which aligns closely with how Bunsik operates.” Bunsik will also open a site in Manchester’s Trafford Centre later this month and is set to open in Cardiff later this year. 

 

Valiant adds County Durham village pub to estate: Valiant Pub Group, which was founded by Hawthorn Leisure co-founders Gerry Carroll and Mark McGinty at the start of 2021, has acquired The Scruffy Duck in the village of Norton in County Durham. The deal is a fifth off-market acquisition in 2026 for Valiant, which operates circa 85 sites. Last month, the business acquired The Griffin in St Helens, Merseyside, while in March, it secured The George & Dragon in Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, and The Oakhouse in Axbridge, north Somerset. In February, Valiant acquired The Plough Bar & Restaurant in St Asaph, North Wales. Last year, Valiant secured a further £14m in debt financing to support its growth plans. Christie & Co acted on The Scruffy Duck deal.

 

Wok to Walk hires Mourad Ainad Tabet as new COO: Asian health food brand Wok to Walk has hired Mourad Ainad Tabet, formerly of Tortilla, The Gentleman Baristas and Pret, as its new chief operating officer. Tabet joins Wok to Walk, which operates ten sites in the UK, following a year and a half at Tortilla, including a stint as its director of operations and franchise. Before that, he spent two and a half years as managing director of The Gentlemen Baristas. He also spent nearly 18 years at Pret, including helping with the integration of the EAT business and 18 months as group head of finance business planning. Wok to Walk opened its first restaurant in Amsterdam in 2004 and has circa 100 outlets globally.

 

Joseph Holt to invest £1m on refurbishing and reopening Stockport pub: North west brewer and retailer Joseph Holt is to invest £1m refurbishing and reopening The Golden Hind in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The pub, in the Offerton area, was first boarded up three years ago. Richard Kershaw, chief executive of Joseph Holt, told the Manchester Evening News: “Joseph Holt is a brewery committed to putting pubs back into the heart of local communities, so we were thrilled to have the opportunity to acquire the former Golden Hind. We are now investing over £1m in a comprehensive and carefully considered redevelopment. At a time when, sadly, two pubs a day are closing, Joseph Holt, which owns 127 pubs across Manchester and the north west, is bucking this trend. We firmly believe in the vital role pubs play within their communities – not just as places to enjoy a drink, but as welcoming spaces to meet others, take part in social groups, and enjoy live events. All of this, and more, will be at the heart of the new Golden Hind.”

 

Wingers reaches 25-site landmark with Rotherham opening: Buttermilk fried chicken restaurant brand Wingers has reached the 25-site landmark with an opening in Rotherham. The company, founded during the covid pandemic by Amran, Dylan and Bill Sunner, has opened in the South Yorkshire town’s Onyx Retail Park. Wingers operations manager Matt Smith said: “Leighton Buzzard opened just over two weeks ago, and now here at Wingers we’ve hit another milestone. Store number 25 is now live – Rotherham, we’ve arrived. The fryers are on, and Onyx Retail Park is the spot. From an empty unit to full energy vibes, that’s what this brand is about. And the best bit? We’re only just getting warmed up. Trowbridge, you’re next, and we’ll see you next week. Momentum is building fast. New towns. New teams. Same top-notch chicken.”

 

South east England Domino’s franchisee reports record turnover of £16.4m as it boosts profit: South east England Domino’s franchisee Monte Laguna has reported turnover increased 5.5% to a record £16,430,529 for the year ending 31 August 2025 compared with £15,572,514 the previous year. The group, which operates 24 sites, saw pre-tax profit grow to £640,091 from £261,801 the year before. Gross profit margin fell to 23.67% from 24.29% the previous year “due to continued cost pressure on raw materials and direct cost due to the current economic environment in the UK”. Director Kalvir Gosal said: “The company continued to trade consistently across all sites. Trading and economic conditions remained highly challenging. The leadership team continued to focus on key performance metrics to drive as much operational efficiency as possible. There was ongoing investment in infrastructure, operations, HR and training. The leadership team continued to exploit opportunities to grow the business through strategic marketing initiatives and productivity measures. The company continues to achieve growth by exploring new ways to increase the revenue and reduce costs. This includes marketing initiatives, cost reduction exercises and identifying new opportunities to increase the store count.” Dividends of £1,309,357 were paid (2024: nil).

 

Wasabi founder to open debut regional site for Sushinoya today, four more sites to launch across various concepts: Sushinoya – the premium sushi-to-go concept from Wasabi founder Dong Hyun Kim – will open its debut regional site today (Friday, 8 May). The launch, in Cambridge, will be followed by four more openings across Kim’s various concepts under his Kim’s Group umbrella, which also includes Kineya Mugimaru and Kimchee. Kim launched Sushinoya “to close a long-standing gap in the UK market for high-quality, freshly prepared sushi in a convenient and affordable grab-and-go format”. Following openings in St Pancras International, Chinatown and Charing Cross in London, Sushinoya is expanding to Cambridge with an opening at the Lion Yard scheme. Every piece of sushi at Sushinoya is cut, rolled and packed on-site by trained chefs, using whole fish prepped fresh each morning. Customers can watch the process from the counter. Kim said: “Cambridge has a curious, discerning food scene — students, commuters, tourists, locals all looking for something better than the usual grab-and-go. We’re here to show that quality and convenience don’t have to be a trade-off.” The Cambridge opening will be followed by a launch in London’s Moorgate, while Kim has also secured a location in Broadgate, in the City. Kim, who founded Wasabi in 2003 and exited the business in 2021, is aiming to grow Sushinoya to 30 sites by 2030 and previously told Propel he sees the long-term potential for 80 locations. Kim’s Kineya Mugimaru concept has four sites in London and one in Cambridge, while Kimchee operates from a site in King's Cross in the capital. 

 

Mowchi to return to Birmingham with new drink and Pilates concept: Bubble tea franchise Mowchi is to return to Birmingham with a new drink and Pilates concept. Mowchi, founded in 2022 by Afrikana brand and marketing director Syeda Kayanath, opened its first store in Birmingham’s Ladypool Road, which has since closed. Mowchi is now preparing to return to the city for its sixth site – joining its four London locations and one at Essex’s Lakeside shopping centre. Kayanath said. “We’re excited to be bringing Mowchi back to Birmingham with something a little different – our very first Mowchi pilates studio concept. A space designed around community, movement, coffee and culture, all under one roof. This one has been a long time coming, and we can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on behind the scenes.” Mowchi also previously secured a site in Canterbury, Kent, and is understood to have further sites lined up in Aldgate in London, Nottingham and Leicester.

 

London healthy pizza concept launches franchise programme as it looks to expand nationwide and internationally: London healthy pizza concept Green Mosaic has launched a franchise programme as it looks to expand nationwide and internationally. Founded in 2020, Green Mosaic launched in Leather Lane, Holborn, before adding a second site, in Broadway Shopping Centre, Hammersmith, in 2023. Site number three arrived last year, at 65 Balham Road in Balham. The company exhibited at last month’s International Franchise Show at London’s ExCel as it seeks partners with which to grow. A company spokesman said: “Green Mosaic Pizza redefines pizza as a conscious, wellness-focused indulgence – blending authentic Italian flavours with nutrient-dense, high-fibre ingredients for guilt-free enjoyment and maximum repeat custom.Our mission: pioneer pizza innovation that puts nutrition right up alongside flavour, authenticity and quality. Our vision: become the leading global brand for eco-friendly, nutritious pizza – expanding nationwide and internationally.” Formats available are high street unit, kiosk/container, mall inline and mobile/events van. There is an initial franchise fee of £20,000 plus VAT and estimated total investment of £75,000.

 

Lake District operator reports turnover boost but losses grow: Lake District operator Ciel Hotels has reported turnover increased to £3,601,754 for the year to 31 March 2025 compared with £3,223,041 the previous year. Pre-tax losses grew to £744,968 from £622,167 the year before. Charles Lowther, whose family has owned Askham Hall, near Penrith, since the 1800s, founded Ciel Hotels in 2008 after launching the venue as a restaurant with rooms. That same year, the group also opened The George & Dragon pub in Clifton, and in 2018 added The Queens Head pub in Penrith. In 2023, Ciel Hotels acquired the lease of the Sharrow Bay hotel in Ullswater, which work is set to start on and will lead to its Michelin-starred restaurant at Askham Hall, Allium, being moved to Sharrow Bay with an increased capacity. In his report accompanying the accounts, director Richard Swale stated: “The overall performance was challenging. The company made a trading loss due to a combination of rent and insurance payments for a new project at the Sharrow Bay, inflationary increases, increased wages in line with national minimum wage, and significant repair and renewal costs invested into the company. A lack of planning for the winter months meant this challenging period was a bit harder than in previous years. The board ensured winter 2025-26 had a plausible marketing and operational strategy, halving the losses made in this period.” Swale said wedding and event numbers rose at Askew Hall but are not back to previously recorded levels. Work in ongoing to reposition The George as an upmarket country inn with 14 bedrooms, resulting in “a smaller dependence on food and beverage sales”. The Queen's Head has repositioned its food offering to focus on pizza and “better meets the needs of the fell-walking market”. Dividends of £85,185 were paid (2023: £83,750).

 

East Sussex operators acquire trampoline park: East Sussex operators Ollie Smith and Cassandra Poland have acquired the Urban Jump trampoline park in Heathfield. The siblings, who are also behind Drusillas in Polegate, have added the Urban Jump venue, in Ghyll Road Industrial Estate in Heathfield, to the family portfolio. Family-owned Drusillas, which celebrated its centenary last year, was bought by Poland and Smith’s parents, Laurence and Christine Smith, in 1997 from the original founders. In 2024, the family also acquired the Amazon Adventure soft play centre in Tunbridge Wells in Kent, which is run by the family’s youngest sibling, Caroline Steer. The deal for Urban jump, structured as an asset purchase, also included the grant of a new lease of the operating premises.

 

Swansea gelato business opens second site, exploring further opportunities: Swansea gelato business GG’s has opened a second site and is “exploring further opportunities”. The company, which has operated from its ice cream parlour in Penclawdd since 2019, has acquired a food beverage kiosk in Caswell Bay and offers coffee, cold drinks and a selection of hot food and snacks like pizza, alongside its gelato. As part of the business’ ongoing growth plans, GG’s has been working with RJ Chartered Surveyors to identify suitable premises across South Wales. Toby Link-Jones, operations manager at GG’s, said: “We’d looked at a few potential locations across Gower over time, but when this Caswell property became available it was a no brainer. It’s such an iconic spot, and for what we’re building with GG’s, it just felt like the right fit.” James Smale-Davies, associate director at RJ Chartered Surveyors, added: “Caswell is a prime coastal location, and the kiosk presented a unique opportunity for a high-quality, locally rooted business to establish itself. We look forward to continuing our relationship with GG’s as it explores further opportunities across South Wales.”

 

Lady Of The Grapes to open second London site next month: Lady Of The Grapes, the restaurant and wine bar concept, will open its second site, near London Bridge, next month. The business, which is the brainchild of Carole Bryon, will open a “chef-led, French restaurant and wine bar” concept at the grade II-listed Menier Chocolate Factory, in Southwark Street, which dates to the 1870s. The new site – which opens on Monday, 15 June – will feature a 60-seat ground floor restaurant and a 20-seat terrace, offering a French bistro menu paired with a 400-plus wine list. Speakeasy-style wine bar Forbidden Fruit, meanwhile, will sit in the basement, a 45-seat space serving a charcuterie menu alongside the Lady of the Grapes wines list. Byron said: “We are excited about this new chapter for Lady of the Grapes. We're looking forward to launching a bigger space to welcome more people, bring joy through good honest French cooking and, most importantly, continue to support the talented women making delicious wine all over the world.” The debut Lady Of The Grapes site opened in Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, in the summer of 2018. Dan Brown, of Restaurant Property, acted on behalf of Lady of the Grapes on the Southwark Street acquisition.

Pair of Mercure hotels go on the market: A pair of Mercure Hotels in Northampton and Essex have been placed on the market. Knight Frank has been appointed to sell the two sites on behalf of a joint venture between Frogmore Real Estate Capital and C1 Capital. Mercure Northampton is a purpose-built full-service hotel that comprises 146 en-suite bedrooms, a restaurant, bar area and flexible meeting/conference facilities, with scope to host 400 guests in its largest function room. The hotel was refurbished in May 2024, when it was rebranded as a Mercure. Stifford Hall Hotel is an 18th century manor house with 97 en-suite bedrooms, a restaurant, bar, meeting spaces and gazebo set within 3.7 acres of landscaped gardens. The hotel was also refurbished as a Mercure and reopened following the rebrand in June 2025. The hotels have been listed for sale individually, but the vendor would also consider portfolio offers.