Neos Hospitality CEO – we will review every Revolution bar and make the right decision to ensure longevity: Russell Quelch, chief executive of Neos Hospitality, which last week acquired 20 Revolution and Revolucion de Cuba sites out of administration, has told Propel that the business will review each site and “make the right decision to ensure longevity for the premises via the right investment level and concept”. The acquisition of the former The Revel Collective sites, which also includes the Founders & Co site in Swansea, takes Neos’s estate to 40 sites, strengthening the group’s presence across 22 locations in the UK, many operating under its Bonnie Rogues and Barbara's Bier Haus formats. Propel also understands that Neos has acquired the Revolution Bars and Revolución de Cuba brand names. It also believes that Neos will look to convert its first ex-Revel site in time for summer trading. Quelch said: “Our intention is to review each bar and make the right decision to ensure longevity for the premises via the right investment level and concept that aligns to the location, footprint and competitive landscape. As it stands, we really want to further understand the DNA of the brands, people and consumer base to ensure our investment strategy continues to deliver strong returns before making any decisions.” Last March, Neos reopened the former Revolution in Bournemouth, under the Barbara’s Bier Haus format. Propel understands that the site is trading beyond expectations. Quelch said: “The last two years have seen the investment program deliver exceptional returns, hitting the right spot in the market and given us the confidence to invest in the right places within the market. We feel that understanding the moving consumer expectation has been key. Areas such as concept, service, product offering and pricing mechanics supported by honest and engaging marketing campaigns have been the key drivers.”

 

Pret CEO Pano Christou to speak at first Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2026, open for bookings: Pano Christou, chief executive of Pret A Manger, will be among the speakers at the first Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2026, which is open for bookings. Christou will talk to Propel chief operating officer – editorial, Mark Wingett, about how the business has become a global brand, with £1 in every £4 spent outside the UK, and discusses how it has consistently pushed the sector forward – from pioneering food redistribution at scale to reimagining loyalty through subscription models, to redefining what premium convenience looks like in a post pandemic world. The conference takes place on Wednesday, 25 March, at The Park Plaza, Victoria, and is open for bookings. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Operators can book up to three free places per company while Premium subscribers who are operators can book up to four free places. To book, email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.

 

Premium Club subscribers to receive new searchable and segmented New Openings Database on Friday, all 49 videos from Restaurant Marketer and Innovator on Friday, 13 February: The next Propel New Openings Database will be sent to Premium Club subscribers on Friday (6 February). The database will show the details of 239 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 members will also receive a 15,179-word report on the 239 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 – making it even easier for users to search. The database includes new openings in the casual dining sector such as London dim sum and Cantonese duck concept Dim Sum Duck, new Italian trattoria-style restaurant Tortello and Yorkshire Italian restaurant Domo. Premium Club subscribers will also receive all 49 videos from the 2026 Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit Conference on Friday, 13 February at 9am. 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 and discounts on specialist sector reports. Operators that are Premium Club subscribers are also able to send up to four members of staff to each of our four Multi-Club Conferences for free. Premium Club subscribers receive their daily Propel Info newsletter 11 hours earlier than standard subscribers, at 7pm the evening before. They also receive videos of presentations at eight Propel conference events two weeks after they are held. This represents around 100 videos of industry insight over the course of the year. Premium Club subscribers also receive exclusive opinion columns every Friday at 5pm, which include the thoughts of Propel chief operating officer – editorial, Mark Wingett, and a host of industry leaders from across the sector. A Premium Club subscription costs an annual sum of £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Premium Club for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

 

UK restaurants offer deep discounts in ‘last resort’ to lure spend-shy diners: UK restaurants and fast-food chains are resorting to unusually steep discounts and special offers as they try to lure cautious consumers who have shunned splashing out on a meal in favour of building savings. The FT reports that the deals, including a second main course for just £1 at PizzaExpress, have been described by analysts as a “last resort” as the sector struggles to emerge from a prolonged slump since the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis that followed. Britons are dining out less frequently partly because it “feels so much more expensive”, said Simon Stenning, founder of advisory firm FutureFoodservice. While it is common to have offers in January, typically a sluggish month for restaurants after the Christmas holidays, Stenning said there was “more and harder discounting” amid an intense “fight for footfall” this month. Other deals include two courses for £15 on Côte Brasserie’s ‘Happiest Menu’, while The Ivy, part of Richard Caring’s empire, is selling two courses for £19.17, a reference to the year when the restaurant chain was first launched in London. “Household budgets remain under real pressure, especially in January,” said Paula MacKenzie, chief executive of PizzaExpress, adding the chain’s January offer was “designed to deliver outstanding value, without ever compromising on quality”. Popeyes, the fried chicken chain, has sold more than 100,000 of its new £2.49 ‘Chicken Crunchers’ since launching a revamped savers’ range this month in response to “a sense of caution” among customers. Tom Crowley, Popeyes’ UK boss, said: “Given the volumes we’ve seen in January, we think we’re on to something.” But he insisted the chain will not resort to widespread discounting and would instead focus on maintaining quality.

 

Sir Tim Martin – each of my pubs pumps £1m into the public purse: JD Wetherspoon’s 794 pubs pumped £837.1m into the public finances from levies including corporation tax, business rates, slot machine duty and VAT – or more than £1m per pub – in 2024-25, founder and chairman Sir Tim Martin told the Sunday Times. He said its analysis “shows that if you have a Wetherspoon pub in your high street by a raft of different taxes, it’ll generate a lot of income for the country and for the town”. But is he proud about his contribution, or peeved at the burden? “Taxes are a political issue,” he said. “Parties put forward their ideas and voters decide, that’s democracy. But the inequality between pubs and supermarkets is unfair. It is hobbling pubs.” Martin believes pubs should not have to charge VAT on meals. Food at supermarkets is free from VAT. France, Germany, Italy and Spain charge hospitality VAT at 10%. Here, it is 20%. “If you had equality between pubs and supermarkets, you’d find you’d have a much stronger hospitality industry in the UK, bringing in much more tax than you’d lose from the VAT cut.” Has he put this to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves? No. The last person in government he talked to about tax was Vince Cable, when the Liberal Democrat served as business secretary. Now 70, might he have one eye on calling time? “I’m keeping my nose to the grindstone,” he said. None of his four children work in the business. “I never wanted to build a dynasty,” he said. “I thought it was unfair on the children, and maybe unfair on people who worked for the company and would naturally rise through. But I’ve got to find people to take over from me.”

 

One in seven food delivery businesses in England are ‘dark kitchens’: One in seven food businesses on major delivery platforms, including Deliveroo and Just Eat, is now a “dark kitchen”, a university study shows. The Guardian reports that the findings, which shine a light on the scale of the hidden takeaway industry, found that 15% of all online food retailers in England were dark kitchens. Despite rapid growth, they have – until now – lacked a clear and consistent definition, creating challenges for regulators, local authorities, food safety officers, industry stakeholders and consumers. Dr Lucie Nield, co-lead investigator from the University of Sheffield, said: “People deserve greater transparency about the food they are ordering online, and these businesses must be held to the appropriate regulatory standards. Without this, dark kitchens risk falling through the gap, with potential consequences for public health, particularly by encouraging increased use of online takeaways, greater availability and therefore greater consumption of high fat, salt or sugar food. Dark kitchens have previously been poorly defined and under-researched, making their impacts difficult to fully understand. Adopting a shared definition is essential for clearer communication, more effective regulation and inspection and for driving public health agendas.” The study, which was commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, brought together multiple university teams to establish the first industry-wide framework for defining and identifying dark kitchens. The final wording was: “Technology-enabled commercial kitchen(s) operating primarily for delivery, to fulfil remote, on-demand, consumer online orders of food for immediate consumption.”

 

Record number of breweries shut down across Britain: Britain is losing breweries at the fastest rate in 50 years under Labour, with three shutting their doors for good every week last year. The Telegraph reports that the number of independent breweries fell by 8% to 1,578 last year, according to the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA). Industry bosses said “suffocating” tax rises including beer duty and business rates have pushed the once-healthy sector to the brink and accused the government of “wiping British heritage from communities”. Data provided by SIBA and the Campaign for Real Ale show 137 breweries were lost in the year to January – the steepest annual drop since records began in 1974. A total of 237 breweries have closed since 2023. Andy Slee, of SIBA, said: “Despite strong demand for independent beer, over the last year we have seen the highest closure figures of breweries on record with the number of active breweries falling across all areas of the UK. Profitability is a challenge for brewers due to suffocating taxation, which affects breweries and their core customer of pubs, and the dominance of global beer brands on the market.”

 

UK’s oldest Indian restaurant calls on the King to save it: Campaigners trying to prevent the closure of the UK’s oldest surviving Indian restaurant are going to take a petition to Buckingham Palace in the next few weeks, calling on King Charles III to intervene. Veeraswamy, a restaurant founded in 1926 and still in its original location on London's Regent Street, faces not having its lease renewed in a dispute with its landlord, the Crown Estate. King Charles has been an advocate for building links between communities. and the restaurant’s supporters are calling for his backing to protect it as “a living piece of shared cultural history”. But the Crown Estate says the building needs a refurbishment that’s not compatible with the restaurant remaining. BBC News reports that Veeraswamy’s battle to stay open, on a site where it kept serving food through the wartime Blitz, has been backed by a petition that’s gathered more than 18,000 signatures. High-profile chefs such as Raymond Blanc, Michel Roux and Richard Corrigan have added their voices to calls for a re-think on closing the Michelin-starred restaurant. The petition calls on King Charles to back the campaign to “protect a historic institution” and save a “symbol of Indo-British cultural connections”, as the restaurant approaches its 100th birthday in March. It will be brought to the gates of Buckingham Palace by supporters and chefs.

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a drinks company that is seeking a national account manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The role will need to build and deliver on a wholesale strategy, drive new business opportunities, manage the full commercial forecasting and drive distribution. This role will require travel and a strong commercial acumen, with experience working in drinks fast moving consumer goods being a must.” The salary is up to £60,000. For more information, email mark@corecruitment.com

 

Urban Pubs & Bars turnover climbs 36% to nudge £80m, year-to-date Ebitda ahead of budget, paid £10.4m for Antic package: Urban Pubs & Bars, the London pub operator founded by Malc Heap and Nick Pring and backed by Davidson Kempner and Global Mutual, reported a 32% increase in turnover for the year to 27 April 2025 to £79,647,531 (2024: £60,532,709), driven by new sites, the impact of annualising sales on the new sites that opened in the previous financial year and a “strong increase” in like-for-like sales from its existing portfolio. Pre-tax profit in the period, in which the business operated 55 sites, stood at £4,875,991 (2024: £1,601,223). The Chris Hill-led business, which is believed to be on track to achieve over £100m in turnover in its current financial year, said: “Despite the ongoing pressures related to high levels of inflation, consumer uncertainty and increases in the national living wage, the group generated operating profit of £6m in the period under review, an increase of £3.7m (up 166%) on the previous financial year. After 34 weeks of the new financial year, sales in the Urban Pubs and Bars Group have increased by 36.5%. This has been achieved through underlying like-for-like sales growth combined with impact from annualising the sales from the fourteen new sites opened in 2024/25 and from opening a further seven new sites in the year. Year-to-date Ebitda is ahead of budget, with a healthy increase from the position in the previous financial year. Under these circumstances the directors and Investors are pleased with the current performance and future prospects of the business. The investors remain supportive and retain the ambition to further grow the portfolio of pubs. With the balance sheet remaining in a healthy position, the ability to draw on funds from bank loan facilities and from the investors and with an active pipeline of sites that we continue to review we are well placed to continue to develop and grow the business further.” Last August, the company acquired 11 sites from the portfolio of London pubs formerly operated by Antic. It acquired eight trading leasehold businesses and three vacant freehold sites from the administrators. The company paid £10,474,300 for the eight trading Antic sites. Since the year end, the business has also acquired four former Food & Fuel sites from Brunning & Price and the four-strong Albion & East business. It recently told Propel it delivered its “strongest Christmas trading performance on record”, which capped off “an exceptional 2025 for the group”. The now 66-strong business said trading throughout December was significantly ahead of last year, with like-for-like sales growth of 14.5% and a 40% increase in total covers.

 

Lane7 reports sales up 28% over festive period, names first chair: Boutique bowling company Lane7 has reported a 28% boost in sales over the festive period and named its first chair. The increase was driven, in part, by a 14% leap in like-for-like corporate bookings and rounded off a two-year period where Lane7 reported a doubling of its revenue. Managing director Gavin Hughes said: “While we’re thrilled with the continued growing appetite for the Lane7 experience, the outcomes don’t come as a huge surprise. We’ve remained steadfastly disciplined in our growth, in our operational delivery and remained fully committed to consistently evolving and differentiating our guest experience. The results of that have borne fruit not only in the crucial end-of-year trading period, but across the last 12 months.” The group said it was a “transformative” 2025, with the business’ 30% growth supported by seven new openings across a total of 148,000 square-foot. Lane7 said it was on target for a further six openings over a total of 142,000 square-foot in 2026 including sites in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Leeds. The business also accelerated its pan-European expansion plans with two new sites in Dublin in addition to Berlin, all of which “continue to trade ahead of expectations”. Lane7 has also recently formed new, exclusive partnerships with brands including Social Rivals, Moment Factory and BitPong. It comes as the group named David Holligon as its first chair. Holligan has held a number of executive, non-executive, strategic and advisory C-suite consultancy roles spanning retail, supply chain, facilities management and manufacturing, having originally qualified as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse in the mid-1990s. Hughes added: “David’s breadth of experience and depth of knowledge will add real strength to our leadership team. He'll help our board sharpen its direction and purpose as we continue to grow over the coming years. The competitive socialising sector is entering a period of consolidation after several years of rapid expansion and increasing saturation. This now becomes a clear opportunity to gain market share and pursue selective acquisitions that strengthen the estate and accelerate growth.” Lane7 currently operates 20 eponymous sites across the UK and Europe, two Level X sites, and three family-oriented Gutterball gaming sites in England.

 

Grind – turnover tops £35m, completes £7.5m funding round: Coffee shop operator and wholesaler Grind has reported turnover of £35,294,176 for the year to 30 April 2025 (2024: £29,771,754) as it said it saw another strong year of growth across its high street, online, and grocery businesses. The David Abrahamovitch-led business said its revenue streams continued to diversify, with sales split roughly 35% from its 15 high street stores, 40% from online and 25% from grocery and B2B wholesale partners, which it said reflected “Grind’s transformation from high street only to a truly omni-channel coffee brand”. It reported a pre-tax loss of £9,008,981 (2024: loss of £5,660,896). The company, which made its regional debut last year in Manchester, said: “The oldest and most established parts of our business, high street and direct to consumer businesses are profitable, with our planned Ebitda loss of £6m this year the result of our extensive and continued investment into the newer arms of Grind – grocery and business to business – and our continued investments in marketing, our central team and our manufacturing capabilities to keep up with our rapidly growing business. Profitability has also been hampered by the coffee market which has seen significant instability since Summer 2024, with the cost of green coffee beans more than doubling since that time. Whilst some of these costs have been passed onto consumers, Grind has chosen not to pass through all costs to the consumer and instead to absorb a large part of the cost as we continue to capture market share and build customer loyalty. Looking ahead, we expect to continue growing fast, with growth coming across all channels and in particular grocery and B2B. This growth and improving economics will help us turn the corner towards profitability in the coming years. In FY25 our high street business delivered another strong year of growth considering some strong macroeconomic headwinds, growing around 10% year on year on a like for like basis. Our cafe sites at London Bridge, Liverpool Street continue to trade incredibly well and are the anchors of high street profitability. Just after year end, we opened our first cafe outside of London, Manchester Grind. It's incredibly exciting to take our full day-to-night breakfast offer to the people of Manchester, and an important part of our journey to become a household name. With more than 75% of our online orders now delivered to non-London locations, physical stores nationally are an important part of growing our brand footprint. Elsewhere, we also recently opened in the iconic National Theatre on London's Southbank. This coffee shop is our first franchise store in partnership with Compass PLC. We hope that in the future Compass will become an important partner to continue to grow the Grind brand through its access to travel locations, offices, stadiums, exhibitions centres and lots of other places with limited access to premium coffee.” The company said it completed a £7.5m funding round post year end.

 

Soho House’s time listed was not a mistake: Andrew Carnie, chief executive of private members’ club group Soho House, which last week completed its $2.7bn deal to go private, has said that the company’s time as a listed company was not a mistake. Carnie told The Sunday Times: “Being public helped us become disciplined. We’ve spent the last few years strengthening the business. We’re much more operationally and financially robust. So, we’re going into being a private company with the business in really good shape. Being private allows us scope for greater long-term planning versus the quarterly expectations and the distractions that go with being public. It allows us more time and freedom to deliver for members.” The international hospitality group is based in London but went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021. It struck a deal last August to be bought by a consortium led by hotels giant MCR, which would value it at £2bn. The company’s new board consists of Ron Burkle, Richard Caring, Mark Ein, Joe Hage, the Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher, R. Tyler Morse, George Popstefanov, Reed Rayman and Scott Stedman. Soho House now operates 48 houses across 19 countries and has plans for new openings in Tokyo and upstate New York. As well as slowing the rollout of new locations, Carnie said that he had responded to feedback from members that some sites had lost their air of exclusivity by reducing the availability of new memberships. “We’ve been doing that over the last two years, and our members have really noticed it. So, I think we’ve got a much greater balance already. That’s something we’ve focused a lot on,” he said.

 

Boxpark sees turnover pass £20m but losses widen as consumer spending softened: Boxpark, the LDC-backed business, posted turnover of £20,364,506 for the year to 30 April 2025 (2024: £19,907,882) but saw its pre-tax losses widen as trading conditions became more challenging during the latter months of 2024 as consumer spending softened. The company, which operated six locations in Shoreditch, Croydon, Wembley, Liverpool, Camden and Boxhall at Liverpool Street Station at year end, posted a pre-tax loss of £11,972,229 (2024: loss of £3,778,202). The company said: “Looking forward, the group will continue to explore opportunities to expand the Boxpark brand across the UK. In addition to permanent sites, the group is also assessing alternative formats, including events and fan parks, which are not expected to require long-term lease commitments and provide greater operational flexibility. Like many hospitality businesses across the UK, the Company has experienced a challenging year, reflecting a sluggish economic environment and weaker consumer confidence. Despite this turnover for the year was £20.4m, representing an improvement compared with the prior year. The financial year began strongly, benefiting from increased footfall during the men's European football championship. However, trading conditions became more challenging during the latter months of 2024 as consumer spending softened. The business continues to recognise its core strength in bringing communities together by offering high-quality street food, drinks and entertainment under one roof. In line with this strategy, Camden Boxpark opened in September 2024. and Playbox Croydon opened in March 2025, combining competitive socialising with live sport. In November 2024, the Group's principal investor, LDC, made a further £6.5m investment. The funding supported the redevelopment of the iconic Metropolitan Arcade at London's Liverpool Street Station, which became the first Boxhall site in the group's portfolio. We are continuing to broaden the unique reasons to visit our venues, including the introduction of winter ice rinks and the development of a stand-alone competitive socialising offer that unlocks value from underutilised spaces. The group continues to engage proactively with landlords and is in active discussions to extend the lease tenures of its existing venues. As part of its broader strategy, the group is also exploring alternative formats, including events and fan parks, which are not expected to require long-term lease commitments.”

 

Chef Simon Shaw continuing to look at expansion opportunities for his concepts, doubles pre-tax profit: Chef Simon Shaw has said he is continuing to looking for expansion opportunities for his El Gato Negro, Canto and Black Cat Club concepts, and that he is looking to expand his restaurants and the latter experiential format into other cities – but warned that cost challenges will continue into 2026. It comes as parent company Mills Hill Development, of which Shaw is chef patron and creative director, posted turnover of £12,265,484 for the year to 30 April 2025 (2024: £11,006,327), with a pre-tax profit of £518,004 (2024: £234,989). Last year, the business, which operates El Gato Nego sites in Manchester and Liverpool, launched its third Black Cat Club site, in Liverpool, after converting its El Gato site in Exchange Flags. The team, which also operates tapas restaurant Canto in Manchester’s Ancoats, launched luxury sports and gaming concept Lucky Black Cat in February 2024, in Shaw’s former Habas restaurant in Manchester’s Brown Street, before converting its former El Gato Negro site in Leeds’ Park Row to a Black Cat Club, which opened in September 2024. In January last year, Shaw announced that in order to make way for a third Black Cat Club, the group’s El Gato Negro site on Liverpool’s Exchange Flags would be moving into the former Viva Brazil site in the city’s Castle Street. The company said: “Since the beginning of the pandemic the hospitality sector has faced enormous challenges, and again in 2024 we've experienced significant increases in interest rates, wages, suppliers cost, coupled with the cost-of-living crisis, and the increase in employers National Insurance announced in the October budget there is no doubt that challenges will continue into 2026. The conversion of both Brown Street and Park Row in 2024 has proved to be successful to date. We have seen an increase in revenues year on year and a reduction in labour costs. King Street has continued to trade well showing marginal growth against a very difficult background. Exchange Flags and Ancoats have fared less favourably and whilst the sites have contributed to profits the decision has been made to convert Exchange Flags into the Black Cat concept. We are also involved in looking to expand the restaurants and Black Cats into other cities. Whilst we fully expect another difficult trading period, we are confident that the strategic approach will continue to pay dividends and provide a platform for future growth.”

 

Amorino signs franchise deal to expand into Scotland: Italian gelato brand Amorino, which currently operates circa 40 sites across England and Wales, has signed a franchise deal with Edinburgh-based operator, the Vittoria Group, to launch in Scotland. The new development agreement is for four sites in Edinburgh and St Andrews. Amorino said the first site under the agreement will open on Edinburgh’s North Bridge next to the world-famous Royal Mile, soon. Hubert Attali, owner of master franchisee Amorino UK, said: “A huge thank you to the Vittoria Group family (Leandro Crolla, Alberto Crolla and Tony Crolla) for their partnership – looking forward to bringing our gelato love to Scotland with their expertise.” The brand’s broader expansion plan is to have 100 locations nationwide by 2030. Last month, the business opened in Bristol, while a site in Newcastle is also set to open soon. Further locations in London’s Fulham Road, Henley-on-Thames, Cheltenham and Chelmsford are also in the pipeline.

 

Raising Cane’s closes in on Brixton site: Raising Cane’s, the third-largest chicken brand in the US by sales, which is set to make its UK debut later this year, has begun building its opening pipeline after lining up an opening in Brixton. Propel understands that the brand has lined up an opening on the former Barclays Bank site at 463-465 Brixton Road. Propel revealed last July that Raising Cane’s, which specialises in chicken fingers and operates more than 900 sites, the majority in the US, was in talks to secure a flagship site in London’s Piccadilly. Raising Cane’s subsequently confirmed it will open on the former Angus Steakhouse site at 21-22 Coventry Street. The site, which is thought to have been on the market for circa £1.4m, is set to open in 2026 as the first of several restaurants planned in London. Propel understands the brand is also in talks on the former Halifax site in The Strand, and a further site in Paddington. The Louisiana-based company, which was founded in 1996 in Baton Rouge by Graves and Craig Silvey, is understood to be working with property advisory firm Etch on its plans for the UK and is thought to have already also looked at potential sites in Manchester and Birmingham, and at possible drive-thru locations.

 

Stonegate Group hires Ian White as new marketing director: Stonegate Group, the UK’s largest pub company, has hired Ian White, formerly of Greggs and Tesco Bank, as the new marketing director for its managed estate, Propel has learned. White joins Stonegate after seven and half years as head of brand and communications at Greggs. Prior to that, he spent two and a half years at Tesco Bank, including time as head of brand strategy. He will look after marketing for Stonegate’s managed pub brands, including Slug & Lettuce, and formats, and is part of the marketing leadership team reporting into Stonegate’s chief marketing officer, Kay Bartlett. Last October, Stonegate hired Nigel Sherwood, formerly of Wagamama and Nando’s, to oversee its managed business, which will transition to a streamlined portfolio of around 320 pubs, bars and venues by the end of September this year.

 

Black Rock Restaurants to make pub move, hires Ruth Carpenter as sales & marketing director: Black Rock Restaurants, the Raz Helalat-led group based in Brighton, will make its first move into the pub sector, with the opening of new venue The Crazy Goose tomorrow (Tuesday, 3 February). The pub will open on the site of the former home of the company’s The Coal Shed restaurant, which moved to a larger premises on Brighton’s North Street last year. Announcing the up-coming opening on Boyce's Street, Black Rock said that the new venue will be a “modern pub and dining room for the city”, serving classic British and European comfort-food “elevated with seasonal creativity”. A group spokesperson said: “The range is built to flex, encouraging easy weekday drinking, higher energy weekends and late-night service without losing focus.” The Crazy Goose is set across a ground floor pub and a first-floor dining room called The Blue Room. The pub takes its name from a nickname given by Black Rock Group managing director Helalat’s father-in-law, Don Camilleri, who played a key role in supporting the launch of The Coal Shed in its early days. It comes as the group, which also owns The Salt Room, Burnt Orange and Tutto in Brighton, along with a second The Coal Shed restaurant in London, has hired Ruth Carpenter, formerly of Kerb and Dishoom, as its new sales and marketing director. Carpenter joins the business after three and a half years as head of marketing at pizzeria brand Pizza Pilgrims.

 

Mission Mars lines up debut site in Scotland for Rudy’s, eyes Clapham Junction site: Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana, the Mission Mars-owned brand, is set to make its debut in Scotland later this year, with an opening lined up in Glasgow. The business has applied to open on the former Steamer Company unit at 35-39 Gordon Street, near Glasgow Central Station. At the same time, Propel understands that the business is also planning an opening on St John’s Hill, Clapham Junction. The company, which opened its 35th site, in Cambridge, in November, is set to open next, at 10 Birmingham Road, in Sutton Coldfield, on the ex-Built Unique gym unit. Earlier this month, Propel revealed Mission Mars, which also owns the Albert’s Schloss bar business, had posted record revenue of £36.2m in the three months to 28 December 2025, up 13% on the previous year, while group like-for-like sales were up 6% in the five weeks to 4 January 2026. Last October, Propel revealed that Mission Mars had hired advisors at Houlihan Lokey to assess its funding options for its next stage of growth, which could include the exit of current backer Business Growth Fund.

 

Former Cote MD joins Hall & Woodhouse: Ashley Hamilton, former managing director of Côte, the French brasserie chain, has joined brewer and pub operator Hall & Woodhouse as its new head of managed operations. Hamilton spent two years at Cote as its managing director operations before leaving the business last summer. Hamilton joined Cote after a year as operations director at The Liberation Group (now Butcombe Group), where he led operations across The Liberation Group and Butcombe Pubs. Prior to that, he spent more than two years as operations director for Greene King’s Premium and Urban division. He also spent more than five years at Wagamama as operations director. Earlier this month, Hall & Woodhouse revealed it had invested more than £15m across its circa 150-strong pub estate last year, including the launch of its first experiential games-led site. The company said it undertook major investments in the year to “future-proof and evolve our pub estate”, including the purchase of a new pub in Poole.

 

The Sushi Co opens first dark kitchen site: Sushi brand The Sushi Co, which is led by former large-scale Papa John’s franchisee Raheel Choudhary, has launched its first dark kitchen site, and said it marked “an important step” in its expansion strategy. The business, which has grown to circa 30 UK locations, opened the new dark kitchen site in Manchester. Haran Thushiharan, head of operations at The Sushi Co, said: “This launch marks an important step in our expansion strategy, allowing us to serve more customers with faster delivery times, consistent quality, and a focused production model built for scale. Manchester has been high on our priority list, and this dark kitchen gives us a strong operational base to grow our presence across the city. A big thank you to our operations, supply chain, and launch teams who made this happen — from site setup to systems, training, and go-live execution. Manchester - we’re live and rolling. More to come.” Last month, the business told Propel it is hoping to open more sites under sister smash burger concept Smashio and use it as a “gateway brand”. In November, the company launched the first dual The Sushi Co and Smashio location, in Basildon, Essex. With both businesses operating under the same management team, Thushiharan said there is the potential to grow Smashio alongside The Sushi Co. The Sushi Co launched a franchise programme last year that will see it work towards a previously stated target of 100 locations.

 

Di Maggio's Restaurant Group reports profit of more than £6m following fourth successive year of record turnover, paid £13.2m for Paesano Pizza and Sugo Pasta business: Scottish restaurant operator Di Maggio's Restaurant Group – which operates 11 concepts across 21 locations in Scotland – has reported a profit of more than £6m for the year ended 28 April 2025 following a fourth successive year of record turnover. The company's pre-tax profit grew to £6,119,582 from £5,168,430 the previous year, off turnover of £66,177,837, up from £49,520,159 the year before. As previously reported, in May 2024, the group acquired Enoteca Scotland, which operates the Glasgow-based, two-strong Paesano Pizza, and sister business Sugo Pasta, from restaurateur Paul Stevenson. The accounts revealed Di Maggio's paid £13,179,281 for Enoteca Scotland, which contributed turnover of £13,844,292 and profit after tax of £1,851,739 in the period since acquisition. Since the acquisition, Di Maggio's has opened further Paesano Pizza sites in Pollokshaws Road in Glasgow, after converting one of its eponymous sites, and in George Street, Edinburgh. In his report accompanying the accounts, co-owner Mario Lizzi said: “The substantial increase is, in part, related to the acquisition of Enoteca Scotland during the year. Excluding this, the remainder of the group showed year-on-year growth with turnover increasing 8.4% and operating profit before exceptional items increasing 4.2%. Gross margin in the period was 75.0% against 74.1% in the prior period. The operating margin, excluding the impact of exceptional items, in the period was 14.1% against 12.5% in the prior period. These margins continue to be satisfactory and highlight the group's core profitability. The group continues to trade profitably following the period end, reflecting the value and quality of food in the group's restaurants and its excellent reputation in the market. The directors continue to look for suitable restaurant sites to expand the group's business.” Grants of £33,485 were received (2024: £70,882). Dividends of £1,960,000 were paid (2024: £1,940,000) and shareholder funds at the year-end totalled £27,265,000 (2024: £25,500,000).

 

North west McDonald's franchisee acquires seven more restaurants to expand outside of Manchester: North west McDonald's franchisee MCD Manchester – led by Roger Khoryati and previously operating 11 restaurants in Manchester – has acquired seven more to expand outside of the city. The business, founded by Lebanese-born former insurance worker Khoryati, has taken on seven restaurants in Blackburn. Lorraine Feeney, MCD Manchester's operations manager, said: "Huge congratulations to Roger Khoryarti and everyone at MCD Manchester on the addition of seven Blackburn restaurants to the organisation. This fantastic milestone takes the group to an impressive 18 restaurants – a real testament to the hard work, leadership and commitment of the entire team." Khoryati joined McDonald's as a trainee business manager in 1990, and nine years later was one of 25 staff members offered the chance to own their own restaurant, remortgaging his house to raise the £200,000 to open his first branch in Wandsworth, south London. In the year to 31 December 2024, MCD Manchester reported turnover of £41,582,278, down from £44,407,643 in 2023. Pre-tax profit dropped from £1,462,459 in 2023 to £1,258,235. Khoryati said: "Digital sales via McDelivery, mobile apps and self-order kiosks have continued to increase as the company seeks to make the food ordering process ever more customer friendly. However, turnover in total for the year fell slightly by just over 6%, with a similar fall in gross profit of just under 6%. In common with many other similar businesses and industries, overhead costs also increased. The directors believe that the trading environment in which the company operates will continue to be challenging but remain optimistic regarding future trading and are committed to increasing both future turnover and profitability." Dividends of £10,000 were paid (2023: £17,000).

 

SpudBros Express opens in Portsmouth for sixth store: Gourmet jacket potato business SpudBros Express has opened in Portsmouth for its sixth store. The business has opened at 229 Goldsmith Avenue in the Southsea area of the city, joining its locations in London, Liverpool, Sheffield, Blackburn and Wakefield. A spokesman for Taster, which has partnered with SpudBros for its franchise growth, said: "SpudBros Express has officially landed in Portsmouth, and we couldn't be more excited for this sixth store, proudly operated by a local franchise partner.From Preston roots to viral sensation, SpudBros Express has taken the humble jacket potato and turned it into a fast-casual favorite that people queue for and share across social media. This latest opening brings the 'greatest spuds on earth' to another city, expanding the reach of a brand that's been delighting potato lovers from London to Liverpool and beyond." SpudBros Express, which plans to have 30-40 stores by the end of 2027, opened its first franchise site in November, in Sheffield, and the following month, launched its first petrol forecourt locations, in Blackburn and Wakefield, in partnership with EG on the Move. Also in November, Andreas Holmsen van Stalsberg, chief operating officer at Taster, told the Propel Franchisor Showcase that it is aiming for 15 SpudBros Express locations by the end of 2026 and that it is exploring smaller format stores and international options. 

 

Scottish Sri Lankan street food concept opens first stand-alone restaurant: Scottish Sri Lankan street food concept Kochchi has opened its first stand-alone restaurant. Kochchi has been operating at Bonnie & Wild – the Edinburgh food hall concept from the founders of Scottish restaurant brand Mac & Wild – since 2022. The concept has now made its bricks and mortar debut in the former The Hanoi Bike Shop, in Glasgow's Ruthven Lane. The restaurant has capacity for 80 covers spanning two floors plus an external seating area. Founders Shehan Fernando and Suki Jayaratne grew up in different parts of Sri Lanka, but it was Colombo – the country's capital – that united their culinary vision. At the heart of the menu is Koththu, Sri Lanka's iconic street food. Fresh flatbread is hand-chopped and seared on a hot griddle with vegetables and curry, available with roast chicken, black pork or cauliflower. The curries feature options of Colombo chicken curry, black pork curry, monkfish curry, crab curry, devilled chicken, pork and prawns. A separate brunch menu includes bacon hoppers, milk hoppers, roast pãan options and a Colombo omelette, while The Kochchi Experience offers a guided five-course sharing menu. The drinks list features Sri Lankan-inspired cocktails, craft beer and tropical softs. Fernando said: "When you sit at our table, you taste more than Sri Lanka – you taste Colombo, the city where the island comes together. At Kochchi Glasgow, we want to share that rhythm and warmth."

 

Coffee wholesaler opens new roastery with experience and innovation centre, artisan bakery and coffee shop: Coffee wholesaler Coffee King has opened a new roastery with an experience and innovation centre, an artisan bakery and a coffee shop. The new facility is situated within 53,000 square feet of industrial space at Deeside Industrial Park in Deeside, on the Welsh/English border. The facility will also feature one of the largest coffee roasteries in the UK and create a wide range of roles. Sean Le Tissier, chief executive at Coffee King, said: "Our vision is to create a centre of excellence in Wales and the UK for coffee and baked goods. By consolidating operations, we can deliver exceptional quality, compete in global markets, strengthen our supply chain, scale our operation and support our partners with unique products."