Bids due for The Real Greek as Fulham Shore continues to consider options for Franco Manca: Bids are due later today (Thursday, 2 April) for The Real Greek, the 28-strong business owned by Fulham Shore, Propel has learned. Propel revealed in February that Fulham Shore, which also operates the circa 70 strong Franco Manca, had appointed advisors to review its strategic options to ensure both brands are “on the strongest possible footing to realise their long-term potential”. Fulham Shore, which is backed by the Tokyo-listed Toridoll and Capdesia, is working with Alvarez & Marsal on the process, which could include a sale of all or parts of the company, or a restructure of the business. Propel understands that indicative offers for whole or parts of the business were due on 23 March, and that several parties have expressed an interest in the company and brands. However, Propel now understands that Toridoll is focused on a sale of The Real Greek and is still considering its options for Franco Manca despite receiving a number of bids for the whole business. One option being considered is that it will hold on to Franco Manca after exiting The Real Greek. It is thought any deal for The Real Greek will involve a restructure. The Real Greek saw turnover increase to £37,105,000 for the year ending 31 March 2024 compared with £35,951,000 the previous year. Headline Ebitda stood at £1,233,000 compared with £3,009,000 the year before. Pre-tax losses were up to £2,876,000 from £394,000 the previous year. Toridoll partnered with Capdesia to take Fulham Shore private in spring 2023, in a deal that valued the business at circa £93.4m. Last month, Propel revealed serial sector investor Luke Johnson, Brava Hospitality Group – the Cain International-backed owner of Prezzo Italian – and Nabil Mankarious, the co-founder and former managing director of Fulham Shore, were understood to have been among the parties running the rule over the entire business. The Karali Group, which last year acquired Côte, the French brasserie brand, and was an interested party for The Revel Collective, was also believed to be considering an offer for parts of Fulham Shore, believed to be The Real Greek. Dunham Massey Investment Group, the investment group led by pop star turned hospitality entrepreneur Recardo Patrick, which acquired the three-strong Proove Pizza business last year, has also been linked to the eastern Mediterranean brand. 

Premium Club subscribers to receive updated searchable and segmented New Openings Database today: The updated Propel New Openings Database will be sent to Premium Club subscribers today (Thursday, 2 April). The database will show the details of 136 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 monthly, and Premium Club subscribers will also receive a 10,359-word report on the 136 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. 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 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.

Burger King UK CEO – ‘the only long-term lever that anyone has is sales’, ‘loyalty focus shifting to personalised engagement’: Burger King UK chief executive Alasdair Murdoch has said with operations already optimised and the middle of the P&L tightened, “sales growth becomes the only sustainable lever for profitability”. Talking to Mark Wingett, Propel chief operating officer – editorial, at the Hospitality Tech360 event, Murdoch said: “Our organisation is pretty lean. We've spent a lot of work in the middle of the P&L. When you don't have great sales, you've got no fat to get rid of. I think the only long-term lever that anyone has is sales. Without that, you're dead.” Murdoch said even in quick service restaurant environments dominated by kiosks, consumers want some level of hospitality experience. He said the challenge was finding appropriate ways to add personal touches – not casual dining service, but simple engagement. He said: “How do we stop the experience from becoming completely impersonal? I want more of my people, certainly in our busy stores, out at peak times, engaging with customers. They're not casual diners, and that's not our skill set. But how do we just clear up around them? How do we just say the right thing here and there?” With nearly three million loyalty app users, Murdoch said focus is shifting from “acquisition to personalised engagement”. He said: “A customer that has our loyalty app visits more often than those that don't. But what we need to do is once we've got them hooked is to be better at getting them to come back. We're doing a lot of work on personalisation of offers.” The business will look to open 25-30 sites a year, and Murdoch said partnerships like the collaboration with Motor Fuel Group (have enabled expansion into smaller markets, such as Falmouth, Cornwall, “leveraging franchise expertise to maintain profitability”. On delivery he said: “We have circa 600 sites, McDonald's has 1,500. So clearly there's a lot of opportunity for us to grow. But what delivery does is it allows you to get to those consumers that you weren't traditionally reaching. Does it cannibalise? Yes, but if you didn't put it in, you're going to be cannibalised by delivery anyway.”

Sona raises $45m to bring new platform capability: Sona, the artificial intelligence (AI) platform for hospitality, has secured a further $45m (£34m) in Series B investment to help operators build, run and adapt the software that powers their operations. Led by N47, with participation from existing investors Felicis, Northzone, Gradient, and Italian Founders Fund, Sona has to date secured more than $100m (£75.2m). This latest funding round will accelerate Sona's planned platform capabilities, bringing new functionality and solutions into customers’ hands within months. The AI platform said it had turned what was a ten-year product vision into a one-year plan thanks to the acceleration of its technology and capability. Steffen Wulff Petersen, co-founder and chief executive of Sona, said: “Every other enterprise software category has been transformed by AI, but the tools managing the world's largest workforce are still fundamentally the same systems that were built 20 years ago. We had a ten-year plan to change that and thanks to the pace and innovation of our AI capability, we delivered it in one year. Traditional SaaS models deliver one-size-fits-all applications that companies must adapt – Sona has done it differently. Our next generation platform delivers the infrastructure and agentic layer for front-line organisations to build on, giving them the power to create the exact software their business needs.” Matthew Cowan, general partner at N47, said: “In a global market supporting billions of workers, AI represents a unique opportunity to uproot entrenched, outdated front-line tools and usher in a new way of operating for the real economy. Sona has built the leading, end-to-end AI-native product for workforce management, with best-in-class capabilities that enable it to become the operational foundation these organisations run on.”

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a business that is seeking a project manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “While the business has a great pipeline of new openings on the slate, this role will be primarily responsible for the refurbishment and refreshing of its current estate. Projects will be varied, from light touch to full-scale remodelling. Each site has a little bit of history and its own personality, so the project manager will need to get under the skin of each and be able to prioritise where investment is needed.” The salary is up to £75,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email sheila@corecruitment.com 

Italian dining concept Gruppomimo eyes UK launch: Gruppomimo, the Italian dining concept based in France, is seeking franchise partners to expand further across Europe, including the UK. The business, which was founded in 2021 and led by co-founder Édouard Hausseguy, currently operates 20-plus sites in France and has a social media following exceeding 500,000. Gruppomimo is now partnered with consultants Presman & Colard to find franchise partners for its next stage of growth. Charlie Mander, co-founder of Presman & Colard, said: “Gruppomimo has already demonstrated strong consumer demand and a highly distinctive market position. The next phase of growth is underway, including its first location outside of France this year, with further European expansion planned. What sets Gruppomimo apart is its ability to combine bold, high-impact design with a lively, experience-led atmosphere and a menu rooted in authentic Italian classics, reimagined for today’s customer. For operators and investors across the UK and Europe looking to partner with a proven, scalable concept in the hospitality sector, this is a compelling opportunity to be part of a business with real momentum.”

Creams heralds ‘transformational period’ as it successfully completes repositioning: Fast-growing dessert parlour operator Creams has said the year to 31 March 2025 represented a “transformational period”, marking the successful completion of its repositioning towards a “franchise-led, manufacturing-driven and scalable operating model”. It comes as the company, which operates circa 100 sites, reported turnover of £7,843,290 for the year, down from £10,722,072 the year before. The company said this reflected the strategic exit of four equity stores as part of the transition. Pre-tax loss stood at £3,180,005 (2024: loss of £1,891,403). The company said: “This repositioning has resulted in a higher-quality and more efficient revenue base, with reduced operational complexity, lower capital intensity and enhanced scalability. The benefits of this transition are clearly reflected in the group's improving margin profile, with gross margin of £5.6m and margin expanding significantly to 72.1% (2024: 60.7%). demonstrating a meaningful step-up in profitability driven by improved sales mix, increased contribution from higher-margin revenue streams, and the advantages of a vertically integrated supply chain. The year also reflects a period of targeted investment and transformation, including infrastructure development, brand investment and organisational optimisation, positioning the business for its next phase of growth. On an underlying basis, the group delivered adjusted Ebitda of £531,712 (2024: £559,553) and normalised adjusted Ebitda of £0.81m (2024: £0.56m), highlighting a clear year-on-year improvement in underlying profitability and demonstrating the strength of the core operating model following the completion of the group's transformation programme. The group is now transitioning from a period of strategic investment and repositioning into a phase of earnings growth, margin expansion and operational leverage, supported by a scalable, capital-light and vertically integrated platform.”

Wagamama makes first new delivery partner move in a decade: Wagamama, The Restaurant Group-owned brand, has signed a new partnership with Uber Eats, the brand’s first new delivery partnership since 2016. The partnership comes as Uber Eats revealed that searches for Wagamama on its app more than doubled in 2025. The two companies said the move marks a “new chapter in Wagamama's growth strategy”, as the brand looks to “bolster its delivery capabilities and reach new customers wherever they are”. The partnership is now live in Newcastle, with a rapid national rollout underway in the coming weeks. Mark Chambers, chief executive at Wagamama, said: “As our first new aggregator partnership in a decade, this is a considered step that reinforces delivery as a key long-term growth lever for our business. Uber Eats' scale and highly engaged Uber One customer base, combined with its rides platform, allow us to connect with millions more diners nationwide. We're also excited to co-create across our loyalty programs, Soul Club and Uber One, unlocking meaningful benefits for both communities as we continue to grow our delivery footprint.” Merve Basci, UK general manager at Uber Eats, said: “We're hearing loud and clear that diners on Uber Eats are excited about ordering Wagamama at home. Welcoming it to the app is a major milestone. This partnership is about far more than just logistics; it's about empowering an iconic brand to leverage our cutting-edge technology and reach new heights of growth.”

Nick Scovell returns to Leon to run restaurant operations: Nick Scovell is to return to Leon to run restaurant operations and grow franchise opportunities, five years after he left the naturally fast-food brand, at what the business called a “pivotal moment for its next phase of growth”. Scovell rejoins founder John Vincent as Leon rebuilds its senior team, bringing back those who were closely involved in the brand's earlier expansion. The company, which Vincent bought back last October, said the move signals a “renewed emphasis on operational consistency and sustainable growth”. Earlier this year, Chris Burford, who spent seven years as the company’s director of finance before leaving to join Boxpark, returned to Leon as its chief financial officer. Scovell spent five years at Leon, from 2016 to 2021, leading franchising across the UK and internationally. During that time, he helped take Leon into five markets, “building the franchise model from the ground up”. Since his departure from Leon has had stints as head of operations at Pasta Evangelists, German Doner Kebab and Oree Boulangeries. Leon said he has also stepped into the world of well-being since 2021, working as a yoga teacher and nutrition coach. On his return to Leon, Scovell will focus on strengthening restaurant operations while identifying opportunities for further franchise growth. His appointment comes as Leon looks to stabilise its foundations and build momentum for the next stage of its development. Vincent said: “Nick was a big part of growing Leon. I am very happy he is back. His pattern recognition for what must happen to make us the leader in naturally fast food is exceptional.” Scovell said: “The focus on food, well-being and the environment has always resonated deeply with me, both professionally and personally. I'm looking forward to helping drive the next phase of growth and supporting our franchise partners to succeed.”

The Coaching Inn Group – Easter bookings 6% ahead of same point last year: The Coaching Inn Group, the award-winning pubs-with-rooms business owned by RedCat Hospitality, has unveiled heightened sales figures as it enters the spring season, which it said demonstrated “the ongoing popularity in staycations and pubs with rooms hospitality experience”. Ahead of the upcoming bank holiday, the 43-strong group said bookings for the period were already 6% ahead of the same point last year. The business said this uplift is underpinned by a 6% rise in rooms sold, while guests are increasingly choosing to enhance their stay through packages and upgrades, pushing average spend up by 2%. The company said its newly launched Spring Escapes offer is also performing strongly, with almost 300 nights already booked for April and a further 350 nights secured for May and June. Adam Charity, The Coaching Inn Group managing director, said: “Easter is shaping up to be a strong period for us, and it’s encouraging to see these heightened figures over this period. We know our customers are looking for best-in-class experiences for these special occasion stays, and the interest in our Spring Escapes offer mirrors this thinking.” Last month, Propel exclusively revealed RedCat, founded and chaired by Rooney Anand, had hired advisers to assess the next stage of funding options for The Coaching Inn Group, which could include a sale of the UK’s fourth-largest pubs-with-rooms operator. Rothschild has been hired to oversee the process to explore growth options for the business, which is believed to be valued at between circa £175m-£210m. Kevin Charity, founder of the Coaching Inn Group, will be among the speakers at the Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference. The all-day conference takes place on Tuesday, 19 May at One Moorgate Place in London and is open for bookings. 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.

Roadchef agrees lease extension on five motorway sites paving way for £300m investment across network: Motorway services operator Roadchef has agreed a deal with National Highways and the Department for Transport to secure the lease extension on five of its sites for a further 75 years paving the way for a £300m investment by the business across the network. The sites are Clacket Lane eastbound and westbound on the M25, Northampton northbound and southbound on the M1, Sandbach northbound and southbound on the M6, Strensham northbound on the M5 and Watford Gap northbound and southbound on the M1. Roadchef said the multi-decade deal delivers the assurance needed for it to unlock more than £300m of investment into the business over the next five years. This investment will fund new EV charging infrastructure, the upgrade of HGV driver facilities, increased retail and catering options as well as the capacity to develop new sites. Roadchef currently operates 31 locations across the UK, serving more than 46 million customers annually. Chief executive Tim Gittins said: “Securing the lease extension on five state-owned sites marks a significant milestone for Roadchef, giving us the long-term certainty to deliver new investment across the network. We are focused on enhancing the customer experience today, while making the upgrades needed for the future. This is a pivotal time for Roadchef, with further developments already in the pipeline. This investment will support our continued growth, enabling us to expand our network and provide more motorists with access to high-quality facilities across the UK’s road network.” The Department for Transport and National Highways were advised by CBRE.

Thorley Taverns reports increase in profit and turnover: Kent pub operator Thorley Taverns has reported an increase in profit and turnover for the year to 30 June 2025. The company, which operates 18 sites, of which 14 are owned freehold, saw turnover rise 7.8% to £15,181,745 from £14,086,673 the year before. Pre-tax profit was up from £984,701 in 2024 to £1,769,471. Director Phil Thorley said: “The company continued to invest in the development of its outlets to ensure Thorley's venues are known for the excellence of their premises and of the goods and services they supply. Expenditure on repairs, renovation and development for the year remained constant. It is recognised that any business is only as good as the people it employs so the company has a clear strategy of recruitment and training to make certain that a highly skilled team can ensure customers receive only the best service. These teams have been retained despite the extremely challenging conditions of the past year. Overall equity increased to £18,080,268 (2024: £16,582,807) representing growth of 9.03%. The company had a good cash position at the end of the year while continuing its investment in the repair, renovation and development of its outlets. The current assets to current liabilities ratio is 1.6 for the current year. The company will continue to develop the business and meet any changes to the market conditions as they arise.” No dividends were paid (2024: nil).

China’s second-largest coffee brand doubles London presence: Cotti Coffee, China’s second-largest coffee brand, which made its UK debut in February with a double opening in London, has opened two new sites in the City. The business has now opened at 99 Gresham Street and on the former Pret A Manger site at 72 Cheapside. Propel understands Cotti Coffee has also secured the former Crussh site in Strutton Ground, south west London, and is believed to be in talks on sites in Birmingham and Manchester. In February, Cotti Coffee opened at 131 Middlesex Street in the City and at 183 Camden High Street. The brand currently has more than 18,000 shops worldwide, making it the third-largest coffee brand across the globe. Earlier this year, Cotti Coffee, which uses an entirely franchised model, launched in Europe, opening its first outlets in France (Paris), Germany (Hamburg, Cologne, Düsseldorf) and Spain (Barcelona and Madrid). There are also plans to launch in Italy, as well as Portugal and the Netherlands.

European indoor playground brand Monkey Town acquires second UK site: European indoor playground brand Monkey Town, operated by Dutch leisure group 24 Indoor, has acquired its second UK site. The company has secured Yellow Sub in Liverpool adding to its debut site here following the acquisition of Rascals Party and Play Centre in Preston in mid-2025. Yellow Sub will continue to operate in the short term before closing in summer 2026 for a full refurbishment and transformation into Monkey Town Liverpool, bringing the brand’s distinctive themed environments, food and beverage offer and signature play experiences to the city. Peter van Wijk, chief executive of 24 Indoor, said the addition of the Liverpool site represents continued momentum for Monkey Town’s UK rollout and reinforces the group’s confidence in the region as a key area for growth. He noted the north west has a strong indoor play market potential and excellent family demographics, making it a natural focus for early expansion. The Liverpool acquisition forms part of a wider strategy, with further sites already progressing across England including London. The group told Propel the Preston site was “performing well despite the challenging market for indoor play”. The group told Propel last year it was targeting a seven-strong estate here by the end of 2026 and the UK market was “ripe for consolidation”. 24 Indoor has a growing portfolio of more than 80 locations across the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and is also opening in Spain. The company’s strategy focuses on acquiring established local venues alongside new site development as it targets 200 sites across Europe by 2030.

Aberdeen operator sees losses increase on back of impairment charges: Aberdeen operator PB Devco, which operates 11 bars and restaurants in the city, saw its losses increase in the year to 31 March 2025 on the back of impairment charges, including on one of its venues severely damaged in a fire. Vovem, in Union Street, was gutted by the blaze in September 2024. The venue’s bar reopened two months later with the rest of Vovem reopening after the year end. As a result of the impairment charges, the group, owned by Stuart Clarkson, saw pre-tax losses grow to £1,234,663 from £181,891 the previous year. Turnover fell to £8,166,629 from £9,283,260 the year before. Clarkson said: “The loss for the year is primarily attributable to a non-recurring fixed asset impairment charge of £894,246 recognised in the period, of which £408,909 relates to fire damage to one of the company’s properties, which has been fully restored following the year end. Following an impairment review, a further impairment charge of £485,337 has been recognised on a separate property. The company continues to face a highly competitive market. However, we are confident about prospects following continued investment in venues.” Outstanding bank loans of £484,799 were repaid in August 2025 as part of a refinancing of the company's debt, which also saw a new loan of £1m being advanced. No dividend was paid (2024: £1,000,000).

Freight Island reveals first set of operators for Newcastle site ahead of June opening: Freight Island, the entertainment and dining business, has revealed the first set of operators for its Newcastle site ahead of its June opening. The space at Eldon Square will span 60,000 square feet, which Freight Island has said would make it the largest single-site food and beverage and entertainment venue in a UK city centre. Taking over the top floor of the former Debenhams unit, as well as part of the existing roof space, the 1,200-capacity venue will open following a £16m investment from all parties involved. Central to the design is The Plant Room, a space set beneath a vast retractable roof, which Freight Island said will be the largest of its kind in UK hospitality. Twelve kitchens will make up the line-up, including Newcastle operators I Scream for Pizza, Japanese restaurant concept Miso, Meat:Stack, and FAB Bakery. Joining them are more independent traders from the north, including Asian fusion Fuku, V.Goode Pies, Greek live-fire cooking concept Pita, Caribbean-inspired Jerk Junction, and Churro Kingdom. Sam Grainger, chef patron at Belzan and Madre, will head up the corporate and events kitchen, delivering large-scale hospitality and private dining, and supporting the venue’s wider food and events programme. Later in 2026, the site will launch its dedicated, purpose-built music and events space. Freight Island will make its London debut next month. Freight Brixton will bring a 1,000-plus capacity open-air food, drink and music destination located adjacent to Brixton Village Market. Launched in Manchester in 2020, Freight Island is also set to open in Leeds having secured a partnership with Landsec to make the Trinity Kitchen space its fourth location, ahead of a £15m redevelopment of the food hall. Freight Island managing director Dan Morris told Propel in January the business has “some great options in the pipeline to support our continued growth”.

Former Geronimo Inns MD Ed Turner launches second coastal venue: Ed Turner, the former Geronimo Inns managing director, has added a second coastal venue to his Neighbourhood Pubs and Bars vehicle. Turner has reopened the Alum Beach Hut, on the sands at Bournemouth. In 2023, Turner secured his first coastal site, the Haven House Inn and Cafe – a pub, café and gift shop – in Christchurch, Dorset, from the Rolph family. The Bournemouth site, which is surrounded by water on three sides, comprises a pub and restaurant, a coffee shop, as well as a gift shop. On the Alum Beach Hut, he said: “This is our second coastal venue in the Neighbourhood Pubs and Bars collection where hospitality starts in the coffee house for breakfast and goes through the day in the restaurant, at the bar, from the takeaway or the gift shop. Now looking for our next coastal treat.” In 2016, Turner and his wife Buffy launched the Old Ale and Coffee House in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Two years later, the Turners and business partner Shane O’Neill reopened The Dolphin pub in Newbury, Berkshire. In 2024, the company sold the lease of The Dolphin to Auror Kalivaci, former chef de partie at all-day dining concept The Breakfast Club.

North Yorkshire operator returns to profit: North Yorkshire operator Qdos Entertainment posted a pre-tax profit of £112,274 for the year ending 31 March 2025 compared with a loss of £915,465 the previous year. In 2024, the group incurred a loss of £464,464 in its investment in two West End shows. Turnover fell slightly to £4,722,277 compared with £4,744,007 the year before. Ebitda from continuing operations, excluding exceptional items, stood at a loss of £166,000 (2023: loss of £505,000). In March 2025, the group sold The Copper Horse in Seamer, near Scarborough, and in December 2025, disposed of its design and print business Adverset Media Solutions, which turned over £813,964 in the year to 31 March 2025 (2024: £915,729). Dividends of £59,176 were paid (2024: nil). The group, owned by Nick and Sandra Thomas, now operates The Mayfield in Seamer and The Plough and The Yew Tree in Scalby. The company also operates a talent agency, which turned over £237,358 in the period (2024: £247,023).

Scottish hospitality group sees turnover drop after hotel sales, sells further site: Scottish hospitality group City Hotels, owned by the Adamson family, has reported turnover fell 26% to £4,834,805 for the year ending 30 June 2025 compared with £6,528,820 the year before when it sold two hotels. The company, which operates The City Hotel in Dunfermline and owns the freehold of Monty’s Rock Bar in the city, saw pre-tax profit grow to £1,219,603 from £397,712 the year before as the business cut costs by circa £1.4m and administrative expenses by circa £150,000 having made the sales. The group also revealed since the year end it has sold a further hotel. The company had been marketing the Adamson Hotel in the village of Crossford, just outside Dunfermline, for £1.6m. Net assets increased to £7,097,368 from £6,187,260 the year before. No dividend was paid (2024: nil).

The Sloane Club to open its first public café and wine bar: The Sloane Club, the private members' club in Chelsea owned by Queensway Group, is set to open Café 1922, for what will be its first public-facing space in its 104-year history. Opening on Tuesday (7 April) in Lower Sloane Street, on the outer perimeter of The Sloane Club, the business said Café 1922 will be a relaxed, all-day café and bakery that transitions into a neighbourhood wine bar by night. Leading the kitchen is executive chef George Scott-Toft, who also oversees the menus for The Sloane Club. Neena Jivraj-Stevenson, managing director of The Sloane Club, said: “Café 1922 is a natural evolution of what The Sloane Club has always stood for – community, connection and a sense of belonging. For the first time, we're able to share that spirit more openly with our neighbours, creating a space that feels local, welcoming and part of the daily rhythm of Chelsea.”