Exclusive – Starbucks EMEA promotes Darren King to UK managing director: Starbucks EMEA has promoted Darren King to UK managing director, effective from Monday, 18 May, Propel has learned. King currently leads store development for Starbucks UK and oversees the company’s licensing business in the market. He has worked for Starbucks since 2024 and brings more than 20 years of experience across hospitality and retail, with senior roles spanning business growth, operations and commercial leadership at Greene King, Stonegate Group and Punch Taverns. Since joining Starbucks, the company said he has been instrumental in shaping the UK’s store development and licensing strategy as the business enters its next phase of growth. He succeeds Alex Rayner, who will step down after nine years with the company but will remain with the business until Friday, 15 May to ensure a smooth transition. Starbucks said that during her tenure, Rayner led the UK business through a period of significant transformation, including navigating the covid-19 pandemic, while strengthening its position in the UK. She oversaw the expansion of the UK portfolio by more than 500 coffee houses in the last five years, led the acquisition and integration of large-scale UK franchisee 23.5 Degrees, and leaves the business with strong momentum across customer engagement, loyalty membership and beverage innovation. Duncan Moir, president Starbucks EMEA, said: “I am delighted to welcome Darren to the Starbucks EMEA leadership team as he takes on responsibility for our UK business, and I would also like to thank Alex for her outstanding leadership over the last nine years. Under Alex’s leadership, the UK has been strengthened as a key market within our global portfolio, and Darren is perfectly positioned to build on that foundation. He has already played a central role in shaping our new openings pipeline and will lead the market through its next phase of growth, as we look to open a further 500 coffee houses over the next five years and continue to evolve the customer experience.” Starbucks said in March that it plans to open another 500 UK stores by 2031.

Propel Multi-Club Female Leaders and Entrepreneurs Conference open for bookings, F1 Arcade co-founder Diane Jervis to speak: The Propel Multi-Club Female Leaders and Entrepreneurs Conference takes place on Thursday, 4 June at Park Plaza Victoria London. The all-day conference, which is organised in conjunction with Ann Elliott, will feature an all-female line-up of sector leaders. These include Diane Jervis, co-founder and director of F1 Arcade, talking about shaping consumer concepts at creation and early stage, and getting them ready for successful launch and beyond. 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 updated Multi-Site Database with 3,572 operators and 20 new companies tomorrow: Premium Club subscribers will receive the updated Multi-Site Database tomorrow (Friday, 24 April), at 12pm. The next Propel Multi-Site Database provides details of 3,572 multi-site operators and is searchable in seven main segments. The database features 1,028 (29%) casual dining operators, 808 (23%) pub and bar operators, 639 (18%) cafe bakery operators, 502 (14%) quick service restaurant operators, 296 (8%) hotel operators, 242 (7%) experiential leisure operators and 55 (2%) fine dining operators. The database is updated each month, and this edition includes 20 new companies. The database includes new companies in the hotel sector such as Scottish hospitality group Turas Hotels and Liverpool boutique hotel operator Sefton Collection. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five additional databases: the New Openings Database, the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, 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.

David Page – ‘the market town expansion model is broken’, looking at QSR businesses: David Page, the former chief executive of PizzaExpress, has said the market town expansion model for restaurants is broken, with such places “hollowed out by lack of footfall”. Speaking on Propel’s In Conversation podcast, Page, executive chairman of Wildwood operator Bow Street Group, said: “I spent some time in Kingston upon Thames, and on YouTube, you can look at Kingston High Street in 1976/77, and it was busy with people, shopping etc. Obviously, that doesn’t happen now, they’re all buying online. And so, the footfall outside the restaurants has dropped – and that’s Kingston, which is still a busy town. But you go to a market town like Shrewsbury, and it is like tumbleweed wandering along the street. You will have eight chain restaurants that have landed there over the last 25 years, all trying to share a diminished customer pool. It’s not just the national economy going south; it’s too many restaurants in these towns where the customer base has disappeared. A lot of people we talk to say, ‘we want to take it to 30 sites, but then we’re going to go into retail’ and I agree with them. I mean, taking things to 100 sites is a bit of a waste of time. Take it to 30 or 40 and then have some fun opening stores in other countries and see if it works there, rather than schlep up and down the M1 opening 150, because it’s just not going to work in the UK. It’s not there anymore.” Last week, Bow Street Group said it was close to a couple of acquisitions, which featured Asian style menus and cuisine. Page said: “Quick service restaurant is the way to go with the labour cost. It’s less risk. That’s the sort of business we’re looking at.” In Conversation is a series of podcasts, exclusive for Propel Premium Club subscribers, featuring industry leaders and sector players talking about their businesses and issues impacting the UK’s hospitality market. 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 warns of price rises as sector hit by inflation surge: Kate Nicholls, chair of UKHospitality, has warned price rises are inevitable as the sector grapples with the increase in inflation resulting from the conflict in the Middle East. Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed inflation increased to 3.3% in the year to March amid soaring fuel prices driven by the war. Nicholls said: “The inflationary impact of the conflict in the Middle East is evident in these figures. Hospitality businesses are highly exposed to increased fuel prices, through the price of food, drink, transport and other key inputs. As one of the final links in the food supply chain, the sector cannot be expected to pick up the bill for increased costs down the chain. Hospitality is already one of the most heavily taxed sectors in the economy and there is no room to absorb further cost increases. Ultimately, it will result in price rises at the till, further driving inflation. The impact on consumer demand should be closely monitored, as our pubs, restaurants, cafes and hotels will be the first to feel the combined hit of increased input costs and reduced spending. The government should be looking closely at how it can reduce the cost of doing business for demand-sensitive sectors like hospitality, which are uniquely exposed to these kinds of economic shocks.” Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, added: “This is why we are calling on the government to cut VAT, reduce beer duty and bring forward a permanent reform to business rates to ensure pubs remain at the heart of communities and make sure the price of a pint is affordable to all.”

 

McDonald’s UK CEO – ‘we will likely see some prices go up but in a small, disciplined way’, drawn a line under allegations of abuse: Lauren Shultz, chief executive of McDonald’s UK, has said that a “slight price increase” is expected due to cost pressures linked to the Iran war. She did not say how big it would be or which items would be affected but added that prices for the Meal Deal and Saver ranges would stay as they are. Shultz told The Mirror: “Like any business, we have to measure cost pressures with where prices need to go.” She stated the brand would continue to offer value in comparison with other operators. Shultz said there is a “predicted slight price increase” and that the business is “in deliberations” over the timing of any move. Speaking later on BBC Radio 4, Shultz said: “We have been operating in a volatile, inflationary industry for years now. We are watching where inflation goes. We have long standing, strong relationships with our suppliers, who have given us a lot of cost certainty. We will likely see some prices go up but in a small, disciplined way. It is where customers are willing to pay a little bit more.” Scultz also said the company has “drawn a line” under abuse allegations, which first surfaced in 2023 when a BBC investigation heard from more than 100 McDonald’s workers in the UK, claiming they faced a toxic culture of sexual assault, harassment, racism and bullying. Last year, staff said they still faced sexual abuse and harassment. She told the BBC what had happened in recent years was “unacceptable” but said “we have drawn a line under it”. Schulz, who replaced Alistair Macrow as chief executive of McDonald’s UK&I in September, said “a ton of work” had taken place to improve things since then. She said: “A safe and respectful workplace is a non-negotiable in our restaurants. We have zero tolerance for this behaviour, and we have strong accountability measures in place.”

 

The Hippodrome Casino chairman – ‘it’s time London had a casino quarter’: Simon Thomas, executive chairman and majority shareholder of The Hippodrome Casino, the leisure casino complex he created above Leicester Square tube station, has argued it is time London had a “casino quarter” to “strengthen the West End’s global offer”. He said: “Leicester Square has always had its fair share of spotlights, mostly trained on the stars making their way up the red carpets at film premieres. But over the past 14 years, those lights have started to pick up something else – the Hippodrome Casino. Not surprising, as we’ve attracted a huge amount of worldwide publicity for what we’ve built here. Now, with serious investment and ambition from other casinos in the area – the Empire, Horizon, Rialto and the imminent Trocadero Casino – it’s time this part of Leicester Square was properly recognised and given the official nod as London’s Casino Quarter. What a fantastic new marketing handle that would be for this part of the West End. Within a very tight footprint, you have a group of venues that are actively redefining what a modern casino can be – large, professionally run operations, significant employers, open late, heavily regulated and used to managing high volumes of customers safely, every single night. We all bring footfall into the West End, extend dwell time and attract international visitors who might otherwise not come into Central London at all. So, the question for London’s decision-makers is a simple one – if this is already happening, why not recognise it properly and build on it? Designate it. Support it. Market it. Recognising a casino quarter wouldn’t be a favour to operators. It would simply be acknowledging reality – and using it to strengthen the West End’s global offer. Other cities would do that without hesitation. London should too.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a high-growth food business that is looking for a head of sales. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The position will be responsible for leading the commercial strategy across the quick service restaurant (QSR) and foodservice channels. This role requires a commercially driven leader with strong experience selling into QSR brands, foodservice distributors or national restaurant groups.” The salary is up to £120,000. For more information, email mikey@corecruitment.com.

 

Better burger business aiming for 30 UK sites by end of 2026, licensing underway in three international markets: Better burger business You Want Beef? is aiming for 30 UK sites by the end of 2026, with licensing underway in three international markets, Propel has learned. You Want Beef? was founded by Obaid Khalik just after the covid pandemic and initially operated in a food trailer in an industrial area in Bedfordshire, before opening its first store in 2021, in Luton. The business now has 13 locations – adding sites in Aylesbury, Birmingham (four), Northampton, Cardiff, High Wycombe, Stoke-on-Trent, Milton Keynes, Burton-on-Trent, Huddersfield, Derby, Sheffield, Dunstable, Ilford and Birmingham. The list of locations “coming soon” includes Bedford, Blackburn, Chesterfield, Cheltenham, Coventry, Crawley, Gillingham, Hemel Hempstead, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford, Stevenage and Watford. According to local press reports, the business is set to open in a former Kaspa’s unit in Maid Marian Way, Nottingham, and in Longmoor Lane in Fazakerley, Liverpool. You Want Beef? has applied to open a 26-seater restaurant in a former BMX unit at 54-56 Nantwich Road in Crewe. You Want Beef? exhibited at the International Franchise Show at London’s ExCel Centre last weekend, and a brochure laid out an “aggressive expansion plan”. It said: “30 locations by the end of 2026; rapidly growing footprint across the UK and beyond. Global ambitions: master franchise and licensing underway in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Turkey, with more markets to come. We have already sold the master franchise in Istanbul, Bangladesh and Gambia and have sold individual licenses in Pakistan.”

 

Domino’s opens café concept in India: Domino’s has marked its entry into the cafe and beverage segment, with the opening of the first-ever Cafe Domino’s in India. Operated in India by Jubilant FoodWorks, the first-ever Cafe Domino’s has opened at the Advant Business Park, Noida. The cafe concept will serve 100% Arabica coffee, with a coffee starting at INR49 (39p) for a cappuccino to INR79 (62p) for an iced coffee. Archit Goel Sr, category lead – marketing and innovations at Domino’s India, said: “This isn’t just a store/category launch. It’s the beginning of a new chapter for Domino’s in India – one where we aim to democratize coffee and create an elevated, everyday café experience for our customers.” Jubilant FoodWorks currently operates circa 2,455 Domino’s sites across India.

 

North of England operator Shiko Group gearing up for national expansion, London a priority target: North of England operator Shiko Group is gearing up for national expansion and told Propel that London a priority target. The group, which operates eight venues and is an operating partner of Universal Hospitality, has appointed Fleurets to support its next phase of growth from 2027. Led by Anthony Ellis, Shiko Group operates a portfolio of bespoke venues across Manchester, including The Lawn Club, Courts Club and the Canary Bar, and in Leeds with Fearns and The Canary, Through its partnership with Universal Hospitality, the hospitality arm of Allied London, Shiko Group specialises in delivering both permanent destinations and “agile, meanwhile concepts, combining operational expertise with real estate to unlock value across prime urban locations”. Ellis told Propel: “London is a priority target for us, where we would look to take on a new flagship. Away from London, with our head office and core trade in Manchester we will be targeting and prioritising sites with proximity to the north east, though nothing is off the cards if the space is right. We are not looking to take on every major town and city in the UK or look at any sort of rapid expansion. We would rather a small portfolio of high performing, high margin sites that are genuinely unique. The sites we are seeking, to deliver our style of hospitality will be few and far between and I'd suggest there will be a finite number of city centre locations we would be able to operate in.” Ellis said the business would consider an international launch “in time” but the priority is concentrating on moving out of the north. In terms of trading this year, Ellis said: “Trading has been very positive, which is why we are expanding during what is clearly a difficult time for hospitality. All but one of our venues has seen double digit growth year on year so far. One is up more than 80% on last year.”

 

Turkish matcha bar concept secures UK debut site: Poco, Turkey’s first matcha bar concept, is to make its debut in the UK, with an opening in the City of London. The business, which was founded in 2020 by Enes Coşkun, has secured the ex-Laduree site at the Royal Exchange for an opening next month. Poco is understood to be seeking further opportunities across prime Central London locations. The business currently operates five sites in Istanbul, including its original site in Bağdat Street. Poco also has sites in Izmir and Bodrum in Turkey. Coskun, who started his business life as a shoemaker and marketer during his high school and university years, also previously ran a raw meatball shop. After graduating from college, he settled in New York to study management and was introduced to matcha there.

 

Parent company of Spaghetti House set for restructure: Lavval Restaurants, the parent company of London restaurant group Spaghetti House, is set for a restructure after filing a notice of intention to appoint administrators, Propel has learned. The company, which operates five sites across the capital, is understood to be working with advisors at Begbies Traynor. It currently operates sites in Argyll Street (near Oxford Circus), Kensington High Street, Cranbourn Street (WC2), Marble Arch,and Carnaby Street, which all continue to trade. It previously operated sites in Duke Street, Mayfair, which is now 74 Duke, and Westfield London, which is now a Dave’s Hot Chicken. At the end of last year, it closed its site on the corner of Goodge Street and Whitfield Street, Fitzrovia, after 70 years. The company said: “In 1955, our grandfather Simone Lavarini opened this restaurant with a simple dream: to welcome people in, feed them well, and make them feel at home. Goodge Street wasn’t just a restaurant; it’s been the heartbeat of our family’s legacy. A place where generations gathered, stories were shared, and lifelong memories were made. From first dates to family gatherings, you brought this space to life. Though Goodge Street has closed, we proudly run five more Spaghetti Houses and remain the oldest family run Italian in London. From our family to yours, grazie.”

 

Coppa Collective adds site in London’s Marylebone to estate, Nick Francis steps down as commercial director: Coppa Collective, formerly Various Eateries, has converted its site in London’s Marylebone to its Coppa Club format. The Mark Loughborough-led business has converted its neighbourhood restaurant, 31 Below in Marylebone High Street, to a smaller format version of Coppa Club. The business now operates 14 sites under Coppa Club, alongside its four-strong pasta restaurant concept Noci. The group also operates two other London sites – Italian restaurant and bar Tavolino in Tower Bridge, and Italian restaurant Strada in Southbank – both of which are expected to be converted to one of the company’s other formats in time. Last week, the company completed the acquisition of a fourth premium pub with rooms from Grosvenor Pubs – The Wellington Arms in Hampshire. A deal for a fifth pub remains ongoing. It comes as Propel understands that Nick Francis has stepped down as Coppa Collective’s commercial director after more than two years with the business. Francis, formerly head of purchasing at Novus Leisure and PizzaExpress, joined Various Eateries in May 2024 as head of procurement before becoming commercial director last October. 

 

Ottolenghi to make Scottish debut with Edinburgh opening: London restaurant and deli operator Ottolenghi is to open its first site in Scotland, in Edinburgh, this autumn. The company, which operates seven sites in London under its eponymous brand and one in Bicester Village, will open on the former Ragu Pasta site in Edinburgh’s George Street. The new site will be overseen by Scottish-born executive head chef Neil John Campbell, who has been with the group for the best part of a decade. Yotam Ottolenghi, chef and founder of Ottolenghi, said: “We’ve been dreaming about opening in Edinburgh for years, at last the time is right. The city has a brilliant dining culture and access to incredible local produce – fish, seafood, and beautiful vegetables from across Scotland. Neil, our executive chef, is from here, so it’s made the whole thing feel special from the very beginning.” The company said further details regarding the menu, design, and opening date will be announced later this year. The business, which also operates the Nopi and Rovi restaurants in London, made its international debut last year, in Geneva, and recently opened a site in Amsterdam.

 

Sides closes two sites after strategic review, four openings lined up: Sides, the food business from YouTube collective Sidemen, has closed its sites in the West Midlands and Kent after a strategic review of its operations, as it lines up four new openings before the end of the year. The closures in Merry Hill and Bluewater leave the business with three sites in the UK – in Lakeside in Essex, Manchester and London’s Wembley. The closure follows the exit of the company’s master franchisee in the UK as the business moves to a more traditional franchise model. A spokesman for Sides said: “Over the past several months, Sides has undertaken a strategic review of its operations to ensure the business is set up for long‑term success and sustainable growth. Decisions like this are never taken lightly, but it allows us to focus our time, energy and investment where they can make the greatest impact as the brand continues to grow. Our priority continues to be building Sides as the best‑tasting and largest UK hot‑chicken brand, both in the UK and internationally, driven by uncompromising quality, bold flavour and an authentic dining experience.” In January, Sides revealed it was aiming to open 15 new restaurants globally in 2026, including Scottish and Welsh debuts in the UK, plus further international growth to add to its two sites in Singapore. Sides will next open in Liverpool ONE, followed by openings in Livingston and Edinburgh, and then in Cardiff, before the end of the year.

 

SpudBros Express launches breakfast menu, set to expand its travel hub estate: Gourmet jacket potato business SpudBros Express has launched a breakfast menu and is set to expand its travel location estate. The family-run business started out as a potato cart in Preston’s Flag Market in 1950s before being taken over and rebranded by Jacob and Harley Nelson, relaunching as SpudBrosExpress and offering a franchise programme. SpudBros Express currently has sites in London, Liverpool, Sheffield, Blackburn, Wakefield, Portsmouth and Preston. Morgan Hunt, the company’s marketing and brand executive, said: “Today we launched our breakfast offering in SpudBros Express, starting in Blackburn and Wakefield inside the EG On The Move sites. Another milestone for the brand, and a step forward as we continue to evolve the menu. Introducing hash browns opens the door to a lot more potato-led ideas. A big part of making this happen is our partnership with Taster, who run the operations across SpudBros Express. It’s been great working closely together to bring ideas like this to life and keep pushing the brand forward. The new breakfast line-up – The Classic Brekkie, The Veggie Brekkie and The Egg & Bacon Brekkie – is available on either a spud or our new hash browns, all with a coffee for £6.50. We’re all really proud of this one and all the team behind it. Plenty more to come from SBX.” Franchise consultant Matteo Frigeri, of Seeds Consulting, added: “SpudBros Express now covering all day parts, our travel estate is going to grow nicely this year (watch this space).”

 

Beckford Group to open first village hotel in June: South west operator Beckford Group – run by co-founders Dan Brod, Charlie Luxton and Matt Greenlees – has confirmed Teffont House, its first village hotel, will open in June. The venue, set in Wiltshire’s Nadder Valley, will open on Monday, 15 June. Over the past year, the house has been restored and extended by the group and will reopen as a village hotel. It will have 17 bedrooms, set within the upstairs of the main house, as well as the neighbouring coach house and cottage within the grounds. A walled garden will host the Chicken Shed, an outdoor drinks and pop-up dining space with an area for badminton and a newly installed croquet court, and the Tack Room, an additional private dining space in the old stable yard. There will also be a wellness offering, including a Bramley treatment cabin, outdoor shower, cold plunge tub and a sauna. Within the house itself, there will be a sitting room, a bar and a newly extended orangery for 40 guests, with a further 40 seats on the outside terrace. A menu “using the very best locally sourced ingredients” will include dishes such as gentleman’s relish with soldiers; oyster mushroom tart with Osmington cream and chives; and hogget chop with sticky belly, pea, cavolo nero and mint. The wine list will draw inspiration from the group’s Bath-based Beckford Bottle Shop, with plans to create a bespoke Beckford Bordeaux selection. In February, the group acquired and reopened the Bradley Hare pub with rooms in Maiden Bradley, Wiltshire. This, and two forthcoming openings, will bring the group’s portfolio to nine sites. As previously reported, the group will open Corsham House, a British brasserie with 14 bedrooms, in July, followed by The King’s Arms, in Monkton Farleigh, in September.

 

Rosslyn Coffee to open ninth site: Award-winning coffee business Rosslyn Coffee will open its ninth site in Central London next week. The concept, which was founded by former Caravan head of wholesale James Hennebry and Mat Russell, will open on the ex-Nespresso unit attached to Liverpool Street station Underground entrance. Propel understands Rosslyn Coffee is also close to securing a tenth site, in the Square Mile. In December, Rosslyn Coffee opened its latest site at 2-9 Ludgate Hill, on a former M&S Food to Go site. Hennebry told Propel: “Rosslyn has compounded the City of London as one of the world's foremost centres for high volume specialty coffee! Nowhere is doing the volume of coffee to the standard that Rosslyn is right now and it’s something we are very proud to contribute to the people passing through the Square Mile.”

 

Camm & Hooper owner partners with Smart Group for catering joint venture: Broadwick Group, the music, arts and space management company that owns events and hospitality group Camm & Hooper, has partnered with Smart Group, a collection of hospitality, catering and event management businesses, for a catering joint venture. The new business will operate as the exclusive food and beverage partner across the 24-strong Broadwick's London portfolio. These include 26 Leake Street, Banking Hall, Broadwick Studio, Control Room A, Drumsheds, Exhibition White City, Landing Canary Wharf, Landing Forty Two, Magazine London, OXO2, The Pelligon and Troxy – “delivering a single, integrated approach across the full portfolio”. The joint venture builds on a relationship between the two businesses stretching back to 2016, and the new standalone business will have its own team and identity and operate independently of Smart Group’s existing brands, Moving Venue and Last Supper. Broadwick chief executive Simon Tracey said: “By building a dedicated studio with Smart Group, we’re able to design hospitality into the fabric of each venue, not layer it on afterwards.” Smart Group chief executive Greg Lawson added: “Nearly a decade working with Broadwick has shown what's possible when two teams share the same ambition for live experiences, and a dedicated studio is the right structure to take that further.” Broadwick's portfolio hosts more than 2,500 events annually and generates revenues in excess of £100m, while Smart Group delivers over 1,000 events each year, with annual revenues in excess of £57m.

 

Boutique hotel business Dakota lines up second Edinburgh site: Boutique hotel business Dakota is lining up a second site in Edinburgh. Plans have been submitted to the city council for a 143-bedroom hotel at 108-114 and 116 Dundas Street. The site is currently occupied by two adjoining office buildings – Centrum House and Bupa House – both seven storeys in height and dating to the 1980s. The proposed development includes the construction of a seven-storey hotel with a restaurant and bar on level two that would also be open to the public. Dakota was founded by veteran Scottish hotelier Ken McCulloch, who originally founded the Malmaison hotel brand in 1994. Dakota began with two boutique hotels – on the outskirts of Edinburgh at South Queensferry, and in Eurocentral near Glasgow – and has since expanded into Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle, with further openings planned. 

 

London-based international hotel and spa operator falls to loss: London-based international hotel and spa operator Shanti Hospitality, which manages a portfolio of properties across the globe including the UK, reported a pre-tax loss of £378,688 for the year ending 31 March 2025, compared with a profit of £3,238,801 the year before, as administrative expenses climbed by circa £3.5m. The group, which also operates venues in the US, India, Mauritius and Switzerland, saw turnover fall 20% to £19,632,745 compared with £24,583,345 the previous year. Gross profit stood at 46% of total revenue (2024: 45%). The company said the drop in turnover was due to one of the subsidiary companies ceasing to be part of the group during the year. Of the turnover, a total of £1,696,215 came from its UK operations (2024: £1,587,534), which consists of the Edinburgh boutique hotel, Nira Caledonia. Group EBITDA was £0.8m (2024: £2.8m), while the UK business delivered adjusted EBITDA of £418,000 (2023: £293,000). The group’s net current liabilities for the year were £151.4m (2024: £139.8m), which includes a shareholder’s loan of £144.9m (2024: £150.5m). Cash at bank and in hand decreased to £6.2m from £9.7m. No dividends were paid (2024: nil).

 

Allpress UK MD – café sites ‘trading well’, ‘wholesale business seeing exciting growth in Scotland and south west of England’: Agnes Potter, UK managing director of specialty coffee roasters Allpress Espresso, has told Propel its café sites here are “trading well” in 2026 while its wholesale business is seeing “exciting growth” in Scotland and the south west of England. Allpress, which was acquired by Asahi in 2021, will open a new Central London site, in Farringdon, next month. The new espresso bar will launch on Monday, 4 May at 88-89 Cowcross Street, joining its three others in the capital plus a cafe and barista training hub in Manchester. First launched in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1989 before opening its first UK store in London in 2010, Allpress roasts for circa 400 independent cafes across the UK. Potter told Propel: “For us, the start to 2026 has been positive, with our own cafés trading well and continued growth across our wholesale business, with a number of partners growing and opening new sites. Consumers continue to value quality, consistency, great service and businesses that are genuinely values led.” Potter said Farringdon would be its only UK café opening in 2026. She added: “When it comes to new regions, our approach is led by where our wholesale customers are growing. We’re seeing exciting growth in Scotland and the south west of the UK. Our own spaces are important because they help us stay close to the day-to-day realities of running hospitality venues and make sure we keep improving the support and advice we offer. Our Farringdon site brings together lots of learnings from our existing cafés, and we expect it to give us even more ideas we can share across the business. We take a thoughtful approach to growth, so any future openings will be about opening the right sites in the right communities.”

 

Italian steak brand founder to return to his hometown for Genoa opening: Roberto Costa, founder of Italian steak brand Macellaio RC, which has three sites in London, is to return to his hometown to open a restaurant in Genoa, Italy. Costa will return to Genoa after a 14-year absence to open his latest restaurant on Thursday, 11 June. The new opening is located just 500 metres from where the concept was first created in 2003, bringing the brand full circle. Set within the 13th century Palazzo Branca Doria, the new location will offer “a dining experience steeped in culture and heritage”. Guests will dine beneath Bernardo Strozzi’s Renaissance fresco The Triumph of David, while surrounded by walls that once inspired a tercet of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Executive chef Edoardo Ferrera will oversee the kitchen operations not only in Genoa, but also across Macellaio RC’s London restaurants and future global openings. The Genoa menu will evolve with the seasons, showcasing premium Italian produce alongside an exclusive selection of beef sourced by England’s Lake District farmers. In 2023, Costa also opened seafood concept Fish Game in London’s Canary Wharf, but it closed a year later.

 

Yorkshire tearoom and brunch bar concept to begin roll out: Brew, the West Yorkshire tearoom and brunch bar concept, is to begin its roll out with an opening in Leeds city centre. The business, which was founded in Batley by Mohamed Bala in 2019, will open a second site this summer, in The Headrow, in Leeds, with a third site lined up for the summer of 2027. The business said: “We’ll be opening a new location in Leeds city centre, in The Headrow at the Jubilee Hotel site. We’re aiming to open this summer. This marks an exciting new chapter for us, with a refreshed look, a new menu, and a full rebrand – including our Batley branch, which will be getting its transformation early next year. Keep an eye on our page for behind-the-scenes updates, sneak peeks, and more exciting news, including location three, coming summer 2027. Big things are coming.”

 

Owner of London’s Begging Bowl behind new East Dulwich pub venture: The owner of Thai restaurant Begging Bowl in Peckham, south east London, is behind a new pub venture in nearby East Dulwich. Jamie Young has partnered with a group of regulars from the former Franklin’s restaurant at 157 Lordship Lane to relaunch it as The Victory – the name of the original pub there – opening in late May. It comes after Franklin’s owner Rod Franklin announced his retirement after 26 years of running the venue. Joining Young in the venture is his partner Rema Waterhouse, Harriet and James Scott, Sinead McKeefry and Andrew Blanchfield, reports Hot Dinners. Young and Waterhouse previously ran The Palmerston pub in the same road.

 

New food market set to open in 2028 in City of London: The Annexe buildings in West Smithfield are set to undergo a major regeneration project and transformed into a new food market and boutique hotel, The City of London Corporation has announced. Located on the south-west side of Smithfield Market near Farringdon and the new London Museum, the project will be split into two parts. Planned to launch in early 2028, the new food market will feature independent vendors, outdoor installations and a selection of programmes. By 2030, a new boutique lifestyle hotel, ground-floor retail, food and beverage and a small park will replace a disused service area. The new food market will feature a curated mix of established and start-up chefs “who represent the best of independent London and showcase the diversity of cuisine, culture and history across the City”.