Exclusive – cult burger business Meatliquor assesses options: The parent company of Meatliquor, the cult burger business, has hired advisors as it assesses its options, which could include a sale of the six-strong brand and sister sports bar Bloodsports. The business, which was founded by Scott Collins and Yianni Papoutsis, evolved from a popular London street food truck called ‘the Meatwagon’ in 2009 into its first permanent restaurant in Marylebone in November 2011. It is understood to be working with BPI Asset Advisory on its options. Propel understands that offers for the business were sought by midday last Friday (20 March). Meatliquor currently trades from five locations in London – Oxford Circus, East Dulwich, Islington, Northcote Road and The Dartmouth Arms in Forest Hill, and one site in Brighton’s York Place. The company has most recently closed sites in Leeds and Shoreditch. On the closure of the Leeds site last September, the business said: “After 11 years, almost to the day since we opened, we’ve called last orders here in Leeds. Cost of living up. Cost of beef up. Cost of everything is up. We’ve poured everything we had into making it work and stay open as long as we can, but sadly, continuing has become unsustainable. Leeds – thank you, you’ve been amazing.” Last February, Collins opened new sports bar concept, Bloodsports, in London’s Covent Garden. Parent company Meatailer returned to profit in the year to 30 June 2024. The company turned a pre-tax loss of £65,000 in 2023 into a profit of £118,000. Meatailer’s turnover of £15,247,000 for the year was up from £13,615,000 in 2023.

 

Sponsored message – why WhatsApp groups fail for growing hospitality brands with 15-plus locations: As hospitality brands expand faster than ever – new sites, new teams, new locations – most are hitting a wall: they’re using personal messaging apps for work. The pattern is consistent: WhatsApp is convenient for three to five sites, becomes problematic at ten locations and breaks down completely beyond 15 sites. That’s where Zenzap can help. A spokesperson said: “Area managers end up posting the same update across a dozen group chats with no way to keep the team accountable. There’s no single source of truth. Standard operating procedures exist in different versions across different locations. Every new site starts from scratch. Someone creates the groups, adds who they can remember, and the rest figure it out as they go. Regional managers need visibility into site-level team communication, but drowning in group chats creates noise rather than clarity. For franchise operations, the problem is even worse: there's no way to ensure brand standards are communicated consistently, or that business IP remains under company control rather than scattered across franchisees’ personal devices. Professional work chat apps like Zenzap provide structured team communication, company-wide updates with read receipts and full chat history for new hires.” Learn more here. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

500 attendees registered for new look Propel Multi-Club Conference tomorrow: Tomorrow (Wednesday, 25 March) is the first Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2026 (click here for schedule). A record 500 attendees are expected at the new bigger venue of Park Plaza Victoria London. The event will also see the launch of multiple Parallel Sessions where attendees can deep-dive into particular subjects (click here for Parallel Sessions). Lastly, Airship is sponsoring a post-conference drink at Brother Marcus in Victoria, where Propel chief operating officer – editorial, Mark Wingett, will conduct an interview on site with Brother Marcus co-founder Tas Gaitonos. Propel managing director Paul Charity said: “Our Multi-Club Conferences are the best-attended conference series in the sector. This year, alongside a bigger venue, we are showcasing even more content. These events are a great opportunity for operators to learn, network with peers and meet key suppliers.”

 

Propel founder Paul Charity – ‘TSG’s guaranteed compounding rate of return of 18% in BrewDog was absurd’: Propel founder Paul Charity has said TSG’s guaranteed compounding rate of return of 18% in BrewDog was “absurd”. Propel reported on Saturday (21 March) that BrewDog will leave secured and unsecured creditors with circa £485m in unpaid debt after being acquired out of administration by US firm Tilray Brands for £33m. In a Premium Opinion Special, Charity gave his views on what went wrong at BrewDog. He said: “The reality came home to roost in 2017 when Watt and his co-founder Martin Dickie accepted £50m each from TSG when it acquired its stake in BrewDog. The founders had cashed out. They had sold BrewDog’s future for an enormous lump sum. It didn’t really matter what happened to their company from that point because they had made their fortunes. TSG were granted a guaranteed compounding rate of return, 18%, that looked absurd then – and looks absurd now. The returns being promised look fantastic – they were, in fact, fantastical. This was a beer company in a hugely crowded and small market – not a technology company with the prospect of global dominance. Margins in beer remain small – products can easily be swapped out for other products without anyone giving more than a small shrug. The world’s best investor, Berkshire Hathaway, led by Warren Buffet, has achieved an average return for its investors of 19.8%. This should put the TSG returns into some sort of context.” Charity’s Premium Club Opinion Special was sent yesterday (Monday, 23 March) to Premium Club subscribers. 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.

Exclusive – Tipjar secures £4.5m funding boost: Cashless tipping platform Tipjar has secured £4.5m in new investment. The round, led by YFM Equity Partners and advised by Mountside Ventures, will enable Tipjar to expand its team, invest further in its people and accelerate product development. In this next phase of growth, the team will also explore expansion into new markets. Tipjar currently supports more than 5,000 hospitality sites across the UK and processes in excess of £130m in tips annually, supporting more than 75,000 sector workers. During a normal trading day, it processes around 1,000 tips per minute, providing faster payouts and real-time visibility. The latest funding round brings investment in Tipjar, which was founded in 2019, to £11.3m to date. Tipjar chief executive Ben Thomas said: “Over the past seven years, we’ve grown rapidly and established ourselves as the market leader in this space – so much so that no other tipping-focused platform has attracted this level of financial backing. This investment will accelerate our next stage of growth. We’re looking forward to working with YFM to support even more operators and employees.” Kit Maclaren, investment director at YFM, added: “Tipjar has established itself as the clear market leader in a fast-growing and increasingly regulated area of hospitality operations. The team has built a highly scalable platform with strong customer adoption and a compelling value proposition for both operators and staff.”

 

London overtakes Paris as most liquid single asset hotel market in Europe: London overtook Paris as the most liquid single asset hotel market in Europe in 2025 as the UK retained its position as the most active investment market, according to the latest HVS European Hotel Transactions Report from global hotel consultancy HVS London and its hotel brokerage arm, HVS Hodges Ward Elliott. The European hotel investment market saw another year of strong performance in 2025, with total transaction volume reaching €22.6bn, a rise of 30% on the previous year. This is the third highest transaction level recorded, with some 461 deals involving 725 hotels and more than 107,000 rooms, making 2025 the best performing year since the peak year of 2019. Hotels transacted for an average price of €31.1m, up 7% on the previous year, while the average price per room was €210,000, a fall of 2% over 2024 levels. Private equity activity dropped by 39% on the previous year, leaving owner-operators (€3.3bn) and real estate investment companies (€1.7bn) the dominant forces in the transaction market. The UK accounted for 25% of total European volume, ahead of France and Spain. Single asset transactions made up nearly 70% of total transactions, totalling 411 hotels and reaching a record high volume of €15.6bn. The three most liquid European single asset markets in 2025 were the UK (€3.4bn), France (€3.0bn) and Spain (€2.1bn). In terms of cities, London overtook Paris as the most liquid single asset market, with a total volume of €1.8bn, up 78% on the previous year. Portfolio volume remained steady in 2025, recording a 3% increase to €7.0bn. The UK, which had previously dominated the portfolio landscape due to several key deals in 2024, saw volumes fall by €2.2bn. London recorded the highest volume of portfolio deals, at €487m, although this represented only a quarter of 2024's recorded volume. 

 

Cheshire operator – ‘it’s not enough now to just open doors like it was ten-15 years ago’: Cheshire operator Woody Barlow has said it’s “not enough now to just open doors like it was ten-15 years ago”. Barlow operates The Swan in Tarporley and The Lion at Maplas under his Bear Pubs banner – alongside Bradwall Bakehouse and The Breadhouse café in Bradwall with wife Fiona. “In hospitality nowadays, it’s not good enough just to open doors,” he told Insider Media. “Going back ten, 15 years ago, you could do that and still have a successful business. But today you must work so much harder for every pound. Whether it's by getting the footfall across the door or by increasing how much people spend when they’re in businesses, you can’t just open the door and expect them to come in.” While cost pressures remain, Barlow said he is alert to opportunities to expand his £3.5m-turnover Bear Inns business. “The market is challenging at the moment,” he said. “The base cost structure of a hospitality business is so different to ten or 15 years ago. While our growth and turnover have been encouraging, it’s struggling to keep pace with the costs that are being thrown at us left, right and centre. Does that mean we are looking to grow? If the right opportunity comes along, yes. Are we spending an awful lot of time out there looking for that opportunity, no.” He also said the government fails to understand the importance that pubs have on the social fabric of communities. He added: “The first job for the 17-year-old, the single person who lives on their own who comes in for a pint every day to chat to people, the three million people who work in hospitality – the government is in danger of making a very big mess of it.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a London luxury hospitality and leisure business that is searching for a managing director, with a potential pathway to chief executive. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “This role will offer full operational ownership, working closely with the founder and creative director. Applicants must come from a luxury hospitality background, ideally high-end hospitality and/or premium leisure.” The salary is up to £220,000. For more information, email stuart@corecruitment.com.

 

Ex-Fulham Shore chairman David Page not among bidders for Franco Manca owner: David Page, ex-chief executive of PizzaExpress and former chairman of Fulham Shore, has ruled himself out of the bidding for the Franco Manca and The Real Greek owner. Page, who is currently chair of Wildwood operator Bow Street Group, has been linked to the bidding process for Fulham Shore, which was taken private by Toridoll, in partnership with Capdesia, in spring 2023, in a deal that valued the business at circa £93.4m. Indicative offers for Fulham Shore, which operates the circa 70 strong Franco Manca and 28-strong The Real Greek restaurant brands, were due in at midday yesterday (Monday, 23 March). Propel revealed last month that Fulham Shore had appointed advisors to review its strategic options to ensure both brands are “on the strongest possible footing to realise their long-term potential”. The company 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. 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, are understood to have been among the parties running the rule over the business.

 

The Salad Project co-founder – ‘ambition is to replicate London successes in Paris’, hires country manager: Florian de Chezelles, co-founder of The Salad Project, has said the ambition is to replicate the brand’s “London successes in Paris” and open 15-20 restaurants over the next three to four years. Propel reported earlier this year that The Salad Project, which launched in London in 2021, is to make its international debut later this year, in France. The business, which was founded by De Chezelles and James Dare and currently operates 12 sites across London, will open at 107 Rue Réaumur, 75002 Paris this spring/summer. The business has hired Kilian Davy, formerly a general manager at Big Mamma Group, as its country manager for France. De Chezelles said: “It’s been eight weeks since I’ve moved to Paris to launch The Salad Project. The ambition is clear: replicate the London successes in Paris, open 15-20 restaurants over the next three to four years. I’m not alone: Kilian Davy from Big Mamma Group is taking the lead as country manager. The tough question I’ve had to answer is what am I here for? Where exactly is my value? I’ve narrowed it down to eight key and crystal-clear points. They include nailing our two key KPIs, labour and food costs, as well as nurturing, adapting and localising The Salad Project brand. Paris is not London, what do we need to change/re-invent? And supporting and setting-up Kilian for success. Giving him the keys!” In January, Propel revealed The Salad Project had secured £9m of new investment to aid its next stage of growth, including international expansion – with Active Partners, the Honest Burgers backer, taking a stake minority stake in the business. As part of the £9m raise, 11-string business also received further backing from its existing investor base, including Nick Jones, founder and ex-chief executive of Soho House, and Will Shu, co-founder and ex-chief executive of Deliveroo.

 

Market Halls secures £11m of new funding to support next phase of growth: Market Halls, the UK’s leading food hall operator, has secured £11m in funding from OakNorth to support the next phase of its national growth strategy, including the acquisition of additional venues across the UK. It follows Market Halls’ recent investment and refurbishment of Shelter Hall in Brighton, reinforcing its strategy to grow beyond London and “champion locally rooted food hall destinations”. Founded in 2017 by Andy Lewis Pratt, Market Halls operates four London sites – Victoria, Paddington, Oxford Street and Canary Wharf – and Shelter Hall. The recent support from OakNorth joins the existing financial backing from Gees Court Partners, Harwood Capital and Bridgepoint. Market Halls said as it accelerates its national growth strategy, a key pillar of its expansion model is the ability to “acquire and enhance culturally significant venues while preserving their individual character”. Market Halls said Shelter Hall provides a recent example of this approach in practice. Acquired by Market Halls last March, the venue underwent a six‑month period of operational observation, allowing the business to “identify targeted opportunities to improve guest experience, extend dwell time and enhance efficiency, without compromising the elements that made the venue distinctive and locally loved”. Recent updates across the wider Market Halls business include the launch of the “Hall Pass” loyalty app, which has had more than 7,000 users since its launch in January 2026, and the introduction of the new “Games Hall” competitive socialising concept at Market Halls Oxford Street. Dan Hills, chief executive of Market Halls, said: “Market Halls is entering a transformational chapter as we expand our model beyond London. Our experience‑led approach enables us to build long‑term value while staying true to the individuality of each location we operate in.”

 

Queensway looks to double Starbucks estate following coffee brand’s new licensee model for UK growth: Queensway, a longstanding Starbucks franchisee, is targeting a significant expansion of its UK estate, with plans to double the numbers of stores over the next five years. The growth strategy follows Starbucks’ recent reshaping of its licensee growth model, bringing “greater transparency and alignment around the development of new locations”. Queensway currently operates more than 30 Starbucks across a mix of drive-thru, drive-to, roadside and high street locations. The business said it is now actively seeking additional sites in partnerships with landlords, agents, and developers as it looks to double its footprint by 2030, with a particular focus on drive-thru opportunities. The growth plans follow Starbucks’ increased focus on working with experienced, well-funded franchise partners as it refines its UK real estate strategy. Queensway said it believes these changes create a “strong platform for accelerated growth with the brand”. Karim Jivraj, group franchise director at Queensway, said the business has a strong pipeline and is well positioned to scale: “With more than 30 successful stores and a proven management team, we are well positioned to scale. Our ambition is to double our estate over the next five years, and we are keen to engage with landlords, agents and developers seeking to work with a strong operating partner and a globally recognised brand.” Propel revealed exclusively last month that Starbucks was reshaping its UK licensing structure after fears it had become too fragmented – dividing its UK operations into seven development territories. Just one of these remains unfilled, with the search underway for a new franchisee. Existing franchisee Magic Bean will hand over 19 of its 46 Starbucks stores to the new development partner before embarking on its own growth plans to reach 100 stores.

 

Bosco Pizzeria MD – Cardiff opening ‘exceeding expectations’, want to grow further in Wales, unlocks new funding: Joe Cook, the managing director of Bosco Pizzeria, the business in which Loungers chief executive Nick Collins is an investor, has said the company’s latest opening, in Cardiff, has “exceeded expectations” and wants to “grow further in Wales in the next year-and-a-half”. The five-strong business, which opened in Bristol in 2014 and operates three further sites in the south west of England, opened its debut site in Wales, in Cardiff’s High Street, last December. The opening was supported by a £350,000 loan from the Investment Fund for Wales, via FW Capital. The loan funded the refit of premises, as well as providing working capital. The loan also unlocked a further seven-figure co-investment from private investors. Cook told Wales 247: “The new restaurant at Cardiff has already exceeded our expectations. That part of the city has an impressive buzz and busy atmosphere, and we’ve been welcomed with open arms. It’s always been our intention to grow as a business, and this loan allowed us to put our stamp on the new site and refit it at scale in line with our business. Thanks to the success of the Cardiff restaurant, we’re now confident in what we can accomplish in Wales and certainly want to grow further in Wales in the next year-and-a-half.”

 

Caribbean concept Jerk Junction to open in Leeds, MD steps down: Caribbean concept Jerk Junction has lined up a fifth site opening for later this spring, in Leeds. The business, which was founded by Jake Shaffi and is on “a mission to make authentic Jamaican food more accessible in the UK”, will open a site in the city’s Trinity Kitchen space at the Trinity scheme. Shaffi said: “Jerk Junction is all about real Caribbean food and culture. Everything we do is rooted in Jamaican tradition, from bold spices and authentic cooking to dishes that bring people together. For us, food is family. From our kitchen to every person who comes to our counter, we want people to feel the warmth, the energy and the spirit of the islands. We can’t wait to bring those authentic flavours and good vibes to Trinity Kitchen.” Last November, the company opened on the former Gourmet Burger Kitchen site in the Liverpool ONE scheme. The company also operates sites in Manchester’s Trafford Centre, Chorlton and Wilmslow. At the same time, Propel understands Mickey McCarthy, formerly head of food partner operations at Blend Family, has stepped down as the brand’s managing director, after 14 months in the role, to lead new business Next Flavour Kitchens.

 

JMK Group secures new £48m loan: Family-owned hospitality business JMK Group has secured a new £48m loan to support its acquisition drive. The new double co-loan, from OakNorth and REL Finance, will support the acquisition of the nine‑storey Peninsular House office building in the City of London, which JMK intends to reposition into a 260‑room hotel, subject to planning approval. The project aligns with JMK’s strategy of transforming well‑located but under-utilised commercial buildings into “modern assets that meet evolving demand from business and leisure travellers”. The capital will also fund ongoing operational initiatives. Originating from a single boutique hotel in Kensington, JMK has steadily expanded into a diversified portfolio of hotels, properties, and cafés across London and Ireland. Zain Kajani, director of JMK, said: “We pride ourselves on being a strong privately-owned company that puts people at the heart of everything we do. We have experienced rapid business growth since our establishment in 2009 and now have an extensive portfolio that is constantly evolving. We are constantly looking towards the future; the acquisition of Peninsular House fits into our overall growth objective of growing in Central London and follows on from our acquisition of Clements Lane, which is currently being developed.”

 

Loungers to open second site in a covered scheme, at Cribbs Causeway: Café bar operator Loungers is to open a new Lounge site in the Cribbs Causeway scheme near Bristol. The Nick Collins-led business has signed a 15-year lease for the 4,600 square-foot former Pizza Hut space in the scheme’s food court to open Picaro Lounge. Alex Kalebic, head of acquisitions at Loungers, said: “We’re excited to be opening Picaro Lounge at Cribbs Mall – a fantastic regional destination right on the doorstep of our Bristol heartland, where we already have eight thriving Loungers. Due to open this summer, Picaro Lounge will be our second location within a covered scheme in the UK.” Last year, the business opened its first Lounge site in a covered scheme – Toledo Lounge in the Merry Hill shopping centre, in the West Midlands. Last week, the business opened its latest site – Bruno Lounge in Poole Quay. Bruno is its 269th Lounge – and 309th overall site – and joins Delfino Lounge as its second Lounge in Poole.

 

Cosmo secures site at Gloucester Quays for Umami concept: Cosmo Restaurant Group has secured a new site for Umami, its modern pan-Asian restaurant concept, at Gloucester Quays. The group has signed for a 7,263 square-foot space that will have 243 covers having agreed a deal with landlord Peel Retail & Leisure. Umami offers an “elevated” world buffet concept, through an all-you-can-eat experience featuring Chinese, Italian, Indian and British dishes, with additional made-to-order menu items including a dedicated teppanyaki chef station. Umami sits under the Cosmo umbrella, with sites in Blackpool and Telford. Last month, the group secured sites for Umami in Peterborough and Middlesbrough, while openings are also lined up for the concept in Colchester and Leicester. Since launching in 2003, Cosmo has grown to operate 23 sites across the UK and Ireland. The operator is working with Savills to secure 8,500 square-foot to 12,000 square-foot leasehold and freehold opportunities across prime retail and leisure locations. Earlier this month, Propel revealed Adam Gregory, formerly of Turtle Bay, Wagamama and Be At One, has stepped down as managing director of the Cosmo Restaurant Group.

 

New padel concept Court de Padel eyes West Midlands: New padel concept Court de Padel is eyeing openings in the West Midlands. Court de Padel launched its flagship first padel club, with eight indoor courts, in Norwich, in November, and is currently fitting out its next site, in Hull. A venue has also been secured in Edinburgh while the company has also been given the go-ahead for its first site in Wales – at Prestatyn Business Centre. Now the company, which was raising funds on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube to support its expansion, has set its sights on the West Midlands with director Alan Forsyth revealing the business is set to view two sites in the region with both looking “very promising”. At the time of launching the fundraise last month, Court de Padel said it was aiming to open 12-15 sites over the next five years. Court de Padel is aiming to “bring padel to many new towns and cities across the UK” with funds raised on Crowdcube supporting court construction and has raised £101,000.

 

Bill’s teams up with Poppy Cooks as part of 25th anniversary celebrations: Bill’s, the Richard Caring-backed restaurant business, has teamed up with Michelin-trained chef turned “internet sensation” Poppy Cooks to launch a limited-edition menu, “celebrating the ultimate comfort ingredient: potatoes”. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the collaboration will be landing in all 49 Bill’s restaurants nationwide from Monday, 13 April until Monday, 8 June. Known to millions online as the “Potato Queen”, Poppy has created three exclusive dishes – Poppy’s Burger, Poppy’s Loaded Tater Tots and Poppy’s Crispy Smash Potato Salad. Cooks said: “Bill’s has been my go-to whenever I’m in town shopping with friends and fancy a quick bite, so working with Bill’s just made perfect sense.” Tom James, managing director at Bill’s, said: “Poppy’s love of potatoes, big flavour and proper comfort food makes her the perfect partner for Bill’s. It’s been an exciting year for Bill’s as we continue to grow the brand across the UK and celebrate a monumental 25 years this year, and it’s collaborations like this that allow us to keep our menu fresh, playful and relevant while staying true to the feel-good dining experience we’re known for.” The company, which recently opened its largest site to date, and its 49th, at Westfield Stratford, will next month open a site on the upper level of Heathrow Terminal 2, partnering with Avolta.

 

Liverpool boutique hotel operator opens sixth site: Liverpool boutique hotel operator Sefton Collection has opened its sixth site. The 26-bedroom property, called 19 Duke Street, has opened in the former home of Lock and Key, at the same address as the new hotel’s name. The opening brings Sefton Collection’s total number of properties in Liverpool to six, with a combined total of 292 bedrooms. The new hotel will create ten local jobs, increasing Sefton Collection's workforce to 160 employees. Chief executive Conor O’Donovan said: “19 Duke Street represents an exciting addition to our growing Liverpool portfolio. We are proud to continue investing in the city’s hospitality sector, creating jobs and enhancing historic buildings to deliver high-quality guest experiences in prime city-centre locations.” Sefton Collection is also behind venues such as Sefton Park Hotel, Ropewalk Hotel, City Studios, Stanley Street Studios.

 

Pettigrew Bakeries to open fifth site: Cardiff operator Pettigrew Bakeries is to open a new headquarters and café for its fifth site in the city. Located at the Design Quarter in Colchester Avenue in Penylan, the 5,500 square-foot space will allow Pettigrew Bakeries to significantly increase capacity, streamline operations and create a new customer-facing bakery café with a theatre-style window into the heart of the bakery. The company also had sites in Victoria Park, Roath Garage, Castle Arcade and Rhiwbina High Street. Founder David Le Masurier said: “We have outgrown every inch of space we own, so this is just the logical next step for us. For ten years, we have relentlessly focused on our craft, putting consistency above everything else and incrementally improving what we do in response to what our customers tell us they love. Growth for us now is a necessity. It solves overly complicated daily operations, but it also gives us the room to be more creative and ambitious about what Pettigrew Bakeries can become. This new space will allow our bakers to spend more time baking, and less time carrying things up and down stairs or in and out of provers.”

 

Cornish hotel operator acquires fourth site: Cornish hotel operator The Cornwall Hotel Collection has acquired its fourth site. The company has added the Atlantic Hotel in Newquay to its portfolio, joining The Falmouth and The Greenbank in Falmouth, and The Alverton in Truro. The Atlantic Hotel has been a feature of Newquay’s landscape since 1892 and has 57 bedrooms, the Silks Bistro & Champagne Bar, an indoor swimming pool and spa. Plans for The Atlantic will centre on a phased restoration programme. Ben Young, managing director of The Cornwall Hotel Collection, said: “We are thrilled to welcome the Atlantic Hotel into the family. Newquay is a place of extraordinary natural beauty – the light, the coastline, the energy of the town – and the Atlantic sits at the very heart of it all. As Cornish hoteliers, we feel a deep responsibility to care for the county’s historic landmarks. These hotels are part of Cornwall’s story. Our aim is always to honour their heritage while securing their future. This is not just about growth; it’s about stewardship. We’re looking forward to becoming part of Newquay’s community and to beginning this next chapter for such an iconic hotel.”

 

Team behind west London restaurant Julie’s to reopen Notting Hill pub: The team behind west London restaurant Julie’s will spearhead the reinvention of long-standing Notting Hill pub, The Prince Edward. Located in Prince’s Square, the historic building has been a neighbourhood landmark since the 19th century but closed in February. The pub will offer “a relaxed destination by day and a convivial space by night”. The project is led by the partners behind Julie’s relaunch: owner Tara MacBain, chef patron Owen Kenworthy and general manager Rupert Walsh. Kenworthy is creating a menu that “honours the spirit of a classic British pub”, with a focus on seasonal British produce, including refined bar snacks, seasonal pies, fish and chips, rotisserie and grill-led dishes and a Sunday roast. The drinks programme will feature independent and heritage breweries, classic cocktails and a concise wine list. MacBain said: “The Prince Edward already has history, character and a loyal local following. Our role is not to reinvent it beyond recognition, but to restore its heart. Julie’s has always been about warmth, personality and a sense of belonging. With The Prince Edward, we are bringing that same spirit to a true neighbourhood pub.” The team will also open Little Julie’s, a café and wine bar in Holland Park, in late spring.

 

Splendid Hospitality Group secures five-site deal with Marriott as it launches designed collection brand in Europe: KFC franchisee Splendid Hospitality Group, which also has a 24-hotel portfolio, has secured a five-site deal with Marriott as it launches its designed collection brand, Series by Marriott, in Europe. Marriott is introducing the brand to 11 properties across the UK and Italy – with the five here to be operated by Splendid, which also operates a handful of Chaiiwala sites. The hotels in question are situated in Earls Court, Euston and Kings Cross in London, “and other prime regional locations”. Both businesses are also in discussions for additional projects under Series by Marriott in the UK. Splendid and Marriott have also previously collaborated to introduce the Four Points Flex by Sheraton brand in the UK in 2023. Splendid executive chairman Nadeem Boghani said: “We are immensely proud to be launching Series by Marriott in the UK, which marks a new chapter in Splendid Hospitality Group’s growth story. This continued collaboration with Marriott reflects our shared belief that great hospitality is about thoughtful design, authentic experiences, and an unwavering focus on the guest.” Neal Jones, president EMEA of Marriott International, added: “We see strong potential to further expand the Series by Marriott brand across the continent, which has been created to bring established, regionally relevant brands and hotels into the Marriott portfolio with industry-leading revenue generation capabilities and affiliation cost structures. Owners will have the ability to maintain their portfolio's independent identity while leveraging the power of our award-winning Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programme.” Splendid, which operates 37 KFC restaurants, last week opened its third Chaiiwala site under a multi-unit development deal with the Indian Street food brand – in Nottingham’s Victoria Centre.

 

Holy Carrot opens second site: Plant-based restaurant Holy Carrot, which is the brainchild of former Vogue producer Irina Linovich, has opened its second site, in London’s Old Spitalfields Market. The concept started as a pop-up in Knightsbridge in May 2021, and this was followed by the launch of a flagship restaurant in Notting Hill’s Portobello Road in 2024, with chef-owner Daniel Watkins at the helm. The new Holy Carrot Bistro has now opened in Spitalfields Market, introducing new vegetarian dishes alongside its established plant-based offering and a new on-site fermentation vault. Known for its use of seasonality, fermentation and grill-led techniques, the restaurant has been working towards a near-zero-waste kitchen, with by-products such as focaccia trims and vegetable peelings transformed into ferments, pickles, miso, soy sauce and garums. Guests can expect fire-grilled filled koji flatbreads and changing pie du jour alongside vegetable-driven plates, while a new pizza oven brings pizzettas to the menu for the first time. The cocktail list has been built around distinct flavour profiles that draw on smoke, spice, heat and fermentation, alongside a wine list focused on small producers and non-alcoholic options.

 

PPHE Hotel Group secures £136.5m funding to repurchase freehold interest of London hotel: PPHE Hotel Group has entered into an agreement with Bank Hapoalim BM to provide the funding for the acquisition of the freehold of its Park Plaza London Waterloo hotel. The £136,450,000 facility for the deal totalling £147.9m, which was announced in March, has an initial two-year term, with the right to extend subject to certain conditions. The facility bears a floating interest rate, of which circa 90% will be hedged. PPHE chief financial officer Daniel Kos said: “Opportunities to acquire marquee London assets like this do not come along often, so we are delighted to have full ownership over the property. Over the term this new debt facility is expected to be earnings accretive, removing a growing future lease liability and reducing our exposure to inflation risk. Importantly, the transaction further simplifies and materially de-risks our balance sheet, building on the progress we have made across a number of recent transactions.” In June 2017, following the group’s development and opening of the 494-room Park Plaza London Waterloo hotel, PPHE entered into an initial sale and leaseback transaction whereby it sold its interest in the hotel for £161.5m and entered into a 199-year lease, subject to an initial annual rent of £5.6m with future annual inflation adjustments. The annual rental obligation currently is £7.3m, rising in line with the retail price index.