Baa Bar introduces ‘science lab’ theme to flagship venues: Baa Bar, the eight-venue Liverpool-based company has spent £800,000 fitting out its flagship outlets in Manchester, Liverpool and Nottingham with a new “science lab” theme. The bars have been given a “laboratory” feel in which customers can “experiment” with drinks. New backbars and booths draw inspiration from old-style school laboratories, with wooden fittings and laboratory glassware. The chain’s chief executive, Elaine Clarke, said: “Baa Bar is a well-known brand which has been trading since 1991. With the changes in the last 23 years in aspects such as social media, digital media and customers’ expectations, we wanted to re-energise the brand to provide a stronger visual ‘story’ enhancing the theatre and excitement around our drinks. The solution was the science of Baa Bar, a concept which evolved from pre-existing internal brand communications.” The changes include new “experimental” shooters and cocktails which, with the aid of ingredients such as dry ice and popping candy, fizz, pop and smoke. Clarke said: “With new branding and language this proposition allowed us appeal to a more varied market whilst maintaining the ‘tongue-in-cheek’ reputation we are well known for. Although well-established in the market we required a fresh approach to move the brand forward for the next ten years.”

UK one of only two big established markets to see restaurant traffic increase in Q2: The UK was one of only two big established international markets to see an increase in restaurant traffic in the second quarter of 2014, according to the NPD Group. Traffic in the UK was up some 0.5%, and average spend 1.4%. Australia saw traffic up around 1% and average spend up 4.1%. Five other big established markets all posted traffic falls. In Germany, traffic fell 2% in the wake of a food safety crisis and excitement around the 2014 World Cup. Restaurant traffic in Italy slid 3% during the quarter, while both traffic and average spend in Spain fell by about 1%. In the United States, restaurant operators saw average spend increase 2.4%, but traffic remained flat compared with the same quarter in 2013.

BII starts search for new chairman: The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has launched its search for a new chairman to oversee the next stage of its strategic development. The high-profile leadership role will support chief executive Tim Hulme in implementing the company’s ambitious plans to drive growth and to re-establish its position as the leading membership and qualification-awarding organisation in the licensed retail sector. The part-time remunerated role is expected to attract a wide range of applicants, and offers the successful candidate the chance to lead a programme of transformational change for the sector’s largest professional body. Hulme said: “First indications suggest that there is a lot of interest around the role.” The commitment of time is expected to be around 2.5 days a month, including attending board and industry associated meetings. Anyone interested is invited to submit their application together with a statement of intent, to Gill Cooper, company secretary, c/o BII, Wessex House, 80 Park Street, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 3PT by Friday 31 October. Successful applicants will be contacted w/c 3 November, with interviews taking place mid-November.

Luke Johnson – a few falsehoods are par for the course in business: Sector investor Luke Johnson has argued that a few falsehoods are par for the course in business. In his Financial Times column, he said: “Lying in business is endemic. Of course, lies are not always told with wicked intent – indeed, most are harmless. But it is a fantasy to assume that everyone is always honest. For example, litigation is a game best played by those who know there are few absolutes when it comes to truth in commerce. Victory is all about the available evidence, advocacy, tactics, financial muscle, balls and perception. If courts dealt only in truth, they would be full of subsequent criminal actions for perjury; instead, judges dismiss liars as ‘unreliable witnesses’ and the system grinds on. We are rightly more forgiving of start-ups than big corporations when it comes to falsehoods. Entrepreneurs know that almost no one makes it in a highly competitive world except using blarney to bootstrap their business. So often confidence is a euphemism for ‘convincing fibber’. Founders frequently pretend they have more clients, backing and expertise than they actually do: without such chutzpah most would never survive.”

Jamie Oliver– I’m burning through millions a year on YouTube: Chef-entrepreneur Jamie Oliver has told the advertising magazine The Drum that he is spending millions a year on his YouTube ventures – FoodTube and DrinksTube – with up to £1m spent “every three or four months”. Oliver said that at the moment the majority of his work with brands on YouTube is on projects with a quick turnaround, but he is hoping to develop more longer-term partnerships to make the channel commercially viable. “What we’re trying to focus on is trying to increase our percentage of three-year deals because, regardless of how wonderful all this [YouTube] sounds, I’m still in deficit. I’m burning more than I’m earning,” he said. Oliver launched FoodTube in January 2013 and DrinksTube a year later in March 2014. The former has just over one million subscribers while the latter has around 64,000. The YouTube channels employ around 45 people.

Figures show record number of distillery openings: A record 26 craft distilleries are expected to open in the UK before the end of the year, more than the combined total of new openings over the past five years. According to the London Craft Distilling Expo, due to be held at the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane, East London next week (7-8 October), the anticipated number of distillery openings by year-end will be more than double that of 2013. So far this year, the UK has seen the launch of the Edinburgh Distillery, Cotswolds Distillery, Bombay Sapphire Distillery, Shetland Distillery Company and Durham Distillery.

James Horler – smoking ban was a positive for the restaurant sector: Industry veteran James Horler, who oversees Red Hot World Buffet and 3Sixty Restaurants, has argued that the smoking ban of 2007 was a boost for the sector. In his Nottingham Post column he wrote: “The smoking ban forced operators to improve their venues, with expanded outdoor areas for smokers during the winter months. Heaters, covered areas and expanded outside seating have become commonplace. The quality of our outdoor furniture and heating systems is such that we have hundreds of people sitting outside on the terrace at Rocket@Saltwater (in Nottingham) in winter. Since the smoking ban came into operation, it has become a necessity. There will always be a mixed opinion on the smoking ban, but I am in the camp that sees it as a good thing. We employ hundreds of staff across our group, and, since the smoking ban was enforced, nobody has been exposed to second-hand smoke. It especially makes a difference in restaurants where guests are eating.”

Third opening for Eataly in the US is confirmed: Chefs Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich will open a Southern California branch of Eataly, the Italian mega-food court, at the Westfield Century City shopping mall in Los Angeles in early 2017. It is the third Eataly in the United States, after New York City and Chicago. It will be roughly the same size as the other two, about 50,000 square feet, but it will also have extensive outdoor and rooftop seating.

Martin Robinson to become new Tragus chairman: Martin Robinson, the current chairman of Center Parcs and non-executive director of Disneyland Europe, is to join Tragus, now controlled by Apollo Global Management, as its new chairman, replacing Charles Garussa. He has also been a non-executive director of Perry’s, senior independent director of Regus and chairman of Holmes Place and Health Club Holdings. His early career was spent at Reckitt & Coleman, Sara Lee Corporation and as a management consultant at McKinsey & Co. Tim Scobie, a former chief executive of Thistle Hotels, is also joining the board after advising Apollo on hotel sector investments.

Brakspear buys Henley Brew House from City Pub Company, will remove brewhouse: Brakspear has bought the Henley Brew House from City Pub Company for £875,000. Brakspear’s chief executive, Tom Davies, said: “We’re pleased to add the Brew House to our stable of successful pubs in our Henley heartland. With the right tenant at the helm, we’re confident the pub will trade well and attract customers into Henley.” The brewery within the brewhouse will be removed to create more space for drinkers and diners, though the pub will retain its focus on quality local beer by selling beers brewed round the corner at the Bell Street brewery, including the popular Brakspear Special. Alex Derrick, chief executive of the City Pub Company West, told the Henley Standard: “We have no immediate plans to find anther pub in Henley but we are always on the lookout for sites to the south west of London.” On Monday, City Pub Company said: “When we first opened this pub it traded very successfully but increased competition in the area meant that the company was not generating the returns on capital which had been anticipated and it was felt best to dispose of this pub and reinvest the capital into future acquisitions.”

Yummy Pub Company opens first coffee shop, starts proper board meetings: Yummy Pub Company has opened its first Gentlemen Baristas coffee site, Union Street Coffee House in Southwark, South London. Yummy co-founder Tim Foster said in his company blog: “Yummy is in the coffee business now time to build another winning business. Its injected a new pace into Yummy too. It’s helped us to focus in on what is actually important in all the ‘noise’ – it’s so easy to get distracted from what is actually going to make a difference, what is actually important to business. We’re tiny in the grand scheme of things. We turnover a good few million quid, growing way ahead of the market and I genuinely think we’ve built something a bit special. But we’ve decided to start acting a little bit bigger. The word ‘board meeting’ has entered our diaries this week. In reality, it’s three chaps around a table chatting about the business, but we are the board and we are in a meeting. So, to get a flavour for our business, we are also having shadow board meetings, asking one Yummy (member of staff) from each site to attend a half-day, give views on their site and opinions of the wider team for us to then act. It’s a dangerous tactic, but one we hope will pay dividends.”

Peach Pub Company wins fourth consecutive best employer award: Peach Pub Company has won a Best Employer in Hospitality Award for the fourth year running. The Oxfordshire-based pub company, which last week celebrated the opening of its 17th pub, the High Field, in Edgbaston, Birmingham, was named Best Medium Group Pubs and Bars Employer at the Caterer.com Best Employers in Hospitality Awards 2014. Peach co-founder Hamish Stoddart said: “It’s massive to win a Best Employer in Hospitality Award and it means a great deal to me and all the team at Peach. When we founded Peach, we genuinely wanted to make it a special place to work and give people a real say in how the business is run and a share of the rewards. So we’ve always worked hard to put our people first and invest in them, with great training and development to help them become the best they can be. We make sure everyone learns what they want to learn and gets the boss they deserve. And that makes it fun almost every single day. That’s so rare in hospitality.”

Canary Wharf ice rink to re-open next month with Q Grill offer: The ice rink at Canada Square Park, Canary Wharf, East London is to reopen next month with a drink and food venue, Q on Ice. The 17-week season will see the attraction run from 1 November and throughout the winter before finishing at the end of February. Q on Ice will offer a barbecue menu and a raw bar, cocktails and craft beer. It will be based on Des McDonald’s Q Grill in Camden and the On the Roof with Q pop-up at Selfridges this summer. It promises “flexible dining, best season produce, locally sourced ingredients and secret seasonings”.

Revolution brand offer customers a free shot for National Vodka Day: New Inventive Bar Company’s Revolution vodka bar brand is marking National Vodka Day 2014 on Saturday (4 October) with a free flavoured shot for every customer at all its 53 bars. The company is celebrating the sale of its two millionth bottle of flavoured vodka, equal to 56 million shots, enough for every adult in the UK. To celebrate this milestone, it is giving every customer a free shot of flavoured vodka at 7pm on National Vodka Day. The company’s head of marketing, Carl Morris, said: “We got where we are thanks to our customers, so we’re inviting everyone to celebrate with us on Saturday. We started in the basement of our first ever bar on Manchester’s Oxford Road, smashing up sweets, crushing fruits and experimenting with spices, tasting and refining along the way to create a selection of classic, unique and specialist shots, fuelled by nothing but our insane love of vodka. We’re known nationwide today for being all about the party, and if we can give away this many free shots to kick off National Vodka Day, what a party that will be.”

Table tennis concept opens in Aberystwyth: A former restaurant has been converted into a table tennis bar in a concept inspired by Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon’s ping-pong bars where you can have a pint and play a game of table tennis. Chris and Sam MacKenzie-Grieve have opened their Wiff Waff bar in the Mid Wales town. It takes its title from one of the first names of the game now known as table tennis. The pair already run the town’s MGs coffee shop. Sarandon, who is best known for her role in Thelma and Louise, is part-owner of a chain of bars called SPiN, which started in New York before spreading to Milwaukee, Toronto and Los Angeles. The bar is themed like an old school, with ropes and a climbing frame in the main room, dubbed the School Hall. The “headmaster’s study” has another competition table and there is a third room, the library, set aside for those preferring to have a cocktail or food.

Grub Club makes strong crowd-funding start: The new food start-up Grub Club, which brings “adventurous” dining experiences to Londoners through an online pop-up network, has made a strong start on the crowd-funding website Crowdcube, raising £60,000 of the minimum of £250,000 it is seeking in return for 15.63% of its equity. Grub Club founders Olivia Sibony and Siddarth Vijayakumar hope to expand internationally. Grub Club has £100,000 pledged by their network of diners ahead of the launch. Revenue in the first year was over £200,000, and is set to double in 2014. In the first 18 months, Grub Club has hosted 1,000 events, with 200 chefs cooking for more than 20,000 diners in 450 venues across London.

Utopia spends £1.2m in revamp of WS1 nightclub in Walsall: Utopia Clubs is spending £1.2m in a revamp of the WS1 nightclub in Walsall that will see it end up with a 3,000 sq ft roof garden and an expanded main room that will enable it to stage events from banqueting to boxing and Las Vegas-style shows. The roof garden, one of the biggest in the UK, will have a VW camper van cocktail bar, while the nightclub will also have a new “speakeasy” cocktail bar for VIP guests and a private hire section which will be in a “secret location” in the main room. Club manager Nick Parkinson, aged 34, said the revamp would create at least 40 jobs for DJs, hosts and hostesses and bar staff. He said: “We are trying to put Walsall nightlife back on the map. We want to be able to stage banqueting events, sporting events and Las Vegas shows, and create jobs helping Walsall’s economy.” The WS1 club first opened in 2002. Utopia, which is run by chief executive Graham Pinches, also wants to change the exterior of the building, with perforated metal sheeting and LED lighting. The company’s operations include the Top of the World banqueting suite in Stafford, while sister company Couture Leisure runs the Couture and Noir et Blanc clubs in Stafford.

Entrepreneur aged 22 launches neighbourhood pizza concept: A 22-year-old entrepreneur, Chris Manessis, has launched a new neighbourhood pizza concept, Bite Me, in Notting Hill, West London. The pizzeria aims to provide fresh, high quality and sustainable food at affordable prices, welcoming customers to eat in, in a 17-seat dining area, or takeaway. Customers can choose unlimited toppings from more than 30 different ingredients, creating customised pizzas according to their own tastes. The pizza dough base is made on site daily and from a flour mixture that contains Khorasan wheat, supposedly easier for gluten allergy sufferers to digest. Manessis describes himself as an “eco-friendly pizza obsessive” with a dream to become an entrepreneur while giving back to the environment.

Pint Shop links with local artisan gelato maker: Pint Shop, the Cambridge-based concept specialising in British meat and beer, has partnered with fellow Cambridge brand Jack’s Gelato to offer its customers fresh ice cream. Richard Holmes, co-owner of Pint Shop, is a fan of Jack’s Gelato and its artisanal ice cream with unusual flavours, sold to the public on vintage Pashley tricycles, and approached owner Jack van Praag soon after Pint Shop’s opening. They have since worked together on a selection of pop-ups and special events, such as “Beef. Bread. Beer.”, held as part of the Eat Cambridge festival, and Pint Shop’s New Year’s Eve celebrations. Holmes said: “We’ve been really keen to work with Jack’s Gelato since we opened – we’re likeminded, Cambridge-based businesses and the pop-events we’ve done together have been very well received. With our meat-focused menu, customers don’t want to finish with a heavy pudding – they want something light and fresh, in a smaller portion size, making Jack’s Gelato the perfect option.”

Starbucks opens community store in South Korea: Starbucks has opened the first community store in the Daehakro neighbourhood of Seoul, Korea. Thirty US cents from every purchase at the store will go to Green Umbrella ChildFund Korea (GUCFK) to directly support lifelong skills development for youth through the Starbucks Comprehensive Youth Leadership Programme. John Culver, group president, Starbucks Coffee China and Asia Pacific, Channel Development and Emerging Brands, said: “Our aspiration for the past 15 years has been to build a different kind of company in Korea – one committed to performance that is driven through the lens of humanity with a focus on giving back to the communities where we do business. Through our expanded partnership with Green Umbrella ChildFund Korea to develop the Starbucks Comprehensive Youth Leadership Program, we’re working together to help young people identify and develop the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century economy.” Lee Je-Hoon, the president of Green Umbrella ChildFund Korea, said: “Korea has one of the highest college tuition costs around the globe and the ratio for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend college is low. Starbucks Comprehensive Youth Leadership Program empowers and engages young people in encouraging and meaningful ways to create a positive change in their lives through education,” said.

Randy Garutti – Shake Shack has picked up ideas from Covent Garden opening: Shake Shack chief executive Randy Garutti has reported that the company has picked up operational improvements from its opening last summer in Covent Garden, central London. Garutti told the Propel Management Masterclass that the company will start to serve the crinkle-cut chips served in Covent Garden across its estate. He said that the UK had more stringent rules on colourings and additives: “When we came here some of our products had to change. The crinkle cut fries we created for this Shake Shack will now be the better crinkle cut fries that we serve back home [in the US].”

Caffe Nero wards off local opposition to win planning in historic Irish town: Caffe Nero has beaten off strong local opposition to win consent to open in the historic Irish town of Dalkey. Objectors pointed out that the American coffee chain Starbucks had tried to operate in Dalkey before “pulling out because it did not have the support of locals”. Caffe Nero will open at 26 Castle Street, opposite number 31, where Starbucks managed to sell coffee for only 18 months after it set up shop there in 2008. Starbucks’ closure came after it announced losses and said it was closing 100 stores outside the United States. Caffe Nero was given the green light to open in Dalkey last June, but the decision was appealed against by many residents and business owners. Ireland’s planning authority, the Bord Pleanala, said in its decision that the cafe’s opening would not affect “the vitality and viability of the village centre or the architectural and heritage character of Dalkey”. Last March, Caffe Nero said it would create 350 jobs in Ireland by opening 40 stores.

Handmade Burger Company eyes four more after £400,000 funding package: The Handmade Burger Company has unveiled plans to grow its 20-strong chain after bagging a £400,000 investment package. New restaurants are planned in Southampton and Glasgow later this year and Birmingham and Nottingham in 2015. The Handmade Burger Company , which is controlled by the Sargeant Partnership, was founded in 2006 when it opened its first restaurant in Brindleyplace, Birmingham. The brand has gone on to enjoy steady growth, opening outlets across the UK in cities including Leicester, Sheffield, Leeds, Edinburgh and Manchester. Owner Chris Sargeant said: “We have enjoyed rapid growth since opening our first restaurant, and through this investment we look forward to taking our brand into a variety of new locations in the UK.” Phil Davies, relationship director at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “We’re passionate about supporting British businesses, and the Handmade Burger Company is a great example of successful enterprise which we are proud to support.”

Titanic acquires pub number eight: Titanic Brewery of Burslem, Stoke on Trent has acquired its eighth pub. The outlet, the Grade II-listed Ye Olde King’s Arms in Congleton High Street, Cheshire, was previously owned by Marston’s. Titanic director David Bott said he was looking forward to reopening the pub, which dates back to the 16th century. He said: “We have been looking for a pub in Congleton for some time and believe Ye Olde Kings Arms is an ideal addition to our growing pub portfolio.” The pub will reopen in mid-November. Titanic began operations in 1985, but only started acquiring pubs seven years ago.

Televised pub quiz show hits £150,000 of Crowdcube funding in less than two days: Quiz the Nation, the TV pub quiz game show presented by former Krypton Factor host Gordon Burns, has raised three quarters of its funding on Crowdcube in less than 48 hours. Quiz the Nation is targeting £195,000 for a 19.6% equity share in the business, which aims to revolutionise the traditional pub quiz. Pub companies JW Lees, Robinsons, Enterprise Inns and Admiral are lined up to trial the quiz. Rod McMillan, chairman of Quiz the Nation, said: “We knew that it would be a popular investment on Crowd Cube, but we didn’t anticipate that it would be three quarters of the way to capacity in less than two days. With over fifty days left to invest we predict that we will be over-funded in the next week, which is fantastic news.”

Starbucks wins ‘frap’ trademark case: Starbucks has won a trademark case against a company on the Philippines over the word “Frap”. A local company, Cafe de Manila, made a trademark application for a slogan “The Frap Bar Everyone Deserves and Designs” for coffee products. Starbucks, which owns the trademark Frappucino, one of its most popular drinks brands, complained, and the Bureau of Legal Affairs of the Philippines Intellectual Property Office decided that Frap was indeed similar because it constitutes a prefix or dominant part of Starbucks’ registered trademark, Frappucino, one of its best-selling drinks.

McDonald’s seeks 24-hour venue on edge of Abergavenny: McDonald’s has applied to build a drive-through restaurant at the Westgate site in Llanfoist Fawr, next to Abergavenny, Monmouthshire. Although the application does not state proposed opening times it does give ideal opening hours of 24 hours a day and seven days a week. However, a spokeswoman for McDonald’s said: “It is too early to comment on potential opening hours for this site, we will work with the council on our plans.” In its application the company said there was unlikely to be an issue of noise, given that the site is next to the A465 and that special extraction and odour-controlling equipment will be introduced as part of the scheme. It said that neutral and natural colours and materials will be used on the scheme to ensure the site integrates with the surroundings, and the new restaurant would create 65 jobs. A separate application by Whitbread for a 61-bed Premier Inn and a Brewer’s Fayre on the same site was granted permission in January, whilst a decision on its bid to open a Costa Coffee within the same application was deferred for the design to be significantly amended.

BrewDog lines up Liverpool opening this month: Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog will open a new site on Colquit Street, Liverpool this month. BrewDog has promised “no fewer than 30 draft lines, two gnarly old shipping containers converted into beer cellars and a weird outside-inside-outside thing that we love without really understanding.” On the company’s website, BrewDog said: “Our Liverpool bar will be a hub of incredible beer and kick-ass food, and will be staffed by some of the most knowledgeable beer geeks in the country. We’re looking for staff of all levels to come onboard at BrewDog Liverpool and turn it into a meeting point for craft beer enthusiasts in the city. You are the crucial link in our efforts to shorten the distance between ourselves and our customers, and in return you’ll get some hardcore beer and customer service training, and a bright, beery future within our BrewDog family.”

Casual dining boom helps uniforms supplier double its revenues: The boom in casual dining has helped push up revenue at the uniforms supplier Clothes2order for the first six months of 2014 to almost twice the level seen in the same period last year. Clothes2order, based in Manchester, supplies more than 20,000 businesses, clubs, charities and societies, but enjoyed its strongest growth in the restaurant sector, with year-on-year sales up 130%. The company’s managing director, Michael Conway, said demand for T-shirts and polo shirts was surging as more and more casual dining venues and quick-service restaurants opened nationwide, with their staff adopting a relaxed dress code to reflect their companies’ culture. Conway said: “We are benefiting strongly from the casual dining trend. Burger and steak bars, noodle restaurants and the like are springing up all over the country, and these venues favour a more relaxed look for their staff, with embroidered T-shirts and polo shirts proving especially popular over traditional shirt-and-tie uniforms. We have been able to capitalise on this trend by focusing on speed and flexibility, alongside a significant investment programme to increase our production capacity and enhance our e-commerce operations.” Clothes2order is the fastest-growing division of its parent company, Quayside Group, and bumper trading for Clothes2order means the group is now forecasting overall sales of £6.3m for 2014, up from £4.4m in 2013.

Hawksmoor operator reports profit leap: Hawksmoor operator Underdog Restaurants has reported turnover rose to £25.57m in 2013, up from £18.07m the year before. Pre-tax profit climbed to £3.72m, up from £1.35m the year before. Underlying ebitda rose to £4.79m from £2.69m. The company said: “The primary drivers of the improved performance [came] from strong like-for-like sales in the existing restaurants together with the inclusion of a full-year trading for the restaurant in Air Street which opened in late 2012. The directors expect the results to continue to reflect the business’s growing popularity and successful branding.” A minority stake in the business was sold to Graphite Capital in July 2013 for a reputed £35m. Hawksmoor founders Will Beckett and Huw Gott opened their first site in 2010. The four-strong London-based group includes restaurants in Air Street, Basinghall Street (Guildhall), Langley Street (Seven Dials) and Commercial Street (Spitalfields). At the end of last year, the pair announced that a fifth Hawksmoor, to be called Foxlow, will open on St John Street, Clerkenwell, this November. In 2012, Graphite invested £21m in Rex Restaurant Associates, the group led by Chris Corbin and Jeremy King that includes the Wolseley, the Delaunay and Brasserie Zedel. It also has a stake in Laine Pub Company, led by Gavin George.

Vapiano doubles UK pre-tax profit: Vapiano, the German brand headed by Phil Sermon, has reported that turnover rose to £7.53m at its two UK sites in 2013, up from £6.58m the year before. Profit before tax rose to £761,000 from £374,000 the year before. The company opened its third site on Wardour Street, Soho, central London in June this year. Its first two site are in Great Portland Street, central London, which opened in June 2008 and Bankside, South London, which opened in 2011. In 2013, gross margin rose to 45% from 44% the year before. The company said: “Trading performance remained strong and the directors look forward to the business growing its revenues further in the coming year.” The German-based group has more than 140 restaurants across 26 countries worldwide. Vapiano spent £2.1m on its latest opening, which has 7,000 sq ft of space, providing capacity for up to 250 diners.

Smith & Wollensky to run London venue for a year before looking at more international roll-outs: Smith & Wollensky, the high-end American steak restaurant chain, will run its planned new central London restaurant for a year before deciding whether to go for more international roll-outs, the company has revealed. Michael Feighery, the Boston-based company’s chief executive, talking to Restaurant Hospitality about the 300-cover, 15,000 sq ft restaurant due to open next spring in the Adelphi Building on John Adams Street, just off The Strand, said: “I think the dining segment is so diverse in London that we will be a good fit. We will run this for a year, see what the challenges are and be selective about where we go. I receive a call about every week from international landlords who want us to be part of their projects. We will have some challenges working 3,000 miles away, but have some good partners and we’ve brought in a former regional manager to oversee the project.”