D&D London lines up first Scotland restaurant: D&D London is to open its first restaurant in Scotland after signing up to Land Securities’ Buchanan Galleries development in Glasgow. The restaurant group said it would open a 7,500 square feet restaurant on the upper two floors of the Glasgow Concert Hall. The restaurant will be D&D’s second opening outside the capital, after opening two sites, Crafthouse and Angelica, at Land Securities’ Trinity shopping centre in Leeds last year. D&D has been stepping up its expansion since management, led by Des Gunewardena, bought out its founder, Sir Terence Conran, in a £50m deal backed by private equity firm LDC. Gunewardena, chief executive of D&D, said: “Glasgow ranks only second to London as a centre for retail in the UK and we have secured an absolutely stunning site.”
Daniel Thwaites reports profit rise as demand for craft beer surges: Daniel Thwaites, has reported surging demand for its craft ale range with its Big Ben brown ale, 13 Guns IPA and Triple C golden ale all winning awards. The company also reported its Wainwright cask ale has risen to be the fifth best-selling cask beer in the UK. Thwaites saw its pre-tax profits rise 24% to £6.1 million on flat turnover of £71.1 million during the six months to September. The firm said it plans to acquire more pub and hotel properties during the second half to capitalise on a growing demand for regional hotels in the north.
Red's seeks trainee 'pitmasters' to fly to US to learn their job: Red's True Barbecue, which is due to open in Nottingham in January, is looking for would-be "pitmasters" it will send to the Southern United States for training. Company co-founder Scott Munro said Red's was searching for full and part-time roles at all levels, both front and back of house, for the Nottingham outlet, which will create 65 jobs when it opens in the former FOPP Records store on Queen Street, Nottingham. He said: "Our pitmaster roles are particularly exciting. We have an academy in place where we look to take the most promising candidates and fly them out to the US to work in one of the smokehouses we have partnerships with, to learn the art form from those that started it." Red's has invested more than £1.1m in redeveloping the 5,500 sq ft former Boots headquarters to provide 160 covers in what will be its fourth outlet.
Bradford Brewery’s Brewfactory pub to become first Yorkshire Pieminister outlet: Bradford Brewery’s Brewfactory pub, opening in Bradford city centre early next year, will be the first Pieminister outlet in Yorkshire. The partnership has been agreed under Pieminister’s new Pie Pub Package, which effectively means that the Brewfactory will be licensed to sell Pieminister products under the food company’s brand. Pieminister provides its Pie Pubs with the full range of recipes on its menu and helps design a permanent Pieminister open kitchen, offering staff training and business support. There are currently eight Pieminister shops across the country, with the nearest to Bradford being in the Northern Quarter in Manchester. Bradford Brewery's managing director, Matthew Halliday, said: “If Bradford people love these flavours as much I think they will, we will be keen to work with Pieminister to share the concept more widely across the area in the future.” Pieminister's founder, Tristan Hogg, said: “Matthew Halliday’s vision for Bradford Brewery impressed us right from the start and fits perfectly with our idea of what a pie pub should be.”
Brains opens 46th coffee shop: Brains, the Cardiff-based brewer and hospitality retailer, has opened its eighth new Coffee#1 store of 2014, in a former pub in Henleaze, Bristol. The Henleaze Road store takes the total number of Coffee#1 outlets to 46. Brains acquired the coffee shop chain in 2011. Scott Waddington, chief executive at Brains, said: “We are on track to reach the 50-store mark by the middle of next year. We see Coffee#1 as a scalable business and it could reach up to 100 stores in the geography we serve, which now includes Wales, the South West of England and the South Coast. The coffee sector is forecast to achieve compound growth of around 5 to 6% over the next five years so it is still very much a growth market in which to operate, as is the casual dining market for our pubs.” The former Britannia Bank in Henleaze has been transformed into what Brains called "a charming coffee house with a living room feel", offering coffee, cakes and sandwiches. Store manager Gertruda Grudyte said: “We’re in a lovely little suburb of Bristol, full of character with a warm community feel. We’ve enjoyed great success in our first few weeks and have been really well received by the locals.”
Heartstone Inns buys Devon pub off £1m asking price: Heartstone Inns has bought the freehold of Cockhaven Manor in Bishopsteignton, Devon off an asking price of £1m through the property agent Charles Darrow. The vendors were Roy and Mandy Extance, who have owned and operated the business since 2001. Heartstone Inns owns nine other sites. Jon Clyne, director at Charles Darrow, said: “We were requested by the owners to undertake a discreet and confidential marketing campaign and, understanding Heartstone Inns’ increasing appetite for quality free houses in the south west which offer a mix of trade, we felt they would be a perfect fit for the property." James Birch, managing director of Heartstone Inns, said: “We are very pleased to have acquired Cockhaven Manor, which has enormous potential as a quality country inn in a popular destination area for tourists and the local community alike."
Founder steps in to save What's Cooking: The founder of the What's Cooking operation in Liverpool has stepped in to buy the bar and restaurant chain's site in Albert Dock out of administration. Darren Brookes and Gary Corbett of Milner Boardman were appointed as joint administrators of CS Living Ltd, which traded as What's Cooking and What's At Sixty Two, on 11 November. The Albert Dock restaurant was sold as a going concern to restaurateur Lee Brennan, but the administrators said the company's other site, What's At Sixty Two, in Castle Street, Liverpool, has not been saved. Brennan established the business more than 36 years ago but has not been involved for the past 20, going on to found Panama Hatty's, which has two restaurants in Manchester and Tarporley, Cheshire, and employs 65 staff. He has refunded £10,000 of deposits for bookings at What's At Sixty Two to avoid any ill-feeling against the brand, and to generate goodwill. Brennan said: "We're excited about the prospects. I thought it'd be interesting and exciting to get back involved with the business and carry on with this iconic brand. The business was in danger of closing so I wanted to get involved before someone else did who might have wanted to close it down or rebrand it. I'd like to see the name continue as long as it can. The original site was one of the original pioneering tenants at the Albert Dock and it's been through many changes over the years since it first opened there in 1984." Brookes said: "The Castle Street restaurant was closed just prior to our appointment and has effectively been 'mothballed'. We have received some interest in this site." What's Cooking was founded in 1978.
Leeds entrepreneur lines up tapas and coffee bar/Cornish pasty double opening: Leeds entrepreneur Mark Burridge is to open a tapas restaurant called La Rambla and a coffee bar called The Office in March 2015 at 9 East Parade in the city. Burridge said: “Authenticity is key to us. From the chef to the staff, design to the ambience, everything is thought and chosen to bring the true spirit of Spain to Leeds. For example, our house wine, imported from the best vineyards, will be served in the traditional and choreographic bota, a leather wineskin whose use dates back to the first centuries of civilization in Spain and which can hold up to ten litres of wine.” The lower floor will host The Office, a coffee room and exclusive Cornish pasty shop during the day, which will turn into a cocktail and wine bar at night, open till 2am at weekends. Andrew Spencer, of Fleurets in Leeds, said: “This is a substantial unit in a great location that can cater for both the daytime market generated by the abundance of offices and also the late evening trade. The venues constitute a great opportunity to capitalise on the now expanding Leeds market.”
All restaurant units now let at Grand Central Birmingham: All of the restaurant units at Grand Central Birmingham, the new £150m retail scheme in the city centre, have been let, ten months ahead of its opening. A total of 13 units have been let to restaurant chains including Pho, Cafe Concerto, Square Pie, Tapas Revolution, Giraffe, Carluccio’s, Tortilla, Crepe Affaire and YO! Sushi. Keith Stone, leasing director for Grand Central, said: "The investment from such well-known dining brands further demonstrates why we are so confident of the long-term benefits Grand Central and New Street Station will bring to the city." Grand Central is owned by Birmingham City Council and will be launched to coincide with the reopening of Birmingham New Street Station in September 2015. It is anchored by John Lewis and has attracted other major retailers including Cath Kidston, Monsoon, Accessorize and the White Company. More than 50 million people are expected through the building each year.
Fuel Juice Bar sales grow to £5.2m: Sales at Fuel Juice Bars, the company backed by Kings Park Capital that came top of Horizon’s "ones to watch" list last week, grew sales to £5.2m in the year to September 2014. In the financial year ended 30 September 2013, revenue increased 50% to £3.1m and ebitda rose 56% to £700,000. The brand will have grown from six stores in 2011 to 23 by December this year with the opening of a branch in Drake Circus, Plymouth. There are a further six new sites in the pipeline. Chris Sullivan, who has worked alongside founder Jamie Weston since 2012 as a non-executive director advising on operations and brand roll out, was appointed chief executive in June. Weston said: “I am delighted that Chris agreed to take on the role of CEO at Fuel Juice Bars. He has led the expansion phase of the business in the last year, which will see the opening of our 23rd site in Plymouth before Christmas. Chris has an impressive track record in the hospitality sector and provides continuity and exceptional leadership as we continue to develop the business, whilst I have moved into a broader strategic role on the company’s board.”
Wetherspoon founder talks to members of Plymouth College’s Entrepreneurial Society: The founder of JD Wetherspoon, Tim Martin, has visited Plymouth to speak to student members of Plymouth College's Entrepreneurial Society. Martin told local media he had been impressed by the questions posed by the young business brains, which covered topics such as investment, staffing and "whether I get free beer – the answer is no". He said: "They were very intelligent and perceptive questions. A lot turned up, showing a high level of motivation."
Spirit launches team dedicated to apprenticeships: Spirit Pub Company has launched a new team dedicated to the delivery of its award-winning apprenticeship scheme. The company, which set out plans to double the number of candidates on its apprenticeship scheme earlier this year, now has a team of 11 working full time to deliver the five apprenticeship training programmes the company currently offers. The scheme is now in its fourth year, and Spirit has more than 1,500 candidates on an apprenticeship with 70 new recruits added each month. The company saw an opportunity for improvements in efficiency and productivity by bringing the training implementation in-house rather than using an external training agency. Jo Bradford, national qualifications manager for Spirit Pub Company, said: “By recruiting our own team of apprenticeship trainers, we are able to focus on growing the number of candidates, as well as further developing the way in which training is delivered, both of which will ultimately help us achieve our goal to have at least one apprentice in every pub, and continue to implement an industry-leading apprenticeship scheme.”
Christian Rose to leave Chicago Leisure tomorrow: Chicago Leisure's chief executive, Christian Rose, will leave the business tomorrow in the wake of its sale to the nightclub company Luminar. He will have completed a two-week hand-over period after selling the eight-strong operation. Luminar's chief executive, Peter Marks, has previously told Propel that trading is stable at four of the eight sites but that investment is required at the other four. The company's Yeovil site, which has seen trade rise 60% since an evolution of the offer, is expected to provide a template for the rest of the estate.
TGI Friday's launches mistletoe drones: TGI Friday's has launched a trial of "mistletoe drones" – a UK first. The drones have already been trialled at TGI Friday's Manchester Royal Exchange restaurant, and are due to make visits to selected restaurants across the country as the Christmas party season gets under way. The drones feature a "kiss cam" to give a drone’s eye view of the action. The mistletoe drones were created after research from Friday's which revealed that nearly half of UK adults (47%) have never had a kiss under the mistletoe. Perhaps worried about the risk of rejection, only a quarter (27%) plan to give it a go this year, despite 42% saying Christmas is one of the most romantic times of the year. Rachel Waller, marketing manager at TGI Friday's said: “Everyone loves a good Christmas party, but we all know things can be a bit awkward until someone breaks the ice. We’re known for legendary celebrations at Friday's, so we wanted to see how we could make Christmas get-togethers in our restaurants even more entertaining, and offer guests the encouragement they need to make their move, particularly the one half of UK adults who have never had a kiss under the mistletoe. Our mistletoe drones are the perfect way to do this. Not only are they great fun for the entire restaurant, but they help people get a little closer at this romantic time of the year. Who knows, maybe we’ll have had our first mistletoe-drone wedding by this time next year.”
MeatLiquor unveils limited edition of MeatLiquor Chronicles: Yianni Papoutsis and Scott Collins are to publish a limited edition of The MeatLiquor Chronicles: Chapter and Verse next month, "in celebration of all things meat and liquor". The specially bound copy of the book will come packaged in a bespoke chest containing a Bulleit julep tin engraved with a unique cocktail recipe, the Bulleit Licker, and a bottle of Bulleit Bourbon signed by the master distiller, Tom Bulleit. The book will be available to purchase for £100 on meatliquor.com from 1 December, and all proceeds will be donated to Meningitis Now. Papoutsis was diagnosed with meningitis at the age of 17 and lost three toes to necrosis, giving him, he says, an appreciation for every moment in his life. The company said: "Each year, there are around 9,000 cases of meningitis in the UK alone, and with many of the victims being children, it is the disease most feared by parents. The proceeds raised from the sale of the limited edition MeatLiquor Chronicles will be used to fund and support the work of dedicated community support officers, who provide care for the thousands of families affected by meningitis."
County Durham microbrewery wins M&B national listing: The Sonnet 43 Brew House, Coxhoe, County Durham has won a listing with Mitchells & Butlers' Nicholson’s and Castle chains for its American Pale Ale. Sonnet 43’s founder, the North East of England restaurateur Mark Hird, said: “Sonnet 43’s range of award-winning beers, including American Pale Ale, has proven increasingly popular in sites across the UK and we’re delighted that it may soon be available throughout London thanks to support from Mitchells & Butlers. This is the latest stage in a strategic plan to expand our reach nationwide and we hope to have more similar announcements in the near future.” Sonnet 43, named after the poem by Elizabeth Barratt Browning, who was born and raised at nearby Coxhoe Hall, that begins "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways", was founded in 2012. It runs pubs and bars in Coxhoe, Hebburn and Chester-le-Street and currently delivers its beer across the North East of England and Yorkshire.
Bella Italia, Prezzo and Chimichanga open at Milton Keynes Stadium: In a flurry of openings at Milton Keynes Stadium, Bella Italia has flung back the doors on its second outlet in the town, while both Chimichanga and Prezzo will be welcoming customers at their new branches from Friday November 28. The new Prezzo and Chimichanga outlets are also those chains' second venues in Milton Keynes, with the Prezzo outlet in the Kingstone Centre opening earlier this year and Chimichanga having a restaurant at Xscape MK. The £500,000 new Stadium branch of Prezzo has seating for 170 guests; 106 in the restaurant and a further 64 in an outside terrace area. It will be open from 12 noon until 11pm throughout the week. The new Bella Italia in the MK1 leisure complex, next to the MK Dons Stadium and the MK1 Retail Park has the earliest opening time of any Bella in the UK, with breakfast being served from 7.30am Monday to Saturday and from 9am on Sundays. Its sister restaurant in Milton Keynes is on Savoy Crescent, Lower Twelfth Street, and opens from 9am every day. The latest outlet for the Prezzo-owned Chimichanga chain also cost £500,000 to develop. It will have seating for 206 guests; 142 in the restaurant itself and a further 64 in the outside dining area. The restaurant will be open from 12 noon until 11pm throughout the week.
Franchisee begins high-tech upgrade of 24 McDonald's: Pritpal Singh, a McDonald's franchisee in Yorkshire, has begun a high-tech upgrade of the 24 outlets he runs for the burger chain. The first, in Kirkgate, Huddersfield, is one of the first in the country to feature self-service ordering kiosks, digital menu boards and tables with Samsung tablets built in for customers to enjoy. The six-figure redesign also includes a bright, modern interior and exterior design, comfortable seating and free wi-fi, new equipment in the kitchen and a new “crew room” with comfortable seating, a television and a computer. Crew members can use the area to study for nationally-recognised qualifications in maths or English, one of several training opportunities offered to employees to help develop transferable skills and qualifications. The new look coincides with the 25th anniversary of the restaurant opening. Singh said: “I have been a McDonald’s franchisee for 20 years and this restaurant is 25 years old. I invested in the restaurant at the time I took it over and now we have invested again.” He said work to revamp two of his other restaurants, in Halifax and in Leeds near the St John’s Shopping Centre, was under way, with the long-term aim to similarly upgrade all 24 of his sites over the next four-and-a-half years. Nationally, McDonald’s and its franchisees aim to revamp about 1,200 restaurants by 2019.
£4m Wakefield music venue seeks extra funding to open cafe-bar: A co-operative that has turned one of Wakefield’s most famous buildings into a successful live music venue is trying to raise £60,000 to fund the final leg of its refurbishment, a cafe-bar. Unity Works re-opened in September after a £4m revamp, but needs extra investment from new shareholders to fund a cafe-bar. The cafe, on the corner of Westgate and Smyth Street, will allow Unity Works to open during the day and appeal to a broader range of people. Unity Works' development director, Chris Hill, said: “We’ve always aspired for Unity Works to be a space for everyone. The cafe-bar will give us valuable appeal to a different market, a reason to come here during the day and be a relaxed space to have lunch or just a hot drink. We’re asking our existing shareholders if they’d like to invest a little more, but also opening up the opportunity to people who haven’t yet got involved. As a shareholder you get priority booking rights for events and VIP offers not available to others.” The co-operative raised £220,000 through previous share issues, which was spent on audio and visual equipment for the venue’s two music halls. Potential investors can get involved for as little as £200 and will receive a 4% return.
Staycity rolls out bookable extras: Late checkouts, taxi transfers, luggage lockers and extra towels and toiletries have been added as bookable extras offered to guests by the leading serviced apartment operator Staycity. Secure car parking, extra cleaning and tickets to local tourist attractions can also be booked across the 1,000-apartment Staycity estate, along with breakfast vouchers for local restaurants, the option to upgrade apartments and airport transfers. The company's sales and marketing director, Jason Delany, said: “We found that all these are extras people often ask for, so it made sense to make them available across all our apartments, with guests able to book them online, or at reception.” Staycity now also offers a complimentary Staycity Kids Bag to children on arrival. In the bag is an activity book, colouring pencils, stickers and a diary for them to record memories of their trip. “It’s about making all our guests as comfortable as possible and their stay as trouble-free and memorable as we can,” Delany said. Staycity said under its chief operating officer, Keith Freeman, the company has focused strongly on customer service with both front and back-of-house staff receiving additional customer training, with improved visibility at peak times. The initiative has resulted in a 10% rise in guest satisfaction scores in the third quarter of 2014, it said. Staycity now operates more than 1,000 apartments in eight European cities, Birmingham, Dublin, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester, Paris, Amsterdam, and London, with two outlets, Heathrow and Greenwich, and is on target to expand to 5,000 apartments over the next five years.
Pizza Hut to close Hull branch: Pizza Hut is closing its branch in Hull city centre tomorrow (Friday). The firm has had a restaurant in Jameson Street since at least the 1990s, but will close for the last time this weekend. No reason has been given for the closure. Pizza Hut branches at St Andrew's Quay, west Hull, and Kingswood Retail Park will remain open. A spokesman for the chain said: "We can confirm the Pizza Hut in Jameson Street, Hull, will close on November 22. We have two other popular restaurants located in Hull where our valued guests can continue to visit us. We are working with staff during this time and, where possible, we will try to relocate them to other restaurants."
Northcote become 32nd UK member of Relais & Chateaux: The Michelin-starred restaurant and country-house hotel Northcote, in Langho, near Blackburn, Lancashire has been invited to join Relais & Chateaux, the collection of gourmet restaurants and boutique hotels across the world. Relais & Chateaux covers fewer than 600 properties from 60 countries, with just 32 places in the UK and Northcote will be the only property in Lancashire. The hotel, founded and co-owned by chef patron Nigel Haworth, director of wines Craig Bancroft and chairman Richard Matthewman, is celebrating its 30th anniversary next year. Bancroft said: “Nigel and I are proud to have been accepted into this prestigious family. It’s something we’ve been striving for, and how wonderful to now have a Relais & Chateaux property in Lancashire and in the very heart of the Ribble Valley. Food and true hospitality is at the heart of both their ethos and of ours, so it’s a great partnership.”
Brewery and restaurants combine in 'brew us a beer' competition: Beerd Brewery and two restaurants in Bristol have combined for a competition inviting home-brewers to design a beer that could be enjoyed in spring or summer. The winner beer will then be made by Beerd at its brewery in Warmley, near Bristol and sold in No1 Harbourside in Canons Road, Bristol, and The Canteen in Stokes Croft. Robin Couling, managing director of Bath Ales, Beerd's parent company, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for beer and brewing enthusiasts. They can be as experimental as they wish as long as it’s under 5.5% alcohol by volume and can be enjoyed in spring or summer. There is plenty of scope for people to be creative and come up with a delicious, flavoursome beer that they can visualise sipping in the relaxing surroundings of No.1 Harbourside or The Canteen." The judging panel will include Shane O'Beirne, head brewer at Beerd, and Gerry Condell, head brewer at Bath Ales. The competition closes on 2 February.
JLL expands with acquisition of Coverpoint Foodservice Consultants: The consultancy company JLL is expanding its European retail and leisure consulting team with the acquisition of the specialist food and beverage adviser Coverpoint Foodservice Consultants. JLL said the transaction would enable it to provide comprehensive food and beverage consulting advice to a broad mix of clients across the region. Coverpoint, based in the UK and founded by managing director Jonathan Doughty, advises on all aspects of the food and beverage offer, including commercial and operational performance analysis, benchmarking, standards monitoring and due diligence. Recent international projects include work for developers, corporate occupiers and investors looking to acquire or asset manage real estate operations with food and beverage components. James Brown, head of European retail and leisure research and consulting at JLL, said: “Food and beverage is an offer that is more resilient to the impact of e-commerce and retail polarisation and it adds significant value to user experience in the physical environment. Coverpoint has an impressive and unparalleled track record across the global foodservice industry, from retail real estate investors, to restaurateurs and corporate occupiers, and bringing Coverpoint into JLL will help us meet the growing client demand for this type of consulting service.” Doughty said: “The foodservice sector is going through a phenomenal growth phase, restaurateurs are emerging and expanding and landlords are taking a closer look at how they can improve the food and beverage offer to drive value and experience. From larger corporate occupiers looking at workplace strategy to traditional retail real estate investors to smaller start-up restaurant groups, the F&B sector is in huge demand, but getting strategies right is still the key to success. Joining JLL will broaden our capacity, client base and will enable us to bring our collective global foodservice insights to the fore.”
