Government orders inquiry into tipping: The abuse of tipping by restaurants is to be the subject of an investigation launched by Business Secretary Sajid Javid. Ordering a formal call for evidence, Javid said: “When a diner leaves a tip, they rightly expect it to go to staff.” The investigation will look at how tips left by customers are treated after recent reports found that a proportion of tips at some restaurants were being spent on administrative costs. It will consider whether there should be a cap on the proportion of tips restaurants can withhold from staff for such costs and, if so, what this level should be. Information and views from the hospitality industry and other key stakeholders will be sought. This will help the government decide if they need to intervene in order to strengthen the voluntary code of practice. Javid added: “I’m concerned about recent reports, suggesting some restaurants pocket tips for themselves. That’s just not right. I’ve ordered an immediate investigation to look at the evidence and consider the views of employees, customers and the industry to see how we can deal with the abuse of tipping.” Research from 2009 found that one in five restaurants did not pass tips to their staff, yet the vast majority of customers said they wanted waiting staff to receive the money left for them, the government said.

More than 40 companies sign up for Professor Chris Muller’s Multi-site Management Masterclass: More than 40 sector companies have signed up to attend the next Multi-Site Management Masterclass led by Professor Chris Muller, on Friday, 2 October. Those attending include: Food & Fuel, Peach Pub Company, Ceviche, Hall & Woodhouse, Gail’s Bread, Liberation Group, Knot Pretzels, Domino’s UK, Solent Pizza, Amber Taverns, Good Life Diner, Beagle & Co, Banwell House, Hickory’s Smokehouse, Brewhouse & Kitchen, Leeds Brewery, Benito’s Hat, PubLove, Paul UK, Maxwells, Gala Bingo, My Lahore, Taylor St Baristas, Roadchef, Corbin & King, K10, Forum Cafe Bars, McMullen, Small Batch Coffee, Fuller’s, Spirit Pub Company, Charnwood Pub Company, Anglian Country Inns, The Coaching Inn Group and Baabar. Leading UK businesses such as Mitchells & Butlers and TGI Friday’s have sent staff to be taught by Professor Muller at Boston University’s School of Hospitality – now Professor Muller is returning to the UK to lead this bespoke day. His interactive seminar will include contributions from Welcome Break chief executive Rod McKie and Sticks ‘n’ Sushi UK managing director Andreas Karlsson. The event will provide valuable insights for founders and area managers of small and medium-sized multi-site companies and area managers of large companies. Tickets are £345 plus VAT and £295 plus VAT for ALMR members. To download or view the leaflet as a PDF file please CLICK HERE. To book tickets please contact: adam.dickinson@propelinfo.com. Tony Hughes, non-executive director at The Restaurant Group, said: “Chris is THE world authority on the restaurant industry, the go-to man if you want expertise and knowledge and this is a rare opportunity to see a true master giving a masterclass presentation.”

Research finds 24% rise in new breweries: Research by UHY Hacker Young has found a 24% rise in the number of new breweries last year. Figures show there were 361 new breweries in 2014-15, up from 291 the previous year. Applications to set up new breweries have trebled since 2019-10 when the number was just 102. James Simmonds, from UHY Hacker Young, said: “This dynamic sector of the drinks industry is booming as new start-up breweries are attracted by the growing consumer appetite for their products. Craft beer is viewed as an increasingly aspirational leisure accessory – so the profit margins available can be very attractive. The recent success of small brewers across the UK also offers encouragement to budding entrepreneurs and investors.” 

Crowdfunding platform Seedrs report record August: Crowdfunding platform Seedrs has reported that August, usually a quiet month, saw the highest amount of investment in 2015 so far. It stated: “Seventeen deals reached their targets in August, with total investment through these campaigns in excess of £6.9 million.” Companies reaching their targets included Tossed, which overfunded its £750,000 target to raise more than £1.2 million from 661 investors. Meanwhile, market leader Crowdcube saw its 200,000th investor sign-up in August – it now has 200,445 registered investors – and is nearing the £100m mark raised in total since it launched – £99,273,958 has been raised. 

Professor Chris Edger publishes second edition of book, outlines details of further publications: The UK’s leading academic and thinker on multi-site foodservice management, Professor Chris Edger, has published the second edition of his book “Professional Area Management – Leading at a Distance in Multi-Unit Enterprises”. Edger, who is hosts an annual multi-site management masterclass with Propel, has reprinted the book with additions after the first edition sold out. His next book “Area Management – Strategic and Local Models for Growth” is out in January 2016 while “Effective Brand Leadership – Be Different, Stay Different Or Perish!”, written with The Restaurant Group non-executive director Tony Hughes and containing 22 case studies from leaders of the UK’s most successful foodservice brands, is due to be published next June. Edger has also started work on book number seven that will address the high performance practice of operations directors, which is due out in 2017. His course on multi-unit leadership and strategy is into its sixth year at Birmingham City University, with over 800 students from 32 hospitality, leisure and retail brands having graduated or studying at present on its post-graduate multi-unit leadership programmes.

Pubs offered chance to win their own ‘coffee shop’: Pubs are being offered the chance to win their very own “coffee shop” in a competition launched today (Tuesday, 1 September) by Nestle Professional. The winning venue will receive a month’s supply of Nescafe Azera Americano, Latte and Cappuccino coffee plus point of sale materials. Six other winners will receive free samples of the Americano variants. Licensees can enter the competition by sending an email with the name of their pub to Learn.More@uk.nestle.com with ‘Nescafe Azera Pubs’ in the subject line. The competition closes at midnight on 30 October 2015.

US workplace watchdog rules that McDonald’s is a joint employer of franchisees staff: A US workplace watchdog has said parent companies such as McDonald’s can be held liable for labour violations by their franchisees and contractors. The National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) three-two ruling could enable unions to bargain directly with parent companies for better pay and working conditions on behalf of millions of workers. The NLRB said on Thursday the existing standard that a parent company must exercise “direct and immediate” control over an employee to be considered a joint employer was outdated. The board said it would now take into account factors such as whether the party exercised control “indirectly through an intermediary”. Unions have long argued that McDonald’s and others should be considered joint employers since they hold sway over how their franchisees operate. But the company, which runs 90% of its locations in the US through franchises, has always countered that it is not a joint employer because it doesn’t hire and fire those workers or control decisions about pay.

Diageo trials non-alcoholic Guinness: Diageo is trialling a new non-alcoholic version of Guinness in Asia as it seeks to counter a growing government campaign against excessive alcohol consumption in the region, the Irish Independent has reported. Guinness Zero has been rolled out in Indonesia, as the fourth most populous country in the world moved to block the sale of beer in convenience stores as part of public health measures to combat excessive drinking. Diageo Ireland said there were no plans to launch the product here. “Guinness Zero ABV was launched in September, 2014 in Indonesia, specifically in response to market demand in the non-alcoholic beer category, which is already well established in the market. Guinness Zero ABV has been performing very well since its launch,” Diageo told the Sunday Independent.

Winsight acquires Technomic: Foodservice insight firm Technomic has been acquired by Winsight (formerly CSP Business Media), a business-to-business media and information company specialising in the convenience-retailing, restaurant and non-commercial foodservice industries. Technomic will retain its brand name and operate as the information services arm of Winsight. Technomic’s founder Ron Paul will leave the business to spend more time with family and pursue personal interests, while our remaining executive team lead by Gary Karp, Darren Tristano and Bob Goldin will continue in their respective roles. A spokesman for Technomic stated: “With Winsight’s vision to become the end-to-end market intelligence, strategic planning and communications partner across the foodservice and retailing industries, we see significant opportunity for our business to grow into new spaces with new offerings that allow us to meet your needs much more completely.” 

LT Management Services adds 300 sites in a week to out-sourced portfolio: LT Management Services, the sector’s largest out-sourced management company led by Billy Buchanan, has added more than 300 sites to its portfolio in a week after securing two new contracts, Propel understands. The company, which operates more than 1,000 pubs, restaurants, hotels and nightclubs on behalf of third party owners, banks, pub companies and investors, won the contract to provide out-sourced operational management for the 158 pubs that NewRiver Retail bought from Punch Taverns last Monday. The company is also understood to have secured a contract with Red Oak Taverns to provide back office support for the 146 GRS Group tenanted pubs it bought on Friday – the contract is an extension to the support LT already provides to Red Oak Taverns’ existing 32 pubs. One industry source told Propel: “It’s clear that a number of asset owners are keen to implement high quality operational and back office controls without the cost of setting up their own expensive in-house solution.”

Carluccio’s lines up Colchester department store site: Carluccio’s is to open in a department store in Colchester, replacing its self-service restaurant. Williams & Griffin in High Street, Colchester, is undergoing a £30 million overhaul, which includes increasing its retail space by 50%. As part of the package, the store, owned by Fenwick, is replacing its restaurant with a Carluccio’s restaurant. It will see the shop redesigned on four floors and a new extension built at the back. The store is also due to undergo a name change to become Fenwick, in line with the company’s other shops.

New nightclub concept Vault launches in Nottingham: A new nightclub concept opened in the Lace Market area of Nottingham on Saturday (Saturday, 29 August). EDH Trading launched Vault, having taken over the lease of the building in Broadway that housed the former Club Broadway. The club spans three floors and aims to “pump some electric back into Nottingham’s nightlife”, according to its Facebook page. FHP acted on behalf of landlords, Spenbeck, to secure the new tenant. Jack Shakespeare of FHP said: “The leisure scene in Nottingham is ever evolving and FHP’s role in securing new tenants for this nightclub venue ensures to maintain Nottingham’s diversity whilst meeting the needs of both thriving student and resident populations. We continue to actively work on behalf of landlords and tenants, to secure further leisure and retail lettings to benefit the city.”

Press London receives investment from private equity firm: Press London, the London-based cold pressed juice brand that has bars in Soho, Kensington and a concession in Selfridges, has received investment from private equity company Clark Group. The juice company, founded by Georgie Reames and Ed Foy, will be able to grow and bring its products to a wider audience thanks to the backing. Press London started with its first sales out of pop-up stores in London and then opened its first site in Soho as part of the Ham Yard Hotel Retail Village. Since then it has opened a full concession counter in Selfridges. It also supplies high-end gyms and hotels.

Burger King’s UK estate contracted by 31 sites in 2014: Accounts filed a Companies House by Burger King UK show that the company’s UK estate contracted by 31 sites in 2014. The company has all its UK sites run by franchisees – it reported that 35 franchisees were running 489 sites in the UK and Ireland by the end of 2014, down from 520 sites the year before.

Wright Brothers to open fifth outlet in South Kensington today: The Wright Brothers, the oyster specialist and seafood wholesaler, is to open its fifth restaurant in South Kensington, London, today (Tuesday, 1 September). The new outlet, on the former site of La Bouchee on the Old Brompton Road, will include an “independent” bar accessible from the street, which will sell wines, cocktails and “pound a pop” oysters during happy hour. The restaurant itself will sell oysters and fruits-de-mer along with a regularly changing specials board. The chef will be Philip Coulter, who is moving from Wright Brothers Oyster & Porter House in Borough Market, south London, after five years. Robin Hancock founded Wright Brothers with brother-in-law Ben Wright in 2002. The company’s other outlets are the Soho Oyster House in central London, Wright Brothers Spitalfields in east London and the Ferryboat Inn, Helford, Cornwall.

Restaurateur invests £1.5m in Southend restaurant: Restaurateur Memhet Hassan is investing £1.5m to transform a landmark Essex building into a Turkish restaurant. Hassan, who owns the Dining Rooms, in Leigh, is ploughing the seven-figure sum into renovating the former Ocean City Chinese in The Ridgeway, Chalkwell, Southend. He said he wants to turn the dated building into a “palace”. It will have a 100-seat restaurant downstairs, a 26-seat mezzo-themed area upstairs, for lighter meals and a cocktail bar. The new restaurant, which is planned to open in November, will create 22 full-time jobs and ten part-time roles. He added: “Turkish cuisine is big in London and that is filtering through to Southend, so this is the right type of cuisine at the right time for the town.”

Jamie Oliver – my restaurants would close without migrant workers: Chef Jamie Oliver has claimed his restaurants would close without an influx of immigrant workers. Asked about immigration, Oliver told Channel 4 News: “You want good people that want to work hard to come into (the country), whether it is chefs or nurses or doctors. If it wasn’t for people outside this country every one of my businesses would close tomorrow.”

Burgerfest to launch third site in Exeter next month: Torquay-based Lifestyle Hospitality Group is to open its third better burger restaurant Burgerfest in Exeter on Saturday, 12 September. The company is opening the venue at The Old Malthouse in Bartholomew Street East on the site of the former Casa Maroc restaurant. The site features decor described as “almost shack-like” with brickwork and wood on walls. It will also include a Nintendo 64, ping pong table and vintage arcade games. Burgerfest offers handcrafted burgers with “unique” toppings that can be enjoyed with speciality and frozen cocktails, craft beers, or alcoholic milkshakes. General manager Letitia Davies told the Exeter Express & Echo: “We are so excited to be opening in Exeter. Burgerfest is very modern, very quirky and unlike any burger joint in Devon. Our motto is ‘good burgers, good drinks, fun times’; as simple as that.” Burgerfest, which was launched in Torquay in April this year, is opening its second site in Taunton this weekend.

Hathor Inns opens fourth Filthy McNasty’s: Hathor Inns has opened its fourth Filthy McNasty’s in the former home of Blu Bambu nightclub in the Bigg Market, Newcastle. The company has invested more than £750,000 in the venue to transform it into its first north east outlet of Filthy McNasty’s – other sites are in London, Belfast and Nottingham. The other half of the Blu Bambu building is now due to be transformed into a more upmarket cocktail and wine bar, set to open within two months as Albion. Filthy’s general manager, Michael Moreland, said the firm had been keen to open up in Newcastle for some time, seeing the city and its vibrant student population as a perfect setting for its first north east venue. He said: “The Filthy’s concept is very student-orientated and we feel that Newcastle and Belfast are quite similar cities in that they both have big student populations, and our other Filthy McNasty bars have proved popular with students and with locals on a weekend. Ever since EasyJet has had the Newcastle to Belfast flight we’ve seen an awful lot of people going back and forward between the two cities.”

Cornwall multi-site operator has licenses revoked after actions present ‘serious fire and explosion risk’: Cornwall multi-site operator Martin Billingsley has had his licenses revoked after a history of fire safety complaints at his two restaurants. Cornwall Council’s licensing sub-committee heard Billingsley’s actions at Food For Thought and The Boathouse in Fowey presented a “serious fire and explosion risk”, reports the Cornish Guardian. The committee heard Billingsley had a history of “non-compliance with safety requirements” stretching back several years. In a report to the committee, Cornwall Council commercial food and safety officer Darren Hambly said on a visit in June three 47kg gas cylinders had been brought into the kitchen of one of the restaurants where they were “inappropriately connected” to cooking appliances. The committee heard Billingsley had also disconnected and reconnected the gas supply, despite not being certified to carry out such work, which meant the premises had no valid gas safety certificate. The committee said in its report: “The situation gave rise to potential gas leakage and potential explosion which could have caused serious harm or death to the occupants of the kitchen, the staff accommodation above and to persons in the restaurant and passers-by. Members were of the opinion that they had no choice but to revoke all licences; not to do so would undermine all the licensing objectives and in particular the public safety objective.”

Table for 10 supperclub founder to launch first restaurant: Damon Bui, who launched the supperclub Table for 10 three years ago, is to open his first restaurant in London. Bui is launching Vietnamese barbecue restaurant CoBa in York Way, King’s Cross, in October. The restaurant’s name means Auntie Number Three – the family term for his mother, who was famous for her butter fried chicken. Her dishes have inspired CoBa’s menu with some of them given a modern spin and will feature barbecue meats, cooked on a charcoal grill served with a noodle salad, and soup noodles. The cocktail list will feature tea-based and sorbet cocktails. Bui told gastroblog Hot Dinners: “With all the positive feedback, I thought I had something special to offer, that London needs so I became hell bent on creating my dream restaurant. I see it as a way to honour both my parents, the great life they’ve provided for me and my sisters, and the amazing food that mum cooked at home and passed on to me.” As well as 100% of the service charge going to staff, they will also share in the profits.

Restaurateurs to launch second site: Simon Rand and Eric Payet, who are behind The Hare Bar and Grill in Lingfield, Surrey, are to launch their second venture next month. The duo is opening La Rive on the site of the former La Capanna Italian restaurant in Cobham High Street. Serving authentically Provencal cuisine, diners will be able to choose to enjoy their meal in a selection of difference spaces including the gallery (24 covers), the dining room (60 covers) and the conservatory (44 covers). There will also be a heated open air space with 40 covers. The site is being refurbished with a fireplace added to the conservatory along with antique mirrors while the walls of the main interior will convey a sophisticated yet warm feel alongside rustic textures of brick, wood and stone. Head chef Payet has worked at various London restaurants including Michelin-starred Club Gascon. His menu will include poached fillet of red mullet in saffron, squid ink bow pasta and vegetables confetti and baked lemon tart, blackcurrant and tamarillos sorbet. Rand and Payet launched the Hare Bar and Grill at the end of last year.

Costa Spiliadis opens London restaurant: The chef and restaurateur Costas Spiliadis has opened a branch of his acclaimed restaurant Estiatorio Milos in London. This is the sixth site Spiliadis has opened since launching in Montreal in 1979 with the intention to elevate the perception of Greek cuisine abroad, away from stereotyped associations, via seafood restaurants with “Greek heritage”. Estiatorio Milos is in Regent Street, St James in central London, in the grade II-listed building that was previously British Columbia House. The 180-cover restaurant has been designed jointly by Spiliadis and architect Alain Carle, and covers two floors. Other Estiatorio Milos restaurants are in New York City, Athens, Las Vegas and Miami. Spiliadis claims to have cultivated relationships with small-scale fisheries in Greece and beyond, to provide his restaurants with the highest quality catch.

BrewDog celebrated launch of Brighton site by offering donkey-style taxi service: Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog celebrated the launch of its new Brighton site on Friday (Friday, 28 August) with a donkey-style taxi service. The company opened on the site of the former Blind Tiger club on the corner of Marlborough Place and Kingswood Street and offered guests an unusual way to get to or from the venue. The company stated: “Yes, BrewDog Brighton is finally here! Our patient fans on the south coast are about to be rewarded with a fantastic hop hideout that they can call their own. With Brighton’s east-west spread, we know that walking is often a long option to get anywhere. So we figured a taxi service would help! To celebrate our newest bar, throughout the opening Saturday you can hail a trusty four-legged steed to get to or from BrewDog Brighton! Our Taxidermy Taxi is ready and waiting! To flag down our dead donkey cab, simply tweet @BrewDogBrighton using the hashtag #TaxidermyTaxi – then enjoy an open-topped scenic ride to your newest craft beer destination from a truly unique viewpoint.” The site has 30 taps of craft beer plus a range of bottles. Alongside is a variety of food including British charcuterie, homemade pickles, and a range of made-to-order hot sandwiches.

Marston’s, KFC, Starbucks and Subway line up sites at proposed £40m Newquay retail park: Four companies are lining up sites at a proposed £40m retail park in Newquay, Cornwall. Marston’s wants to open a 150-cover pub restaurant, KFC and Starbucks are proposing drive-through outlets and Subway a new store at Kingsley Developments’ scheme at Trevithick Manor Farm. Kingsley is expected to submit a detailed planning application for the retail park shortly, which is part of a £250 million mixed use development that comprises 1,100 homes at the 100-acre site. Kingsley managing director Abe Simpson believes the retail park will be a “game changer” for Newquay as it will bring in numerous national retailers to the town. He told the Newquay Voice: “We are submitting the reserved matters planning application shortly, which is to be welcome news for the town, bringing forward much-needed investment and creating jobs and opportunities for local people. We are committed to trying to deliver the scheme, which is what this next phase is all about.”

Bristol brewery owner set to launch city’s first micro-pub: The owner of Ashley Down Brewery in Bristol is set to launch the city’s first micro-pub. Vince Croker has teamed up with Garvan Hickey, who has spent years in the pub trade, to open the venue in Gloucester Road, which will have a capacity of about 40. The micro-pub, which will be called the Drapers Arms in a nod to what the shop was for 80 years, will be based in a former print shop opposite the Shell garage. The duo has applied for planning permission and hope to have the site running by Christmas. It would open from 5pm-9.30pm in the week and until 10pm on weekends. Garvan told the Bristol Post: “There are about 100 micro-pubs in the UK but not one within 50 miles of Bristol. Pubs have got away from what they are about and their core values. We hope that this venture will go some way to re-establish what pubs were – a public house to socialise.” The first micro-pub The Butchers Arms opened in Herne, Kent, in 2005.

Frobishers launches ‘Classics’ range: Premium juice brand Frobishers will extend its range of not-from-concentrate juices and juice drinks today, with the launch of Frobishers Classics, a range of carbonated juice drinks made with pure fruit juices and spring water. Steve Carter, sales and marketing director at Frobishers Juice, said: “We are delighted to bring our new Classics range to market. It’s the perfect addition to the family. Pitched to tap into the growing and lucrative adult soft drink sector, Frobishers Classics has been developed with the same attention to detail and uncompromising approach to taste as the entire Frobishers juice and juice drinks range. We wanted to create a new, premium product range using quality ingredients to appeal to the growing number of consumers looking for a stylish soft drink that is lower in calories. New Classics are an elegant addition to the soft drink sector. We hope to help expand the choice of soft drinks available to consumers, while offering greater profit margin potential to operators through its premium positioning.”

Speaker programme confirmed for The Bar and Nightclub Conference: The full speaker programme has been confirmed for The Bar and Nightclub Conference, which is being held on Tuesday 27 October at Bafta Piccadilly. Speakers are: Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, Phil Tate, chief executive of CGA Strategy, Simon Chaplin, director and head of leisure and development at Christie + Co, Trevor Watson, executive director of Davis Coffer Lyons, Graeme Bunn, director of Fleurets, Glendola Leisure managing director Alex Salussolia, Riz Shaikh, co-founder of the Columbo Group, David Henkes, vice-president of Technomic, Peter Marks, chief executive of Deltic Group, Exeat Leisure founder Stephen Thomas, Tokyo industries founder Aaron Mellor, Reuben Harley, chief executive of Eclectic, Alex Hazzard, co-founder of the Burning Night Group, Luke Johnson, of Risk Capital Partners and Adam Marshall, founder of Grand Union Group. The conference, the first stand-alone event for this part of the market, examines the key issues affecting the market with contributions from key figures within the sector. Tickets are free for operators and cost £145 for ALMR supplier members and £195 for ALMR non-suppliers. Tickets can be booked by emailing Jo Charity on jo.charity@propelinfo.com

Technomic and Propel partner for UK and US foodservice trends and direction conference: Insights and research firm Technomic is partnering Propel for a full-day conference looking at UK and US foodservice trends and perspectives. The event is on Friday, 18 September at One Moorgate Place in London and attendees will also get a free copy of Technomic’s Top 500 US Chain Restaurant Report and the UK’s leading 100 foodservice brands worth a combined £800. Technomic’s vice-president Dave Henkes will give an industry update on UK foodservice and compare it with the US as well as providing forecasts and beverage trends in both markets. Fellow vice-president Darren Tristano will examine best practice in menu, concept and service among growth concepts as well as looking at consumer demands. Technomic’s Patrick Noone will provide insights on current UK trending menu flavours and preparations and consumer priorities and attitudes. Paul Damico, group president of Focus Brands – which operates several fast-food concepts in the US including Schlotzsky’s Bakery & Café and Moe’s Southwest Grill – will share best practices around creating a unique positioning, culture and growth strategy. Propel managing director Paul Charity will also lead a discussion of senior executives about current consumer trends, menu and beverage trends. Those taking part are: Jon Yantin, commercial director of the ONE Group, Chris Gerard, founder of Innventure, James Nye, managing director of Anglian Country Inns and Ben Levick, director of operations, TCG Group. Tickets are priced at the two-week early-bird rate of £295 plus VAT for operators and £495 plus VAT for suppliers and are available by emailing adam.dickinson@propelinfo.com