Propel Newsletter Archive Page

Red Dog Saloon to open first site outside of London in Southampton: Landlord Hammerson has secured an opening by American barbeque restaurant, Red Dog Saloon to WestQuay Watermark, its £80 million dining and leisure development in Southampton, marking the brand’s first move outside of London. Offering diners its signature range of authentic Kansas City style barbecue dishes, Red Dog Saloon has signed up to take a 3,506 square foot unit that will be located on the lower promenade of the development. Red Dog Saloon’s restaurant in Southampton will be the brand’s fourth in the UK, having launched its debut restaurant in Hoxton Square, London which was followed by further openings in the capital in Clapham South and most recently in Soho. Sarah Fox, head of restaurants and leisure at Hammerson, said: “Securing Red Dog Saloon to join the fantastic and varied line-up of restaurants we will be bringing to Southampton is a great result for the scheme. We are particularly pleased that the brand selected WestQuay Watermark to take its first step outside of London, joining a number of others that will also be making their Southampton debuts, as this reflects the confidence that the brand has in the city as a leisure and retail hub.” Tom Brooke, founder of Red Dog Saloon, added: “I am thrilled to be expanding our brand out of London and to customers in Southampton. I look forward to offering a unique and fun concept to WestQuay Watermark.”

Everards publishes first images of new brewery, shops and restaurant complex: Leicestershire brewer and pub retailer Everards has published the first images of the new brewery, restaurant, cafe and cycle centre it wants to build as part of a £30m investment in relocating its existing brewery and creating a new visitor attraction and parkland. Called Everards Meadows, the new headquarters will sit on land between Soar Valley Way and the county police headquarters at Enderby. A planning application, which was submitted to Blaby District Council this week, includes plans to open up meadows between the development and the River Soar with cycle ways and footpaths. Everards has already started building a new £4m brewery yard at the Optimus Point industrial estate, a few miles away near Glenfield. Despite starting work on that project, the overall plans depend on the company getting planning permission for 26 new shops, restaurants and cafes, and a big Next store on the site of its current head office next to Fosse Park. If permission is given early next year, Everards would get “tens of millions of pounds” for the land from Fosse Park owners the Crown Estate and Gingko Tree Investment. Everards Meadows has been designed by Nottingham architects Franklin Ellis using tradition stone with the buildings flowing naturally into the surrounding countryside. Managing director Stephen Gould told the Leicester Mercury: “We would like to attract the finest quality businesses to run the cafe-bar – and kiosks attached to it – and restaurant, which we will construct and own.”

Nightclub operator Harewood sees capacity of Vipers Room club slashed, forced to employ ‘experienced picker’: Harewood, the nightclub company led by sector veteran Paul Kinsey, has had the capacity of its flagship Vipers Room site in Kingston slashed and been forced to employ an “experienced picker” to spot potential troublemakers as part of new licensing conditions. The “picker” sits in an office at the Thames Street venue and watches the nightclub’s door camera before deciding which clubbers should be let in. The “picker” was employed after Kingston Council ordered the queue to be “pro-actively monitored” as one of 14 new licensing conditions after a fight temporarily closed the venue down at the end of October. These included reducing capacity from 920 to 750 people, an earlier last admission time of 12.30am and an earlier closing time. Kinsey told the Kingston Guardian: “The Viper Rooms is Kingston’s most stylish venue and unashamedly operates a strict door policy. We have one admission rule which is that if we believe that you, or someone with you, would be likely to spoil the night if we admitted you and your group we refuse the whole group. We have an experienced ‘picker’ based behind a camera in the office who, judges whether they think the people trying to get in are right or not.” Harewood rebranded the club as an upmarket cocktail bar at the end of August after more than a decade as McClusky’s.

North Bar set to open new site in Harrogate in January: Yorkshire-based craft beer company North Bar will open a new site in Harrogate in January. The company will open the venue in a vacant unit in Cheltenham Parade facing the back of Harrogate Theatre, reports the Yorkshire Post. The site will have a bar on the ground floor with the first floor primarily for private hire, although there will be some additional customer seating. Although specialising in cask beers, the new Harrogate North Bar is expected to serve a range of spirits, soft drinks and pastries during the day. North Bar, which launched in 1997, operates six bars in Leeds and earlier this year entered the craft brewery business through its new offshoot, North Brewing Co.

Bristol-based steak brand The Ox opening second site in city and third in total today: Bristol-based steak brand The Ox is opening its second site in the city – and third in total – today (Friday, 27 November). The company is opening the new restaurant in Whitladies Road, Clifton. The menu will remain similar to its Corn Street counter part, but with a new head chef, there will be some subtle differences. Co-owner Nathan Lee told the Bristol Post: “We will be offering Sunday roasts, and the layout of the restaurant is quite different – it’s slightly bigger but it’s all in one room. We have an open bar at the front, so we will be able to cater for people who want to come in and just have some cocktails. We can’t do that in our Corn Street restaurant because of the way it’s set out.” As well as the Corn Street venue, The Ox also has a site in Cheltenham, which opened last month. Lee set up Bristol bars Hyde and Co and The Milk Thistle with two business partners five years ago before launching The Ox with Jason Mead in November 2013.

Matthew Clark relocating Yorkshire operation to Wetherby and invests in major warehouse facility: Drinks distributor Matthew Clark is relocating its Yorkshire operation to Wetherby and investing in the construction of a major warehouse facility. The company is moving from Derwent Valley Industrial Estate in Dunnington, near York, to the Thorp Arch Estate, which will be home to Matthew Clark’s 62,925 square foot warehouse. Building work is set to commence in January and the site is due for completion in the summer. Matthew Clark has been based at Derwent Valley for 15 years, and is transferring all 90 jobs to the Wetherby site. Three former units with a combined area of 93,614 square foot have been demolished at Thorp Arch – a former Royal Ordinance wartime munitions factory – to make way for the warehouse, which will feature nine dock levellers and 6,350 square foot of office space. Matthew Clark’s regional managing director Ian Gordon said: “Our business has grown dramatically during the past few years, which has meant that we are unable to continue to operate from our existing site. Our new warehouse will enable us to continue to offer our customers industry leading service and the best selection of our award-winning range of drinks. This new development paves the way for the next phase of growth of the Matthew Clark business.” Matthew Clark is headquartered in Bristol and supplies more than 16,000 hospitality venues in the UK.

Admiral Taverns appoints Hudson Sandler for new external PR brief: Admiral Taverns has appointed Hudson Sandler to a new brief handling its external PR. The pub company has asked the agency to expand Admiral’s corporate profile and regional and industry presence. It owns more than 900 pubs across the country, run by tenant publicans. Admiral Taverns has worked with Fleet Street Communications for a number of years, and will continue to do so on a project basis. Admiral Taverns head of recruitment and people development Suzanne Smith told PR Week: “We are excited to be working with Hudson Sandler and feel their experience and knowledge in the pub sector will be invaluable as we look to develop our PR strategy and take the Admiral message out to a broader audience.” Hudson Sandler client director Kate Hoare added: “Admiral Taverns is a fantastic company, empowering licensees across the country to run great community pubs and we are delighted to be supporting them in the next stage of growth and development.” Earlier this year, Hudson Sandler was hired by Greene King for a new trade media brief.

Turtle Bay opens new site in York: Caribbean restaurant Turtle Bay has opened a new site in York as it continues its rapid expansion. The company has opened the 10,000 square foot venue in Little Stonegate after agreeing a 25-year lease with property company Rushbond. It features a 130-cover restaurant with a kitchen and a six-sided central cocktail bar and has created about 60 jobs. Turtle Bay currently operates 22 restaurants nationwide and has its sights firmly set on Yorkshire for its next phase of expansion having launched in Huddersfield and plans in place for openings in Leeds and Sheffield before the end of the year. Turtle Bay founder Ajith Jayawickrema told Insider Media: “When we decided to expand into Yorkshire, York was an obvious location. The city has a huge tourist market, a thriving student population and discerning local residents who appreciate venues that stand out from the crowd.”

New World Trading Company to open new bar and restaurant concept The Club House in Liverpool in January: New World Trading Company will open its new bar and restaurant concept The Club House in Liverpool at the end of January. The company is launching the concept in a specially created pavilion-style building within Chavasse Park in Liverpool ONE. Designed by Paul Danson Imagineering, the traditional décor is inspired by a New England-style Hamptons manor house, boasting a striking interior complete with white panelled walls, an entrance foyer leading to a grand staircase with feature chandelier, a wrap around first floor terrace and private dining room for up to 15 guests. Away from the 200-cover split-level restaurant will be a dedicated beer tasting room complete with self-service taps. Externally the venue features a huge outdoor area that can cater for another 400 covers and features an outside bar and barbecue. The Club House will offer an extensive craft beers and ales list, cocktails, champagne and wine. There will be an open kitchen with a focus on deli, rotisserie and barbecue style dishes as well as live music. More than £100,000 will be invested solely in staff training prior to the launch, and 80-100 jobs will be created. New World Trading Company managing director Chris Hill told the Liverpool Echo: “Liverpool has never seen anything quite like this building and the level of curiosity and intrigue surrounding the build is rising daily. We are on target for our scheduled opening date of the end of January and we cannot wait to bring a little bit of the Hamptons to Chavasse Park.”

Birmingham hospital consultant to open new Italian restaurant in city: Birmingham hospital consultant Luca Laghi is to open a new Italian restaurant in the city. Laghi, who works as a consultant geriatrician at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Edgbaston, is launching Casanova’s Kitchen on the site of the former Love’s Restaurant at Canal Square in Browning Street. He will run the venue, which is expected to open in February/March, with the help of his mother Angela – who ran bars and restaurants in Italy before she retired – and his brother and sister. Laghi, who will continue working at the hospital, said the restaurant will serve traditional Italian food with handmade pasta that customers can seen being made. He told the Birmingham Mail: “I came across the building while I was looking for a house. It is in front of the canals and looks so cosy inside, such a nice environment. Then I had the idea to use my passion for food and the skills that I have learned over the years. A dear friend of mine, Gabriele Gamberini, who passed away last year, worked as a food merchant and taught me all about buying quality food. He is a great inspiration for me in opening the restaurant.”

Stonegate to reopen Coventry pub next Friday with new name and breakfast, craft beer and pie offer: Stonegate Pub Company will reopen the Castle pub in Coventry next Friday (4 December) with a new name and breakfast, craft beer and pie offer. The company will relaunch the Little Park Street venue as The Castle Grounds following a £300,000 refurbishment that is creating ten additional jobs. The pub, which in part dates back over 300 years, will open from the earlier time of 8am every day except Sundays to serve breakfast and freshly brewed coffee. The new main menu includes sharing platers, sandwiches and a range of freshly prepared pies. Also featuring are a selection of burgers, freshly grilled dishes and ale battered cod and chips prepared with the guest ale of the day. The pub will also be increasing its range of both cask ale and craft beers with ten taps on the bar. There will be offers and entertainment throughout the week while there are nine television screens dotted around the pub, each with its own small group of seating. General manager Jim Gallagher said: “The new name reflects the change in style and offer for the pub. Now open from 8am for breakfast, The Castle Grounds can provide customers with a relaxed alternative to the coffee shop for breakfast, whilst still providing a fantastic community atmosphere and great evening entertainment that the British pub is renowned for.”

Tampopo reopens Manchester site with new customer-influenced look: Tampopo has opened its Manchester Corn Exchange site with a new look. The pan-Asian brand has swapped the grab-and-go vibe of its previous restaurant and embraced a more comfortable approach on the back of a customer survey. The brand got in touch with its database of 50,000 customers when its former site closed asking what they wanted to see more of when it reopened following the redevelopment of the Corn Exchange into a food destination. According to boss David Fox, about 2,500 customers responded, suggesting changes that would improve the look and feel of the restaurant and the menu options. Gone are the familiar long bench seats that everyone associates with Tampopo – and in are cushioned banquettes and large social tables designed to encourage diners to sit and enjoy the space from lunchtime to late evening. The restaurant still seats about 100 people. The new lantern lighting and colour scheme were inspired by Fox’s travels around south east Asia. A standalone holding bar has also been added to create a space for diners waiting for a table or wanting a post-meal drink from Tampopo’s new cocktail list – such as a Singapore Sling or Saigon Negroni.

Arc Inspirations seeks to raise brand awareness by hiring Elliotts: Arc Inspirations has hired Elliotts as its fully integrated communications and design agency. Having opened its first site in 1999, the multi-bar brand and restaurant business, led by Martin Wolstencroft and chairman Chris Ure, operates 14 bars, including Banyan Bar & Kitchen, The Pit, Manahatta, Kith & Kin and The Box. Wolstencroft said: “Our primary aim over the next few months is to raise awareness of our brand. I am confident that Ann (Elliott), account director Sophie Ma and the Elliotts team are going to be very successful in helping us achieve this. Arc Inspirations has a number of brands openings in the next 12 months and I am looking forward to working with Elliotts at this exciting time.” Ann Elliott, Elliotts chief executive, added: “We are incredibly proud to have been appointed to work for Arc Inspirations. The team strongly believes in the brand and we are passionate about raising the company’s profile over the coming year.”

Parisian restaurant concept Frenchie to make UK debut in London: Parisian restaurant concept Frenchie will make its UK debut in London in February. The concept, launched by Greg and Marie Marchand in 2009, will open in Henrietta Street in Covent Garden. It is the first site outside Paris for the husband and wife team who are also behind the Frenchie Wine Bar, deli/sandwich counter Frenchie to Go and the wine shop Frenchie Caviste. The two-floor venue will feature an informal ground floor restaurant and bar. The basement space, with open kitchen that has several seats, can be configured for larger group dining or individual tables. Upstairs, 18 seats at the bar will be reserved for walk-ins. The menu at Frenchie Covent Garden will echo its Parisian counterpart, with dishes heavily influenced by Greg Marchand’s travels around the world. He will use, for the most part, British-sourced ingredients, and thus his dishes will evolve into new adaptations across the Channel. The menu will sit alongside an ever-changing wine list with a focus on artisanal Old World wines, craft beers and a short but seasonal cocktail menu. Greg Marchand spent several long periods in London cooking at the Mandarin Oriental, the Savoy Grill and the Electric House before joining Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen, where the kitchen nickname “Frenchie” stuck. He said: “With Frenchie, I wanted to create a lively, yet relaxed place where you want to come but most importantly return again and again. I love London and I am so excited to have the opportunity to bring Frenchie over here and to feed on the energy, the diversity and the ‘richesse’ the city has to offer. I look forward to rediscovering the best of British – both the produce and the people!”

Douglas Jack – we estimate 26% equity return at Marston’s over two years: Numis Securities leisure analyst Douglas Jack has forecast a 26% equity return at Marston’s in the next two years. He said: “In 2015, profit before tax was up 10% to £91.5m versus our forecast of £90.9m and consensus of £91.4m. As a result, profit before tax rose by 15% in half two. Supported by trading starting well in early 2016E, we are holding our 2016E forecasts, on which basis we expect cash flow to be neutral and net debt/Ebitda to fall by 0.3x, despite the progressive dividend and strong expansion plans. Destination and premium like-for-like sales grew 1.8% (food 1.7%; drink 1.7%; accommodation 5.6%) in 2015, with Ebitda margins up 55bps and average Ebit per pub up 3%. Food share of sales is 58% in destination pubs (and 28% in premium bars/ pubs), so it is helpful that this estate is typically located in market towns, away from the pressure of restaurant supply growth. 25 new builds opened in 2015. In 2016E, we forecast 23 new builds, including two sites for Revere. Five of these new builds are expected to have co-located accommodation lodges, up from three in 2015. In taverns, managed and franchised pubs grew like-for-like sales by 2.0% and operating profits by 2.9% in 2015, driven by strong trading in franchise pubs, which account for circa 550 out of 859 outlets in the taverns estate. Also helped by disposals (average disposal multiple: circa 18x Ebitda), average profit per pub grew by 20% in 2015. We expect all this estate to eventually be franchised. Leased estate like-for-like profits rose by 4% (including rental income being up 3%) and brewing like-for-like own brewed ale volumes were up 5% in 2015. Due to the successful Thwaites’ acquisition, total brewing volumes were up 15%. We are holding our 2016E profit before tax forecast (£99.0m; consensus £98.8m), which is based on assumptions of: 1.5% like-for-like sales growth in destination and premium and taverns; 2% like-for-like profit growth in leased; and 3% like-for-like growth in own brewed ale volumes. We previously factored in a £2m impact from the National Living Wage, but have assumed no offsetting efficiency gains (even from the new EPOS systems).
As half two 2015’s 15% increase in profit before tax indicates, Marston’s is generating strong organic growth. Even on estimates of profit before tax growth slowing to 7% per annum, we estimate that Ebitda growth/dividends should drive a 26% equity return over the next two years if the 10x EV/Ebitda rating holds.”

Plans submitted to convert former Tolly Cobbold brewery into mixed use scheme including restaurants: Plans to convert the derelict Tolly Cobbold brewery in Ipswich into a new hub for homes, businesses, a conference centre and a range of cultural and leisure facilities have been unveiled. Pigeon Investment Management has submitted an outline planning application to Ipswich Borough Council on behalf of Cliff Quay Developments. The old fermenting hall inside the brewery building will be converted into a 250-seat auditorium, which will host lectures, entertainment and conferences, and there will also be an outdoor performance area. There will also be room for business start-ups and the existing Brewery Tap will be integrated into the conversion. In addition, more than 220 new homes will be built on surrounding land in a style designed to complement the brewery building along with small retail, restaurant and café facilities and a health club. There will be a new home for the Ipswich Transport Museum and a tourist attraction hosting the Cobbold family brewing archive. The brewery opened in 1896 but ceased operating in 2002.

B+B Collection adds York site for £2.15m: The Groves Hotel in York has been acquired by operator The B+B Collection in a deal negotiated by Colliers International. The sale was agreed for close to the asking price of £2.15m. Located in St Peter’s Grove, The Groves Hotel has 26 en-suite bedrooms, dining room, staff accommodation and private parking. The B+B Collection has acquired The Groves to join its portfolio of bed and breakfasts across the country, which includes pilot project B+B Belgravia, which opened in London in 2004. The brand has since gone on to open B+B hotels in Edinburgh, Weymouth and Wickham, with The Groves being its fifth acquisition in just over a decade. All the properties are historic, and all are listed, buildings redeveloped with design-led contemporary interiors which draw inspiration from their individual locations. Peter Bean, who advised the vendors on the sale, said: “Superbly situated an easy walk from the Minster, The Groves was acquired by the current owners in 2009 and converted from a training centre into a highly profitable bed and breakfast business. York was the natural next location for B+B Collection, which has grown a successful portfolio of hotels in cities, which enjoy a strong tourism trade. We look forward to seeing B+B Collection put its unique stamp on the property.” Colliers acted on behalf of the vendors, a private client.

Propel and Thinking Drinkers launch second Craft Beer Retail Study Tour: Propel is launching its second Craft Beer Retail Study Tour on Thursday, 28 January in London, this time focusing on south London. The tour, led by Thinking Drinkers, award-winning beer writers Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham, will visit seven of London’s leading craft beer retailers in an eight-hour tour. McFarland and Sandham will provide the latest craft beer facts and figures, market segmentation analysis, and spot up-and-coming trends. Site visits will include Q&A sessions with London’s leading retailers, looking at award-winning sites, a hybrid bottle shop and bar, beer-centric retail, mobile canning, beer sourcing, direct sourcing, menus, brewing on-site and a host of other issues. The day includes lunch and breakfast and travel between venues by coach. Tickets are £345 for Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) members and £395 for non-ALMR members. Email adam.dickinson@propelinfo.com to book or to obtain further details.

ALMR National Restaurant Association Study Tour to Chicago opens for bookings: The Propel and Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) 2016 Chicago Study Tour is now open for bookings. The trip, sponsored by CPL Training and Sky, takes place between Thursday, 19 May and Monday, 23 May 2016. The National Restaurant Association (NRA) draws 58,000-plus industry professionals from all 50 states and 100 countries, seeking the newest innovations and up-to-the-minute information about trends and issues. The ALMR trip provides: insights from industry experts on the rise in fast-casual dining, social media, new and emerging brands, menu development, staff management and a host of other issues – with 70 free education sessions at the NRA show. It also involves two tours of Chicago’s hottest concepts and a market overview briefing sessions from US experts. Paul Charity, managing director of Propel Info, said: “The NRA show combined with our tour of Chicago is a fantastic opportunity to find fresh inspiration and understand the emerging trends shaping the fast-changing US market.” To get more information or to book, email jo.charity@propelinfo.com

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