BHA teams up with government to launch nationwide focus on hospitality jobs with 80,000 different activities: The British Hospitality Association (BHA) and the Department for Work and Pensions have teamed up to launch a nationwide focus on hospitality jobs this month. The Hospitality Works initiative will feature over 80,000 different activities up and down the country to help people choose a career in the hospitality industry. The programme will take place in more than 700 Jobcentre Plus outlets with companies involved in the initiative including McDonald’s, Whitbread brand Premier Inn and Bourne Leisure. BHA chief executive Ufi Ibrahim said: “The BHA is delighted to be leading Hospitality Works. This is a prime example of the good that can come from collaboration between the hospitality industry and the government. With the success of this initiative we can continue to stimulate the growth of the hospitality industry, contributing to the BHA’s goal of creating 100,000 new jobs by 2020.” Employment minister Priti Patel added: “We have reached a milestone with record employment, and businesses across the country have played a key role in that. I am delighted we are working with the British Hospitality Association through Hospitality Works to champion the exciting careers opportunities that this sector offers.” In collaboration with members from across the country, the BHA has produced Food for Thought, a media package complete with an extensive social media campaign, which has been distributed with useful information to attract potential employees, and inform them of potential benefits of working in the hospitality industry. Hospitality and tourism is the fourth largest industry in the UK, employing 4.49 million people – 10% of the working population. The sector has created one in five new jobs since 2010.

David Mooney to present at Propel Multi Club Conference: David Mooney, co-founder of New Moon Pub Company, arguably the UK’s most versatile food-pub operator, is to present at the first Propel Multi Club Conference of 2016, which takes place at Congress Hall in London on Wednesday, 16 March. Mooney will talk about the company’s approach at country and city pubs, its Beef and Pudding concept, New York-influenced The Bronx brand, its pizza concept Casa Matta, evolution, and future plans. Multi-site pub, restaurant and foodservice operators can claim up to two free places by emailing Adam Dickinson on adam.dickinson@propelinfo.com

Number of nightclubs in Europe declining because of gentrification: The number of nightclubs across Europe is declining because of gentrification, according to owners. Using data compiled by Resident Advisor, the Economist has reported on the rise in the number of venues shutting their doors, especially ones that opened in disused banks, warehouses and power plants that populated post-Berlin Wall Europe. It said gentrification is harming nightclub culture, with some venues now operating a restaurant by day, nightclub by night model to please the community and keep their clientele. The article said: “Between 2001 and 2011 the number of (nightclubs) in the Netherlands fell by 38%. In Britain there were 3,144 clubs in 2005 but only 1,733 ten years later, says the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers – in 2015 revenues were £1.2bn ($1.7bn), down from £1.5bn in 2010. In Berlin, although the number of music venues has been stable at about 350 (120 of which are clubs), several long-established night spots have closed their doors.” Owners have also blamed the loss of unused space, skyrocketing real estate, and the emergence of “yuppie families” who call in noise complaints. They also cited a more “abstemious” generation and the rise of music festivals creeping in on the nightclub’s audience as reasons for closure.

 

Terrorism fears continue to hit London hotel market as occupancy and revpar falls: Terrorism fears are continuing to hit the London hotel market, according to research firm STR Global. Preliminary results from the company for December showed supply increased by 2.5% while demand fell 1.8%. It found a 4.2% decrease in occupancy to 74.9% and a 0.8% decrease in average daily rate to £139.59. Meanwhile, revenue per available room fell by 5% to £104.59. The decrease in occupancy during the month, according to STR analysts, was likely a result of the November terrorist attacks in Paris, and other recent threats throughout Europe. London was not the only major market in Europe to experience drops in tourism and travel as a result of the attacks, and ongoing safety concerns in Europe, have caused corporate travel to decline. Despite this, STR said leisure travel remained solid with London hotels performing better during weekends than compared with December 2014. Overall, UK markets are performing well. Helped by the holiday season, hotels in Birmingham and Scotland – with the exception of Aberdeen – experienced generally positive results in December. STR said: “Despite recent slowdowns, the fundamentals of the UK economy remain strong.”

 

Two London street food markets return this month: Two of London’s best-known street food markets are reopening this month after a break over Christmas. Dinerama in Shoreditch will open on Thursday (14 January) with a line-up of traders that includes mini-burger seller Slider Bar, puffy steamed bun makers Yum Bun, and creative doughnut bites You Doughnut! Its five bars will also return, including an alpine lodge for mulled wine, Winerama for un-mulled wine and the German Dungeon, selling cans and shots. Hawker House will be returning on Friday, 29 January with four new traders. Mexi-Korean wraps from Kimchinary, Mother Clucker and its tea-brined buttermilk fried chicken, Club Mexicana offering meat-free tacos and burritos, and Chin Chin Labs, making nitro-frozen ice cream, will join existing food stalls at the market in Canada Water. Hidden cocktail bar The 86 will also be back at Hawker House. Both markets will run until early spring.

 

Asahi plans bids for Grolsch and Peroni: Japanese brewer Asahi is planning to wade into the bidding for Grolsch and Peroni, with a £2.4bn bid for the European beer brands, the Tokyo-based Yomiuri Shimbu newspaper has reported. Grolsch and Peroni are being off-loaded by Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), as part of its mammoth takeover of FTSE-100 brewer SABMiller, dubbed “Megabrew”. The $100bn deal will be one of the biggest seen. AB InBev believes the sale of premium brands such as Peroni and Grolsch will help the bid get past regulators in Brussels, which has powers to block the deal on competition grounds. The pair will account for one in every three beers sold globally and own scores of top brands around the world. Peroni and Grolsch are two of SABMiller’s four global brands, the others being Miller Genuine Draft and Pilsner Urquell. The pair will also own European bestsellers Corona and Stella Artois. Bids for Peroni and Grolsch are expected as early as this week, the report said. Other suitors are expected to include private equity firms KKR and Cinven, and Spanish beer maker Mahou-San Miguel. It is thought AB InBev hopes to clinch a deal by early March. If Asahi is successful, it could be the biggest overseas beverage acquisition by a Japanese company, potentially topping Kirin’s $3.3bn takeover of Australia’s Lion Nathan in 2009, Yomiuri Shimbu claimed.

 

Deutsche Bank analysts: Airbnb not a threat to hotel chains – yet: Deutsche Bank analysts Iona Dent and Geof Collyer have said Airbnb, the tech company that allows travellers to book rooms directly from homeowners, is not a threat to hotel chains – yet. In a note issued yesterday (Monday, 11 January) they said: “Ultimately, Airbnb looks to be ‘increasing the pie’, rather than necessarily reducing the share for others. Currently when cities sell out for an event, for example, and the market rate goes significantly higher than normal, we believe that is where Airbnb is currently offering a key alternative. Drawing an analogy with the low-cost airlines, such as EasyJet and Ryanair, it was clear these offerings expanded the travel market and opened up opportunities for those who would otherwise not have been able to travel, or certainly would have travelled less frequently otherwise.” The effect is heterogeneous across markets, said the note, and cities such as Paris and New York have seen a larger impact from the start-up than London and Madrid. However, the maturation of the company as it expands and refines its offerings could be a problem for hotel chains down the road, Dent and Collyer said. The company has recently launched a foray into the lucrative business-travel market, and while it does face some disadvantages, the analysts said tweaking the offering could take market share from hotels. Airbnb passed the two million listings mark in 2015 and the company has sometimes touted itself as an alternative to hotels.

Nestle Professional’s Toque d’Or receives record 156 team entries: Nestle Professional Toque d’Or 2016, which at 28 years old is one of the longest standing competitions in the industry, has this year received a record 156 team entries from 68 catering colleges from across the country. Those who make it through the paper round will face the regional heats and fight for a place in the finals in March. Students will experience the widest and most varied range of “real-life” hospitality scenarios in the history of the competition, all based on this year’s theme of nutrition, health and wellness and created to give them the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their future careers. George Vezza, managing director at Nestle Professional,, said: “The hospitality industry needs young people; they are the lifeblood of the Industry. This is why competitions like Toque d’Or are so important in nurturing talent for the future. More students than ever are recognising the opportunities Toque d’Or opens up for them and, based on the standard of entries we’ve received, this year’s judges will certainly have their work cut out. We’re particularly excited about the theme of this year’s competition, as nutrition, health and wellness is such a key topic in the hospitality industry.”

 

Cote buys Jackson & Rye and Limeyard: Cote Restaurants has bought up London-based Jackson & Rye and Limeyard to roll-out the brands to other sites. Jackson & Rye, which offers upmarket East Coast American-style food, currently has three sites in Soho, Richmond and Chiswick. It was originally led by Gordon Ramsay Holding’s head chef Mark Askew, now at the Ivy, and former Hakkasan operations chief Hannah Bass. Limeyard has one site in Ealing and offers all-day casual dining. Both were initially backed financially by restaurateur Richard Caring, who owns upmarket restaurants like J Sheeky and The Ivy. Cote was bought by private equity firm BC Partners last July from CBPE Capital, part of a wave of casual dining chain acquisitions by buyout firms which includes the takeover of Prezzo by US group TPG. “We are incredibly excited to bring two high-quality fledgling restaurant concepts under the Cote umbrella at such an early stage in their growth,” Cote chief executive Alex Scrimgeour said. “Both cater to a new type of clientele for us and we see an opportunity to apply Cote’s proven front and back-of-house expertise to develop and expand both brands further.”

 

Cabana reports turnover passes £10m, looks to hire property director: Cabana, the Brazilian barbecue group founded by Jamie Barber and David Ponte, ha reported sales rose 27% for the year ending 31 December 2015 to £10.4m. The company opened sites in Manchester and Brixton in November and hopes to add a further five sites in 2016 with Newcastle opening in quarter one and Southampton opening in quarter three. Cabana is looking to appoint a director of property to shore up its pipeline for 2016 and 2017. Barber said: “2016 promises to be an exciting year for Cabana. The Rio Olympics will again focus all eyes on Brazil and we would hope to play a key role in bringing a bit of Rio to London”. Cabana’s second cookbook “Carnival” is due for release in May.

 

Mitchells & Butlers forms unifying parent brand: Mitchells & Butlers has created a new employer brand proposition to help with staff retention and its profile in the job market. The company’s brands include All Bar One, Harvester, Toby Carvery and Sizzling Pubs but it found employees were largely unaware its distinctive brands were united by this one, overarching parent brand. Internal communications agency Good Creative has helped Mitchells & Butlers create a unifying parent brand to make staff feel part of a cohesive company, while attracting new employees. Director of resourcing and employee relations Liz Philips told Transform Magazine: “Working for a large organisation like Mitchells & Butlers offers huge opportunities for career development and we wanted to make sure our employees could engage with and take advantage of this. We also wanted to communicate the important role they play not only in their own places of work but as part of the Mitchells & Butlers’ family.” Good design director Jim Campbell added: “We based the visual brand around the two circles of the logo. They symbolise an occasion – people coming together to enjoy food and drink – which is at the heart of what Mitchells & Butlers do every day. Together with a warmer tone of voice, colour palette and brand photography we developed a new set of internal brand assets, designed to help build the recognition they deserve.”

 

Galvin brothers eye 20-strong pub estate as they prepare to open first site: Galvin Pub Co, which is run by multi-site operator brothers Chris and Jeff Galvin, is eyeing an estate of 20 pubs in the next five years. The company is launching its first pub HOP – described as a “Galvin Pub de Luxe” – on what is currently the site of Galvin Café à Vin in Spitalfields Market, London, on Wednesday, 27 January. It will open its second site, Green Man in Chelmsford, this summer, and if all goes to plan, the brothers hope to have as many as 20 sites in five years’ time. “In 2017, we think we will want to buy a tranche of pubs,” Chris Galvin told The Telegraph, adding it could be as few as two or as many as eight sites. As the pubs business expands some sites may be wholly owned by the brothers and others may be run as joint ventures. The brothers also run Michelin-starred Galvin Restaurants, which launched in 2005 and has seven sites in London and Edinburgh. They both describe the environment as fiercely competitive, and it was partly because of a wave of copycats of their Café à Vin restaurant they decided to spend more than £500,000 converting the site into HOP. “It’s a good business that’s been growing enough,” Jeff Galvin said of Café à Vin. “But the crowd in Spitalfields has changed. It’s become a little younger and we wanted to appeal a bit to that market.”

 

Brunning & Price buys former Shropshire country club and wedding venue: Brunning & Price, the gastro-pub brand owned by The Restaurant Group, has bought The Oakley House Country Club in Shropshire. The company is currently renovating the building, in Brewood, near Wolverhampton, and looking to open the new pub/restaurant, which will be called The Oakley, in April. The 19th century property, based in Kiddemore Green Road, had been on the market with a price of about £800,000 since 2011. The building stands in 2.6 acres of grounds, including a lake, and featured a 120-cover main restaurant and function room and was also used as a wedding venue. The Oakley will offer a choice of six cask ales on tap when it opens. On the first floor are five guest bedrooms as well as a self-contained two bedroom staff flat that could be used as further bedrooms. Brunning & Price head of marketing and communications Nicola Stuart told the Express & Star: “We aim for this venue to have a real community feel. We try to keep the buildings as original as we can.” Brunning & Price, which operates 55 pubs, is looking to buy another ten sites this year.

 

Nando’s hires Richard Atkinson as technology director: Nando’s has hired former JustGiving chief information officer Richard Atkinson in the position of technology director. Atkinson told Computing magazine his new role would see him responsible for enhancing the Nando’s experience for both the company’s staff and customers within the UK. He said: “Nando’s is a great business, with highly engaged staff and fans. So I’m delighted to be able to bring my background in consumer technology to enhance the restaurant experience for both our people and our customers.” The Nando’s brand has 1,200 restaurants across the globe, with 340 of them in the UK. Atkinson said it’s the UK “most of (Nando’s) worldwide technology expertise resides” in the form of a team of about 50 people working with various technology partners and vendors “to broaden and deepen their capability”. The key challenge in his new role, Atkinson said, “is to design, drive and deliver the most effective technology in a busy and growing business at a time of enormous technological change”. Atkinson will report directly to Nando’s UK chief executive. As a board member he’ll also work alongside group technology director and global chief information officer Ralph Marshall “to create solutions for global markets”. In his previous role at JustGiving, Atkinson was responsible for the infrastructure of an online social platform that enables over 15 million registered users to donate money to more than 20,000 charities.

Martin Williams steps up expansion plans: Martin Williams, the owner of M Restaurant in the City of London, is accelerating plans to open three restaurants in as many years. He unveiled his second outlet in Victoria last month and has plans for another in the West End within the next year, The Daily Telegraph has reported. He has invested £5.3m so far in opening the two restaurants, with finance provided from a pool of around 20 investors, as well as two bank loans. “People used to go to the cinema or a nightclub. Now the dining experience has become an alternative to that. London has grown to love food, cocktails and wines,” he told The Telegraph. M Restaurant, in Threadneedle Street, in the heart of the City of London, is expected to turn over £3.8m, with a profit of £300,000 before tax and other considerations. The 10,000 sq ft restaurant specialises in steaks costing up to £149 for cuts made from Kobe, the highest quality of beef.

JD Wetherspoon has Lutterworth police station conversion plan refused: JD Wetherspoon has had its application rejected to convert the historic former police station complex in Lutterworth, Leicestershire (population 9,953) into a pub following objections from Historic England and the local hospital trust. The company proposed to convert the grade II-listed buildings on the corner of Leicester Road and Gilmorton Road. The complex includes a former police station and a former magistrates’ court, which date back to 1843, and was considered to be the oldest purpose built police station in the country. The application was rejected by Harborough District Council by planning officers following objections from Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, which runs nearby Feilding Palmer Hospital, and Historic England. The trust said the noise levels, especially from the roof terrace in the summer, would disrupt patients and also raised concerns over a lack of parking at the site and warned customers could use its car parks. Heritage England said the plans would result in “irreplaceable loss of historic fabric”. JD Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon told the Hinckley Times: “We are disappointed with the decision. We are still very keen to open a pub on the site and will decide in due course whether to appeal.”

SSP opens first Starbucks Evenings at UK train station: SSP, the operator of food and beverage brands in travel locations worldwide, has opened the first Starbucks at a UK train station offering Starbuck Evenings. The site at Euston station offers customers a choice from a range of small hot and cold sharing plates, alongside premium wines and beers. Dishes on the menu range from chorizo and prawn skewers with chilli ketchup, to truffle mac and cheese, and braised British beef. A Caffè Ritazza is also being opened to feature the brand’s new look and will offer a newly improved premium fine food range. Simon Smith, chief executive of SSP UK and Ireland, said: “We have had a long and successful relationship with Network Rail and we are delighted to be building on the success of this partnership with the opening of two great brands.”

 

Vaulkhard Group plans expansion in 2016: North east bar and pub operator Vaulkhard Group is to expand its portfolio in 2016. The company was formed as a result of a merger between Fluid Group, Breeze Ventures and Blake’s Retail, which were owned by Ollie and Harry Vaulkhard, and commercial property concern 42 Street Realty. The group’s sites include Perdu, Central Bean, the Quilted Camel, Bealim House and Blake’s. For the period from 30 April 2014 to 31 March 2015, the company reported turnover of £6.29m, compared to £7.15m the year before. Vaulkhard Leisure also moved back into the black with a pre-tax profit of £377,260, compared to a loss of £12,850 in 2014. Ollie Vaulkhard told Insider Media: “We were really pleased with how last year went. We’ve had strong growth across the portfolio, even at the sites which were arguably at the end of their lifespan. Importantly, the venues are performing well in spite of the competition. Morpeth has been a revelation and done really well. What we do is starting to feel exciting again. It’s been a challenging few years but it’s nice to get back to business. We’re looking to add more venues to the portfolio. We’ve got five projects on the books for this year; two new venues, one refit and two new extensions. The big picture of doing the merger was to do these big things. As a company we feel good. The merger was huge but it was worth it. When we see the next set of results they will look very good.”

 

New bar and restaurant concept with beer and food matching options opening in Cardiff on Friday: A new bar and restaurant concept where the food is matched with its beer range is opening in Cardiff on Friday (15 January). Barley & Rye – Bier Bar and Kitchen will launch in Greyfriars Road and have capacity for over 250 people, creating 25 jobs. It will have a “modern and rustic design” with a mix of booths, benches and restaurant seats and serve over 80 beers from 20 countries worldwide and a range of speciality whiskeys. Head chef Gareth Dobbs has designed a menu with dishes to complement each beer, with the aim of providing customers with beer and food matching options. Director Nathan Gee told Wales Online: “We’re really excited to launch Barley & Rye in Cardiff with it being one of the fastest growing cities in the UK, it’s a great time to start a new venture. We felt there was a gap in the market for a bar which served a variety of beers, paired with food and in a unique and original venue, which is how we developed the concept of Barley & Rye.”

 

Muffin Break launches Muffin Lab: Muffin Break UK stores will see the introduction of the new and innovative Muffin Lab concept, which will offer “experimental and extraordinary flavours” to customers from today (Tuesday, 12 January). There will be a new creation every month with equally quirky names to suit their unexpected flavour combinations and will be available for a limited time only. The Muffin Lab will launch with the “Duffin”, a mix between a muffin and a donut that will consist of a hazelnut spread and a cocoa filling, finished off with a dusting of cinnamon. Customers will also be encouraged to share suggestions for future creations and the most successful will be added to the Muffin Lab Hall of Fame.

 

Reduced prices in YO! Sushi’s Happy Month: YO! Sushi is holding its Happy Month with its 40 most popular dishes for the price of £2.70 each. The dishes will be on offer Monday to Friday until 29 January and the restaurant will be giving away a free blue plate on 18 January when customers buy any two plates. The restaurant is also offering a new soft drinks menu that includes freshly squeezed watermelon juice, yuzu and pear juice and aloe vera juice, and customers who fancy a small glass of wine can choose 75ml glass servings. YO! Sushi is also working with Lizzie Cornwall, author of 365 Days of Happiness, who will be sharing her essential tips for keeping happy in January.

 

South Buckinghamshire-based pub operators take on second site: South Buckinghamshire-based pub operators Amanda Baker and Chris Lillitou have taken on their second site. The pair, who own the Jolly Cricketers in Seer Green, are now running the community owned Garibaldi in nearby Bourne End. They have taken over the pub in Hedsor Road after the stakeholders approached them directly. Baker told the Bucks Free Press: “It is all about talking to people, asking them what they want and doing things differently to the big chains. We are very much pro the great British pub. With 28,000 closing a year we want to keep them alive so decided to take the challenge. The Jolly Cricketers is an extremely busy pub but we had no custom over eight years ago when we first started and we built it up again with the help of the community.” The Garibaldi was rescued from its demise in 2012 after members of the community each bought a stake in the pub in the face of its permanent closure.

 

Hospitality sector design specialist Harrison expands Middle East business: Harrison, the international hospitality design and brand development consultancy with offices in the UK [London and Birmingham] and the USA [Texas], is expanding its UAE business with the addition of two new senior designers and a strengthening pipeline of local projects. Joining the company’s Middle East operation, located in the heart of Dubai’s leisure hospitality district, are Harrison UK bar and restaurant senior designer Kerrie Gray and hotel hospitality designer Jim Rankin, who arrives as head of design (UAE) with a high profile international design background and significant experience in the Middle East. The duo will be working alongside technical director Warwick Snelling and Harrison design director and UAE head Jon Bentley – both of whom have worked in the Middle East for a number of years. They will spearhead new projects from clients such as Meraas Holdings, Al Tayer Group, Meraki, Jumeirah Group and Food Fund International. Latest Dubai openings for Harrison’s UAE design team include the uniquely quirky Bikes ‘n’ Bites at Boxpark, renowned head chef Neil Whitney’s South American-themed restaurant Poco Loco at The Beach on JBR, Food Fund International’s second Eat Greek at the Mall of the Emirates and Jumeirah’s Italian-themed Trattoria Toscana and modern Chinese restaurant Zheng He’s at Souk Madinat and Mina A’Salam respectively. Projects currently underway include the design and roll-out of one of New York City’s most iconic restaurants, Serendipity 3, at Dubai Festival City and City Walk for Al Tayer Group and a third Eat Greek at The Dubai Mall.

 

Coca-Cola launches new initiatives: Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) is helping licensees to kick start the new year with the launch of its online “second serve” training programme and a “make the most of January” scratch card prize giveaway designed to drive soft drink sales. Using the latest animation technology to deliver its content in an upbeat and engaging way, the training programme looks to educate licensees about the sales potential of offering a second soft drink to customers. It includes information on optimum times to suggest another drink, how to incentivise staff to reach their sales targets, and the tools available to maximise the effectiveness of the approach. Available to all CCE customers, the new module follows the first stage of the training programme that launched earlier this year, and promoted the importance of the “perfect serve”. To further help pubs and bars drive trade in the quieter first months of the year, CCE has also launched its “make the most of January” campaign. Offering prizes to consumers purchasing either a Schweppes sparkling juice drink, Appletiser or one of the Coca-Cola line up, the promotion will run up until the end of January through a scratch card mechanic. Prizes will include spa and activity day vouchers, as well as fitness wristbands, headphones and MP3 players, all designed to appeal to consumers who are adopting healthier lifestyles after the heavy festive period. Caroline Cater, operational marketing director at CCE, said: “Our ‘perfect serve’ online training module has proved popular among our licensed customers, and we’re pleased to roll-out this second module, which focuses on how offering a ‘second serve’ at the right time can help pubs and bars to achieve growth.”

 

Giggs and Neville hire Michelin-starred Michael O’Hare as creative director: The leisure group headed by Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville, GG Hospitality, has hired Michelin-stared chef Michael O’Hare as its creative director. O’Hare’s restaurant The Man Behind The Curtain in Leeds only opened in April 2014 but won a star in the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2016 and now has a 12-month waiting list for weekend bookings. O’Hare also starred on the latest series of the BBC’s culinary reality television show Great British Menu, winning the north east heat and being selected by judges to make his fish course for the Women’s Institute centenary banquet at the end of the series. O’Hare said: “The moment Gary and I started to discuss the project, I knew I wanted to be involved. His passion and enthusiasm immediately drew me in and the vision both him and Ryan have for enhancing the GG Hospitality offering, felt like a natural fit for me. From the Great British Menu to The Man Behind The Curtain’s first Michelin Star, 2015 was a fantastic year and I look forward to working on this exciting project, alongside my restaurant, in 2016.” Neville, a director of GG Hospitality, said: “I met Michael in October last year and instantly knew that he was the man for us. I’ve dined at The Man Behind the Curtain and can honestly say that I’ve never experienced anything like it. Michael’s skills, attitude and attention to detail are exactly what we require across all our GG projects and we’ve no doubt that he is a perfect match for us.” GG Hospitality’s portfolio includes Hotel Football, Café Football Old Trafford, and Café Football Stratford. It is also opening a new boutique hotel in the former Stock Exchange building and the St Michael’s complex, both in Manchester city centre.

Douglas Jack issues ‘Buy’ recommendation on Revolution Bars shares ahead of trading update: Numis Securities leisure analyst Douglas Jack has issued a ‘Buy’ recommendation on Revolution Bars shares with a target price of 265p, ahead of a trading update on Tuesday, 19 January. He said: “Like-for-like sales rose by 3% in 2015 and early 2016E, and we see no reason to expect much change in this sector-leading trend for a national operator. The company’s 2016E EV/Ebitda (5.6x) rating is the lowest in the licensed retail sector, even though its lease-adjusted Cash Return On Invested Capital is the highest. We believe increased news flow over calendar 2016 should help to rectify this. Over the year to June 2015, like-for-like sales rose by 3.0%, the highest rate for any quoted licensed retailer with a national presence, ahead of a 1% increase for the Coffer Peach Tracker’s pub constituents over the same period. For 2016E, we forecast like-for-like sales slowing to 2.5%, which would be consistent with the Peach Tracker slowing to 0.5% during July-November 2015. However, we would be surprised if like-for-like sales have changed materially: the high street bar market is benefiting from positive demand and negative supply growth; Revolution Bars has introduced new food menus, prior to which food like-for-like sales were growing by over 10% (food is circa 15% of total sales); and we believe that frozen, blended cocktails, which were introduced over the summer, have been selling well, supporting drink like-for-like sales. We forecast margins being flat in both half one and half two 2016E even though the company increased site Ebitda margins by 170bps in 2015 and should benefit from increased scale economies as expansion accelerates. Three Revolución de Cuba bars opened in half one and two bars (one Revolution; one Revolución de Cuba) should open in half two. Up to 2015, the Revolución de Cuba brand generated an average cash return of 54%, so any progress accelerating expansion could generate a material benefit. Having upgraded 2017E forecasts by 4% in September, we expect to hold our forecasts next week. These anticipate 46% self-financed profit before tax growth over the three years to June 2017, based on cautious assumptions of slowing like-for-like sales, gross margins no longer growing, and expansion including just one-two large openings per annum. We would ‘Buy’ the shares, which we view as undervalued (the 2017E EV/Ebitda is 4.6x), ahead of increased trading news flow.”

 

CAU secures Bath site: Property agent Shelley Sandzer has acquired a new premises on behalf of Gioma, which will trade as CAU within Bath’s famous shopping destination Milsom Place. The 3,500 square foot restaurant is due to open this Easter. The centre, which was recently purchased by TIAA Henderson Real Estate, already boasts a well-known mix of restaurants and high-end retailers including Cote, Jamie’s Italian, Colonna & Hunter and Cath Kidson. The subject premises involved combining two existing restaurants – Pizza Solo and Le Parisien, as well as developing a first floor extension. CAU’s 17th UK site will provide for 120 covers with an al-fresco seating area on the first floor adjacent to Jamie Oliver. Casey Phillips, acquisitions agent for Shelley Sandzer, said: “The deal took a long time to materialise whilst the virtual freehold interest changed hands, planning permission, listed building consent and conservation area consent were all necessary. These requirements are mandatory for Bath, whose history and aesthetic beauty make it one of the most popular tourist destinations within the UK.”

 

£10,000 crowdfunding campaign launches to open Bristol’s first board games cafe: A £10,000 fund-raising campaign has been launched on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter to open Bristol’s first board games cafe. Steve Cownie and two friends are aiming to open the venue in Christmas Steps and so far £1,770 has been pledged by 36 investors with 29 days remaining. The pitch states: “We’ll stock board games to suit every taste, whether that’s family favourites, cult classics, nascent indie numbers or high strategy brain-busters. Alongside them we’ll be serving fresh, uncomplicated food, fantastic teas and coffees, and quality alcoholic drinks (naturally). Add in some atmospheric lighting, comfy seating and our very own purpose-built tables and you’ll have an idea of what we’re aiming for. We want to bring people together and introduce the amazing variety of modern board games to Bristol. There will be seating for 60 people, of which some parts can be pre-booked. Our library will have about 200 games for our customers to choose from. There will be a cover charge that will go towards replacing damaged or missing pieces from games as well as expanding our collection for all to enjoy. We’ll offer a two-tier membership scheme, which allows our regular visitors to save money on the cover charge (or avoid it altogether) and take part in our competitive tournaments and leagues. Our new home has bags of potential but it’s in need of some work, which is what the majority of the Kickstarter money will go towards if we are successful. The remaining Kickstarter funding will be used to pay for our purpose-built oak tables.”

 

Itinerary unveiled for second Propel and Thinking Drinkers Craft Beer Retail Study Tour: The itinerary has been unveiled for the second Propel and Thinking Drinkers Craft Beer Retail Study Tour. The event, which this year focuses on south London, takes place on Thursday, 28 January and will visit seven of the capital’s leading craft beer retailers in an eight-hour period. It starts at the Four Thieves brewpub in Battersea, owned by Laine Pub Company. The tour will then visit hybrid craft beer and bottle shop We Brought Beer in Clapham Junction, which was founded by former BrewDog employee James Hickson, followed by the Craft Beer Co site in Clapham Manor Street. The next stop will be the Crown & Anchor in Brixton run by London Village Inns before heading to independently operated Stormbird in Camberwell Church Street, which was runner-up in the Timeout Love London Awards in 2015. The tour then continues to Late Knights Brewery’s micro-pub Beer Rebellion in Gypsy Hill and ends at Utobeer’s The Rake in Borough Market. The tour will again be led by Thinking Drinkers, award-winning beer writers Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham, who will provide the latest craft beer facts and figures, market segmentation, analysis and spot up-and-coming trends. 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. To book, email adam.dickinson@propelinfo.com

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