Crepeaffaire reports sales rise 28% to £3m, Ebitda up 73%, strong start to 2016: Crepeaffaire, the UK branded creperie group, has reported net sales rose 28% to £3m for the year ending 31 December 2015. Group Ebitda (before head office costs) was up 73% to £720,000. Its sales for the first quarter of 2016 have increased 34% on the previous year with like-for-likes up 20%. Crepeaffaire’s founder Daniel Spinath said: “Our quality initiatives, refurbishment programme and organisational changes have been key in achieving these results. Our new sites (Islington, Bristol, Birmingham, Amsterdam, Kuwait) have been very well received. And we’ve been off to a great start in 2016, with new product ranges and a strong pipeline of openings foreseen in the UK and abroad. Watch this space!” The brand is about to embark on an ambitious roll-out plan in the UK, Netherlands and the Middle East through a combination of company‐owned and joint venture/franchised initiatives. Spinath said: “There is real appetite for our products in a variety of formats and locations. Crepes are the optimum versatile envelopes for all kinds of fillings and meal occasions. We’ve only just begun!”

BrewDog hails Ohio beer-strength law change: Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog is celebrating a law change regarding beer strength in Ohio state, where it is set to open its US brewery in August. It is illegal for breweries in Ohio to produce beer exceeding 12% ABV, but after first being passed by the State Senate, the House voted to overturn the ruling, meaning it is set to be enshrined in state law. The company said the change in legislation would “have a big impact on ourselves and the amazing craft breweries throughout Ohio”, while revealing the part it played in the law change. It stated on its blog: “With rules relating to brewing, distribution and sale of beer differing from state to state, many beer fans simply drive across their nearest border and stock up with impunity. BrewDog USA vice-president of sales Jason Davis (an Ohio native) illustrated this by venturing just over the state line into Kentucky. In Covington, he discovered a liquor store retailing a whopping 263 different beers with more than 12% ABV. This find was instrumental in the State Senate decision – they cited Jason’s fact-finding mission in their debate – making it an influential point in dismissing the ridiculous situation. We are proud to have helped light a fuse and played a small part in common sense prevailing in the Columbus State Capitol. As with 26 BrewDog beers we were unable to sell in Ohio before this week, the floodgates are about to open in the best possible way.”

Caprice Holdings eyes rooftop Ivy venue at £100m Poole marina redevelopment: Caprice Holdings, owned by Richard Caring, is said to be in negotiations to expand its Ivy brand by opening a rooftop restaurant at the £100m redevelopment of Salterns Marina in Poole, Dorset, for which plans have been approved. The development is spearheaded by property specialist Richard Carr, who is acting on behalf of Salterns Marina, Insider Media reports. Carr revealed he was in negotiations with Caprice Holdings about a rooftop site at the building set to replace the Harbourside Hotel. As well as a new marina, a spa, gym, and 226-space car park will also be built, alongside a £7m investment to raise the sea wall to protect the area from flooding. Planning board chairman Cllr Peter Pawlowski said: “We should be taking advantage of our harbour to promote and help our area, and that area is so tired.” Last month, plans were submitted to convert a grade II-listed building in Milsom Street, Bath, into the Ivy Bath Brasserie. The sixth Ivy venue in London will launch in Wimbledon on Wednesday, 1 June, with its first site outside the capital to open in Bristol this summer.

London mayor Sadiq Khan to create ‘night tsar’ role to protect pub and club scene: New London mayor Sadiq Khan has vowed to make cultural life a “top four” priority and appoint a “night tsar” to protect the capital’s under-threat pub and club scene. Addressing creative industry members at City Hall, he said he recognised the importance of the sector to “London’s well-being” and added the new role would involve ensuring grass-roots and independent venues were not forced to close, BBC News reports. Khan said: “We can’t rest on our laurels. We are facing stiff global competition.” Noise complaints and licensing rules have hit nightlife in certain boroughs. Night Time Industries Association chairman Alan Miller welcomed plans to adopt the “agent of change” principle, in which a new nightclub is responsible for soundproofing its premises but builders who construct housing near an existing venue should pay for their own. Miller said: “People who move to places like Peckham and Hackney should recognise the nightlife there and not be surprised when they move in. In the boroughs, there are still some problematic views about nightlife. Licensing authorities can view venues as a nuisance rather than cultural assets.” Miller added that the introduction of the Night Tube in London, scheduled for August, would help reduce noise by dispersing people from venues over a longer period.

Starbucks offers $8 bundled lunch deal: Starbucks is offering a deal allowing consumers to create a customised lunch for $8 (£5.50). Customers can choose one of 24 lunch items, including sandwiches, salad bowls, wraps, and bistro boxes. Pricing varies by market but on average the items are priced between $4.95 and $6.95, the company said. Customers can then add a snack from 16 options priced $1.75 or less, such as bagged popcorn or crisps, with a piece of fresh fruit or fruit bar (typically about 95 cents to $1.95), as well as one bottle of Ethos water, which is typically about $1.95. Coffee or tea is not an option for the bundle, which is available at Starbucks-owned units in the US until Monday, 30 May, Nation’s Restaurant News reports. The deal comes as leading US quick-service restaurants battle for value-seeking customers with their own variations on bundled meals. Wendy’s launched a “four for $4” deal in October 2015, with McDonald’s launching its “McPick 2 for $2” offer a few months later. Burger King has been promoting a “five for $4” bundled meal. Starbucks has been steadily building on the sale of food at breakfast and lunch in recent years. During the 27 March-ended second quarter, overall food sales represented about 20% of US revenue for the first time, contributing two percentage points to the same-store sales increase of 7% for the Americas region.

Jamie Oliver launches Jamie’s Italian in Budapest, first central European site: Jamie Oliver has launched his first restaurant in central Europe with the opening of a Jamie’s Italian restaurant in Budapest, Hungary. The brand will be introduced to the Hungarian market by restaurateur Zoltán Roy Zsidai, who owns Budapest venues Spíler and ÉS, Hungary Today reports. On the restaurant’s website, Oliver stated: “Opening a restaurant in Budapest is hugely exciting. Our first site is right in the heart of the Castle District, which has got to be one of the most beautiful places to be opening a restaurant. We’re working with a fantastic local partner and we’re already on the hunt for brilliant suppliers and producers.” US-born Zsidai said: “The chemistry has been there between the two groups from the very beginning – it was just like meeting my big brother from London. We stand for the same values, strive for the best, the maximum, and make no compromises.” Jamie’s Italian was established by Oliver in co-operation with his Italian mentor Gennaro Contaldo to popularise casual Italian cuisine prepared from quality ingredients at affordable prices. There are more than 60 Jamie’s Italian restaurants worldwide, including sites in two other European markets – Turkey and Russia.

Irish hotel group O’Callaghan to launch first UK site in Cambridge: Ireland-based O’Callaghan Hotels Group will open its first UK site at the CB1 development around Cambridge railway station. The four-star hotel – The Tamburlaine – is on schedule to open next spring and will include a restaurant, bar and standalone cafe. It will also provide 155 rooms and suites fitted out with the latest technology, along with meeting rooms featuring audio-visual equipment. Artist Jyll Bradly will produce the public art to feature at the front of the hotel. Bryan O’Callaghan, chief executive of O’Callaghan Hotels Group, told Cambridge News: “We are very excited to be opening our first UK hotel in Cambridge, in the heart of this vibrant and exciting quarter – CB1. The Tamburlaine will be a great addition to the community and we hope to establish it as much as a place to meet up for locals as it will be for business and leisure travellers. Our reputation has been built on friendly, high-quality service for the discerning visitor and we are looking forward to catering for the UK market.” A spokeswoman for CB1 developers Brookgate said: “The exclusive hotel is a major contribution to the transformation of the area around the station, creating a destination and a sense of place in what will be a new city quarter for Cambridge.” O’Callaghan Hotels Group operates hotels in Dublin, Gibraltar and Annapolis in the US.