Fulham Shore to open three Franco Manca restaurants and one The Real Greek site in London by end of year: Fulham Shore, led by David Page, will open three Franco Manca pizza restaurants and one The Real Greek site in London by the end of the year. Page also revealed Franco Manca would also be extending its trial with Deliveroo. He said: “In the financial year to date, Fulham Shore has opened seven Franco Manca pizzeria. This takes Fulham Shore’s restaurant portfolio to 36 sites, comprising nine The Real Greek, 26 Franco Manca and one Bukowski Grill. We are also building three more Franco Manca pizzeria across London to open later this year and one The Real Greek in Muswell Hill to open this autumn. The openings planned in this financial year are in line with market expectations. Our initial trials with Deliveroo, offering Franco Manca pizza on a delivered basis, have proved encouraging. We are extending this trial to further Franco Manca pizzeria in the coming weeks.”

McDonald’s on verge of finding buyer for China, Hong Kong and South Korea restaurants: McDonald’s are on the verge of finding a buyer for its 2,800 restaurants in China, Hong Kong and South Korea. The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm based in Washington DC, and a multinational group are reportedly the final two bidders for such a deal, according to the New York Post. The 20-year master franchise agreement is estimated to be worth $2bn to $3bn. “The turnaround plan we announced last year is grounded in many factors and includes evaluating our ownership structures around the world,” a McDonald’s spokeswoman told CNBC. “We are making progress as we look for long-term strategic partners with local relevance who have complementary skills and expertise coupled with a strong understanding of McDonald’s brand and who share our values and vision with a dedicated focus on accelerating growth initiatives. As no decisions have been made, it would be premature to speculate further.” The Carlyle Group has seen success in the restaurant industry before. In 2006, the firm purchased Dunkin’ Brands and exited through the public markets in 2012, after expanding the brand in China.