Loungers eyes 100th site in April: Loungers, the Lion Capital-backed cafe bar operator, has opened its first site in 2017, Renato Lounge, in Mere Green – and is set to hit the 100 site mark by April. Renato Lounge is located in a 3,400 square foot unit in the newly built Mulberry Walk Scheme and has opened following a £525,000 investment. Renato is Loungers’ third Lounge in the Sutton Coldfield district of Birmingham and brings the overall number of Lounges in the city to six. The group also has a Cosy Club on Bennetts Hill in the centre of Birmingham. The group has confirmed additional Quarter One 2017 Lounge openings will follow in Exeter, Poole, and Weston-super-Mare as well as a 17th Cosy Club, which will open in Cheltenham at the end of February. The group intends to open a minimum of 20 new sites in 2017 and will reach the milestone of 100 sites by the end of April. Chief executive Nick Collins said: “The opening of Renato Lounge takes Birmingham level with Bristol in terms of number of sites and we believe there is potential for more sites in the city. The year ahead is extremely exciting for the business and, with a very full pipeline of sites for both brands for the rest of 2017 and 2018, it will also be another very busy one.” Renato Lounge has been named in honour of Renato Pagliari who owned a restaurant in Mere Green and shot to fame as one half of the due Renee and Renato who had a UK Number One hit in 1982 with ‘Save Your Love’. 

Time Out Group adds Matthew Riley to board: Time Out Group, the global multi-platform media and e-commerce business with food & cultural markets, has appointed Matthew Riley as non-executive director with effect from 23 January 2017. Matthew Riley brings with him significant experience with publicly listed, high growth companies. He is the founder and Chairman of the Daisy Group of companies, a business he launched in 2001 which he has built into one of Britain’s leading business technology and communications providers. During this growth, the Daisy Group enjoyed a successful period of expansion as an AIM company, from 2009 to 2015, before being successfully taken back into private ownership. Named ‘Dealmaker of the Year’ at the M&A Awards in 2010 and having received a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at the Comms National Awards in 2012, Matthew also serves as Chairman of private start-up businesses U-Explore and Grassroots Wholesale Foods. Julio Bruno, chief executive of Time Out Group, said: “I am delighted to welcome Matthew Riley to the Board of Time Out Group. He will be a fantastic addition as he brings exceptional leadership experience and has a successful track record of rapidly growing a business. He is driven, entrepreneurial and innovative. It is this experience that perfectly matches Time Out’s DNA and will be of significant value for the Board as we deliver against our ambitious growth strategy and our mission to help people discover, book and share what the world’s cities have to offer.”

Heineken confirms talks with Kirin over Brasil business: Heineken has confirmed it is talks with Kirin over buying its Brasil business. The company stated: “In response to press speculation on Kirin in Brazil, Heineken confirms that it is currently in discussions with Kirin Holdings Company, Limited regarding a potential transaction in respect of Brasil Kirin Holding SA. These discussions are ongoing and there can be no certainty that an agreement will be reached. Further announcements will be made as appropriate.”

Jamie Hornsey joins Matchpint as sales director: Matchpint has hired Jamie Hornsey as its new sales director. The company stated: “Jamie brings 20 years of on trade experience from Heineken and AB InBev. In his 13 years at AB InBev, he held various On Trade account roles before directing the Mitchells & Butlers & Spirit Group accounts from 2009-2013. From 2013, he was their commercial director for wholesale and convenience, delivering two years of market leading growth for his channel worth over £100m NSV per annum. The new role is really exciting. Jamie will be responsible for leading our pub team here, developing a network of pubs that really nail sport and use technology to deliver unforgettable moments for fans.”