British consumers are ‘creatures of habit’ when it comes to eating out: British consumers are happy to act on “autopilot” when choosing where to eat out if they get good pricing, convenience and the right customer experience, according to insights firm NPD Group. The company’s data for the year ending November 2017 revealed almost one in four (24%) of diners choose where to eat out because they “always or regularly go there”, amounting to more than 2.8 billion visits per year. More than one-third (37%) of respondents like the convenience of location as well as good pricing (24%) – but habit is the fastest-growing reason for visiting a foodservice outlet. Habitual visits have risen by 10.6% (263 million visits) in the two years to November 2017, seven times faster than visit growth in the overall market (1.5%). Habitual visits account for £12.6bn of out-of-home (OOH) consumer spending per year, a figure that has risen 13.4% in the two years to November 2017, while overall OOH spending has grown by less than half this rate (6.6%). Britain’s coffee shop sector especially attracts loyalty, with almost one in three (32%) customers choosing an operator because they “always or regularly go there”. Loyalty schemes play a large part, with coffee shops that operate a scheme recording three times more visits than the total OOH market. Technology is also changing the loyalty landscape. The research revealed consumers are less inclined to be loyal when offered an “order-ahead” app, with habitual visits at 17% compared with the overall 24%. App visits are set to account for 28% of the total OOH market growth in the next two years to reach almost 200 million visits a year by 2019, the company forecast. Cyril Lavenant, foodservice director UK at NPD Group, said: “We are spoilt for choice when it comes to eating out thanks to innovative foodservice chains opening all the time. The conventional wisdom is that with so many options we are promiscuous consumers, choosing one brand and then another – always experimenting and never settling for a ‘favourite’. But our latest data shows that’s not the case. Nearly one in four of us are happy to go on ‘autopilot’ as long as we get good pricing, convenience and the right customer experience. The value of that ‘autopilot’ business is close to £13bn – or nearly one-quarter of the sales value of the entire British foodservice industry – so it’s something Britain’s operators should fight for.”

Propel and Thinking Drinkers launch fourth Craft Beer Retail Study Tour: Propel is staging its fourth Craft Beer Retail Study Tour on Thursday, 22 March in London, this time exploring the burgeoning beer scene in Bermondsey and Brixton. The tour, led by The Thinking Drinkers, award-winning beer writers Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham, will visit eight venues during the day-long tour including leading craft beer retailers, a cider specialist and a street food market that features its own brewery. McFarland and Sandham will provide the latest craft beer facts and figures, market segmentation analysis, and spot up-and-coming trends, while CGA commercial director Graeme Loudon will provide further insights. Site visits will include question-and-answer sessions with some of London’s leading retailers looking at award-winning sites, beer-centric retail, beer sourcing, direct sourcing, menus, brewing on-site, and a host of other issues. The day includes travel between venues by coach where appropriate. Tickets are £345 plus VAT for Propel Premium members and £395 plus VAT for non-Propel Premium members. To book, email anne.steele@propelinfo.com

Propel Multi Club Conference opens for bookings, Numis to present: The first Propel Multi Club Conference of 2018 is open for bookings. The full-day event takes place on Wednesday, 7 March at the Grange Hotel in St Paul’s, London. Tim Barrett, travel and leisure analyst at Numis, will examine the unprecedented current cost environment in the foodservice sector and the potential winners and losers. Multi-site operators of pubs, restaurants and foodservice outlets can book up to two free places by emailing Anne Steele at anne.steele@propelinfo.com

UK restaurant sales up over two years as London lags behind: UK restaurants raked in more than £40bn last year as turnover for restaurants outside London grew at a faster rate than the capital, a new study has revealed. Coventry’s restaurant turnover grew more than any other UK city in the past two years, making £186,598 in 2015, up 192% from £63,927 in 2013. Edinburgh, Sunderland and York followed in the top-performing cities for restaurant turnover over the two-year period, according to consultancy firm Moore Stephens. Restaurants in Belfast, Bristol and Brighton also earned more money than their London counterparts, seeing 19%, 18% and 15% growth in turnover respectively between 2013 and 2015. London restaurants saw a 7% increase in takings but contributed a substantial £11bn as a whole to the restaurant industry in 2015, more than any other UK region. Glasgow and Southampton saw restaurant turnover decline during the period, with Southampton ranked bottom with a decrease of 21%. The increasing popularity of takeaway food through delivery apps such as UberEats and Deliveroo has challenged restaurant growth, and they now make up a major slice of the food market. Just Eat saw 136.4 million orders in 2016, compared with just 96 million the year before. Moore Stephens director Simon Fowles told the Independent: “Restaurant sector growth has been faster in the regions as they seek less-crowded markets. While disposable income is lower outside London, there is a far lower presence of modern, highly branded restaurant chains. As there is a slight lag in the most recent data, it will be very interesting to see how trends in the restaurant sector progress, particularly with regards to the continuing impact of Brexit on consumer sentiment.”

Buzzworks Holdings looks to continue expansion as it reports turnover and profit boost: Buzzworks Holdings is looking to continue its expansion having reported a boost in turnover and pre-tax profit. The company saw turnover increase 15.6% to £14.8m for the year ending 30 April 2107, compared with £12.8m the previous year. Pre-tax profit was up 9.2% to £694,248, compared with £635,626 the year before. The Ayrshire-based company, which now operates ten venues, saw employee numbers rise 13% to 438 during the period as it added The Corner House in Kilwinning to its portfolio and made “significant” investment in its existing restaurants, including a £500,000 refurbishment of the flagship Scotts in Troon. Buzzworks is now looking to establish its latest venue, The Coach House in Bridge of Weir, which is its first outside Ayrshire following its opening last summer, and continue expansion with the arrival of Scotts at Port Edgar, which is due to open this summer. Buzzworks is also on the lookout for new venues across Scotland. Director Kenny Blair said: “It is fantastic to reflect on such a strong financial year, where we have invested in a host of new projects and seen the extensive refurbishment of our flagship venue – Scotts in Troon. Last year was an exciting time for Buzzworks Holdings and, as a company, we achieved some healthy results. However, we are constantly looking forward and our focus is now on how to make 2018 even more of a success as we expand into the east coast and beyond. We move forward with cautious optimism as the sector continues to face challenges relating to increased supplier and staff costs. However, we have managed this well. We will continue to invest heavily in our people and bring them along on this exciting journey while making sure our customers continue to enjoy world-class hospitality at each of our venues. We believe this commitment to excellence and investment in the team and portfolio have been instrumental in our success to date.”

Arc Inspirations strengthens team with property director and operations manager appointments: Arc Inspirations, the Leeds-based bar and restaurant operator of the Banyan and Manahatta brands led by Martin Wolstencroft, has strengthened its team with the appointments of a new property director and operations manager for the north west. Both appointments will work alongside Wolstencroft and managing director Anni Opong in orchestrating the next phase of growth for the 15-strong operator. Nik Lowery will join Arc Inspirations as property director on 1 February from Revolution Bars Group to lead Arc’s acquisitions and the next stage of its growth. Lowery has 15 years’ experience in the licensed retail sector and experience across property management, multi-tenure acquisitions and new-build development, as well as spending five years at Greene King. Meanwhile, James Gingell has been appointed operations manager for the north west from 5 February. Gingell joins Arc from The Victorian Chop House Company, where he had full operational control of three established gastro-pubs in Manchester city centre. Gingell comes with a wealth of hospitality experience having started his career as a chef and working at Individual Restaurants for 15 years as group operations executive chef. Wolstencroft said: “I’m delighted to have both Nik and James in place. It’s a positive move for Arc Inspirations and is testament to Nik and James’ passion and commitment to the hospitality industry. Now with a strong leadership team, combined with our phenomenal financial results and confirmed acquisitions for 2018, we can cement our position as one of the leading bar and restaurant operators in the north of England.”

Greggs to transform five sites for Valentine’s Day dining experience: UK food-on-the-go retailer Greggs is to transform five of its UK restaurants on Valentine’s Day for couples to enjoy a romantic, candle-lit dinner. The company will offer a four-course meal accompanied by a bottle of prosecco at its outlets in City Tower Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester; Queen Street, Cardiff; Clapham Road, London; Grainger Street, Newcastle; and Argyle Street, Glasgow. Tables will be available to book from Wednesday, 7 February exclusively via OpenTable. Greggs stated on its website: “This Valentine’s Day we’re opening our doors for couples to enjoy a romantic, candle-lit dinner in shops for the very first time. We’re transforming selected shops into restaurants designed for romance, complete with mood lighting and music, roses, candles and linen tablecloths. Instead of ordering at the till, couples will receive first-class table service in our take on a ‘fine dining’ Greggs experience. This is the ultimate Valentine’s treat for the Greggs fan in your life. The one-night-only menu will be made entirely from your favourite products but given a special Valentine’s twist. Sausage rolls and romance can go hand in hand. Whether you’re on a first date or have been married for 30 years, we guarantee it will be a night to remember.”

Ivy Collection acquires Brasserie Blanc site in St Albans following ‘very attractive’ offer: The Ivy Collection, owned by Caprice Holdings, has acquired the site of Raymond Blanc’s French restaurant group Brasserie Blanc in St Albans. The restaurant in Verulam Road is set to close next week. A Brasserie Blanc spokeswoman told The Herts Advertiser: “After over five years of positive trading in St Albans, the decision to close Brasserie Blanc has not been an easy one. We continually evaluate where the most appropriate locations are for our brasseries. This means we have a healthy programme of openings but also leads to us relocating or closing certain sites. The offer made to us by Caprice Holdings (The Ivy) was very attractive and will be invested into the expansion programme. Last year saw the opening of our 19th and 20th sites in Fulham Reach and Bournemouth and we look forward to announcing further openings in the coming year. All staff are being offered the opportunity to relocate to one of our other Brasserie Blancs or our partner White Brasserie Company pubs in the surrounding area. We would like to thank all our wonderful guests for their custom and loyalty during our time in St Albans and invite them to visit one of our other Brasseries – Oxford, Beaconsfield, Milton Keynes or one of our nearby pubs – The Highwayman in Berkhamsted and The Hare in Old Redding, near Harrow.”

Fuller’s acquires Royal Wharf site for tenth London riverside pub: London brewer and retailer Fuller’s has acquired a riverside site in the new Royal Wharf development in London’s Royal Dock. The site, which is due to open in early 2019, includes a large terrace and two floors of internal trading space. It will be a sister site to The Blue Boat at Fulham Reach and The Sail Loft in Greenwich, with a similar “light, airy, contemporary” design. Royal Wharf is a new development by Ballymore and Oxley with the £3.5bn project including apartments, townhouses, shops and leisure units. It is inspired by London’s traditional Georgian architecture. Fuller’s chief executive Simon Emeny said: “Royal Wharf is a fantastic location in an area where we are currently under-represented and our site is in a prime position on the water’s edge. The development is centred around a vibrant high street and local market square and our new pub will be popular with local residents and visitors to this up-and-coming area. It will be a great addition to our estate and our tenth riverside pub in London.”

Brunning & Price adds former Loch Fyne restaurant in Beaconsfield to portfolio: Brunning & Price, the Restaurant Group’s gastro-pub arm, has added the former Greene King-operated Loch Fyne restaurant in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, to its portfolio. Brunning & Price plans to refurbish the site in London End and reopen it in the summer under its former name of The White Horse. It is the second addition of 2018 for the company, which last week acquired the Arrow Mill in Alcester, Warwickshire, to its estate. Managing director Mary Willcock said of the Beaconsfield acquisition: “We always relish the opportunity to restore former pubs back to their glory days. When we reopen in the summer we aim to return the pub to its former name of The White Horse, as this seems to evoke fond memories from those we have spoken to.” Brunning & Price consists of a group of 61 pubs and has been part of The Restaurant Group since 2007.

Deltic Group unveils new apprenticeship programme: The Deltic Group, the UK’s largest operator of premium late-night bars and clubs with 57 venues, has unveiled a new apprenticeship programme, created in partnership with HIT Training. The programme, available to those over the age of 16, comprises two apprenticeships – hospitality team member, alcoholic beverage service (level 2); and hospitality supervisor, bar supervision (level 3). Through the partnership, Deltic aims to extend this to also include a level 4 and level 5 management-style qualification. The programme has been designed with Deltic Group’s culture, business demands, and core values in mind. Each candidate will follow a 12-month programme, with quarterly workshops delivered by HIT Training. Deltic Group chief executive Peter Marks said: “The night-time economy is a fun and dynamic sector with a wealth of long-term career opportunities. The majority of our senior team have come up through the ranks, including myself, and we’re really looking forward to supporting our team members through this initiative to further develop their skills and talents.”

Street food Indian wraps concept Chapati Man launches franchise model to expand outside London: London-based street food Indian wraps concept Chapati Man is launching a franchise model as it looks to expand to other UK cities. Chapati Man was founded in 2007 by husband-and-wife team Chris and Andrea Rai, who got the idea from Chris taking leftover curry to work in a wrap. Having appeared at various street food markets and music festivals, the Rais are working with The Franchise Company, a franchise consultancy that has helped franchises throughout the UK and abroad for the past 27 years. The Rais now see a natural transition from a single trailer to a “herd” of franchised Chapati Man trucks. Andrea Rai said: “As the lunchtime palate becomes ever more sophisticated, there is a clear opportunity for Chapati Man’s flavour-packed, substantial and healthy wraps to be a success in other cities across the UK.” Chapati Man is a regular pop-up on the network of London locations run by street food trading platform StreetDots. StreetDots co-founder Atholl Milton said: “Chris and Andrea always impress us with their business nous and slick operation – they have a fantastic brand that will be welcomed by cities across the UK.” The Franchise Company franchise consultant Mashud Choudhury added: “I see a huge number of franchises but I must say Chapati Man is really exciting simply because it’s the first (of its type) in the franchise sector. No-one else is doing what these guys are doing and, based on their past success, their future is going to be even bigger!”

7Bone to head west to Weston: Better burger brand 7Bone, which is backed by private equity firm Kings Park Capital, has secured a site in Weston-super-Mare in Somerset – its most western site to date. The company will open the restaurant at the revamped Dolphin Square leisure complex. 7Bone’s menu includes corn dogs, cheese steaks and buffalo chicken, alongside burgers such as The Robert Johnston (aged beef patty with cheese, truffled garlic mushrooms and truffle mayo), and The Dirty Linda (chicken-fried halloumi with American cheese, dirty slaw and 7bbq sauce). The drinks menu includes imported beer and “dirty cocktails”. An opening date for the restaurant has yet to be confirmed but the venue has started the recruiting process. A spokesman told Somerset Live: “7Bone is an old-school American diner with significant growth plans to become the leading dirty burger joint in the UK.” 7Bone, founded by Matt Mollicone and Rich Zammit in 2013, currently operates eight sites – in Bournemouth, Camberley, Eastbourne, Hove, Newbury, Portsmouth, Reading and Southampton.

Marston’s continues expansion of Lost & Found concept with new Bristol and Leeds sites: Marston’s Revere Pub Company is opening two venues for its The Lost & Found concept this year – in Leeds and Bristol – while it will also refurbish its debut Birmingham site. The group will open its second Leeds site in February, reopen Birmingham on Friday, 2 March and launch its Bristol venue in April. Revere said it chose the new locations following the popularity of its original site in Leeds and the hospitality boom in Bristol. The Lost & Found’s theme features decor based on Victorian “botanical hideaways”, classic cocktails, hand-finished pizza and Josper-grilled steak. The new Lost & Found in Leeds will open in the iconic Leeds Club in Albion Place following a restoration of the grade II-listed Victorian building to create a bar, restaurant, private boardroom and secret drinking den. Revere managing director Colin Sadler said: “We are delighted to be expanding The Lost & Found brand and building on our success as a destination venue. Leeds is thriving with young professionals who are a key demographic for us and, with Bristol recently named the best city to live in the UK, we are sure the new sites will be perfect for our growth strategy.” Revere’s other Lost & Found venue is in Knutsford, Cheshire.

Gordon Ramsay adds to US portfolio with second Atlantic City restaurant: Chef Gordon Ramsay is to add to his US portfolio by opening a steakhouse this summer, at Harrah’s casino in Atlantic City. Ramsay is set to launch Gordon Ramsay Steak at the end of May, reports Associated Press. It will be the second Atlantic City restaurant for Ramsay, who opened Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars casino in 2015. The first Gordon Ramsay Steak opened in 2012 at Paris on the Las Vegas strip. The Gordon Ramsay Group operates a total of 33 restaurants globally.

Starbucks to launch credit cards: Starbucks is teaming up with Chase and Visa to launch co-branded credit cards in February and a stored-value card in April. President and chief executive Kevin Johnson said customers would earn reward points at an accelerated rate when using the cards in Starbucks locations, and would also earn points everywhere else they shopped with the cards. In the US and Canada, 42% of all transactions are made using the Starbucks Card, the company said. New credit cards and stored-value cards should help to increase that number, Johnson added. He said: “With only 14 million of the 75 million or so unique customers who visit us each month signed up for Rewards, we have a tremendous opportunity to leverage our new digital technologies to initiate and advance additional direct digital relationships.” To attract more occasional customers, Johnson said Starbucks would accelerate the introduction of cold drinks – now accounting for almost 40% of total beverage sales and 50% of overall growth – in the coming months, reports Nation’s Restaurant News. Nitro cold brew coffee, currently offered at 1,300 locations in the US, will be in 2,300 units by the end of the year.

Mark Jarvis to launch third London restaurant, in Mayfair: Modern British chef Mark Jarvis, chef patron of London restaurants Anglo and Neo, is to launch a new concept in Mayfair for his third restaurant in the capital. The new concept – Stem – will open in an 18th century building in Princes Street, which connects Regent Street with Hanover Square. The space, which will open in late March, will have room for 35 diners as well as a six-seat private chef’s table on the lower ground floor. The kitchen will be headed by Sam Ashton-Booth, former head chef of Anglo. Together with Jarvis, Ashton-Booth has created a menu featuring dishes such as smoked eel with celeriac and white chocolate, pigeon with coconut and salted peanut, and pineapple with olive oil, lime and salt. An international wine list is being curated by group operations manager Jon Cannon. Jarvis told Hot Dinners: “Stem will be a bit of Anglo heading west to Regent Street – informal but precise in terms of its modern British food.” Jarvis opened Anglo in Farringdon in March 2016, launching Neo in Mayfair just off Oxford Street 13 months later.

Belfast-based independent pizza restaurant Greens to open third site in city: Belfast-based independent pizza restaurant Greens is to open its third site in the city. Owner Will Clark will open the new venue in Ormeau Road on a site that formerly housed McCormick’s grocery store, creating up to 30 jobs. It will add to the company’s sites in Lisburn Road and Ballyhackamore. Clark will invest about £250,000 to transform the building, with the restaurant set to open in April. Clark, who founded the business in 1995, told the Irish News: “We’ve had success in Lisburn Road and Ballyhackamore and we feel the time is right to expand our opportunities. Three restaurants will give us an opportunity to think about moving forward again. It’s not something that is an immediate consideration but it’s on the cards given a fair wind and the opportunity. My angle has always been to never rule anything out. If the opportunity presents itself and everything stacks up the right way, we’ll have a go.”

Lease of restaurant overlooking Trafalgar Square goes on market for offers in excess of £850,000: The lease of family-owned central London venue Bronte Restaurant and Bar has been put up for sale for offers in excess of £850,000. The site in the Strand has a bar, brasserie and two dining rooms with seating for more than 200 people plus outside seating overlooking Trafalgar Square. Bronte is named after Lord Nelson, who was also the Duke of Bronte, and is being marketed by agents Christie & Co. Simon Chaplin, Christie & Co’s head of restaurants, said: “Sites in such iconic locations rarely become available and to be able to bring Bronte to the market, with its stylish interior and established trade, is a real bonus. We expect interest from UK and international operators looking to grab this prestigious restaurant in a location known around the world.” As well as the lease, the price includes goodwill, fixtures and fittings.

Wetherspoon closes Chichester pub: JD Wetherspoon has closed The Gatehouse pub in Chichester, West Sussex, which operates under its Lloyds Bar brand. The pub, which is part of the Chichester Gate retail park on the outskirts of the city, closed on Sunday (28 January). Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon told Spirit FM: “No member of staff will lose their job and they will be offered jobs at other Wetherspoon pubs. Wetherspoon will continue to operate The Dolphin & Anchor in Chichester. We appreciate customers of The Gatehouse will be disappointed with the decision. However Wetherspoon, like other companies, has to make commercial choices.” Last week, Wetherspoon reported like-for-like sales rose 6% for the first 12 weeks of the second quarter (to 21 January 2018) and total sales by 4.3%. In the year to date (25 weeks to 21 January 2018), like-for-like sales increased by 6.0% and total sales by 4.3%. Since the start of the financial year, the company opened three pubs and sold ten. It intends to open about ten pubs in the current financial year.

Breton creperie concept launches in Spitalfields: L’Ami Malo, a modern creperie and bar inspired by Breton flavours and the small town of St Malo in north west France, has opened in Spitalfields’ Artillery Passage, near Liverpool Street. The 1,140 square foot, 54-cover restaurant and bar is split over two floors – 30 upstairs and 24 downstairs. The brainchild of Emilien Lesourd and Vincent Couvreur, the restaurant offers a variety of sweet and savoury dishes such as “maki”-style rolls and galettes with fillings such as confit duck leg with caramelised pear and red wine jus. Crepes come topped with sweet things such as classic lemon and sugar or apple compote, butter sauce and salted caramel. The bar, Le Moulin, is tucked away at the rear of the restaurant with its own entrance in Parliament Court. It offers cocktails, french spirits and liqueurs, buckwheat beer, artisan cider, and small-producer wines. North western French traditions include The Trou Normand or “Norman Hole” – a shot of calvados taken mid-meal to create a “hole” for more food.

Malones Irish Bars returns to Edinburgh for third Scottish site: Malones Irish Bars has returned to Edinburgh to open its third site in Scotland. The venue has opened in Morrison Street following a £1m investment. About 35 jobs have been created. Malones Irish Bars’ other venues are in Glasgow and Aberdeen. The group had been searching for a new location in Edinburgh since its previous venue was sold in early 2017. The brand offers gourmet burgers and big-screen sport, while more than 20 musicians are expected to perform live music each week. Alongside the traditional Irish drinks and decor, however, the bar features a 28 metre mural dedicated to TV sitcom Father Ted. Malones Irish Bars director Simon Keane told The Irish Times: “After a long break the craic is back! We’re delighted to be relaunching Malones in Edinburgh. We’re all huge Father Ted fans at Malones and we even hold a Father Ted festival each year to raise money for charity.”

Operator sought to create restaurant at Ilkley hotel: An operator is being sought to create a restaurant in two function spaces at The Craiglands, a 63-bedroom spa hotel in Ilkley, West Yorkshire. The Craiglands is a 19th century hotel that has been owned by father and son Mukesh and Neel Chawla since 1996, one of several in their portfolio spread across the north of England. The Chawlas are currently building a spa and several townhouses on the six-acre site. They plan to close the current, internally run restaurant with a view to extending the bar-lounge area for guests but are willing to financially support the investment of the new restaurant, which would serve as a dining option for guests of the hotel and the public. The spaces available, which are being marketed through agents Christie & Co, are on the ground and first floors in a new conservatory. Sam Ashton, business agent at Christie & Co’s Leeds office, said: “The owners are offering this restaurant opportunity by way of a new lease. The term of lease is flexible and to be negotiated. The owners are ideally seeking a branded operation willing to work in unison with them to create a high-quality dining experience for guests.”