Dodo Pizza sets sights on becoming UK’s second-largest pizza delivery business: Dodo Pizza, which was founded in Russia eight years ago and operates 522 stores, has set its sights on becoming the UK’s second-largest pizza delivery firm within ten years and hopes to have ten stores in the UK by the end of 2020, Propel has learned. The company plans to open a corporate store in Leamington Spa in early 2020 and is in advanced talks with a number of experienced multi-site franchisees in the UK. The company currently has four sites operated under franchise in the UK – it has adopted a small-footprint site in Brighton where weekly turnover has increased from £2,000 a week to more than £7,000 a week. The UK operation is headed by David Sweeney, who oversaw Papa John’s expansion in the UK from circa 20 sites to 250 during his time with the company. He said: “Dodo Pizza is the first international delivery brand to launch in the UK since Papa John’s – and we want to be number two in the UK.” Dodo Pizza offers a slightly broader range than existing pure delivery offers with dine-in options (the Brighton site has ten covers), pizza by the slice, and coffee in-store and on the go. In the UK, dough will be produced on-site and delivery will be through company-operated drivers plus aggregated delivery companies such as Deliveroo and UberEats. Dodo Pizza’s website offers a portal that shows weekly turnover for sites in the system – sites in Tallinn, Estonia, take circa €30,000 a week. Individual site set-up costs in the UK are in line with Papa John’s and Domino’s, at circa £250,000. Dodo Pizza is the largest pizza chain in Russia. In 2014, the company ran the largest crowdfunding initiative in Russia to date, raising more than US$2m from 180 private investors. Founder Fyodor Ovchinnikov has said the company views itself as an “IT-driven retail company based on the principle of transparency”. The company uses a cloud-based system known as Dodo IS, which collects and processes operations data, reports real-time business analytics, and helps kitchen and delivery staff to be more efficient by allowing for more informed decision-making. In September 2018, Ovchinnikov announced the chain would grow its IT team from 60 to 250 developers in two years.

Propel Multi Club Conference opens for bookings, Loui Blake to present, two free places for operators: The final Propel Multi Club Conference of 2019 is now open for bookings. The full-day event takes place on Thursday, 14 November at the Millennium Gloucester hotel in London. Loui Blake, managing director of the UK’s largest vegan restaurant, the four-storey Erpingham House and co-founder of Kalifornia Kitchen, will talk about his business, menu trends and experiences in the US after winning the Restaurant Marketer & Innovator scholarship for 2019 as part of his Future Marketer Of The Year award. 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

Mark Wingett to look at what’s next for TRG in latest Premium column: Propel insights editor Mark Wingett will look at what’s next for The Restaurant Group and whether new chief executive Andy Hornby can keep the business and the momentum behind Wagamama on track in his latest opinion piece, which will be sent to Propel Premium subscribers on Friday (6 September) at 5pm. Subscribers can also read about the latest industry whispers in Premium Diary. Propel Premium subscribers also receive their morning newsletter 11 hours early, at 7pm the evening before our 6am send-out, discounts to attend Propel conferences and events, regular video recordings of key speakers from Propel events and conferences, and regular columns from Mark Wingett. They also receive access to our database of multi-site companies, which has now grown to 1,400 businesses. An annual premium subscription costs £345 plus VAT for operators and £445 plus VAT for suppliers – plus £50 each for additional team members. Email anne.steele@propelinfo.com

Natasha’s Law comes into force: A law has been laid in front of parliament requiring food businesses to include full ingredient labelling on pre-packaged food. Natasha’s Law was originally announced by former environmental secretary Michael Gove in June as part of measures to safeguard the UK’s two million food allergy suffers. It was named after Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died in 2016 after suffering an allergic reaction to a Pret A Manger baguette. In the aftermath, the government confirmed stronger laws would be implemented to protect those with allergies and give them greater confidence when buying food. Currently, food prepared on the premises in which it is sold isn’t required to display allergen information on the label. A Statutory Instrument has now been laid in parliament, tightening the rules by requiring those foods to carry a full list of ingredients. “The introduction of this law will make it easier for allergy sufferers to make clear, safe choices when buying food,” said food minister Zac Goldsmith. Natasha’s Law will come into force in October 2021, giving businesses a transition period to prepare for the new rules. The Food Standards Agency confirmed it would publish information for industry next month to help businesses prepare and adapt to the change.

Good Pub Guide – smoking ban was pubs’ saviour: The smoking ban, once denounced as a threat to the pub, has instead been its saviour, according to the editor of the Good Pub Guide. The introduction of the public health measure 12 years ago was derided by publicans and smokers at the time but in the Good Pub Guide 2020, which was published on Thursday (5 September), editor Fiona Stapley said it had brought in a new generation of modern, bright establishments that served good food and welcomed women and families. She said: “It is clear this national institution has transformed itself from the 1970s, when pubs were smoky and grimy, the domain of beer-swilling men and only served scampi and chips, if you were lucky, to the modern-day environment that is family and female friendly, serving excellent wine, craft gin and delicious home-cooked food. In fact, one of the most important changes in the history of pubs was the smoking ban. Landlords and landladies feared they would face a damaging drop in business as smokers deserted their boozers but those small public bars full of fug quickly became a thing of the past. Pubs adapted by installing smokers’ shelters and outdoor heaters and licensees soon realised that by making their pubs smoke-free, they turned into cleaner, brighter places and opened up a massive new customer base – women and families with young children who headed to pubs for a meal and even an overnight stay.” This year’s Pub Of The Year was The Inn at Whitewell, near Clitheroe, Lancashire, while Oakham Ales, the brewery based in Peterborough, has been named Brewery Of The Year. The guide’s annual survey of drinks prices also revealed the average price of a pint of beer in Britain is £3.79 – up 10p from last year. There is a £1.11-a-pint difference between the cheapest area – Shropshire at £3.46 – and the most expensive, London at £4.57.

Foodstars gears for further expansion: Foodstars, which provides kitchen space for food companies and is backed by former Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick, is set for further expansion in London, Propel understands. The company, which was founded in Bethnal Green in 2015 by William Beresford, Daniel Abrahams and Roy Shaby, currently operates kitchens in Battersea, Bermondsey, Bethnal Green, Kentish Town, Shoreditch and Vauxhall. Propel understands the company will add further sites in Colindale and Wandsworth in November. It is also thought the company is looking at a regional launch, with a site in Leeds under consideration. Propel understands Murray McGowan, who left his role as managing director of The Restaurant Group’s (TRG) leisure division in September 2018, is working with the company, which leases kitchen space to restaurants focusing on selling food through delivery apps such as Deliveroo, Just Eat and UberEats. TRG operates a number of virtual delivery brands out of the Foodstars unit in Battersea, including Daily Naan, Jumping Pans and Pyjama Hotel. City Storage Systems, which trades as Cloud Kitchens in the US, quietly invested in Foodstars last year, according to documents filed at Companies House. The investment marked Kalanick’s first expansion outside the US. The Companies House filings showed Kalanick hired former Uber executive Matt Atkin and US tech expert Colby Goff to help run the UK venture. However, it is thought Atkin has since stepped down as a director. Beresford, Abrahams and Shaby started out in 2012 making takeaway sushi in Camberwell, south London, renting out their kitchen space to help cover costs.

Parogon Pub Group trading ‘strongly’ in 2019 as it reports turnover boost: Staffordshire-based Parogon Pub Group has said trading continues to be “strong” in 2019 as it reported a boost in turnover. The company, which will open its seventh site, next week, saw turnover increase 26.2% to £13,183,311 for the year ending 31 December 2018, compared with £10,406,883 the previous year. Average site sales exceeded £42,000 net per week. Operating profit was down to £472,709 compared with £502,356 the year before, while pre-tax profit fell to £371,408 compared with £414,495 the previous year, according to accounts filed at Companies House. The first full year of trading from The Boar’s Head in Walgherton, Cheshire, contributed £1.77m in sales to the group, while the Seven Stars in Brocton, near Stafford, opened in February, contributing £2.4m. The Red House in Lilleshall, which was bought from Greene King in October last year, will open next week while the Broughton Arms, near Crewe, is due to launch next year following a refurbishment. In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “Parogon Pub Group continues to trade strongly and this has continued into 2019. Central costs at the existing level will allow for at least two more sites without significant additional expenditure, which will facilitate sustained group Ebitda growth over the next two years. Parogon Pub Group will continue to seek large, high-visibility, freehold sites to continue expanding into Shropshire, Cheshire and the surrounding counties.” The company opened its first site, The Swan with Two Necks in Blackbrook, in 2007.

Full-year turnover passes £12m at Granger & Co as it eyes Marylebone opening: Granger & Co, the all-day dining concept set up by Australian TV chef Bill Granger and former My Kinda Town managing director Peter Webber, has lined up a further opening in the capital, in Marylebone, Propel understands. The four-strong group, which includes Will Champion and Jonny Buckland as investors, the drummer and lead guitarist of Coldplay respectively, is believed to be taking on the Patisserie Valerie site at 105 Marylebone High Street. The plan for further expansion comes as the group broke the £12m-turnover mark last year and swung back into profit. For the year to 31 December 2018, turnover climbed £1.6m to £12.5m, while the company posted a pre-tax profit of £552,902 against a loss of £73,640 in 2017. The company said the results for the year were in line with expectations and the increase in turnover was mainly due to the fact its latest site, in Chelsea, had been trading for a full 12 months. It said the swing into pre-tax profit was the result of an increase in gross profit margin partly offset by higher administrative expenses following the opening of the Chelsea site. The loss the year before was also affected by the pre-opening costs of that site. The company generated cash from its underlying operations during the year of £1.3m (2017: £600,000) and after a capital investment of £214,000 and repayment of loan facilities of £632,000, cash balances held at the end of the year, were a “healthy £2.2m”.

Fern joins 200 Degrees as finance director: Stephen Fern has joined Nottingham-based coffee roaster and retailer 200 Degrees as finance director, Propel has learned. Previously partner and finance director at Nelsons Solicitors, Fern will be based at 200 Degrees’ Nottingham headquarters. 200 Degrees is continuing its regional growth into city centres and has opened its Liverpool and second Birmingham coffee shops in the past seven weeks. Speaking of expansion, co-founder Rob Darby said: “We have this ambition to become the leading speciality coffee company in the UK and people are seeking us out for the love and care we put into our coffee and other products. We are expanding our store-led model to bring our quality coffee to more retail and wholesale customers across the UK and Stephen joining us is part of our growth strategy.” The company plans further openings this year.

Loungers to open second Cosy Club in Birmingham: Loungers, the operator of neighbourhood cafe-bar restaurants, has secured a second site in Birmingham for its Cosy Club brand. The venue will open in a 6,000 square foot space above Stonegate Pub Company’s Slug and Lettuce at mixed-use canal-side development Brindleyplace. The venue has been empty since January when The Smoke Haus closed after founder Mark Power told Birmingham Live the brand would focus efforts on its restaurants in South Wales. Cosy Club will join late-night bars Be At One and The Alchemist at Brindleyplace. Loungers opened its first Cosy Club in Birmingham in Bennetts Hill in May 2015. Loungers chief executive Nick Collins has told Propel he sees potential for 400 Lounges and 100 Cosy Clubs. Last month the company, which floated on the stock market in April, opened its 150th site.

Douglas Jack – process for TRG to exit leisure leases could take long time in a buyers’ market: Peel Hunt leisure analyst has said the process for The Restaurant Group (TRG) to exit its leisure leases could be a long one given it is a “buyers’ market”. TRG is targeting an exit on most of its 365 leisure leases and Jack said the potential long process nullified remaining attempts to value the company on a sum-of-the-parts basis. Issuing a ‘Hold’ note on the shares with a target price of 145p, Jack said: “As like-for-like sales were up 3% to 4% at pubs and concessions during the first half similar to 2018, we estimate leisure was down circa 1.5% despite having a high single-digit negative comparable. We estimate leisure’s like-for-like sales were down 3% to 4% in recent weeks, increasing its number of structurally unattractive leases (at 76 in March) by 42. We believe the company is right to exit these leases at the first opportunity, with 100 of them due to expire over the next six years. We estimate Ebitda in the legacy business fell in the first half reflecting higher costs and lower margins, despite the benefit of expansion, leisure closures, onerous lease provisions, 1% like-for-like sales growth and 40% of Wagamama’s (albeit minor so far) synergies. In contrast, Wagamama’s Ebitda margin rose 240 basis points to 15.6% by our estimates during the 21 weeks to 30 June, reflecting its 10%-plus like-for-like sales growth. We are taking another £3m off 2020E and 2021E profit before tax forecasts to reflect pre-opening costs and disruption due to changing terminals at Manchester airport. In our view, TRG will potentially become an attractive investment once the leisure leases are exited but this is likely to take a long time given it’s a buyers’ market. At present, against tougher comparables, we believe the current valuation is fair.”

Peter Sanchez-Iglesias to open debut London restaurant next month: Michelin-starred chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias will open his debut London restaurant on Thursday, 10 October. Decimo will launch on the tenth floor of The Standard London hotel in King’s Cross offering 114 covers and panoramic views of the capital. The restaurant will be accessible via an elevator in Euston Road and include a standalone bar offering food and two private dining rooms. The decor will include a rattan ceiling, macramé drapery, and yellow and red tiles. The menu will feature ceviche, tacos, and meat and seafood cooked over open fire. Dishes will include jamon croquetas, caviar-topped tortilla, and rib of beef. There will be an a la carte service and two chef’s tasting menus, while the drinks list will include agave, mescal, raicilla and low-intervention wine from Spain and Latin America. Sanchez-Iglesias said: “Decimo is all about bringing Spanish and Mexican food together – the combination of my Spanish roots combined with my research and fascination with Mexico.” The hotel in Argyle Street is Standard International’s first outside the US and sixth in total. It also features two restaurants by executive chef Adam Rawson. Standard International chief executive Amar Lalvani added: “Peter is one of the most talented young chefs. We immediately saw eye to eye on how we could create something genuine, flavorful, welcoming, social and fun.” Sanchez-Iglesias achieved Michelin stars for both his Bristol restaurants – Casamia and Paco Tapas.

Lucky Onion confirms Hollow Bottom addition in first of ‘exciting series of new developments’: Cotswolds hotel and restaurant group The Lucky Onion has confirmed the addition of The Hollow Bottom – the first in an “exciting series of new developments” by the company. The Lucky Onion, owned by Julian Dunkerton, the entrepreneur behind high-street brand Superdry and Dunkertons Organic Cider, will reopen the pub in Guiting Power in October, as revealed by Propel last month. The 17th century Cotswold stone pub has been part of the racing community for decades. Executive chef for the group, Ronnie Bonetti, has created a simple menu featuring classic pub dishes while Sunday’s menu honours the traditional British roast. Dunkerton said: “It is our ongoing commitment to restore historic buildings in the Cotswolds and Cheltenham. Racing is the heart of the community as is The Hollow Bottom. We have gone above and beyond to ensure locals and visitors are able to continue to celebrate both.” 

Newport-based Breeze Hospitality acquires Revolution site in Swansea for third venue: Breeze Hospitality, which operates two venues in Newport, South Wales, has acquired a site in Swansea that formerly housed a Revolution bar. Revolution Bars Group, the operator of premium bars trading across the UK under the Revolution and Revolución de Cuba brands, closed the venue in Wind Street and its site in Wood Street, Liverpool, in July as part of the ongoing active management of its trading estate. Breeze Hospitality is understood to be refurbishing the Swansea site, which is due to reopen later this month. Jack Sinclair, associate director at James A Baker, who brokered the off-market deal, said: “The property attracted a good level of interest and a number of offers were received, which isn’t surprising given its strong location on an established licensed circuit.” On Wednesday (4 September), Propel reported BrewDog had taken on The Bucket List, a site a few doors down from Revolution in Wind Street that offered live music, finger-style food and 120 beers. 

Stonegate general managers set for leap into multi-site management following Aspirations graduation: Stonegate Pub Company has seen 12 general managers graduate from Aspirations, the highest internal qualification offered by the company. Candidates undergo a 14-month training programme to prepare them for the leap into multi-site management. Initially designed for pub general managers looking to progress to area manager positions, this year’s cohort has seen Stonegate employees from various areas of the business participate. HR director Tim Painter said: “The people at Stonegate are the reason for the company’s success. Our bar-to-boardroom ethos is ingrained in everything we do. I am proud to see nearly half our area management team is made up of Aspiration graduates and we are now reaping the benefits of staff turnover far below the industry average.” Meanwhile Stonegate will reopen its Chester nightclub, Rosie’s, on Friday, 20 September following a £175,000 refurbishment. The revamp of the four-storey venue includes the addition of a new room – Zinc. Taking over the former Vaults room on the third floor, Zinc will offer three bars playing commercial dance, urban, hip-hop and RnB.

Fuller’s continues ‘material outperformance of sector’: Peel Hunt leisure analyst Douglas Jack has said Fuller’s has “continued its material outperformance of the sector”. Issuing an ‘Add’ note on the shares with a target price of 145p, Jack said: “After 22 weeks, managed pubs and hotels like-for-like sales are up 2.5% (versus a circa 4% comparative), in line with our full-year assumption. This division now accounts for about three-quarters of the company’s operating profit. Tenanted like-for-like profits are down 2% year to date against a comparable of 4%, an exceptional benchmark for a tenanted estate, resulting from great weather and the Fifa World Cup last summer. Fuller’s has continued to outperform its benchmark within the Coffer Peach Business Tracker, nationally and within London. The tenanted estate grew like-for-like profits by 1% during the six weeks to 31 August by our estimates (versus a 4% comparable). It is positive pubs are gradually transferring on to turnover agreements (30-plus), an optimal model in our view, and tenants (circa 50) are now using Fuller’s preferred food suppliers. The proposed return of £69m (125p per A share) to shareholders is in line. The voluntary contribution to the pension scheme is quantified at £24m but was included within previous cash flow guidance. We forecast net debt to be circa £106m at year-end, equating to 1.6 times net debt/Ebitda. We estimate a doubling in the leverage to 3.2 times could equate to £200m of acquisition spend, bringing double-digit accretion in earnings. However, we should view this as potential medium-to-long-term upside for an evolving retail business that is capable of generating attractive growth with or without large deals.”

Tart London duo to open Victoria restaurant next month: Jemima Jones and Lucy Carr-Ellison, the duo behind catering company Tart London, and Tom Warren, founder of Lock Studios, will launch neighbourhood restaurant Wild By Tart at Eccleston Yards in Victoria next month. Housed in a former power station and coal store, the restaurant will be joined by a bar, deli, juice and coffee kiosk, retail store, events space and photography studio. Jones and Carr-Ellison will serve a seasonally changing menu of bites, small plates and sweets designed to share. There will be counter dining at an open kitchen with communal tables and a lounge. A private dining room will overlook the restaurant. The retail space, set within the restaurant, will showcase products, homeware and lifestyle pieces collected by Carr-Ellison and Jones on their travels. The deli, which has opened, includes a kiosk serving coffee, juice and smoothies.

The Tap In opens at Elephant Park: The Tap In, a craft beer concept by the founders of Six Yard Box and Hop Art, has opened at the Elephant Park development in south London. It is the first permanent site for The Tap In, which was trialled at Artworks Elephant – the pop-up retail park at Elephant Park, a £2.3bn regeneration project delivered by Lendlease and Southwark Council. The Tap In co-founder Sebastian O’Driscoll said: “Lendlease identified our firm roots within the culture and identity of Elephant and Castle and we’re grateful and proud to be part of the project.” Lendlease head of retail Guy Thomas added: “The Tap In reflects our focus on home-grown brands and our community. We are excited to work with more local brands as we keep up the momentum with the launch of phase two of Elephant Park.”

Operators sought for SRA food waste programme: Hospitality software provider Fourth is seeking ten restaurant operators to take part in the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s (SRA) Food Waste Bad Taste (FWBT) programme. The cohort of Fourth-sponsored operators will nominate one or a handful of sites to spend six weeks on the programme. An operator-nominated project manager will receive support to prep one or more kitchens for measuring the amount of food wasted before setting a realistic target and implementing a plan to meet it. There are no restrictions on operator size or type and they don’t have to be a Fourth customer. Fourth communications director Catherine Marshall said: “We know there’s no silver bullet for tackling food waste – it’s complex and challenging and fundamentally requires behavioural change. But it’s worth it – morally, environmentally, financially and not least to meet the demands of customers. They are increasingly demanding greater transparency from operators regarding sustainability credentials”. Fourth will also hold a Footprint Forum in November and engage with WRAP and the SRA on an ongoing basis. FWBT launched in May to tackle the estimated £682m annual food waste cost to the sector. The deadline for entries is Friday, 18 October. 

Tel Aviv-inspired restaurant goes from residency to permanent with Dalston site: Chef Oded Oren will see his Tel Aviv-inspired restaurant go from residency to permanent with an opening in Dalston, east London, next month. The eponymous restaurant will open in Shacklewell Lane where it will replace Floyd’s. The move follows Oren’s 2018 residency at Borough Wines in Kensal Rise. Announcing the restaurant on Instagram, Oren said: “I am excited to announce I will open my first solo restaurant in October. I’ve been looking for a site for some time. I will cook food that is inspired by my home and the Mediterranean using local and sustainable produce alongside a thoughtful wine list. You can expect an extensive, changing menu and eventually I’ll be offering dinner, lunch and a unique brunch.”

All Bar One launches second sustainable drinks menu: All Bar One, the brand owned by Mitchells & Butlers, has launched its second sustainable beer and cider menu. The All The Better With Beer collection consists of four beers and three ciders. Craft ale Brewgooder donates 100% of its profits to fund clean drinking water projects, while Corona Extra has committed to cleaning up one million square metres of UK coastline. Camden Hells Lager operates an eco-friendly brewery and donates spent grain to farmers for cattle feed, while Toast Ale uses waste bread to create ale and donates all profits to charity. The ciders consist of Pip & Wild, which recycles all waste materials; Mortimers Orchid Cider, which only uses apples grown within 50 miles of its mills; and Old Mout, which has teamed up with WWF to protect 500,000 acres of habitat. All Bar One senior marketing manager Laura Clarke said: “More than ever our customers are looking for brands that seek to make a positive impact on the world.” All Bar One operates 56 sites across the UK.

Jason Atherton to launch Betterment restaurant at Mayfair hotel this month: Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton and his business The Social Company will launch restaurant The Betterment at The Biltmore hotel in Mayfair this month. The kitchen will be led by Paul Walsh, who launched and led Atherton’s City Social for five years and gained its Michelin star within seven months. The Betterment will open on Thursday, 19 September offering wood-fired fish and meat, seafood, salads and plant-based plates. An open grill will be at the heart of the restaurant, while Atherton will also oversee The Terrace, The Tea Lounge and The Pine Bar at The Biltmore. The opening marks a return to the area for Atherton, who rose to prominence after launching Maze in Grosvenor Square in 2005. The Biltmore, Mayfair, formerly the Millennium Mayfair, will emerge from a £60m redevelopment to become the first European property in LXR Hotels & Resorts’ collection. Atherton’s empire spans six countries and includes seven restaurants in London alone. He opened his first theatre bar – Pavlova’s – in Victoria Palace Theatre in June.

North east-based urban winery secures five-figure investment: North east-based urban winery Laneberg Wine, which is on the wine lists of restaurants in the region and stocked by a range of high-end retailers, has secured a five-figure investment. The company, based in Gateshead, is the most northerly winery in the UK and released its first vintage of white and rosé wine this year using grapes grown at a vineyard in Leicestershire. Laneberg Wine, founded by Elise Lane, has worked with regional fund management firm NEL Fund Managers to bring in a £35,000 investment from the North East Small Loan Fund, supported by The European Regional Development Fund. The funding will support the production of a wider range of wine for 2020 and enable it to recruit an apprentice, reports Insider Media. Plans are in place to expand Laneberg’s offering, including producing its first red and sparkling wine, while public events and tastings at the winery also form part of the business’ longer-term aims. 

Marston’s shortlisted for IIP award for apprenticeship programme: Marston’s has been shortlisted in the 2019 Investors in People (IIP) awards in the best apprenticeship programme (more than 500 people) category. The IIPs, which celebrate organisations that recognise the potential of their people and go above and beyond, will take place on Tuesday, 19 November. Liam Powell, group people director at Marston’s, said: “We are proud of what our apprentices achieve and will continue to work closely with schools, colleges and youth groups to ensure people understand the value of apprenticeships.”