Fuller’s focusing on ‘getting business in top shape’ rather than acquisitions, first Bel & the Dragon conversion under way: Simon Emeny, chief executive of premium pubs and hotels business Fuller’s, has told Propel his focus in the second half of the financial year is to get the business in top shape rather than acquisitions. The company bought Cotswold Inns & Hotels for £40m in October, while it added Bel & the Dragon to its portfolio for £18.5m in June 2018. While Emeny said the company had the firepower for further deals, it had more pressing matters to attend to in the short term. Speaking following the company’s first-half results, Emeny said: “It has been a transformational year with the sale of the beer business to Asahi. These deals mean it’s inevitable it will take a while to get costs where you want them. Therefore, our priority in the second half is to invest in getting the business in top shape. This includes looking at central overheads as well as moving into our new offices in Chiswick and integrating our recent acquisitions into the business to help get our cost structure right. We’ve also got a further programme of refurbishments planned. Among those projects will be a first conversion to Bel & the Dragon. The George & Dragon in Westerham, Kent, is closed and expected to reopen in the spring under the Bel & the Dragon format, including the addition of 12 bedrooms. Emeny said: “We are very pleased with the acquisition. Because of the Asahi deal we’ve not been able to integrate much of Bel & the Dragon into the estate. Bel & the Dragon does some things very well – its wine focus is on another level and it has a great food offering that does well in locations outside London. The site teams have remained in place and we think we can learn a lot from them. Our initial focus will be on getting this first conversion right and, if it goes well, there will be further opportunities in 2020.” Looking ahead, Emeny said: “Bookings for Christmas are looking excellent and the focus is converting those into strong sales. Hopefully after the election we will have more clarity and we can see some forward thinking to help the sector around business rates and labour. Meanwhile, it’s about focusing on the things we can control. We’ve got a clear strategy for the future as we build on the success of recent years.”

Propel Premium subscribers to receive Loui Blake video for latest in exclusive series from Multi Club Conference: Propel Premium subscribers will receive their latest video on Friday (13 December) featuring speakers at the final Multi Club Conference of 2019. The videos feature a spectrum of company leaders sharing insights into their strategies and plans, while industry experts look at some of the key trends shaping the sector. The latest video features Loui Blake, managing director of the UK’s largest vegan restaurant Erpingham House and co-founder of Kalifornia Kitchen, who talks about his business, menu trends and experiences in the US after winning the Restaurant Marketer & Innovator scholarship for 2019. Videos will be sent out each day at 5pm, and 3pm on Fridays. Meanwhile, 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, and receive regular columns from Propel insights editor Mark Wingett. In this week’s Premium Opinion, which will be sent to subscribers on Friday (13 December) at 5pm, he will look at the changing fortunes of The Breakfast Club and Chilango, while Premium Diary will delve into the latest industry rumours. They also receive access to our database of multi-site companies, which has grown to 1,500 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

UK consumers fork out £450 a year on takeaways: UK consumers spend an average of £451 a year on takeaway food, according to a new study by KPMG. The survey found a typical customer orders 34 takeaways a year, spending between £10 and £15 each time. Londoners spend the most on takeaways, £709 a year, which is almost double the UK average, while it was the only city in which respondents admitted to ordering seven or more takeaways a week. Other high-spending cities were Sheffield (£548), Newcastle (£491), Glasgow (£485) and Norwich (£437). Cardiff recorded the least amount of spend on takeaways (£203), followed by Nottingham (£311), Bristol (£320), Plymouth (£323) and Leeds (£330). Respondents in Southampton have the most expensive tastes, with 6% spending £35 to £40 per meal compared with 1% nationally. In total, 10% of customers in Southampton spend more than £1,000 a year on ordering in. When it comes to frequency, however, customers in Southampton only order 25 takeaways a year with an average overall spend of £355. Almost two-thirds (66%) of respondents said they order takeaways as often or more often than they did a year ago. KPMG global head of leisure and hospitality Will Hawkley said: “Certain groups are showing affection for takeaways more than ever, with almost two-fifths (39%) of 18 to 34-year-olds ordering takeaways more than they did 12 months ago. This group is the most experimental so more options and an increase in the number of ways people can order are big drivers of growth in the industry. Takeaway technologies are working for many customers but if delivery platforms are to appeal to the 34% who never order in and the 43% who like to order by phone, they must bridge the gap between what they offer and what customers want. In the short term, introducing more discounts and offers is a great place to start as it was the number-one thing consumers told us would make them order more.”

London hotel market reports record average daily rate and revpar for November: The London hotel market has reported record average daily rate and revpar levels for November, according to the latest data from STR. Average daily rate rose 1.6% to £158.94 compared with the previous year, while revpar was up 1.3% to £136.43. Demand rose 1.8% and supply was up 2.1%. Occupancy was down 0.4% to 85.8%. STR analysts noted the CBI annual conference helped performance, with revpar increasing 20.2% on the day of the event.

Creditors approve CVA for Tossed trading company, no immediate site closures: Creditors of Zest Food, trading as Tossed and Vital Ingredient, have approved its company voluntary arrangement (CVA), Propel has learned. Zest Food trades from 24 stores in central London, 16 under the Tossed brand and eight as Vital Ingredient. No sites will close immediately and discussions will now take place to decide which Vital Ingredient sites are viable for conversion to Tossed. The company said Tossed-branded stores remain in growth despite “well-publicised market difficulties, systemic cost inflation and macro uncertainties”. However, the Vital Ingredient stores acquired in 2017 traded significantly below expectations, which led to an “unavoidable” restructuring of the whole company. The CVA allows the company to discuss restructuring or exiting onerous leases, with viable Vital Ingredient stores being converted to the Tossed brand. Managing director Neil Sebba said: “We appreciate the support of our creditors in approving our restructuring plans. This has been an extremely difficult time for the company but the CVA provides breathing space and, ultimately, strong foundations for continued growth in the Tossed brand in the future. Protecting the jobs of all our team in such uncertain times is extremely important to us and we are fortunate no stores will need to close immediately. Looking to 2020, all viable stores will be converted to the Tossed brand, which remains the leading healthy, made-to-order offer. Our focus on technology at Tossed has been proven to stand the brand ahead of its peers and we look forward to refocusing on that next year.” David Rubin Partners acted as nominees and Edwin Coe advised the directors.    

Livelyhood reports £7.4m full-year turnover, opening at least one site in 2020: Independent south London pub group Livelyhood has seen a boost in full-year turnover and is set to open at least one site in 2020, Propel has learned. The six-strong group, owned by Sarah Wall, saw turnover rise to £7.4m for the year ended 31 July 2019, compared with £5.9m the previous year. During the year the company added The Perky Nel at the former Gigalum site in Clapham. Wall said: “This has been an important year for Livelyhood. The various challenges across the hospitality sector means we’re constantly reviewing how we operate and how we can improve. Adding The Perky Nel to the Livelyhood family means we have two sites – along with The Faber Fox in Crystal Palace – that have exceptional outdoor space. This has allowed us to continue to see strong trading figures throughout the summer months. I’m excited to bring another site into the Livelyhood fold in 2020, which we’ll reveal more about soon.” Livelyhood’s other sites are The Regent in Balham, The Clapham North in Clapham, The Mere Scribbler in Streatham and The Old Frizzle in Wimbledon.

Coffee#1 appoints Hibbert as operations director as it nears 100-site milestone: Coffee#1, the Caffe Nero-owned coffee shop brand, has appointed Sally Hibbert as operations director, Propel has learned.  Hibbert, who has previously held roles at PizzaExpress, Greene King and Fuller’s, joins Coffee#1 in January with a remit to lead the full store operation. Her appointment comes as the brand gears up to open its 100th site after opening its 99th in Telford last week. Coffee#1 managing director Bruce Newman told Propel: “It has been a pleasure getting to know Sally, who has all the skills required to lead the Coffee#1 operation in the coming years. We’ve got healthy ambitions to grow the Coffee#1 brand and Sally is a great fit with the brilliant team we already have in place.” Hibbert added: “I have admired Coffee#1 for some time and been attracted by the clarity of brand purpose, strength of culture and ambition the brand holds. There’s already a strong operations team in place and I look forward to getting to know them better and understanding how I can further support them and take the brand forward.” Hibbert’s appointment follows that of Shelley Wadey as head of finance in September.

Coaching Inn Group acquires 16th site: Coaching inn and hotel operator The Coaching Inn Group has acquired the Bell Hotel in Stilton, Cambridgeshire, taking its estate to 16. The acquisition is the first to complete following the company’s £22m refinance with NatWest announced by Propel earlier this week. The 22-bedroom hotel in Great North Road has been under the same ownership for the past 30 years. Dating to the 1500s, the hotel also offers conference facilities and a large garden making it popular for weddings. The Coaching Inn Group chief executive Kevin Charity said: “The Bell is a fantastic addition to our business and one of the best examples of a coaching inn in Britain. It is well known for its high-quality food and beverages and we look forward to working with the team during the next few months to further develop its bedroom and function business, which we see as key areas of opportunity. A refurbishment of all bedrooms will start in January as part of an initial £250,000 investment. The Bell now brings the Coaching Inn Group estate to 453 bedrooms, which brings us closer to our 500-room target.”

PizzaExpress confirms ZA closure: PizzaExpress has confirmed it is closing the test site for ZA, the spin-off concept centred around pizza slices it opened earlier this year in London. As revealed by Propel on Thursday (12 December), the business remains committed to the more food-to-go focused concept and plans to open a new site “more suited to ZA” in 2020. Zoe Bowley, PizzaExpress managing director for UK and Ireland, said: “ZA was launched following robust research highlighting customer appetite for fast, fresh pizza by the slice. As part of our test and learn strategy, we’re pleased it has proved our initial test of concept. We remain committed to the ZA format and brand, continue to refine the proposition, and currently plan to open a site more suited to ZA in 2020. The Fenchurch Street location, which has been ZA’s test site, will be converted back into a PizzaExpress and reopen next year as part of our FutureExpress programme. We’ve opened five sites and refurbished 20 restaurants in 2019 as part of the programme, including Langham Place, Putney, Byward Street and South Woodford. We are pleased with their performance to date and the success of these initial sites is helping shape our thinking as we plan for 2020.” The ZA test site offered coffee and pastries from 7am and pizza by the slice from lunch until late alongside two daily changing soups and “luna bread”, freshly baked pizza dough filled with ingredients such as egg, spinach and ham. 

Patisserie Valerie eyes expansion as it prepares to revamp 30 sites: Patisserie Valerie is eyeing a return to the expansion trail as it looks to revamp 30 sites next year as part of the brand’s next step to rebuild its fortunes. The company, which had about 200 outlets, collapsed into administration in January after a £94m black hole was found in its accounts. Irish private equity firm Causeway Capital subsequently acquired the business and almost 100 sites. Patisserie Valerie managing director Paolo Peretti told the Guardian he plans to spend more than £1m to revamp about 30 cafes and open a handful of new sites in 2020. The brand currently operates 73 cafes after Causeway closed some of the outlets it acquired and there could be further closures if new deals with landlords can’t be agreed as the business seeks a return to profitability. Causeway wants rent-free periods on some sites to help fund its plan to replace its brown and cream colour scheme with a brighter, more modern look. Peretti said it would cost up to £150,000 to update each cafe but he believes the facelift could increase sales by up to 15%. He admits the company has work to do to dispel memories of its near-death experience, which is now the subject of a Serious Fraud Office investigation. There are also plans to introduce vegan afternoon tea, more premium tea and coffee, and test an online cake-ordering system with Deliveroo. Peretti said problems under the previous regime ran deep. The chain was making a loss on its cakes, which account for 40% of sales. It also made “virtually no money” from cake counters in Sainsbury’s, which closed when the company collapsed. Since Causeway took control, it has also closed four of the group’s bakeries.

Mowgli secures Boar Lane site for Leeds opening: Indian street food concept Mowgli, which is backed by Foresight Group, has further strengthened its 2020 openings pipeline by securing a site in Leeds. The Nisha Katona-led company will open in the city next year, at 34 Boar Lane. A site in Bristol’s Corn Street will open early next year, while openings in Edinburgh and Glasgow are also lined up for 2020. Bath, Brighton, Coventry, Newcastle and Preston are also on the radar. Earlier this month the company reported revenues in the past three years had grown more than 66% on average every year to hit £12m in the 12 months to the end of July. Katona said: “Despite uncertainty in the wider economy, I have never been more passionate and positive for the future. I can’t believe in four years we have come so far, so fast, and we now have more than 400 people working in the business. My challenge as we continue to grow is to retain the culture throughout the business.” The company has opened restaurants in Manchester, Cardiff and Leicester this year.

BrewDog hits 100-site mark with Dublin debut: Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog has hit the 100-site mark by opening a brewpub in Dublin, its first venue in Ireland. The company has launched the brewpub at Capital Dock featuring an on-site micro-brewery, shuffleboards, a terrace and heated roof garden. The site also has a five-hectolitre brew kit and two bars with 30 taps each and offers the BrewDog menu of burgers, pizza, salad and buffalo wings. BrewDog said it had been looking to open a site in the Irish capital for more than four years. It is the company’s fourth brewpub following openings in London, Manchester and Seoul. BrewDog co-founder James Watt said: “BrewDog Dublin has been a long time coming. In the spirit of good things coming to those who wait, we are pushing the boat out and opening only our fourth brewpub. Dublin is one of Europe’s most historic brewing cities so we’re delighted to arrive and begin some brewing of our own.”

Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall closes: Fifteen Cornwall, one of the last outposts of Jamie Oliver’s UK restaurant empire, has closed with the loss of 100 jobs. The Watergate Bay restaurant uses the chef’s name under licence but is owned and run by a charitable trust. About 70 people work at the restaurant and a further 30 at the Cornwall Food Foundation charity, which will also be wound up. The closure comes after Oliver’s UK restaurant business, including the Jamie’s Italian chain, Fifteen in London and Barbecoa, collapsed in May, with 1,000 staff made redundant. Fifteen Cornwall said the necessary steps towards liquidating both companies had been taken and liquidators would be in touch with all affected parties. Oliver opened Fifteen Cornwall separate to his wider restaurant business 13 years ago, with all profits going back into the charity. The restaurant trained six to ten young unemployed people a year in its kitchens while serving locally sourced seasonal food. The restaurant made sales of about £3m last year but only broke even after making an average profit of more than £200,000 a year for several years. Oliver said: “Both organisations have always been run separately from us but the team has done an amazing job with the trainee programme, training more than 200 chefs and reaching so many more along the way – this is a huge blow. My thoughts are with everyone affected.”

Atlas Pub Co founder launches craft beer bar in Leeds: Geoff Thornton, who has operated a number of venues in Leeds under his company Atlas Pub Co, has launched his latest venture in the city. Hoist House has opened in a 2,784 square foot site at MEPC’s Wellington Place development offering local ale, craft beer and lager alongside an extensive range of non-alcoholic drinks. The venue will launch a dining offer early next year from Asian street-food brand Little Bao Boy, which operates a permanent site in North Brewing Co’s taproom in Leeds. Thornton said: “We have set out the venue to put the bar at the heart of the space surrounded by occasional furniture, comfortable sofas and, when the warmer weather returns, outside seating.” Earlier this month Atlas Pub Co closed its Wellington Pizza Pub in Leeds city centre after shuttering sites in Chapel Allerton, Leeds, and Manchester in August 2018. In May this year Wellington Pizza Pub in Hull also closed, while the Facebook page of the brand’s remaining site, in Beverley, has been deleted. However, Atlas Pub Co’s DOC bar, which occupies the upper floor of the Wellington Street premises, now serves pizza alongside its drinks and bottomless brunch. Atlas opened champagne bar Epernay in Leeds in 2005 before selling the venue in 2017. In the same year it sold The Pour House to Leeds-based pub operator Rose Thirteen and German-inspired beerhouse Atlas Brauhaus to cocktail bar chain Dirty Martini. 

Greene King to roll out order-and-pay app across Hungry Horse estate: Brewer and retailer Greene King is to roll out its order-and-pay app across its 267-strong Hungry Horse estate following a trial. The app has been downloaded more than 500,000 times to date and has a 4.7 out of 5 rating on the iTunes and Android app stores. Since May, more than 378,000 orders have been processed through the app at pubs involved in the trial, the company said. App users can book a table, browse the full Hungry Horse menu, and order and pay without having to leave their table. Greene King chief commercial officer Phil Thomas said: “We know our customers are looking for increased convenience when dining out and, after a successful trial, we’re pleased Hungry Horse is the first of our brands to benefit from a full roll-out across all sites. We expect to introduce it into more Greene King brands in 2020.”

Ultracomida to launch vermouth and sherry bar for fourth site in Wales: Spanish deli and restaurant operator Ultracomida is to open a vermouth and sherry bar in Cardiff for its fourth site in Wales. Vermut, which is Catalan for vermouth, will open at a 560 square foot site in Guildhall Place in early 2020. Modelled on Spanish late-night bars, Vermut will offer 30 covers with customers encouraged to perch on bar stools. The menu will focus on cured meat, charcuterie, cheese, and tinned and cured seafood. The venue will also host “meet the producer” tastings and talks. Shumana Palit and husband Paul Grimwood founded Ultracomida in 2001 and operate pintxos bar Curado in Cardiff as well as two Ultracomida deli restaurants in Narberth and Aberystwyth. Palit said: “Vermouth is a classic drink of Catalonia but has enjoyed a revival in recent years. It’s a similar story with sherry and wine from Montilla-Moriles, which for a long time were considered old-fashioned but are now celebrated. We’re excited about showcasing both and replicating the atmosphere of the Spanish hole-in-the-wall bars we love.”

Taco Bell to make West Country debut next month: Mexican restaurant brand Taco Bell is to open its first site in the West Country, next month. The venue will launch in New George Street, Plymouth, on Friday, 10 January. The restaurant will be the 43rd Taco Bell in the UK. Taco Bell UK marketing lead Lucy Dee said: “Plymouth has been a location we’ve wanted to take on for a long time so it’s a great way to start 2020.” This week Taco Bell opened its 40th site in the UK, in Sutton, Surrey. The 40-seater outlet launched in High Street on Thursday (12 December). There are more than 425 Taco Bell restaurants across 27 markets outside the US, with the goal to expand the brand’s international presence to 9,000 restaurants by 2022.

PureGym acquires Fitness World to create second-largest gym operator in Europe: PureGym, the UK’s largest gym operator, is to acquire European gym and fitness operator Fitness World. The deal will create the second-largest gym and fitness operator in Europe, with 1.7 million members at 500 facilities in the UK, Denmark, Switzerland and Poland. The deal allows PureGym to accelerate its international expansion plan, which includes trial sites in the US. PureGym has opened more than 70 sites since being acquired by funds controlled by Leonard Green & Partners in 2017 and will be trading from 263 UK sites by the end of this year. It has continued to pioneer innovations such as digital fitness studios, online fitness training and new formats such as PureGym Local, which targets smaller communities. PureGym chief executive Humphrey Cobbold said: “This transaction brings together two well-matched, market-leading businesses and the combination creates a powerful platform from which to accelerate growth. Fitness World is a business we know well and have long admired. The team has done an outstanding job in building unparalleled leadership in the highly attractive Danish market, with exciting growth in Switzerland and Poland.” The transaction is expected to complete in early 2020.

Tom Aikens to open fine dining restaurant in Belgravia next month: Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens is to open fine dining restaurant Muse in London’s Belgravia next month. The 25-cover boutique restaurant will be housed in a renovated mews in Groom Place and will see the return of Aikens’ take on “experience-led dining” following a long search for a suitable site. Aikens will create a seasonal, stripped-back tasting menu featuring signature dishes that focus on one key ingredient or element. Cocktails and wine will be paired with the food. The dining space, which will open on Saturday, 11 January, will be split over two floors, each with a theatre kitchen, with each guest offered a “kitchen table experience”. Aikens is the youngest chef to gain two Michelin stars. He currently runs Tom’s Kitchen in Chelsea and has an international presence having opened Pots, Pans and Boards in Dubai and three eateries at the Abu Dhabi Edition. He has also written three cookbooks and is a regular judge on television series Great British Menu.

Sheppard sisters to launch cafe and events space in Mayfair: Victoria and Grace Sheppard are set to launch a cafe and events space in Queen Street, Mayfair. The sisters, who have extensive experience in the hospitality and design industries, will open Queens in the spring offering breakfast through to after-work drinks before the venue turns into a private dining and events space in the evening. Breakfast will include patisserie and homemade pancakes, while the lunch menu will feature salads, soup and sandwiches. There will also be a grab-and-go section, Hot Dinners reports. In the evening, Queens will serve botanical cocktails, English wine and champagne alongside gourmet sausage rolls and sharing platters. Coffee will be supplied by Difference Coffee, which mostly works with Michelin-starred restaurants and private members’ clubs.

Restaurant and leisure brands sign for £180m Barnsley town centre development: Nando’s, Muffin Break, Cineworld and Superbowl UK are among the first restaurant and leisure brands to sign for the £180m regeneration of Barnsley town centre. The Glass Works development will include seven family restaurants, a 13-screen Cineworld cinema, a Superbowl UK bowling alley, 26 retail units, soft play and laser games areas, a public square and a 500-space multi-storey car park. Other hospitality brands to sign for the scheme include independent restaurant MEET and coffee shop brand Coffee Boy. The scheme is expected to complete in 2021 and will feature 125,000 square feet of retail, cafe and restaurant space within four buildings. A spokesman told BDaily: “The result will be a genuine destination for shoppers in Barnsley on par with some of the north of England’s best mixed-use, retail-led developments.”

Manorview receives recognition for commitment to staff well-being: Scottish-based boutique hotel and leisure group Manorview has been recognised for its commitment to caring for employees by being awarded a wellness charter certificate. It was presented by Hospitality Health, a charity formed in August 2018 to support the well-being of staff and students in the sector. Manorview has introduced a series of initiatives geared to looking after its team, including dedicated “listening sessions” ensuring everyone is heard and people feel valued. Hospitality Health, in partnership with Hospitality Action, also offers a round-the-clock confidential helpline. Hospitality Health founder Gordon McIntyre said: “At a time when recruitment and retention in the industry is tough, a company that takes time to support the well-being of its people will be successful.”

Britvic launches science-based carbon emissions targets: Britvic has announced new carbon emissions reduction targets that have been independently verified by the Science Based Target initiatives (SBTi). The targets are in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement in moves to prevent a global temperature rise of 1.5°C. With the support of carbon management company Carbon Credentials, Britvic has committed to halving emissions from its operations by 2025 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Britvic has also set the target of a 35% reduction in emissions by 2025 across its extended value chain, including harvesting ingredients and recycling packaging, and will measure all targets against its 2017 baseline. To reach the 2025 target, Britvic is making strategic changes to operations such as installing biomass boilers to power manufacturing and switching from steel to aluminium cans. Last year the business moved to using 100% renewable electricity in all its manufacturing sites in Britain, in line with similar moves in Ireland and Brazil. Britvic supply chain director Clive Hooper said: “We recognise the escalating urgency and ambition required to tackle the issue of climate change and are committed to stepping up our role in addressing this.” The SBTi has said 285 companies with approved science-based targets are set to eliminate 265 million tonnes of emissions from their operations, equivalent to closing 68 coal-fired power plants.

Unity Brewing Co opens new headquarters: Southampton-based Unity Brewing Co has opened its new headquarters. The company has launched the premises in Princes Street having raised £200,000 on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube earlier this year. Unity Brewing Co leased the 4,000 square foot site during the summer and has just completed its fit-out. The company was previously based on the Belgrave Industrial Estate in the city. It raised the funds to take on larger premises, buy equipment to double capacity and build a taproom. Founder and head brewer Jimmy Hatherley said: “The set-up we now have will enable us to grow the business and we look forward to an exciting future.” Holloway Iliffe & Mitchell acted for Unity Brewing Co on the deal.