Downey – operators shouldn’t give in to landlords’ bullying tactics: London Union founder Jonathan Downey, who is campaigning alongside UKHospitality for government sector concessions, has reiterated calls for a six-month debt enforcement moratorium and urged operators not to be bullied into paying their rent. The government has extended the moratorium on lease forfeiture to commercial tenants for three months. The decision, with the quarterly rent call due on Wednesday (25 March), means landlords can’t forfeit an operator’s lease, change locks or take possession of their premises. However, Downey said some landlords were using “bullying tactics” to get business owners to pay part or full rent for the quarter. In a message to landlords, he said: “I am seeing lots of offers from landlords that rents can go monthly. No they can’t. That’s no kind of deal and you should all be holding on to your cash right now. Everything is on hold. It has only been nine days since our sales were wiped out and four days since lock-down. There’s a moratorium. Revenue streams are at zero. We’re struggling to find the cash flow to co-fund the Job Retention Scheme to save millions of livelihoods. Back off. We’re doing our bit, you need to do yours. I know some of you are doing your bit (thank you) and you should announce this loudly to put pressure on others. We don’t want to hear any more bleating from the British Property Federation and other organisations. You should be advising your members to step up at a time of national crisis, not bring out threats and aggression. It’s shameful and you will be hated.” Downey reiterated a debt enforcement moratorium was required. He continued: “If we get a moratorium that’s a freeze on any action to recover debt by anybody at any time for ideally a six-month period. We may get that. If we do, no landlord will be able to take action in regards to the recovery of any amount due under any lease. Unless your situation is so precarious and your site so valuable and at risk you daren’t not pay your rent, my advice to everyone is don’t pay your rent yet. Don’t pay your service charge, don’t pay any amount due under your lease. Wait a day or two, if it’s safe for you to do so, and hopefully we’ll have some further protection. This moratorium would not only provide business and premises owners with protection, it would provide landlords with protection against the banks and other lenders who may be seeking to enforce debt security over premises and trying to take possession of premises landlords aren’t themselves allowed to take possession of any more. In the meantime, hold tight. For 95% of operators this isn’t going to be an issue. Only a few landlords are employing aggressive tactics to try to bully people into paying rent. I’ll be amazed if any of them carry it through but we’ll have to deal with that if they do. Hopefully the moratorium on lease forfeiture has given us some breathing space to try to find a way through this.”

Propel launches BeatTheVirus campaign: Propel has launched BeatTheVirus to help operators through the covid-19 crisis. We have teamed up with Propel Multi Club conference series partners to offer the sector their expertise. Partners will offer more general advice and highlight some of the initiatives they are doing. Bibendum and Startle are the latest companies to come on board and join Airship, Bibendum, Bums on Seats, CACI, Christie & Co, COREcruitment, CPL Learning, Cynergy Bank, Elliotts, Hastee, haysmacintyre, John Gaunt & Partners, KAM Media, Prestige Purchasing, S4labour, Startle, Ten Kites, The NPD Group, Toggle, Trail, Venners, Wireless Social, Yapster and sector trade body UKHospitality. Propel managing director Paul Charity said: “It is amazing to see how the industry has come together during this crisis and here at Propel we want to do our bit. This is why we are working with Multi Club partners to offer expert support and advice to our readers and to answer their questions at what is a tough time for everyone.” Readers can email questions for our experts to paul.charity@propelinfo.com. Please use BeatTheVirus in the subject line. A selection of questions and answers can be found at the bottom of this newsletter.

Geof Collyer to talk about the pub sector’s remarkable ability to survive in latest Propel Opinion: Lavender Bank Partners Geof Collyer is to talk about the pub sector’s remarkable ability to survive in the latest Propel Opinion, which will be sent to subscribers on Friday (27 March) at 5pm. Collyer says there have been at least four existential threats to the sector in the past 30 years – and it survived the first three. Meanwhile, Premium Diary will rummage through the rumour mill looking for nuggets of hope and inspiration. 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 regular columns from Mark Wingett. Subscribers also receive access to our database of multi-site companies, which has grown to 1,500 businesses. An annual premium subscription costs £395 plus VAT for operators and £495 plus VAT for suppliers. Email anne.steele@propelinfo.com

Government races to overhaul insolvency laws: The government is racing to overhaul insolvency laws as the coronavirus crisis threatens to unleash a deluge of bankruptcies. The Insolvency Service, which sits within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, has started canvassing restructuring professionals regarding their views on urgent changes to company legislation, reports Sky News. The reforms, which would be implemented through emergency laws, could include a moratorium on winding-up petitions and suspending rules on wrongful trading to afford directors more protection, industry sources said. The German government has already introduced emergency laws to ban winding-up petitions during the crisis. Government measures announced in the past few days – such as deferral of VAT payments and a moratorium on commercial property evictions for non-payment of rent – have eased some pressure on company directors to call in administrators. One insolvency practitioner said there was unlikely to be an immediate deluge of administrations while companies had the option of furloughing staff and having their wages paid by the yet-to-launch Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme. Nevertheless, he added an imminent reform of laws was required to provide companies with more clarity. Whitehall sources said the government was likely to respond to proposals from insolvency practitioners in the next few days.

Pubs and breweries push to be allowed takeaway sales: Breweries and pubs are lobbying the government for blanket permission to launch takeaway alcohol services after off-licences were designated “essential businesses” and permitted to stay open during the coronavirus lock-down. Most brewery taprooms – and some pubs – can only sell drinks on the premises because they don’t have an “off” licence allowing them to serve customers who want to drink elsewhere. If the government was to grant them temporary permission to do so, all pubs, bars and breweries could behave like off-licences, delivering drinks or allowing customers to pick them up. Kit Malthouse, the Home Office minister responsible for alcohol licensing, has so far refused those requests, reports The Guardian. However, trade bodies including the Society of Independent Brewers and the British Beer and Pub Association have asked the government to consider the proposal. Off-licences have joined a list of businesses that includes supermarkets, pharmacies, banks and petrol stations considered essential for keeping the nation running.

Companies to receive three-month extension for filing accounts: Businesses will be allowed to apply for a three-month extension before filing their accounts. The joint initiative between the government and Companies House will mean businesses can prioritise managing the impact of the coronavirus crisis. Under normal circumstances, companies are issued with an automatic penalty if they file their accounts late. As part of the agreed measures, while companies will still have to apply for the three-month extension, those citing issues to do with covid-19 will be automatically and immediately granted an extension. Applications can be made through a fast-track online system. Business secretary Alok Sharma said: “We have outlined a business support package on an unprecedented scale, backing companies and their employees through these challenging times. But it’s important our support isn’t limited to financial assistance. We’re determined to help businesses in any way we can so they can focus efforts on dealing with the impact of coronavirus. This new offer of a three-month extension for filing accounts is part of that.” Companies House chief executive Louise Smyth added: “By easing the burden, we can help businesses through this period and enable them to thrive in the future.”

CPL Learning launches free planning delivery and takeaway e-learning course: CPL Learning, which delivers hospitality-based training and development, has launched a planning delivery and takeaway e-learning course. The free course has been produced in collaboration with experts David Edwards, Angeline Wolfe and Karen Turton. Developed for the hospitality industry, the course has been designed to help pubs, restaurants and cafes pivot into a takeaway or delivery business. CPL Learning chief operating officer Jamie Campbell said: “Many operators are having to quickly adapt their operations to meet this demand, with takeaway and delivery services entirely new to others. Considerations and processes need to be put in place so operators don’t risk damaging their business reputation or, more importantly, people’s health. Hospitality businesses providing these services will play a crucial role in helping feed the nation and supporting key workers. As a business, we’re committed to supporting the sector through this time and will continue to provide resources and guidance.” The free course is available via CPL Learning’s website or can be easily allocated on existing clients’ platforms.

CAMRA cancels Great British Beer Festival: The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has cancelled its flagship Great British Beer Festival, which was due to take place at Olympia in London from 4 to 8 August. The event, which features more than 1,000 beers and regularly attracts almost 40,000 visitors, has been running for more than 40 years. A full refund for anyone who has bought an advanced ticket will be processed automatically within five to ten days. Great British Beer Festival organiser Catherine Tonry said: “While we hope restrictions on movement will ease by August, it’s clear we won’t have the resources available to organise an event this size during the current crisis. We know this will be incredibly disappointing for many of our volunteers who regularly travel from all corners of the country to help pull pints throughout the week. We want to thank them all for their help each year and hope they will be able to join us in 2021.” Last week CAMRA cancelled all forthcoming events and beer festivals until the end of June, including its members’ weekend, annual general meeting and conference in York, and the inaugural Great Welsh Beer Festival, which were both due to take place in April.

Job of the day: COREcruitment’s international team is seeking an experienced director of people to relocate to Hong Kong on behalf of a premium restaurant group. The company operates internationally and has extensive plans for growth in 2021. To help the business cultivate a “productive and nurturing culture where internal talented is supported and rewarded”, it is seeking an experienced head of people/director of people with great knowledge of growth and structure implementation. Salary is flexible, including support with relocation for the successful candidate and potentially their family or partner. Email your CV or profile to Michelle@Corecruitment.com 

SSP raises £216m through emergency share placing, agrees new £112m credit facility: SSP Group, the UK-based transport hub foodservice specialist, has raised £216m through an emergency share placing to try to ride out the coronavirus crisis. A total of 86,195,459 new ordinary shares in the capital of the company were placed at a price of 250p each and represented about 19.3% of its share capital prior to the placing. Among the investors were existing shareholders Blackrock and Merian Global Investors, which acquired 21 million and 7.7 million shares respectively, while group chief executive Simon Smith acquired 60,000 shares. The company said it had agreed a new £112m, 18-month credit facility with HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest banks, which would bolster its cash reserves. It also said it expected to qualify for the UK government’s scheme for supporting businesses through the coronavirus shutdown. The company also deferred payment of its final dividend to June and said it wouldn’t pay a dividend for the first half of 2020, while also suspending share buybacks. Like-for-like sales in the UK and Europe are running between 80% and 85% lower year-on-year, with air worse than rail. It said in North America like-for-likes were down 80% and 60% in the rest of the world. SSP said it had temporarily shut some units and cut opening hours at others and was halting openings planned for the second half of the year while “significantly” cutting salary across its senior management. On debt issues the company said it was confident in its ability to meet its covenant thresholds on 31 March and expected to have up to £200m of cash and undrawn committed facilities before the new funding, at the end of the first half. It forecast March revenue would drop up to 45% compared with a year ago, reducing revenue by about £125m – to £135m – and operating profit by up to £60m. SSP stated: “Looking into the second half of the financial year (April to September 2020) our central planning assumption is recent trading conditions seen through March 2020 are likely to deteriorate further.”

Las Iguanas committed to providing delivery option for NHS and key workers: Casual Dining Group brand Las Iguanas has said it is committed to providing a delivery and takeaway option in sites where NHS teams and other key workers need quick and convenient food options for “as long as it can”. The company told customers: “Staying open to provide this service actually costs us more – we’re definitely not in it for the money. The small team working reduced hours in each restaurant to cook and serve your food have chosen to do so and are proud to support their communities. If they choose not to work, we fully support their decision and will assist them to access support available to them and enrol them on the government’s furlough or staff retention scheme. We’re pleased to offer 50% discount to all NHS staff and supermarket workers on hot takeaway and call-and-collect food for as long as we can keep on cooking.” Casual Dining Group’s others brands, Café Rouge and Bella Italia, are still offering a delivery or collection option in a number of sites.

Boxpark won’t charge rent or fees while closed: Boxpark has said it won’t charge its tenants rent or service fees while its venues are closed. Chief executive Roger Wade said the business would work closely with food delivery companies to boost its traders’ online presence and help them get on to delivery platforms. He added the company was exploring operating delivery-only kitchens for traders who wished to remain open. The company shut its sites in Shoreditch, Croydon and Wembley at midnight on Friday (20 March). Wade said: “Boxpark’s success would be nothing without its loyal customers, fantastic traders and hard-working staff. This is undoubtedly a challenging time for our traders and we’re determined to do everything we can to support them throughout this crisis. We’re working with each of our traders to ensure they know how to apply for government support and access it quickly if they need to. Let’s remember this is only a temporary situation and we’re confident we’ll be back soon to welcome everyone home. We’re all in this together.”

Pizza Hut, Wildwood, Ole & Steen, Chilango and Island Poké among latest operators to shutter sites: Pizza Hut, Wildwood, Ole & Steen, Chilango and Island Poké are among the latest operators to shutter sites during the government lock-down. Pizza Hut has closed all its sites that offered dine-in, including collection and takeaway services. Its delivery-only stores remain open. The company stated: “We have decided to temporarily close our dine-in restaurants and remove our collection and takeaway order options from all Huts. Our Delivery Huts are still open for delivery. We are trying our best to deliver pizza super quickly but our service may be slightly disrupted. With this in mind, we have paused our Speed Guarantee to ensure we don’t put teams under additional pressure. We have decided to remain open because we strongly believe our delivery network has a critical role to play during this crisis.” Tasty has also closed all sites for its Wildwood brand. The company wrote: “For as long as we could, irrespective of commercial costs, we’ve tried to serve our guests and community while retaining our people. We never rushed to close down restaurants and managed to keep our great team employed. Unfortunately now, in the interests of the welfare of our employees, guests and public, we have suspended takeaway and delivery with immediate effect. We will look at new ways we can assist our communities.” Danish baker Ole & Steen wrote on its website: “Our teams’ tireless efforts have ensured we have been baking and serving bread to those who really need it. However, as so many of our friends in the hospitality industry have done we will temporarily close all our UK bakeries, including delivery and takeaway. We feel this is the right decision.” Mexican restaurant brand Chilango wrote: “Adios amigos! We have made the difficult decision to temporarily close all Chilango restaurants, including delivery services, until further notice to ensure the safety and well-being of our crews.” Island Poké, the White Rabbit Fund-backed concept, wrote on its Instagram page: “It’s time for us to enable a little more distance. We will close our doors and Deliveroo service for as long as required to get us all through this. We’ll use this time to think about what we want the world to look like on the other side – and excited to mould Island Poké accordingly.” Gleneagles owner Ennismore wrote on LinkedIn that it had closed The Hoxton in Clerkenwell, The Gleneagles Hotel and its offices until further notice. 

JD Wetherspoon requests supplier moratorium until pubs reopen: JD Wetherspoon has asked suppliers if it can withhold payments until its pubs reopen following the government lock-down. In an email sent to suppliers signed by chairman Tim Martin, the company wrote: “We are asking for a moratorium on payments until the pubs reopen, at which point we intend to clear outstanding payments within a short time-frame. We understand this puts significant pressure on our suppliers but we are kindly asking for your assistance during this very difficult period. A number of our suppliers have already offered assistance and we would be most grateful for your co-operation as well.” The company declined to comment when contacted by Propel.

Yum! Brands closes 7,000 restaurants globally, borrows $525m from RCF as ‘precaution’: Yum Brands has temporarily closed 7,000 restaurants around the globe and said the impact of coronavirus on like-for-like sales would grow progressively worse. The company, which has more than 50,000 outlets, has firmed up its cash position as a precaution and borrowed $525m from its revolving credit facility. It stated in a regulatory filing that like-for-like sales for the quarter ended 31 March will decline in a range of mid-to-high single digits. However, because the duration of the crisis is unclear, the company said like-for-like sales are likely to slide even more for the quarter ended 30 June. The plunge in sales comes as governments around the world have ordered restaurants to close dine-in operations, limiting sales to delivery, takeaway or drive-thru. All four of Yum’s brands – Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut and The Habit Burger Grill – have switched to a “low contact” to-go model, where permitted. Some Taco Bell restaurants have stopped serving breakfast. With the UK on lock-down, more than 900 KFCs have closed. Yum Brands said it was helping franchisees navigate by keeping off-premise operations open in the safest manner possible for employees and consumers. It added: “We are also working with franchisees who need more access to capital and are in good standing with the company to provide assistance, including grace periods for certain near-term payments where necessary.” As for employees, Yum said workers employed at company-owned restaurants would get paid if they were required to stay at home or if they worked at a restaurant that had closed. Payment will be based on their regularly scheduled hours during their time away from work. “Yum is actively working with its franchise partners to encourage a similar approach,” the company said.

Ten Entertainment Group launches share placing to raise ‘contingency’ funds: Ten Entertainment Group has launched an issue of shares worth 5% of its share capital to raise “contingency” funds in light of the coronavirus outbreak. The company is issuing up to 3,250,000 new ordinary shares of 1p each to certain existing shareholders and institutional and other investors, including company directors. The company stated: “While the situation remains uncertain, and it is impossible at this stage to be clear on when this crisis will conclude, the company wants to take the prudent precaution to strengthen its balance sheet further to provide additional flexibility at this time and ensure the ongoing health of the business. The company therefore proposes raising additional capital via the placing, with the net proceeds to provide this additional liquidity headroom. The company anticipates this is only a precautionary measure and the additional funds raised won’t be required to be deployed. In such an event the business will consider, if appropriate, a mechanism for returning the additional funds. Such a return of funds isn’t guaranteed and will depend on prevailing trading conditions at the time.”

Lina Stores raises £21,000 in first week of campaign to supply free meal kits: Delicatessen brand Lina Stores has raised more than £21,000 in the first week since launching a Go Fund Me page to help Londoners in need. For each £10,000 raised, Lina Stores can provide 4,000 meals by sending meal kits to those in the capital who need it most. Each kit contains enough food to make ten meals and includes handmade pasta, sauces and cheese. All donations are being spent on supplies and to pay staff to produce the kits. The Italian delicatessen first opened in Soho 75 years ago. The company opened a second site, in King’s Cross, in November. White Rabbit Fund-backed Lina Stores also opened a 51-cover restaurant in Greek Street, Soho, in 2018. Lina Stores head chef Masha Rener said: “We want to look after London – the community that has been supporting us for over 75 years. We have the resources and the team and we now need your support to feed as many people as we can.” To donate, visit the Go Fund Me website and search for “Lina Stores”. Meanwhile, game expert Mac & Wild, which operates two Scottish restaurants in London and one in the Highlands, has moved its butcher’s counter online. Produce from the Highlands is available for delivery across the UK and comes with cooking recommendations, recipes and details on storage and freezing. 

EasyHotel closes company-owned sites, cuts expenditure: EasyHotel, the owner, developer, operator and franchisor of “super budget” branded hotels, has closed all its company-owned sites and cut capital expenditure as a result of the coronavirus crisis. The company said while it was “too soon” to estimate the full impact the closures and previously announced deterioration of forward bookings would have on the business, the board expects trading for the year ending 30 September 2020 to be “substantially behind expectations”. The group said it expected to qualify for some of the measures announced by the UK government to support businesses during the coronavirus shutdown. EasyHotel added: “We have a robust balance sheet backed by a significant freehold and long leasehold estate. Additionally, the recently announced equity fund-raising of £11m (gross) due to complete on Thursday (26 March) when aggregated with its existing cash balances, means we currently have access to good levels of liquidity. We remain in constant and close dialogue with our financial lenders and have amended our group committed facility to strengthen our financial position. The board remains confident in the group’s strategy over the longer term. It will continue to monitor the evolving situation closely and will update the market as appropriate.” Meanwhile, Irish hotel operator Dalata, which has a growing presence in the UK, said it had reached agreement with its banks to avoid breaching covenants. The company said revenue in the quarter ending March 2020 is expected to be down about 16% compared with the previous year. It will temporarily close several of its hotels in Ireland and the UK in the coming days and significantly reduce operating capacity at remaining sites. Executives and staff have taken a wage cut for at least the next two months. The company added: “The group has significant financial headroom with material cash resources of €80m (£74m) post disbursement of quarterly rent and interest scheduled to be paid over the next few days. In addition, Dalata can avail of further undrawn committed debt facilities of about €65m. The group has proactively engaged with its banking club and, as a result of an amendment to the group facilities agreement, Dalata fully expects to be in compliance with covenants in June 2020.”

Barkby Group confirms Benzie as chief financial officer, trade behind expectations before virus impact: Premium gastro-pub operator Barkby Group has appointed Douglas Benzie as chief financial officer as it reported trading was marginally behind expectations prior to closing its pubs. Benzie has joined the business from London based, healthy fast food chain Pure, where he was finance director for almost three years. The company said trade at its five pubs had been hit by the covid-19 crisis since 12 March and all its sites had been closed since Friday (20 March). Before closing, the company said trading was marginally behind expectations because of a delay to its acquisition of The Star Inn in Sparsholt. It said: “Government interventions to mitigate some of the impact of covid-19 on our pub business means the pubs earnings for the full year will be significantly lower, but we don’t expect the shutdown to materially impact group cash. We will, however, miss out on 14 traditionally strong weeks of positive earnings contribution. We’re using this period of shutdown to refurbish the Rose & Crown in Ashbury, near Swindon, so it can reopen as a stronger business when trading restrictions are lifted.” The company acquired the Workshop Coffee business earlier this year, which continued to trade in line with management expectations until mid-March, albeit with a minor impact on earnings expected due to the pandemic. The company said: “Our retail stores have closed and we don’t expect them to reopen before our financial year end. Encouragingly, our online store is trading at record levels and we also expect our B2B roasting division to continue trading over the next quarter, albeit at a much lower level than normal. Due to various government interventions announced during the past ten days, we don’t expect a material cash impact to Workshop or this to affect the group’s full-year earnings materially due to the fact Workshop only recently began making a contribution to group earnings.”

Questions from Rarebreed Dining marketing and brand manager Patrick Powell

Q: Can I get further information I can send to our teams on furlough, now they’re “furloughed workers”?

A: We have put together a letter that can be sent to furloughed staff (email richard@cattonhospitality.com for a copy) that explains their position and what happens next. Essentially, we’re all still waiting for the same answers from government on some of the conditions surrounding furlough pay. In the meantime, we’re finalising payroll for companies and therefore need to process something. Our intention is to treat furlough pay as we have laid out in the letter. If any contravening advice comes out in the future we will make retrospective adjustments. I think the bit that needs to be clear for employers and employees is furloughing needs to be “offered to” and “agreed by” the employee unless you have a clause in your contract of employment that allows for temporary lay-offs. Of course the alternative to furlough may be redundancy.

Q: Is it possible to formulate a robust, meaningful plan of attack/strategy? On the one hand we have been ordered to close and the country is in lock-down, which provides some clarity. On the other hand, we don’t know how long the arrangement will last or when we’ll be allowed to reopen and whether it could be a phased or blanket reopening?

A: While stating the obvious, cash is everything in this situation and it’s key to formulate an integrated cash flow forecast that incorporates a profit and loss account and balance sheet. As you mention, we don’t know how long this hiatus is going to last and, as such, the cash flow forecast needs to be flexible showing the impact of the closure for, say, six weeks, three months and six months. Be realistic with your costs, the build-up of revenue once the sites are open again, and how far you can push your creditors. Furthermore, consider the openings may be phased or the country could be in and out of lock-down several times during the next 12 months. You would then be left with a series of scenarios ranging from a best case to worst case and perhaps a realistic case. From these scenarios you can try to plan a strategy. For example, how long can you last with your fixed costs? What conversations – positive and negative – do you need to have now? What are the trigger points and targets you need to consider? While the sites are temporarily closed, is there scope to tidy up some of the capital projects you’ve been meaning to do for ages? Overall, my advice is to be prudent, realistic and communicative to your team, HMRC and suppliers.

Q: Any top tips on sustaining morale? Communicating regularly feels like a good place to start

A: If you tell teams you’ve let them know as much as you can but there are still things you can’t communicate because you don’t know, I think they will understand. Tell them you’ll let them know as soon as you have the information. You can also let them know about useful volunteering sites such as the NHS one that came out on Wednesday. You can always ask your team to post on company communications sites about anything they’re doing on this front.