UKHospitality calls on sector to join video campaign to send message to government ahead of Budget: UKHospitality is calling on the sector to lend its support to a campaign to secure further vital support for businesses. Leaders from across the industry have joined forces to send a message to the government ahead of next month’s Budget, the “most important for the sector in living memory”. In a series of testimonials produced by UKHospitality, representatives from businesses including Parkdean Resorts, The London Eye and Blackpool Tower have called on the government to help support businesses hit by the covid crisis by extending the VAT cut and business rates holiday. The videos highlight the crucial help provided by the VAT cut and rates holiday and stress the need for these measures to be extended for a further 12 months, and in the case of the VAT cut ensure it applies across the broad sector. UKHospitality is encouraging everyone across the sector to record their own video in order to drive home the message to MPs. The trade body has also repeated its call for businesses to write to their MPs ahead of the Budget on 3 March. UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “Slashing VAT and providing a business rates holiday have been two hugely beneficial lifelines for hospitality businesses. This support, specifically tailored for our sector, has been crucial in keeping businesses afloat and jobs alive. This valuable support cannot be allowed to expire, though. If it is to have the maximum positive effect on businesses, it has to be extended at the Budget. UKHospitality has been making that point to the government at every available opportunity. You have an opportunity to make your own voice heard at a vitally important moment for our sector. We need as many people as possible in the sector to hammer home the message. We encourage business owners, managers, staff and customers who care about their favourite venues to let their MPs know this is what must be done to help businesses in their constituencies. Record your own video so they can see the faces behind the businesses and let them know we need an extension to the VAT cut and business rates holiday.” UKHospitality is encouraging the sector to support the campaign and post their videos on social media using the hashtag #hospitalitymatters.

Caravan operations director Graham Hollinshead to feature in ‘A Focus on Operations’ video: In a new series of Propel lockdown videos in conjunction with guest experience management experts Yumpingo, we focus on the role of operations directors. We speak to operations directors from leading sector businesses about how their priorities have changed during the crisis, how they have adapted, the biggest challenges they have faced, how their relationships with their teams have changed, and how they see the consumer experience evolving. In the latest video of the series, Ann Elliott talks to Graham Hollinshead, operations director at Caravan. The video will be released at 9am on Thursday (18 February).

MPs tell government to act now or see ‘extinction’ of UK nightlife: A cross-party group of more than 40 MPs has warned the night-time economy is at risk of “extinction” unless the government takes further action. The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Night Time Economy has published the findings of its recent inquiry into the impact of covid. The MPs have urged the government to bring forward a sector-specific grant package – including extending furlough, business rates relief and the cut in VAT – and a detailed roadmap for reopening the sector to avoid “irreversible losses” that would create “ghost towns” across the country and hinder the wider economic recovery. The report, entitled “Covid-19 and UK Nightlife”, looked at the impact of the pandemic and government support for businesses in the night-time economy and supply chain businesses. It involved a survey that received more than 20,000 responses and showed 85% working in the sector are considering leaving the industry. More than three quarters (78%) of all industry employees had at some point been on furlough while night-time economy businesses had on average made 37% of their total workforce redundant. In the second half of 2020, businesses traded at an average of 28% of their annualised pre-covid turnover while only 36% self-employed nightlife workers have been able to claim the Self Employment Income Support Scheme. The inquiry examined written submissions from businesses, local authorities and trade bodies as well as the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS). The joint DCMS-BEIS submission recognised the importance of nightlife to the economy as a whole, noting after the 2008 financial crisis the sector “helped drive the UK’s recovery more generally.” Despite this, the inquiry found economic support for the night-time economy had been “insufficient”, containing significant gaps. Jeff Smith, chair of the APPG and a former self-employed DJ, said: “Our findings reveal this industry is on its knees, in desperate need of additional support from the government and a concrete plan for reopening. If the government is serious about its ‘levelling up’ agenda it must act now to save this sector and avoid untold damage to the social fabric of this country.” Night Time Industries Association chief executive Michael Kill added: “We need more assistance and a detailed plan for reopening now. Otherwise, much of what defines a night out in the UK will be lost forever.”

Soley – if this is the roadmap then sadly thousands of valuable, viable and essential community pubs and businesses will be lost forever: The reported roadmap out of lockdown will lead to “thousands of valuable, viable and essential community pubs and businesses being lost forever and hundreds of thousands of jobs”, Chris Soley, chief executive of north east-based brewer and pub operator Camerons Brewery, has said. Reports on Wednesday (17 February) said pubs, bars and restaurants would have to wait until early May to reopen, with a maximum of two households allowed to sit together indoors and the rule of six applying outside. The next stage, in early June, would see the rules for pubs and restaurants relaxed with the rule of six extended indoors. Prime minister Boris Johnson suggested pubs, bars and restaurants would be the final parts of the UK economy allowed to fully reopen under his lockdown exit strategy. Speaking while visiting a Welsh vaccination centre, Johnson said his plans, which he will unveil on Monday (22 February), would be “based firmly on a cautious and prudent approach” to ease restrictions in “such a way as to be irreversible”. He said: “You have to remember from last year when we opened up hospitality fully, that was one of the last things that we did because there is obviously an extra risk of transmission from hospitality.” Soley said: “If true, the average pub in our 80-pub estate would have been forcibly closed through tiers or national lockdown for almost 11 months and government support that doesn’t cover anywhere near the bills. Step up Rishi Sunak. If this is the roadmap then sadly thousands of valuable, viable and essential community pubs and businesses will be lost forever and hundreds of thousands of jobs. All the government's financial intervention so far will be wasted.” Loungers chairman Alex Reilley called for the roadmap to include a date by which all restrictions are lifted, while warning some government advisors, “who are anti-alcohol and anti-socialising”, will see an opportunity to “re-engineer how hospitality functions in the future”. He added: “If we don’t fight this there’s a real danger some restrictions will stick and in years to come, we’ll be reminiscing about the days when you used to be able to stand at a bar and have a few pints.” Richard Ferrier, managing director of Brasserie Bar Co, the owner of White Brasserie Company and Brasserie Blanc, said he believed it was a mistake for the government not to announce the Budget and its reopening plans “in lockstep”, which will create “ten days of carnage”. He said: “Boris will deliver a vague and cautious plan on Monday. Hospitality (rightly) up in arms with calls for details of support. A week of angry speculation before leaks in the Sunday papers suggest a lower level of support. The Budget ends up over delivering. Frustrating. I’m certain there will be aspects of both the reopening plan and the Budget support that are still up for grabs.”

Barber – Sunak mustn't knee jerk into taxation deterring the risk takers: Jamie Barber, founder and chief executive of Hache and Cabana, has said chancellor Rishi Sunak mustn't “knee jerk into taxation deterring the risk takers”, when he considers the “most important Budget since the war”. Barber said Sunak “needs to double down on incentivising job creation, business creation and wealth creation” and “only then, can there be something worthy to tax”. He said: “To paraphrase (badly) Mrs Thatcher, ‘To tax wealth, you first have to create it’. Our nation of shopkeepers is now a nation of entrepreneurs, from first time retailers market-testing their products through Amazon, to unicorn tech start-ups such as the much maligned game-changer Deliveroo, which employs thousands of people and preparing for a teeth chattering initial public offering. Entrepreneurs will be the driving force behind the UK’s slow road to recovery and evolution in a post-Brexit world. As Rishi Sunak considers the most important Budget since the war, he mustn't knee jerk into taxation deterring the risk takers. He needs to double down on incentivising job creation, business creation and wealth creation. Only then, can there be something worthy to tax. And that means, expanding the Enterprise Investment Scheme free of state aid rules to encourage money to flow into start-ups; easier access to start-up and early stage loans part guaranteed by the government; a reduction in national insurance for every new job created; a schools initiative to bring about a culture of business understanding at a young age; and a widening (not a winding down) of Entrepreneurs Relief to reward entrepreneurs for the sleepless nights, the high levels or anxiety, and the massive financial risk in making such a significant positive impact to our economy and our society.”

Vaccine passports could shut young people out of pubs and nightclubs until autumn: Vaccine passports could shut young people out of pubs and nightclubs until the autumn, hospitality chiefs have warned. Sector leaders told The Telegraph requiring proof of vaccination before entry would be "unworkable" for hospitality companies, many of which rely on the business of young customers. Night Time Industries Association chief executive Michael Kill said: “Because people are not going to be vaccinated in age groups that we attract, the idea of vaccine passports won’t be helpful [when restrictions are lifted]. If you are 23 you might not be vaccinated until August or September, so that doesn't really help the industry.” Kill said it would be beneficial to investigate ways to use an at-home negative test result to validate event tickets to avoid the “logistical issues” of queuing punters waiting for results. “If you are an inner city venue on the high street, that would be very difficult,” he added. UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said testing should be at the discretion of the event organisers, adding: “It's manageable for weddings or concerts, but it isn't practical or feasible in a hospitality setting where customers are just popping into a coffee shop or a cafe.”

Black McDonald’s franchisee sues for racial discrimination: A former professional baseball player who once ran the largest number of black-operated McDonald’s restaurants in the US has sued the company for racial discrimination. Herb Washington alleged the firm denied black owners the opportunities it gave to whites, which included steering them to stores to “distressed, predominantly black” areas, and accused McDonald’s of retaliating against him after he raised concerns. Washington, who played baseball for the Oakland Athletics, alleged the firm had repeatedly hindered his business, including blocking him from buying stores from a white franchise owner and denying him financial assistance comparable with that offered to white operators. McDonald’s said it was reviewing the complaint, adding Washington was facing “business challenges that we don’t want for anyone in our system”. The company said: “This situation is the result of years of mismanagement by Washington, whose organisation has failed to meet many of our standards on people, operations, guest satisfaction and reinvestment. His restaurants have a public record of these issues, including past health and sanitation concerns, and some of the highest volumes of customer complaints in the country.” Washington, who once operated 27 restaurants and continues to run 14 stores, said when announcing the lawsuit at a federal court in Ohio: “I always held out hope it would live up to its promises and put an end to a two-tiered system.” The lawsuit also stated the number of McDonald’s franchises run by black operators in the US has dropped from 377 to 186 since 1998 and black-owned restaurants average $700,000 less in sales annually than white-owned ones. McDonald’s announced a diversity initiative in July 2020 amid the Black Lives Matter protests and said almost 30% of its franchises are “ethnically diverse”.

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working on a new position within the e-commerce food and drink sector. An e-commerce drinks business has been in strong growth over the past 12 months due to the lockdown, driving online sales, and as a result has created a position for a commercial manager. The business wants to find a great influencer, who is innovative and commercially aware of the online sector, to come in and add value. The commercial manager will play a key role in the commercial team and will work across supply chain, e-marketing, innovation, cost saving, trend analysis and client relations. The position is based in the south east and flexibility to work at home is available. The position will pay between £45,000 and £75,000 depending on experience. Anyone interested can email Stuart@corecruitment.com with their CV.

Prezzo restaurants in Mayfair, Wembley and Edinburgh among 22 to shut after pre-pack administration: Prezzo restaurants in London’s Mayfair, Wembley and Marble Arch will be among those to close after the business was acquired through a pre-pack administration last week, Propel has learned. The Karen Jones-chaired group, which is backed by Cain International, announced last week 22 of its 178 restaurants would not reopen, resulting in 216 people leaving the business as part of the process. The sites that will close are in Aberdeen (Marischal Square), Aylesbury, Bridgnorth, Chislehurst, East Dareham, Edinburgh, Harbourne, Hitchin, Isle of Wight, Marble Arch, Marlborough, Mayfair (Hertford Street), Milton Keynes (Kingston Centre), Norwich, Preston, Ruislip, Saffron Waldon, South Woodford, Swindon, Welwyn, Wembley and Weston-super-Mare. Last week, Cain International, the privately held investment firm operating in Europe and the US, acquired Prezzo from its administrators through a pre-pack arrangement. The action protected the vast majority of Prezzo’s 2,900 team members’ jobs. It will continue to be led by its existing management team. Cain International acquired the debt and equity of Prezzo in December last year. As at 10 February 2021, Prezzo’s restaurants had been able to operate for just 25 weeks out of the previous 52 weeks but with fixed costs and rent accumulating, Cain International said. 

Pizza Hut Delivery to expand footprint through Starboard Dining franchising partnership: Pizza Hut Delivery has announced a franchising partnership with Starboard Dining, which will take on 27 existing sites in the Midlands, Yorkshire and north west and will open new stores in 2021. The move that was negotiated by property agent Christie & Co will also support 540 jobs at Pizza Hut’s delivery and takeaway sites. The agreement with Starboard, whose parent company owns and operates 21 UK hotels, will provide considerable investment into dozens of communities through renovation of existing stores, as well as planned new openings. Pizza Hut announced in November last year it plans to open 125 new locations over a three-year period – creating about 2,000 additional jobs. Pizza Hut Delivery general manager UK Neil Manhas said: “We’re excited to see what new growth 2021 has in store for us, including increasing our footprint through strategic franchising deals such as this.” Starboard Dining managing director Frazer Callingham added: “This 27-store portfolio offers an amazing opportunity to continue our expansion into the dining and hospitality space, using our extensive experience in both sectors.” Pizza Hut operates more than 700 sites across the UK – including circa 350 Pizza Hut Delivery locations. Starboard Dining, created in 2017, also operates two Wok To Walk restaurants under franchise in Birmingham and Reading.

Camile Thai announces 15 new stores to open in 2021, plans €10m fundraise for tech pivot: Dublin-based healthy food delivery company Camile Thai has announced it will open 15 new stores in 2021 and begin a €10m fundraise to pivot to a more tech-focused approach using drones and kitchen robotics. This year will also see Camile Thai push forward with its “franchise as a service” venture, which will offer flexible franchise options for business owners with “well-located, but underused commercial kitchens in regional towns”. Of the planned 15 new sites, which will create 300 jobs, seven will be in the UK, in locations such as Streatham, London; Twickenham, Greater London; and Epsom, Surrey – with the remaining eight in Ireland. The €10m will be part of its plans to progress with a technology-centric strategy. The chain claimed to be the first in Europe to deliver its menu by drone and has plans to automate its kitchen operations with robotics in 2021. Camile Thai founder Brody Sweeney said: “Despite an extremely difficult year for the hospitality sector, for Camile, 2020 has seen rapid growth. Our suburban, delivery-focused model has proven to be pandemic proof in the past 11 months, not least in terms of revenue and sales. This has enabled us to not only push forward with our aggressive expansion plans, but also to prematurely move ahead with our main goal – our tech pivot. We see tech playing such an incremental role in terms of food preparation, but also user experience and, of course, delivery.” Its plans for flexible franchises aims to allow operators to easily pivot to offer Camile’s delivery menu even if further lockdown restrictions were to be implemented. Camile operates more than 35 outlets in the UK and Ireland, including six in London and was founded in 2010. Its investors include Web Summit founder Paddy Cosgrave, Andy McCue and Brian Caulfield.

 

Inn Collection Group appoints property director: The Inn Collection Group has appointed Louise Stewart to the newly created position of property director. Stewart, who has worked for more than 20 years in the commercial property industry, as well as being a chartered building surveyor with a Masters in construction project management, joins from consultants Silverstone Building Consultancy, where she was a director. Inn Collection Group managing director Sean Donkin said: “As we continue to grow, it is vital we strengthen our team with highly skilled professionals such as Louise, and we are excited for what she will bring to the group.” Stewart joins the group as its growth journey continues, with the current portfolio of pubs standing at 19 and several refurbishments planned for 2021. The Alchemy backed group is aiming for a site total of 22 by the end of March. The group’s portfolio of sites spreads across the north of England in Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Cumbria, and Lancashire, as it continues to deliver its strategic “buy and build” growth plans, supported with banking via OakNorth.

Estabulo Rodizio Bar and Grill operator to launch Portuguese concept: Independent restaurant company Churrasco Group, which is behind the eight-strong Estabulo Rodizio Bar and Grill, is to launch a Portuguese-inspired concept. The company is opening Casa Peri Peri at the Trinity Walk shopping centre in Wakefield. The former PizzaExpress unit at the complex is being refurbished ahead of the opening of the new restaurant, which will serve “quality Portuguese-style chicken dishes”. Churrasco Group chief executive Rob Campbell told The Business Desk: “Our family of brands has gone from strength to strength and knowing how successful Estabulo already is in Wakefield means we are confident Casa Peri Peri will follow suit, especially in such a prime location at Trinity Walk. Quality and choice for customers and the creation of new jobs means we have all the right ingredients for something special.” Churrasco Group is also behind Fleur Cafe in Leeds. 

Costa Coffee continues growth with 63 openings during 2020: Costa Coffee opened 63 new stores in 2020 despite the pandemic. Of that total, property agent Savills agreed deals for 30 sites, which included 21 new drive-thru sites in locations such as Pontprennau, Wales; East Lothian, Scotland; and Luton. In addition, four stores were acquired in retail parks, including Trostre Retail Park, Llanelli, and Kingstown Retail Park, Carlisle, as well as five stores in high street and travel locations such as Exeter High Street and Winchester and Oxford train stations. Costa UK & Ireland property and store development director James Hamilton said: “We’re delighted to have been able to continue to grow our store portfolio in the UK over the past year, across both equity and drive-thru sites. In 2020, our drive-thru stores played a particularly important role for us in enabling our on-the-go customers to be able to safely and easily purchase their favourite Costa coffee while out on essential journeys.” Savills retail director Matthew Brown added: “2020 was clearly a challenging year for the retail and hospitality sectors, but the continued expansion drive from Costa Coffee shows the strength of the business and its commitment towards building its store portfolio in all locations throughout the UK.”

Applegreen set to go private as shareholders approve €718.1m deal: Shareholders of Applegreen have approved the cash offer of €718.1m for the roadside retailer from a consortium including B&J Holdings and Blackstone Infrastructure Partners. Under the terms of the acquisition, Applegreen shareholders will be entitled to receive €5.75 per share – a 48.2% premium to its closing price on Wednesday, 9 December, which was the day before the offer was received. B&J Holdings is a 41.3% shareholder in Applegreen, which owns Welcome Break, and represents the holdings of Applegreen's founders, Robert Etchingham and Joseph Barrett. B&J Holdings will retain a significant equity stake in the consortium and Etchingham and Barrett will maintain their current management positions as chief executive and chief operating officer respectively within the business. 

Tim Hortons lines up two former Pizza Hut sites for openings: Canadian quick service restaurant brand Tim Hortons is lining up two former Pizza Hut sites for openings. The company is aiming to open new sites in Chester and Gloucester. Tim Hortons is looking to open a restaurant and drive-thru at the former Pizza Hut unit in Chester Retail Park. Plans to build a drive-thru facility at the site were given the green light in November last year – just days before Pizza Hut closed the site for good. Now an application for advertisement consent has been lodged with Cheshire West and Chester Council revealing Tim Hortons is to occupy the vacant unit, reports The Chester Standard. Meanwhile, Tim Hortons has applied to Gloucester City Council to open a restaurant in the former Pizza Hut premises in Eastern Avenue retail park, reports Punchline Gloucester. The application stated: “Tim Hortons will operate in much the same way as Pizza Hut has on this site for about 18 years; offering restaurant facilities with a takeaway option.” Tim Hortons operates circa 25 sites in the UK. In October last year the company said it wants to open an outlet in “most major cities and towns” by 2022, with plans to create more than 2,000 jobs.

 

Civerinos opens fourth Edinburgh site: Edinburgh pizza brand Civerinos has opened its fourth site in the city. The company has launched the Corstorphine branch, known as West Slice, in St John's Road. The former Pizza Hut premises has been transformed and serves a selection of 20-inch pizzas and slices with a range of sides. Announcing the opening on Instagram, Civerinos said: “Congratulations to the team that beat the odds and put it together safely these past few months.” Civerinos operates outlets in Hunter's Square and Forrest Road, as well as the High Dive pizza pub and restaurant in St Leonard's Place.

Signature Living investors sign agreement in bid to bring company out of administration: The majority of Signature Living’s largest group of investors are backing founder Lawrence Kenwright to bring the aparthotel operator and developer out of administration. Kenwright, the co-owner and founder of Signature Living Hotels, through the work of umbrella company UK Accommodation Group (UKAG), has won the support of 95% of unsecured investors in his efforts to save the business that began to suffer financial troubles towards the end of 2019 and subsequently went into administration last year. The investors group is being led by Thomas Scullion, an executive-level chartered accountant from Northern Ireland, who first invested in Signature Living in 2018. He has worked with Kenwright on restructuring Signature Living under UKAG of which Scullion is chairman, leading a board of five with Kenwright as chief executive. UKAG will operate all hotels. Scullion said: “In signing this agreement, we, the investors, have demonstrated we are united and willing to allow the company to continue, in order to be repaid in due course. If we are to continue along the administration route all the unsecured money will be gone and the business will be sold off, broken up and liquidated. Further, by establishing UKAG we have brought stronger governance and control and removed some of the weight from Lawrence’s shoulders to allow him to do what he does best namely, to build his business, create projects and drive value.” Kenwright said: “I am grateful for the support of Thomas Scullion, the UKAG board and all the investors who have signed the agreement to help them realise the return on their investment. I am hopeful further positive steps can now be made to bring the company out of administration.”

Feast It launches gourmet meal kits platform, profits go back to caterers: Feast It, the event booking marketplace, has launched a one-stop shop for gourmet meal kits from a variety of restaurants and caterers. “Feast It Deli” will see operators such as Pizza Pilgrims, Caper & Berry and Lima add their home meal kits to the platform so customers can browse and buy from one place – and all money made, bar a small amount for marketing, goes back to the meal kit makers. Cuisines available include west African, Peruvian and Afghan barbecue, and there are interactive options such as a fondue kit from The Cheese Bar and a DIY Dosa Kit from En Root. There are plans to grow Feast It Deli in the future to encompass craft breweries and for food providers to sell goods such as sauces, general ingredients or merchandise. Feast It co-founder Hugo Campbell said: “We carried out an impact study a few months ago where 61% of our suppliers told us they would go under by March without further government support and because that has not been particularly forthcoming, we have set up Feast It Deli to try to help the hospitality and events industries.” Fellow co-founder Digby Scott added: “It’s so important we keep supporting this incredible industry to make sure it’s there for us on the other side, and purchasing a meal kit from Feast It Deli is a great way to do that.”

Lancashire shopping centre falls into administration eight months after mothballing restaurant quarter plans: A Lancashire shopping centre has fallen into administration – eight months after it mothballed ambitious plans to develop a restaurant quarter. St George’s Shopping Centre in Preston was bought by private equity firm InfraRed Capital Partners in 2015 for a reported £73m. But a letter sent to creditors this week confirmed the company that owned the centre – IRAF UK Dragon Limited Partnership and two subsidiaries – went into administration at the start of the month. Alex Williams and Andrew Dolliver, of EY, have been appointed as joint administrators. Williams told The Business Desk: “The administration of the partnership and the companies will have no operational impact on St George’s Shopping Centre, which continues to trade in compliance with government covid regulations on a business as usual basis.” The 270,000 square foot centre had agreed deals in October 2019 for Indian street food concept Mowgli and New World Trading Company-owned The Botanist to take half of the space in its planned restaurant quarter development. However by June 2020, Mowgli owner Nisha Katona revealed the scheme had “sadly stalled”. Restrictions put in place to respond to the public health emergency, including closing non-essential shops for several periods in the past year, has affected shopping centre values and rent collections.

Mapal acquires Swedish software solution to expand Nordics presence: Mapal Group, the European hospitality software developer behind Edinburgh’s Flow Hospitality Training, has acquired GetCompliant, a compliance and operations management solution provider in the Nordics, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition is the latest in a series of investments by Mapal Group in complementary hospitality technologies, with a view to combining solutions “to create a powerful, integrated back of house multi-site operating system for the hospitality sector”. Founded in 2011 in Stockholm, Sweden, GetCompliant helps multi-site hospitality and retail businesses “save time and ensure compliance and brand consistency between stores” using a cloud-based solution that includes digital checklists, documentation management and performance tracking for food safety and operations. The solution is used by firms in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Germany and France, including Caffe Nero, UK-based travel hub foodservice company SSP Group, Compass Group, and Espresso House.