Exclusive – Wasabi founder to launch Pelicana in the UK: Wasabi founder DongHyun Kim has acquired the UK franchise rights to South Korean fried chicken brand Pelicana and is planning four openings this year. Pelicana is South Korea’s leading fried chicken brand serving its signature seasoned fried chicken in over 1,800 stores across Asia, Australia and the US. A debut UK site for Pelicana will be located in Hammersmith Broadway Shopping Centre, with a soft launch opening on 14 April. A spokesman said: “Mr Kim is excited to bring Pelicana to customers in the UK for the first time. It has been Mr Kim’s favourite chicken since he was a child. We are aiming to open three further stores this year in Angel, Wimbledon and Clapham Junction. Provisional opening dates are: Angel in June 2021, Wimbledon in July 2021 and Clapham Junction in September 2021.” Kim also holds the master franchise rights for udon brand Kineya – Kineya at St. Pancras will be re-opening on 12 April to provide both table service and takeaway to customers. A spokesman said: “There are four further sites planned for opening in the year starting with Cambridge in June 2021 with Ealing, Hammersmith and Richmond to follow later in the year.” The Pelicana website states: “Since opening our doors in 1982 in Daejeon South Korea, Pelicana has single-handedly redefined what we know as ‘KFC’. We’re currently South Korea’s largest franchise with 3,000 stores worldwide and, in May of 2019, we came to Melbourne. All of our ingredients are hand-picked, halal-friendly and ethically sourced. We offer only the best, most succulent fried chicken you can have and it’s made to order. Each piece of chicken is well seasoned and marinated for 48 hours so that we can pack as much flavour in as possible.”

Propel Premium subscribers to receive access to Propel’s library of lockdown videos and Friday Wrap interviews: Premium subscribers now receive access to Propel’s library of lockdown videos and Friday Wrap interviews. Subscribers receive a password that allows them to instantly watch the interviews, which feature industry leaders such as The Restaurant Group chief executive Andy Hornby, PizzaExpress managing director Zoe Bowley and Rekom UK chief executive Peter Marks sharing their lessons of lockdown. Meanwhile, guests on the Friday Wrap discussing their views on the sector include UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls, Greene King chief executive Nick Mackenzie and sector investor Luke Johnson. Subscribers also receive exclusive access to the Propel multi-site operator database. The exhaustive database of businesses, which comprises 1,628 companies, is the most comprehensive multi-site operator information in the sector – and reflects the tumultuous changes of the past year with several hundred businesses disappearing and replaced by several hundred new ones. A new multi-site database will be sent to Premium subscribers at the end of each month with a report on new companies and changes in the multi-site universe. It provides company names, the people in charge, how many sites each firm operates, its trading name and its registered name at Companies House if different, and what each business specialises in. In a new feature this year, there is a synopsis of what the business does and significant news associated with it. Propel Premium subscribers also receive their morning newsletter 11 hours early, at 7pm the evening before our 6am send-out; regular video content and regular exclusive columns from Propel insights editor Mark Wingett. An annual premium subscription costs £395 plus VAT for operators and £495 plus VAT for suppliers. Email anne.steele@propelinfo.com to sign up.

Shepherd Neame sells Canterbury pub to former professional poker player: Kent-based brewer and retailer Shepherd Neame has sold its grade II-listed freehold pub The Monument to former poker star Sam Holden off a guide price of £360,000. Shepherd Neame closed the Canterbury pub at the beginning of 2020. Holden aims to bring the pub back to life. He said: “The pub presents an exciting opportunity in an industry I am very passionate about, while also being in a great location in a city that I love. I look forward to welcoming customers in the summer, who should expect high-quality food and drink at a reasonable price.” Holden, whose family has been associated with the hospitality industry in the past, rose to fame when he made it to the final table of the World Series of Poker tournament in Las Vegas. His winnings at the tournament topped $750,000. Simon Chaplin, senior director of corporate pubs and restaurants in Christie & Co’s hospitality team, who brokered the deal, said: “Demand has driven a flurry of activity since the beginning of the year, and this sale is just one of more than 100 hospitality businesses [we have] sold since January.”

Five Guys and Jungle Mania take sites at Chichester Gate Leisure Park: Better burger brand Five Guys and soft play operator Jungle Mania have taken sites at Chichester Gate Leisure Park. Five Guys agreed a deal that will see it open a 3,500 square foot site on a 15-year lease within the former Frankie & Benny’s unit imminently, as previously reported by Propel. Jungle Mania has acquired a 6,500 square foot unit, taking the former JD Wetherspoon site, also on a 15-year lease. The deal marks the fifth site for Jungle Mania, which operates four units in the south of England, and is due to open this summer. The signings were made by Aberdeen Standard Investments, which was represented by international real estate adviser Savills and EJ Hales. Savills head of UK leisure Carlene Hughes said: “In spite of the challenges of the past 12 months, we continue to see a range of operators remaining acquisitive within the leisure sector. These two new lettings at Chichester Gate are testament to the strength and viability of the park and will further enhance the diverse tenant mix.” Other tenants at Chichester Gate include Cineworld, Tenpin bowling, Premier Inn and McDonald’s. 

Dishoom donates more than ten million meals to children in the UK and India: Indian restaurant group Dishoom has now donated more than ten million meals through its “meal for a meal” charity partnership with Magic Breakfast and Akshaya Patra. Since 2015, for every meal served by Dishoom – whether in the cafes, via delivery, or as a meal kit – the company has donated a meal to a child in the UK or India that might otherwise go hungry. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, Dishoom was donating more than 2.5 million meals a year through its charity partners. The company said: “When the restaurants closed their doors in March 2020 in response to coronavirus, the Dishoom team quickly turned their minds to finding ways to support their team, protect the business, and provide much-needed support to the children and families provided for by Magic Breakfast and Akshaya Patra. With the restaurants closed, Dishoom quickly dreamt up a delivery service, providing a way to have cafe favourites ‘dishoomed’ to the doors of guests. They made the same ‘meal for a meal’ commitment that had been in place in the cafes since 2015, donating a meal through Akshaya Patra for every meal served for enjoyment at home. By June 2020, Dishoom had launched its first at-home meal kit, providing all the ingredients (and know-how) needed to create our bacon naan rolls in the comfort of one’s own kitchen. For each bacon (or vegan sausage) naan roll kit sold we donate a meal via Magic Breakfast.”