Brinker International plans UK launch for Chili’s restaurant brand, scope for in excess of 100 sites: US restaurant group Brinker International is looking to launch its casual-dining concept Chili’s into the UK and believes it could open in excess of 100 sites under the brand here, Propel has learned. Brinker, which runs circa 1,700 restaurants in 29 countries, has begun seeking franchisees in the UK, which it believes has “a consumer demographic that fits Chili’s consumer focus”. The company told Propel discussions were under way with potential licensees in the UK as to which of Chili’s models will be the first launched in the country and where this will be. Chili’s currently operates circa 1,600 in the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. A spokesman said: “Outside the US, all 350 Chili’s restaurants are licensee-owned and operated. This will continue for the UK where Chili’s is seeking licensee candidates who have F&B experience. Given the flexibility of the Chili’s model that has been proven in many markets, it is likely there will be 100-plus Chili’s units over time in the UK. Chili’s has units in place from 100 to 600 square metres around the world. These vary from counter service to grab-and-go, kiosks, mobile units, airports to full-service restaurants with a sports bar approach.” In terms of who is its main competitors in the UK, the company said, “Fridays, sport pubs, other fast casual and full-service restaurant brands”, but the “focus on burgers, ribs, fajitas and margaritas sets Chili’s apart from other brands worldwide”. Last month, Brinker, which also owns the Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant chain, said that trading figures for Chili’s for the fourth quarter of 2020 showed 85% of its dining rooms were reopened, and outperformed the competition, with sales being down just 3.8% versus the previous year and 36% of its restaurants had positive sales year-on-year.

Premium database of multi-site companies sees operators with large UK growth potential added: A number of new companies being added to Propel Premium’s database of multi-site companies have the potential for huge growth in the UK. The updated database, which is produced in association with Virgate and has the most comprehensive multi-site operator information in the sector, will include a minimum of 66 new companies when it is released on Friday, 30 July, at midday – and is only available to Propel Premium subscribers. The 66 new companies operate 275 sites between them. The players with big potential in the UK include London-based Lebanese fast food concept Za’ta. The concept launched in Baker Street in September 2020 and has announced it is looking for a second site and plans to grow to a ten-strong estate within the next year. Ready Burger is a plant-based restaurant concept founded by boxer Anthony Joshua’s former personal chef Adam Clark and entrepreneur Max Miller. It operates a site in London’s Crouch End and is set to open a second site in summer 2021 with plans to have a 40-strong estate by 2024. LebanEats is a London-based Lebanese grab-and-go concept. It runs five sites across central London as well as a kitchen in Chiswick and plans to open 25 new sites across the UK within the next couple of years via franchises. The go-to database 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. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Propel Premium for a year for £895 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or a supplier. The regular single subscription rate of £395 plus VAT for operators and £495 plus VAT for suppliers remains the same. Premium subscribers also receive access to a second exclusive monthly database, the Blue Book. The Blue Book database provides an insight into UK operator turnover and profitability over five years, profit conversion and directors’ earnings. The latest version, which was released on Friday, 9 July, features a total of 280 companies. They are ranked by turnover and profit conversion. It also shows directors’ earnings over five years and the top-earning director. Total turnover for the 280 companies is £25.8bn. The minimum company turnover to be included will be £4m. Subscribers also receive access to Propel’s library of lockdown videos and Friday Wrap interviews and now also have access to a curated video library of the sector’s finest leaders and entrepreneurs, offering their insights on running outstanding businesses in the sector. 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. Email jo.charity@propelinfo.com to sign up.

 

Confusion over ‘vaccine passports’ for pubs, after Downing Street refuses to rule them out: Government policy on “vaccine passports” was plunged deeper into confusion after a minister said they would not be required for pubs – only for Downing Street to insist this has not been ruled out. Business minister Paul Scully’s comment came a day after prime minister Boris Johnson failed to rule out the move for drinkers in crowded bars. Asked if pubs are among the venues where proof of a jab will be required, Scully told Sky News: “No. We’re not saying crowded pubs at all. We’re not ruling anything out, but we’re not saying crowded pubs. We’re saying nightclubs and also larger ticketed events as well.” However, Johnson’s official spokesman told reporters no decision had been made. The spokesman said nightclubs were “the area where we have the most evidence” on the use of covid passports, thanks to the mass event pilot trials carried out over the past few months, as well as experience in countries such as the Netherlands, Italy and South Korea. But asked whether he could rule out a requirement for proof of double vaccination being needed in settings like crowded pubs or refreshment counters at football grounds, the spokesman said: “I’m not seeking to draw any specific restrictions around settings we’re considering at the moment.” Scully was speaking the day after another government U-turn – just two weeks after vaccine passports were rejected as proof of entry to any venue. Nightclubs will bar entry from the end of September to unvaccinated customers. The rule will also apply in “other venues where large crowds gather”, Johnson said, and – although he did not name them – he did not rule out football matches or pubs. Scully acknowledged some pubs can be as busy as nightclubs – appearing to meet the government’s new test of “closed spaces, crowded places and close-contact settings”. Sacha Lord, night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, tweeted: “[This is] extremely concerning for the whole industry.”

Hospitality sales down 9.6% last week compared with 2019 levels: Hospitality sales fell 9.6% last week compared with the same week in 2019, according to the latest data from S4labour, the online labour-scheduling management system from Catton Hospitality. Drink sales were down 17.7%, with food sales down 0.8% compared with the same week in 2019. Trading in London continues to lag with last week’s sales down 24.1%. This was largely attributed to drinks sales, which declined by 30.7%, while food sales dropped by 12.6%. Sites outside the capital traded below 2019 levels by 6.3%, with drinks sales falling 14%. However, food sales were slightly up by 1%. S4labour chief innovation officer Richard Hartley said: “Despite the excellent weather, there are a number of factors that are currently suppressing sales. With circa 5% of the adult population being forced into isolation last week, there are going to be fewer people able to get out. While the heat drove stronger performance for rural sites, London’s limited outside space made it difficult to capitalise on alfresco conditions. This coupled with the labour crisis, exacerbated by the covid app, made last week a particularly challenging environment for hospitality. While we wait in anticipation for what we hope will be a great week with restrictions being lifted, these figures show there is still a long way to go to fully restore consumer confidence.”

 

Net-zero pubs and bars scheme to help UK sector accelerate climate action amid covid-19 recovery: A new industry protocol and certification standard has been launched to help the UK’s bars and pubs reach net-zero before the national legal deadline of 2050. Convened by Net-Zero Now, the Net-Zero Pubs and Bars Initiative has been launched following a pilot at 36 sites across the UK, including at gastropub operator Peach. It is being delivered in association with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and Pernod Ricard. Of the managers of the 36 pilot sites, 85% said they needed more help and guidance in accelerating decarbonisation and then dealing with residual emissions in line with net-zero – particularly in light of the financial squeeze facing the UK’s hospitality sector post-lockdown. With that in mind, the initiative offers a digital platform enabling pubs and bars to calculate their emissions, set ambitious reduction targets and develop tailored plans for delivery. From there, businesses can seek certification. Net-Zero Now chief executive Simon Heppner said: “One of the things we’ve learned is this is a sector with a big impact and small margins. This is a sector where the climate impact is big and so the potential conversion cost is high and margins are low. Going net-zero will be really hard for this sector [compared with, for example, offices].” Food-led pubs in the pilot reported 70% of their overall emissions footprint is associated with food, chiefly through embedded carbon and from cooking using gas. However, the initiative will encourage pubs and bars to choose when and how they will make more major investments or changes to processes and supply chains. Peach managing director Hamish Stoddart, who was among the panellists at the launch event, said the key in delivering the message about the importance of net-zero would be educating teams to “read the customer”. He added: “What I really think this initiative will do is encourage the small guys (the independents) to come on board.” The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy’s net-zero business engagement lead Catherine Westoby added: “Small and medium-sized enterprises are embedded in local communities, on local high streets, with enormous consumer influence. There is the ability for this campaign to reach far and wide.” Last year, hospitality operators, including Burger King, BrewDog, Nando’s and The Restaurant Group, joined forces to establish the Zero Carbon Forum and collaborate on identifying the quickest reduction path to net zero emissions.

 

DoorDash and Grubhub sue San Francisco over permanent delivery fee cap: DoorDash and Grubhub are suing San Francisco over the city’s permanent 15% delivery fee cap. It comes after San Francisco became the first US city to make temporary pandemic-era delivery fee caps permanent last month. In their filing with the US District Court for the Northern District of California, DoorDash and Grubhub argued the new requirement is unlawful and has the potential to hurt restaurants, calling it an "irrational law, driven by naked animosity and ill-conceived economic protectionism” that invalidates lawful contracts between private businesses. According to the lawsuit, which was first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, Grubhub and DoorDash are seeking monetary damages and warn they might need to limit their service in San Francisco or eliminate their operations completely in the city. The lawsuit stated: “Costs to facilitate food delivery that are not covered by restaurants will likely shift to consumers – irrespective of whether those restaurants would prefer to bear those costs to increase their own sales – thereby reducing order volume, lowering restaurant revenues and decreasing earning opportunities for couriers.” New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC and San Francisco, among other major US cities, implemented fee caps at the beginning of the pandemic last year in an effort to give struggling restaurants “a fighting chance” during the pandemic when on-site dining was banned. Last year, third-party delivery services argued the fee caps – even temporary – were hurting their business and their clients. In May 2020, the companies said they are seeing 10% fewer orders than in the past, though independent restaurants also argued the “exorbitant” delivery fees were hurting their business’ chance of survival.

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a UK craft alcohol business that is seeking a head of sales to lead its London-based sales team. The head of sales will be responsible for overseeing the whole sales function, managing existing relationships and winning new business within the on-trade market and assisting with the off-trade channel. The successful candidate will be highly driven and hungry to succeed, be creative in their approach with a fun personality and, ideally, have some experience managing a sales team. However, the company will consider exceptional candidates looking to make the next step in their career. The position is based in London, with some national travel, paying up to £55,000 plus benefits. Anyone interested can email Mikey@corecruitment.com

 

Cobra Coffee acquires 12 Starbucks sites as it buys Amsric stores, reveals ambitious growth plans: Starbucks franchisee Cobra Coffee, owned by Southern Co-op, has acquired the Starbucks business of Amsric Group. As a result, Cobra Coffee will operate 12 additional Starbucks stores across the south west and south of England. The deal takes the total number of Starbucks stores in the Cobra Coffee portfolio to 47. Cobra Coffee said: “We have expanded rapidly in recent years to bring the Starbucks experience to customers across the south of England, through both our physical stores and digital channels such as Starbucks Delivers. The acquisition will allow us to continue this expansion in the south west of the UK. We will also take forward existing Amsric plans to open two new Starbucks stores in Plymouth and Bognor Regis. We look forward to welcoming 120 partners into the Cobra Coffee family and we will be working closely with Amsric to ensure a smooth handover across every store, with terms and conditions for all partners remaining unchanged. Store product ranges and opening hours are also unaffected.” The 12 stores now operated by Cobra Coffee are Kingsley Village, Fraddon, Cornwall; Babylon Hill, Yeovil; Chiverton Cross, Truro; Victoria Square, Truro; Drake Circus, Plymouth; High Street, Exeter; Atlantic Village, Bideford; Alphington Road drive-thru, Exeter; Torquay; Whiteley Shopping Centre, Fareham; The Cascades Shopping Centre, Portsmouth; and Above Bar Street, Southampton. Operating since 2013, Cobra Coffee has Starbucks sites across the south and south west of England, with ambitious plans for growth over the next three years across Berkshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, East Sussex, south Gloucestershire, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Somerset, Surrey, West Sussex, Wiltshire and south London. Amsric Group is also an appointed franchisee for KFC and Anytime Fitness, and now operates a portfolio of about 60 sites across the two brands.

 

JW Lees reports sales up 16% on ‘Freedom Day’ against 2019 levels: North west brewer and retailer JW Lees has reported sales were up 16% on “Freedom Day” compared with the same day in 2019, and increased 53% on the previous Monday (12 July 2021). Managing director William-Lees Jones tweeted: “Was it our new-found freedoms or the heatwave? We've got a few pubs closed owing to the ‘pingdemic’ but the best news is our teams were not abused for implying daft rules – I hope we can start to move on.”

Coffee#1 co-founder builds pipeline for new Coffi Lab concept: James Shapland, the co-founder of Coffee#1, the Caffe Nero-owned brand, has begun building an openings pipeline for his new coffee concept, Coffi Lab. Propel understands Coffi Lab, which is led by former SA Brain finance director Hannah Gillard, has secured a further site in Wales, in Abergavenny. The fledgling concept, which opened its debut site in Monnow Street, Monmouth, last month, has secured the former Boots Opticians in the town’s Frogmore Street, for an opening later this year. As previously revealed by Propel, it will open its second site on the former HSBC site in Marlborough High Street later this summer. Propel understands the fledgling business has also applied to open a further site in the High Street of the Llandaff area of Cardiff. In line with the growth of Coffee#1, Shapland is seeking sites for the new concept in neighbourhood centres and high street market towns across south Wales and the south west.

 

Pizza Hut Delivery UK launches gaming arm: Pizza Hut Delivery UK has announced the launch of a gaming arm of the brand – Pizza Hut Gaming. The brand, which has launched with a dedicated channel on Twitter, aims to deliver some “exciting influencer activations involving some top names in the scene”. Events will begin with regular community tournaments across a variety of key gaming titles, with the end goal of becoming the go-to pizza for gamers. At launch, Pizza Hut Gaming is running its first giveaway where new followers will have the chance to win meals. The campaign will reward a free pizza for every 100 followers gained. Pizza Hut Gaming’s first dedicated activation will take place this summer, with an additional four due to be delivered across 2021 and 2022. UK agency Kairos Media has been appointed to help launch the new gaming arm. Catriona Woodward, head of digital for Pizza Hut UK & Europe, said: “We are thrilled to announce, in partnership with Kairos Media, we are finally launching our dedicated Pizza Hut Gaming platform. We are working closely on some exciting initiatives throughout the year, which will be revealed in the near future. We are very excited to finally communicate directly with our gaming audience directly, putting them front of mind, and, at the end of the day, who doesn’t love pizza?”

 

Prezzo appoints Debbie Moore as HR director: Prezzo, the Cain International-backed, Karen Jones-led restaurant chain, has appointed Debbie Moore, formerly of The Restaurant Group (TRG) and Spirit Group, as its new HR director. Moore, who spent almost two years as group HR director at TRG, was recently HR director at GLH hotels. She spent three and a half years at Spirit as its HR director and has also worked at the Royal Mail and ISG group. Earlier this month, Jones, executive chair of Prezzo, told Propel the pandemic had allowed the business to relook at everything, including its dine-at-home offer, which had been virtually non-existent before. She said the challenge was “injecting a love of hospitality” back into the business. Later this summer, Prezzo will open a new site at the Islington Square development in north London. The 4,319 square foot restaurant will also be the first to feature Prezzo’s new energy-efficient kitchen plan, which will increase the energy efficiency of its cooking by 47% and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 75%.

 

Public Urban Bars secures fourth Cookhouse Pub & Carvery site, believes brand could ‘easily’ grow to ten venues: North west-based operator Public Urban Bars has secured the fourth site for its Cookhouse Pub & Carvery brand – and believes it could “easily” grow to ten venues. The company has begun an £800,000 refurbishment of The Victoria in the Merseyside village of Rainhill with Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars. The revamped venue – Public Urban Bar’s fourth pub with Star Pubs & Bars – will open in early October, creating 40 jobs. It will feature all-day food, a function room with an entertainment programme and a large garden for 200 customers with a children’s play area. The Victoria will be renamed the Cookhouse Pub & Carvery to mark its new direction. Public Urban Bars has Cookhouse Pub & Carvery sites in Prestatyn, Liverpool and Widnes. The company, which operates five sites in total, is now planning expansion of the brand across the north west and north. Co-founder Colin Stuart said: “The Cookhouse model has proved resilient during the pandemic. Trade picked up overnight when we came out of lockdown. The pace and extent of our expansion will be determined by the availability of sites that are right for the brand but we can easily see growing to a group of ten Cookhouses.” Star Pubs & Bars’ area manager Phil McWilliam added: “We’re delighted to be investing again with Public Urban Bars. It is highly experienced operators that understand what works and what their customers want. The Rainhill Cookhouse is set to be another success.”

 

Collectiv Food raises £12m to ‘build food supply service of the future’: Collectiv Food, the London-based start-up that develops a direct-to-producer platform connecting food producers with consumers, has raised £12m in its Series A funding round. The funding round was led by VNV Global, along with VisVires New Protein (VVNP), Octopus Ventures, Norrsken VC and existing investors such as Partech, Colle Capital and Mustard Seed. It is the largest recorded Series A for a managed business-to-business food marketplace in Europe. The investment will be used to develop further Collectiv’s delivery and sourcing models, and expand its team across all functions, gearing up for further international expansion in Europe. Collectiv operates by sourcing food produce directly from a network of thousands of producers, “cutting out the wholesaler middleman and delivering straight to professional kitchens”. Collectiv founder Jeremy Hibbert-Garibaldi said: “It’s a really exciting time for Collectiv Food – we’re being pushed by a combination of strong tailwinds: end consumers demanding a better understanding of provenance; cities implementing air pollution regulations that limit large freight; and a post-covid hospitality industry desperate to improve margins but with limited staff availability to facilitate this in-house. Combined with our innovative model, we’re able to set our sights on not only becoming a European leader in food distribution over the next few years, but a global one.”

 

Birmingham-based coffee concept Damascena secures fifth site: Independent coffee house concept Damascena is set to expand with the opening of its fifth site next year in Birmingham. The business has secured a site in developer SevenCapital’s Lyndon House development in Edgbaston. The Middle Eastern coffee house, delicatessen and bakery business, which has four existing sites located across Birmingham, has agreed to take a total of 2,570 square feet of space on a ten-year lease at the development. The new venue will form the business’ new headquarters and will include 1,980 square foot of indoor space, with capacity for 41 people seated, along with a 590 square foot garden terrace, which is expected to seat a further 29. Plans for the venue also include a Barista school. Anas Zein Al-Abdeen, managing director of Damascena, said: “We’re excited to open our fifth branch of Damascena Coffee House, and we hope our presence at Lyndon House in Edgbaston will complement the already popular area. This is a bold and ambitious new project, particularly with the uncertainty the covid pandemic has caused, but we’d like to thank SevenCapital, which has shown faith in our brand and we look forward to working with it.” The new Damascena Coffee House at Lyndon House is expected to open in early 2022.

 

German Doner Kebab lines up site in Brighton: German Doner Kebab, the Hero Brands-backed business, has lined up a site opening for Brighton. The company has submitted a planning application to put a new shop front in the unit currently occupied by the Bargain Plus gift shop next to Grace Gentlemen’s Club, in North Street, according to Brighton & Hove News. German Doner Kebab already has planning permission for extraction and plant equipment to the rear of the unit. The application for the extraction stated: “This is a highly commercial area and the rear of the property serves a back-of-house function and, as such, that the subject proposal will not result in any harmful breakout of noise over and above the existing level complies with adopted local plan policy. The proposed scheme will result in investment and the creation of approximately 30 new jobs in the city centre at a time when the high street is suffering.” German Doner Kebab plans to open 47 new restaurants in the UK during 2021, building significantly on the 12 opened during 2020.

Vegan concept Clean Kitchen Club opens debut permanent site, at Buck Street Market: Vegan concept Clean Kitchen, which was founded by former YouTube celebrity Michael Pearce with Made in Chelsea TV star Verity Bowditch joining last year, has opened its debut permanent site, at LabTech’s Buck Street Market in north London. Clean Kitchen Camden spans two floors within the market’s shipping containers, with space for 54 covers. Items on the menu include the beetroot bun chick’n burger and Plant Girl Summer meal deals, as well as vegan bacon mac ’n’ cheese, no-chicken katsu bowls, no meat meatballs, salads and desserts. Clean Kitchen has been operating for a year and opened as a delivery-only kitchen in Brighton. It operates a total of six dark kitchens across London and the south of England, as well as outlets at Boxpark Wembley and Boxpark Shoreditch. Bowditch said: “We are delighted Clean Kitchen has opened at Buck Street Market as we celebrate our one-year anniversary. To have a permanent space in a destination that promotes shared values, in London’s most forward-thinking neighbourhood, is a great step for our brand.” LabTech asset manager Dominic Sergeant added: “Clean Kitchen’s values align seamlessly with the Buck Street Market ecosystem as they join other hospitality and retail pioneers who are all pushing a more eco-conscious and progressive form of trade.” LabTech acted on behalf of Buck Street Market, Clean Kitchen dealt directly.

Leon partners with Too Good To Go to help tackle food waste: Natural fast food brand Leon has partnered with surplus food app, Too Good To Go, to help in the fight against food waste. The partnership means, following a successful trial, all 37 Leon-owned stores are now signed up to the Too Good To Go app so that surplus food is eaten and enjoyed rather than wasted. Too Good To Go lets people buy surplus food and drink from restaurants, grocery stores, pubs, cafes and producers at a reduced price to stop it from going to waste. Leon will offer leftover food from its breakfast and all-day menus via the app. Gemma Kearney, purchasing and supply chain director at Leon, said: “Leon was founded on the basis of creating food that tastes good, does good and is kind to the planet. Too Good To Go allows guests to enjoy our food, knowing they're doing good for the planet not just with our sourcing commitments and heavily plant-based menu, but also by tackling food waste.” Leon is now owned by EG Group and recently unveiled plans for its first drive-thru restaurant, in West Yorkshire.

 

Tastecard aims to roll out delivery service to 50 UK towns and cities by end of year: Diners card platform Tastecard is aiming to have its delivery service available in 50 UK towns and cities by the end of the year. The company launched the service in September last year in an aggressive bid to take on giants Deliveroo, Just Eat and UberEats. The service, which also includes collection, features more than a 1,500 restaurants across 11 major UK cities, including Birmingham, London and Newcastle. To push its message, Tastecard has transformed a residential property in Notting Hill into a literal “House of Food” with a giant hot dog adorning the front of the building. Tastecard, which has operated within the dining industry for more than 15 years, said while the major players in delivery charge restaurants, on average, 30% commission for every order, Tastecard’s fee is a “significant” reduction at between 5% and 7%. The service comes with a permanent discount on all orders – starting from 10% off – and the discount to customers can be increased as high as the participating restaurants desire. Tastecard founder and chief executive Matt Turner said: “With the House of Food in London, we have created a bold and fun activation to encourage the great British public to enjoy fantastic restaurant-quality food at home and join Tastecard in supporting the UK hospitality industry as we come out of the pandemic.”

 

Vue fined £750,000 over seat crush death: Cinema operator Vue has been fined £750,000 for safety breaches that led to the death of a man who became trapped under a chair. The company was also ordered to pay £130,000 in costs for what judge Heidi Kubik QC said was “an accident that never should have happened”. Ateeq Rafiq died in March 2018 after he was crushed by a motorised footrest at Birmingham's Star City cinema. The judge said there had been a “complete lack of a risk assessment”. The 24-year-old became trapped after searching for his keys and the father-of-one, from Aston, suffered “catastrophic” brain injuries. An inquest, which ended in a verdict of accidental death, was told the reclining chair had been missing a bar that would have allowed him to be released by hand. Vue Entertainment admitted in April this year to failing to carry out an adequate risk assessment and failing to ensure the safety of visitors to the cinema. Judge Kubik said: “It is conceded that clearly a number of members of the public were exposed to the same risk of harm. The complete lack of a risk assessment was a significant cause of the actual harm that resulted.” But she also accepted mitigation presented by Vue and said: “It is obviously positive mitigation on behalf of this company that it has no previous convictions or matters coming before the court. It has a very positive health and safety record.”

Rekom UK signs new lease for York city centre nightclub: Nightclub operator Rekom UK is extending its stay in York city centre. The group has agreed a new ten-year lease with York property companies Grantside and North Star for the former Kuda club in Clifford Street. Rekom UK, formerly Deltic Group, operated from the venue before going into administration. The venue, formerly known as Gallery nightclub, rebranded as Kuda in 2012 following a £750,000 refit. Rekom UK is recruiting for 40 staff for the venue, in preparation for it reopening. The 23,282 square foot building was acquired from BAE Systems Pension Fund earlier this year and also houses the York Dungeon attraction, which has now reopened. Grantside founder and chief executive Steve Davis said: “It’s great news we have been able to ensure the future of this nightclub venue in York, and help the night-time economy in the city.”

 

Rarebreed Dining reopens Reading site with new fine dining concept: Restaurant company Rarebreed Dining has reopened its Reading venue, The Corn Stores, with a new fine dining concept. Comprised of a restaurant, cocktail bar and members’ lounge, the venue recently underwent a refresh, introducing a new dining menu of “beautifully constructed” dishes, differing from Rarebreed Dining’s usual steak-focused style – though members can still dine on its dry-aged steaks. Under the culinary direction of head chef Liam Sweeney, the menus change depending on what’s in season. Signature dishes include the Aylesbury duck breast with beetroot, chard and fig; and slow-roasted pork collar with girolles, peas and gooseberry. The bar also offers a menu of small plates – including ox tongue buns and a British charcuterie selection with mustard and pickles – served alongside craft beer and cocktails. Rarebreed Dining also operates The Plough Inn in Cobham, The Waverley Inn in Weybridge and The Shurlock Inn near Binfield.

Wagamama offers free katsu curry to university graduates: Wagamama, The Restaurant Group-owned brand, is offering free katsu curry to university students who have graduated. The brand will offer the dish to a limited number of graduates across 20 of its restaurants on Wednesday (21 July) and Thursday (22 July). The first 20 students through the doors of participating stores on each of the two days will receive a free curry. All they need to do is prove is they are a student. Wagamama said the giveaway is to celebrate the achievement of graduates who have spent the majority of their university education in some form of lockdown restriction due to the pandemic. Senior regional marketing manager Sita Dobbs said: “At Wagamama, we’ve worked to support our loyal student fan base throughout the pandemic. We know students have had a particularly tough time this past year. With lockdowns and virtual learning, student mental health has suffered. We want to continue celebrating their achievements across 2021 and beyond.”

 

Proposals for new ‘hidden’ hospitality courtyard in Cardiff’s historic Castle Quarter get go-ahead: Proposals for a new “hidden” hospitality courtyard in the heart of Cardiff’s historic Castle Quarter have been given the go-ahead. The scheme, approved by the city council, will see work start in August to demolish and repurpose a redundant former nightclub that sits in the space behind High Street and Duke Street arcades. A new entrance will be created through an existing passageway off High Street. The proposals are inspired by developments such as Soho’s Kingly Court, which is tucked away behind Carnaby Street in London and home to bars and restaurants. The Castle Quarter Courtyard will create eight new spaces, ranging from 500 square foot up to 10,000 square foot, designed for independent hospitality businesses around a central, open courtyard. The development will also incorporate several of the arcade’s current retail units – and a new balcony will run around the courtyard at first-floor level, opening up previously unused spaces above shops to create more flexible spaces, better suited to the needs of hospitality and leisure businesses. The Castle Quarter arcades estate includes more than 110 retail and leisure units. The arcades are owned by a Mansford fund and the development team includes property consultants EJ Hales, Rio Architects, TLT Solicitors, Avison Young and Knight Frank. Phillip Morris, partner at EJ Hales, said: “We’ve seen how successful bar and restaurant developments have been in bringing new life to High Street and the wider Castle Quarter. Regeneration schemes like this are a perfect example of what the future of our city centres should look like.”

Shropshire-based pub operators take on second site: Shropshire-based pub operators Mel and Martin Board have taken on their second site. The couple, who own the Haughmond Inn in Upton Magna, will now also run The Bear Inn, in Hodnet, near Market Drayton. Working in partnership with the Hodnet Estate, the pub will reopen on Thursday, 29 July, following a £2m refurbishment. Mel Board told the Shropshire Star: “The pub belongs to the Hodnet Estate and, in September 2019, the leaseholders left and the estate decided to keep it but do the pub up because it was very tired. The project is the work of Tom Heber-Percy from the estate. The Haughmond Inn was practically derelict before. The estate wants us to do the same thing we did at The Bear Inn. It’s just about giving it back to the village really and putting Hodnet on the map again. The Haughmond is fine dining but at The Bear, it will be more affordable with locally sourced produce.”

 

Hull-based operator opens American-style diner for second site: Hull-based operator Alex Lee has opened his second site. Lee has launched American-style diner Pitta and Shake at the St Stephens Shopping Centre, which offers “grilled meat pittas, thick shakes and a whole bunch of sides”. The entrepreneur recently opened the Frozen Co, which serves frozen Fanta and Coca Cola in the shopping centre. Pitta and Shake has opened in the old El Taco unit in the food court with a “Subway-style” offering. A variety of pitta fillings are available, including flame-grilled chicken, fried meat, halloumi and vegan options, all served “in a grab-and-go option – as fast as going into a Subway or Greggs”. The venue also offers “ice blasts”, loaded fries, nachos, chicken wings, mini chicken and cheese bites. Lee told Hull Live: “I’m a Hull lad and it’s a Hull product – we are putting a substantial investment into St Stephens.”