Leon launches trial of coffee express units, 85% of transactions now through digital kiosks: Natural fast food brand Leon, owned by EG Group, has launched a trial of a new coffee express kiosk format, Propel has learned. Speaking on Propel’s Friday Wrap video series, Leon managing director Glenn Edwards said the company had begun the trial of the coffee express format in six sites, including the Asda superstore in Milton Keynes and Asda on the Move site in Holtspur, Buckinghamshire. He said: “We're just evaluating what that trial looks like but it’s gone really well and also how we link food into that offer. That’s going to give us a big footprint on our coffee credentials. So, there's going be many more coffee opportunities later on this year. Watch this space.” The brand, which is thought to be looking at developing Leon To Go coffee shops, opened its first drive-thru restaurant, in Gildersome, Leeds, last November, and Edwards said the company hoped to open another five or six sites under the format this year. The next one will open near Harrogate in two months’ time, followed by one on Merseyside. In terms of the company’s digital transformation, the company last week launched the first iteration of its app, “Leon Club”. Edwards said: “70% of our restaurants are based on kiosk ordering, and 85% of transactions in those restaurants go through a kiosk, which is fantastic. And it's been a total pressure release on the kitchen. We now serve food faster and fresher. The app is the next step in that journey.” In terms of trading since the turn of the year, Edwards said that there had “certainly been an uplift” in trading since “Plan B” restrictions were dropped. He said: “I think what's interesting is how the business has changed. Typically, in half term week, we'd have probably dropped off versus the previous week but that was a great week for us now. And that's both in the City and regionally. We kept a third of our estate open throughout the whole pandemic and I think that gave us a really good sense check in terms of what the movement of consumers was. I think we built some really good loyalty during that period too. It’s not 2019 levels yet, but it's certainly improving every day.”

Host of hotel companies set to join updated Premium Database of Multi-Site Companies: A host of hotel companies are among the 49 new multi-site companies being added to the next edition of the Propel Premium Database of Multi-Site Companies, which will be released on Friday (25 February), at midday. The updated Propel Multi-Site Database, which is produced in association with Virgate, features south west-based Richardson Hotels, which is owned by Keith Richardson, and currently operates four sites in Cornwall and Devon. Also added this month is AG Hotels, which has recently acquired The Stuart Hotel in Derby, bringing its portfolio to eight sites. In addition, 43-strong hotel company Hyatt, which was founded by Jay Pritzker in 1957, will be featured. Also included this month is GLH Hotels, which has 19 hotels in London across its Guoman, The Clermont, Thistle, Hard Rock and Thistle Express brands. Premium subscribers will also receive a 3,750-word report on the new additions to the database. The comprehensive database is updated monthly and 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. It features more than 2,000 companies. Premium subscribers will also receive the seventh edition of the New Openings Database, which is produced in association with StarStock, on Friday, 4 March, at midday. It focuses on newly announced openings and upcoming launches in the sector and is updated every month. The seventh edition also includes a 12,000-word report on the new additions to the database. Premium subscribers also receive access to another database – the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book, which is produced in association with Mapal Group. The Blue Book, which is also updated monthly, provides an insight into UK operator turnover and profitability over five years, profit conversion and directors’ earnings. 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 single subscription rate is £445 plus VAT for operators and £545 plus VAT for suppliers. Email jo.charity@propelinfo.com to upgrade your subscription. 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 group editor Mark Wingett.

 

UKHospitality calls for key support measures to aid living with covid: Industry body UKHospitality has called on the government to commit to five key measures to help the sector rebuild and play its role in the UK’s social and economic recovery. It said hospitality and tourism businesses have already seen a drop-off in trade from mid-February as confidence dips both in the UK and abroad. This after an estimated £115bn in lost sales versus what was expected for 2020 and 2021 due to covid restrictions. The first measure UKHospitality is asking for is consistent regulations across the UK and not ones which differ across regions. The second is trusting businesses to look after their staff and customers, having invested heavily in health and safety measures which have proven them to be safe spaces in which to socialise. The third is planning for international travel ahead of year in which the Commonwealth Games and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee should attract international tourism to the UK. The fourth is the swift implementation of vaccines and testing resources to combat the virus rather than restrictions. The fifth is clear communication, as the pandemic has shown how public messaging directly impacts consumer confidence. UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “Businesses in our sector are low on cash, deep in debt and facing rising costs across the board, including a hike to 20% VAT in April. In order to emerge from the pandemic in a position to fully play its role in the wider economic recovery of the country, the sector needs a more stable and predictable operating environment as well as further support. We are therefore calling on the government to ensure that restrictions are consistent nationwide, operators are trusted to keep their staff and customers safe, international borders remain open, flexibility is built into our health infrastructure and communication is clear.”

January deliveries up five-fold on pre-covid levels for managed restaurants and pubs, trend set to continue post-covid: Britain’s leading restaurant and pub groups saw their delivery sales reach five times their pre-pandemic levels in January, the CGA & Slerp Hospitality at Home Tracker reveals. The latest edition shows groups recorded a 422% increase in sales by value from January 2019, with takeaway sales up 29% up as consumers continued to shift towards delivery. Added together, delivery and takeaway sales were more than double the level of January 2019, at 138% up. The combined figure is higher than the 2021-on-2019 increase of 127% that the Tracker reported for December, when caution about the Omicron variant and restrictions on hospitality led some consumers to order in instead of eating out. Deliveries and takeaways accounted for almost 30p in every pound spent at managed restaurant and pub groups in January 2022. The Tracker also indicates a growing trend for ordering drinks, which were worth just over 9% of total delivery sales in January. Karl Chessell, CGA’s business unit director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said: “This strong start to 2022 shows that the delivery sector is going to flourish long after covid concerns ease. Consumers have got used to the convenience and quality of at-home food and drink from restaurants and pubs, and many of them will not change their habits lightly, even as eating-out returns to pre-pandemic norms.”

Food and drink inflation surges with further rises to come: Year-on-year inflation in the foodservice sector reached 3.5% in December 2021, the latest edition of the CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index reveals. The report also forecasts further prices rises over the next three to six months. Inflation is currently being driven by a combination of the impacts of covid and lockdowns on food and drink production, ongoing chaos in international shipping, and the sharply rising costs of energy and petrol across the supply chain. Even without a war in Ukraine, many economists now expect the overall Consumer Price Index to rise to 8% during 2022, and the CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index predicts similar levels for food. Unlike some inflationary periods in the past, the report anticipates the current spike will be relatively temporary. The shipping crisis is slowly resolving itself, container prices are expected to fall by this summer, and production is gradually stabilising as covid vaccination programmes continue to roll out. James Ashurst, client director at CGA, said: “With consumers’ spending increasingly squeezed by rising costs as well, sales and profits are going to be under strain for at least the next few months.”

BBPA calls for permanent business rates reform in submission to parliamentary inquiry: The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has responded to the All-party Parliamentary Beer Group (APPBG) business rates inquiry, calling for long overdue reform that reduces the disproportionate burden paid by pubs and brewers. The trade body said the brewing and pub industry generates £23bn of economic value and supports 900,000 jobs, and 85% of pubs in the UK are run as small and medium-sized enterprises. However, it said the sector has also long suffered from over-taxation on business rates. Pubs pay more in business, per pound of turnover, than any other business sector. The business rates bill for the sector accounts for 2.5% of total business rates paid despite only representing 0.5% of total rateable turnover, an overpayment of £570m. The submission by the BBPA highlights these statistics and the trade body said it does not believe the current system is fit for purpose, nor does it reflect a fair and equitable model for taxing business. It calls for an online sales tax explicitly used to reduce the burden of rates from physical properties and the creation of a permanent relief or unique property-based multiplier that is exempt from current Subsidy Control limits. BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin said: “It is clear the current business rates system places disproportionate burden on pubs and brewers, which is stifling their recovery and ability to return to sustainable growth. Reform is needed to create a system that accounts for how the economy functions in the modern day.”

Patel planning law against drink-spiking: Spiking someone’s drink is to be made a criminal offence after Priti Patel pledged to crack down on the practice, which is used by sexual predators. The Sunday Times reports that the home secretary will set up a review and aides say she is ready to introduce legislation to target anyone who administers a substance to someone without their consent, to cause harm. Patel intervened after opposition peers passed an amendment to the government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in the House of Lords, which would commit them to a review of spiking under the Sexual Offences Act. She has decided to go further because spiking is not linked solely to sexual offences. After consultations with the police, ministers will table their own amendment to the bill tomorrow, calling for a review of all types of drink-spiking, including its use by thieves. Allies of Patel signalled that they expect a new spiking law to be introduced, and that she may not wait for the review to conclude before drawing up legislation. Patel said: “Our response to such appalling acts must be as robust as possible to ensure that everyone is protected, regardless of a perpetrator’s motivation. That’s why we are proposing a more wide-ranging review and, if there is a clear case for making spiking a standalone offence, then I will not hesitate to bring in new laws.”

New digital platform Krowd that targets new and lapsed customers launches in UK: Krowd, a new digital solution to help businesses within hospitality attract new or target lapsed customers and build back post pandemic, has launched in the UK. Combining transactional data and customer insight, Krowd connects bank and airline cardholders with tactical, promotional offers via its Customer Acquisition Marketplace (CAM) from signed up operators. The company said that the launch comes after “significant investment and testing of the solution which generated more than £1m in incremental sales for operators”. Sector brands that have signed up to Krowd, include Gaucho and M, Sticks ‘n’ Sushi, Barrio Bars, Aqua Group and Lola’s Cupcakes. Omar Rafii, chief executive of Krowd, said: “Our proprietary technology means we know who has or hasn’t been to your restaurant, and through our partners, we can send them personalised offers. Once the customer experiences great food, service and most importantly, hospitality, we know they’ll become a loyal customer.” Krowd is inviting 25 Propel operators to sign up in March with a reduced service fee for a limited period. For more information, click here. 

Revolution Bars Group signs for Exeter site to mark first opening in four years, agrees heads of terms on another: Revolution Bars Group has signed for a site in Exeter – marking its first opening in four years – while it has agreed head of terms on a further venue. The company has agreed a deal for the former Las Iguanas premises in Queen Street, Exeter, with £1m set to be invested into the property. The venue is set to open as a Revolution in June and will have capacity for about 700 people. It will create up to 80 jobs and feature three bars – including one on the first floor that will be used for cocktail masterclasses. Chief executive Rob Pitcher told Propel: “Exeter was in our top five target locations so we’re delighted to get this site. It’s in a fantastic position on the main route from the university into the city centre and among some great operators. The whole city is on the up. We have a Revolution in Plymouth that trades really well so we’re looking forward to coming to Exeter.” Pitcher revealed the business has reached heads of terms on another site while it was continuing to build the pipeline. He said both Revolution and Revolución de Cuba had been “trading very well” since the “Plan B” restrictions were lifted.

Gaucho CEO brands L&G an ‘unethical’ landlord, identifies circa 30 potential sites: Legal & General has been accused of “unethical” behaviour as a landlord by the head of the steak restaurant chain Gaucho, as restaurant owners race to expand to match the recovery of dining out. Martin Williams, chief executive of Gaucho's owner M Restaurants, told The Telegraph, the group had identified 29 potential extra sites to open in the next five years, in a move which would more than double the size of its restaurant estate. He said the identity of the landlords involved will be closely watched, after a recent clash over a location in Liverpool. Williams said: “We've seen the worst and the best of landlords during the pandemic. We had a situation in Liverpool where we had agreed heads of terms and started a planning application, and both the landlord, which was Legal & General at the time, and the agent, were still marketing the restaurant, which is very unethical in our world. That is the type of landlord you're just not interested in working with. It's not good for the industry and you just end up with heightened rents.” Legal & General ultimately accepted a higher offer from a competitor and paid M Restaurants' costs. Williams said his company found another location in Liverpool, which it expects to open this summer, alongside another restaurant in Newcastle. Legal & General declined to comment. Williams said he would be taking a cautious approach to opening more restaurants in the suburbs, although was looking at some areas such as Alderley Edge in Cheshire. He added: “I think your chances of success are less in suburban restaurants than in primary cities or market towns.” Williams said restaurant groups had to be “very careful where you set up sites”. He said: “If someone is in suburbia, and they want to go out for a special meal, they'll often still come into central London.”

New World Trading Company secures Barnsley site for The Botanist, builds pipeline: Graphite Capital-backed pub restaurant group The New World Trading Company (NWTC) has secured a site in Barnsley for an opening under its core The Botanist brand. Renowned for its lavish botanical-themed interiors, the flagship brand will open later this year in a 9,000 square-foot site in the town’s The Glass Works development. Located on the ground floor alongside a 13-screen Cineworld, it will feature a dedicated outdoor seating terrace offering views across The Glass Works Square. The venue will be offering cocktails, craft beer and its famed hanging kebabs, as well as live music events. Natasha Waterfield, chief operating officer at New World Trading Company, said: “Bringing our concepts to new cities and towns for the first time is always an exciting moment for the business. The vision for The Glass Works aligns with our brand and was an opportunity not to be missed following the impressive regeneration in the town. We can’t wait for the residents of Barnsley to experience our truly immersive offer at The Botanist.” The Botanist grew to 23 sites when it opened in Exeter at the end of last year. It has also secured sites in Ipswich, Worcester, Chester (The Florist) and a second site in Cardiff. The company is also set to open a site in Edinburgh, and is believed to be in talks on sites in Durham and Portsmouth. Elsewhere in The Glass Works, a new Nando’s branch will be opening its doors on Wednesday, 9 March. Alex Hyams, leasing manager at development manager Queensberry, added: “The Botanist joining the line up in The Glass Works is terrific news for Barnsley. We are excited about making more leasing announcements in the coming months.”

Finch – regional expansion will be a focus for Vagabond after success of Birmingham site: Stephen Finch, founder of the Imbiba-backed wine bar business Vagabond, has told Propel that the concept’s focus was on further expansion in regions, on the back of the success of its debut site outside the capital, in Birmingham. The ten-strong group opened in the former Chilango site in Birmingham’s Colmore Row last October. Finch told Propel: “Birmingham has traded ahead of expectations and proved that the concept can work outside of London. Our focus now is to build on that and we are looking at taking the brand into further regional city centres over the next few years.” In terms of how trading had gone since the start of this year, Finch said that it compared to the gradual increase seen last autumn, it has “snapped back quicker” over the last six weeks. He said: “We have got back to 90% like-for-like growth across the business compared to where we are in 2019, which is very encouraging.” The company is gearing up to make its transport hub debut, with an opening at Heathrow Airport, in May. Propel revealed last year that the company had signed an agreement to take the former Huxley’s site in Terminal 5. It is also gearing up to fully launch its wine subscription service later this spring.

Caring confirms Bacchanalia restaurant plans for new Mayfair site: Serial sector investor Richard Caring has confirmed he plans to open a Mediterranean-influenced restaurant called Bacchanalia on the ex-Porsche Garage site in Mayfair’s Mount Street. As revealed by Propel last month, the Caring-backed Caprice Holdings, trademarked the Bacchanalia name last year. The Bacchanalia were Roman festivals dedicated to Bacchus, the Greco-Roman god of wine, freedom, intoxication and ecstasy. The Sunday Times reports that the design for the new Greek and Italian restaurant appears to have been at least partly inspired by a Vanity Fair article from 2018 detailing the dark side of Silicon Valley’s hedonism. The new venture will feature a giant Damien Hirst sculpture of winged lovers embracing on a unicorn will float. The millionaire artist is making four such pieces for Bacchanalia. The ceilings will be covered in Sistine Chapel-style frescoes. On Bacchanalia’s budget? Caring said: “I have a number in my head, but I’m not sure we’re going to hit it. When we buy real art, I don’t count that in the cost. As long as you don’t buy it stupidly, you can always get your money back.” At the same time, Caring is looking at opening outposts of his members club Annabel’s in New York and Paris with funding from the former Qatari prime minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, who liked the club so much he became a financial backer. One in Saudi Arabia is on the cards in a few years’ time.

Management buyout on the cards for Roxie Steak & Wine: London-based steak specialist business Roxie Steak & Wine is set to undergo a management buyout, after it began exploring its options last month, Propel has learned. Earlier this month, Propel reported that Buenos Aires Restaurants and Hush Collection, the Jamie Barber-led operator of the Cabana and Hache Burgers brands, were two of the interested parties in the five-strong business Roxie Steak & Wine. Last month, Propel revealed the business, which currently has sites across south London – in Earlsfield, Putney, Wimbledon, Fulham and Twickenham – had appointed Hilco Global to review its options, which could involve a restructure and sale of the business. It is thought up to eight parties submitted offers for parts or all of the business by the 10am deadline on Tuesday (8 February). They are thought to have included offers from the existing management team led by founder Richard Hollway, Hush Collection, Buenos Aires Restaurants, and Rosa’s Thai Cafe. Propel understands that the frontrunners to take the business on are the existing management team, although it is thought one or two of the group’s existing sites may not go forward after a deal is completed, with the restaurants in Twickenham and Fulham temporarily closed.

Pizza Pilgrims to convert sole Slice site to core brand: Pizza Pilgrims, the London-based sourdough pizzeria brand founded by brothers James and Thom Elliott, is to convert its sole Slice by Pizza Pilgrims site to its core brand. The Imbiba-backed business open its first permanent site for its New York City-influenced concept Slice by Pizza Pilgrims, in Finsbury Park last summer. The new venue was first permanent site for the concept following a successful pop-up on London’s Southbank and it also runs the food offer at the London West End site of crazy golf concept Swingers. Housed in a late-night downtown setting on Seven Sisters Road, the menu was different to existing sites and took inspiration from the slice joints and dive bars of New York City. In an Instagram post, the business said: “Thing is it hasn’t ever really worked business wise. Our hunch is people don’t want pizza by the slice to eat in – they want to grab and go and be free! So, with that in mind we are converting our little slice shop into a full-blown Pilgrims. In other news. Watch this space. Slice is not dead. Just going a different route.” The company is currently in talks on a second regional site, in Brighton. The company, which already operates a site in the Westgate scheme in Oxford, has applied to open in a former retail unit in Brighton’s South Street. Pizza Pilgrims currently operates 15 sites under its core brand.

Costa franchisee Sim Trava acquires eight equity stores: Costa franchisee Sim Trava has acquired eight equity stores from the international coffee brand, Propel has learned. The deal takes Sim Trava, which was founded by Simon Vardy in Northwich in 2005, close to the 55-site mark across the north of England, and adds 71 new members of staff to its business. Last week, Propel revealed that Scoffs Group, the largest Costa franchise in the UK, had passed through the 100-site mark, after acquiring a further nine stores from the global coffee brand. The nine stores based in Cornwall were previously owned and operated by Costa as “equity” stores. 

Whitbread calls on Dublin authorities to ease hotel planning restrictions as its eyes expansion in Irish capital: Premier Inn owner Whitbread has urged Dublin city planners to ease back on proposed development rules that would limit the number of new hotels in the city, as it eyes up to 2,500 new rooms in the Irish capital. The company, which owns a 213-bedroom hotel near Dublin airport, opened its second Premier Inn in the city in November, a €19m 97-bedroom property in South Great George’s Street. It is currently building three further Premier Inns in Dublin, with construction on a fourth due to start in the summer, bringing its total room count there to just over 1,000. In a submission to the council on its draft development plan for the city for 2022-2028, consultants acting on behalf of Whitbread said the company sees the potential for 2,500 Premier Inn rooms in the city centre alone, saying Dublin is “significantly lacking” in three-star hotels. In its plan, the council said it wants to “counter balance the recent over development of hotels” in the city and prevent the “over concentration” of new hotel development. It would also require planners to consider a new hotel proposal in the context of how many student accommodation facilities were in the area, and show it would not “undermine the balanced pattern of development”. Whitbread’s consultants said the 1km catchment limit should be reduced to 500 metres, given Dublin’s “limited scale”, and asks the council to give preference to hotelier-backed schemes such as its own. It also wants the requirement to list proposed new hotels to be eliminated from the report as “many will never be built”, and said student accommodation should be deleted as it has “clear market separation” from hotels.

Former Quo Vadis and Rochelle Canteen chef to open floating restaurant on converted London barge: Chef Lorcan Spiteri, who has worked in the kitchens at Soho members club Quo Vadis and Shoreditch bar-restaurant Rochelle Canteen, will next month open a new floating restaurant in a converted barge on the Regent’s Canal. He is launching Caravel with brother Fin Spiteri, who has worked behind the bar at Islington’s 69 Colebrook Row and Highgate’s Ladies & Gents, as well as founding Borough Market’s Flat Iron Square project, and who will take charge of the floor. Opening on Wednesday, 9 March, the 40-seater restaurant will serve a menu based on seasonal ingredients, with a regularly changing a la carte menu. Lorcan’s dishes will draws on his experience at Quo Vadis, Rochelle Canteen and Islington’s Oldroyd, as well his successful Guinea Fowlers pop-up. They will include white crab tagliatelle with fennel and garlic, and crispy pork belly with green beans and anchoïde. Fin, who runs his own cocktail consultancy business, has also created the drinks list, which includes a blood orange margarita with a rhubarb twist. He said: “Lorcan and I are so excited to finally open Caravel. We have actively transformed this barge from a rusty old thing to this incredible space and can’t wait to have people on board.” The siblings also launched Hoxton’s Studio Kitchen in January 2020, which they continue to run together.

Hopes raised that pub claiming to be England’s oldest will be saved: Landlord Christo Tofalli believes the Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans, which claims to be England’s oldest pub, could be given a reprieve. Last month, it was announced that the pub, which was built in the 11th century but has foundations dating back to 793, would close due to pressures caused by the pandemic. Announcing that the pub was going into administration, Tofalli said he was working with owner Mitchells & Butlers to lessen the impact of the closure. However, he now believes there is hope for the future of the historic Hertfordshire venue. “It’s a very fluid situation at the moment, there have been lots of phone calls over the past few weeks with people interested in buying the pub,” he told the Guardian. “The pub was a good business before covid, and we are really working hard to find a prospective buyer. We want to get it done as quickly as possible.” The pub is being marketed by auctioneers JPS Chartered Surveyors, with the deadline for expressions of interest set for Monday (21 February).

Halal Guys returns to the expansion trail in the UK: US street food brand The Halal Guys is to return to the expansion trail with anew opening in London. The company is understood to have lined up a new site in the Wood Green area of the capital for an opening later this spring. The brand, which currently operates a site in Earl’s Court, closed a site in Leicester Square last year. Restaurant operator ITICO F+B, which owns franchise rights for The Halal Guys in the UK, is working with CDG Leisure on its expansion plans. ITICO F+B previously said it was targeting 20 Halal Guys sites across the UK within five years.

Parkdean Resorts to expand digital and IT operation in Leeds due to increased holidaymaker demand: Parkdean Resorts, the UK’s largest holiday park operator, is expanding its digital and IT operation in Leeds. The digital team encompasses all its customer-facing touchpoints, systems, and processes in one place. Parkdean Resorts first established a presence for its digital team in Leeds at the end of 2019 operating from a 12-person serviced office suite in Platform, the city’s home for tech and digital, next to the station. The company has now embarked on a recruitment campaign to quickly grow the team to 40 following the increased demand for its parks from holidaymakers, as the rise in popularity of staycations continues to grow. To accommodate the expansion, commercial property agent, Fox Lloyd Jones has negotiated a traditional lease for 2,276 square foot workspace, which is also within Platform, ahead of the move later this month. Heading up the new office will be Claire Macnair, who recently joined Parkdean Resorts as head of digital transformation after more than 14 years at Bupa, where she most recently served as head of digital transformation for Bupa Global. Parkdean Resorts owns 67 holiday parks and welcomes more than three million holidaymakers each year.