Train strikes hurt Pret sales as millions stay home: The UK’s worst rail strike in three decades hit sales at Pret A Manger hard with activity in London’s financial and shopping districts and train stations falling sharply as workers and shoppers stayed home. Sales of coffee, soup and sandwiches in the City and Canary Wharf were at 62% of pre-covid-19 levels through Thursday, according to the latest figures tracked by Bloomberg’s Pret Index. This is the lowest level since April and down from the prior week when sales hit 88% of pre-pandemic levels. It was a similar story in London’s West End and train stations nationwide, where activity, which had topped pre-pandemic levels the prior week, fell abruptly as people stayed home and avoided the transport disruption. Pret’s transactions in London train stations, which had been back to normal, dropped significantly to just 78% of pre-covid levels as a result of train strikes. Some city centre pubs reported sales fell 50% due to the disruption and the RMT has warned further industrial action is on the cards. Unsurprisingly, London’s suburban areas were a bright spot last week as Pret sales remained almost a quarter above pre-pandemic levels. Stores in these areas are benefiting from hybrid working arrangements, particularly last week when many employees chose to avoid transport problems by staying home. Pret’s business in London’s airport terminals climbed again and is now well over a third higher than it was before the crisis, despite continued chaos brought on by recent flight cancellations and delays. Meanwhile, Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, insisted further strikes would damage the pub industry. She said: “As an industry we really are trying hard to bounce back after the pandemic, but we are faced time and time again with new hurdles from rising costs to labour shortages and now severe transport disruption. It is imperative to the health of our industry that further strikes are avoided so customers and staff alike are able to travel with confidence and keep our pubs thriving.”

 

Sponsored message – 200 Degrees builds big with Pelican Procurement: How does a small business become big and successful? By thinking big, from the start! Over a decade, since Tom Vincent and Rob Darby opened their first coffee shop, the pair have built 200 Degrees Coffee into a substantial business with a major wholesale arm, six barista training academies, and a chain of 17 sites. Thinking big at the outset, they partnered with Pelican Procurement, convinced that having a professional procurement company would help keep a lid on costs and admin – and ensure they had robust processes in place within the business to drive efficiencies. That teamwork has paid off, helping 200 Degrees grow faster and more profitably, as it has developed alongside Pelican and adopted its cloud-based management tool, Pi. For 200 Degrees, an association with Pelican has proven a great way to develop a scalable business that worked smarter, not just harder, as it grew. Unlike so many start-ups, the founders realised from the start they couldn’t do everything themselves. Today, Vincent advises other coffee start-ups, and always recommends working with Pelican. “The time and money it’s saved make the recommendation a no-brainer”, he says. Find out more about the support Vincent receives here, and if improving efficiency and keeping costs down is important to you, contact Pelican via hello@pelicanprocurement.co.uk. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

Two days to go before release of updated Premium Database of Multi-Site Companies, 50 business being added: A total of 50 new multi-site companies, operating 323 sites, have been added to the next edition of the Propel Premium Database of Multi-Site Companies, which will be released on Friday (1 July), at midday. The updated Propel Multi-Site Database, which is produced in association with Virgate, includes growing experiential concepts, regional restaurant and pub operators and expanding hotel brands. Premium subscribers will also receive a 4,500-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 next edition of the New Openings Database, which is produced in association with StarStock, on Friday, 8 July, at midday. It focuses on newly announced openings and upcoming launches in the sector and is updated every month. The next edition also includes a 18,000-word report on the new additions to the database. Premium subscribers also receive access to 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. Premium subscribers have also been given exclusive access to the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, which is an exhaustive guide to the companies offering a food and beverage franchise in the UK and will be updated every two months. The second edition featured 120 companies, providing insight on the offer, locations, cost and other key details. The second edition provides almost 47,000 words of content. 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.

 

CGA to speak at Propel Multi-Club Conference and summer party, two free places each for operators: Jonny Jones, CGA managing director UK and Ireland, will be among the speakers at the Propel Multi-Club Conference and summer party, which takes place on Wednesday, 31 August, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Oxford Belfry, and is open for bookings. The all-day conference will focus on “prospering in a post-pandemic world” and will be followed in the evening by the summer party with a barbecue, live band and more. Jones will discuss the key trends that have emerged from the pandemic and that will shape the sector over the coming years. Operators can claim up to two free places each by emailing jo.charity@propelinfo.com. A room can also be booked for the evening for £120.

 

Malkov – this industry is not going anywhere, the essence of people wanting to go out won’t change: Yishay Malkov, chief executive of Coppa Club operator Various Eateries, has said it’s important the sector reminds itself that “this industry is not going anywhere, going out is not going anywhere”. Malkov told Propel: “What crises like this do is they sift, they shake up the industry and they say, look what's going to be left at the end of it? We as a business are not going to go anywhere. This industry is not going anywhere, going out is not going anywhere. It’s been on an upward trajectory since the 1970s. It’s like property prices, it’s still going to go up and people are going to go out and spend their money on eating out. I think the essence of that can't change and it's important to remind ourselves every time something like this happens. What’s important is in the end it's about hospitality. It's about nice people serving nice food, in nice environments to nice guests. And you know, making people happy and making them forget about the day to day for a little bit.” He also believes messaging to teams was easier at the beginning of the pandemic “than it is now”. He said: “It was easier because then it was about rallying the troops and everybody was focused. Everybody's energy at home was about, let's get over it, and then it's almost done. And then it was not done at all. Then there was a third wave and the fourth wave, Ukraine and cost of living. And the problem with that is that saps people's energy, me included, and you ask what's going to be next? And so you can't keep banging on the war drum. You can't because there's only so much energy that people have for this. There is a lack of visibility that you simply can't ignore. People simply don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. They don't know how much they're going to pay in the supermarket, they don't know how they're going to fill their fuel tank or when this whole thing in Ukraine is going to finish and so the focus has to be a lot more about the here and now. We need to make our people feel included, making sure they're in the know, telling them what's going on – be honest with them about the stuff that you're doing right and doing wrong.”

 

UKHospitality Scotland – ‘still no answers to fundamental questions’ about Deposit Return Scheme: UKHospitality Scotland has said there are “still no answers to fundamental questions” about the country’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) due to be introduced next year. The trade body said the publication of a report into the impact of the scheme by the cross-party group on beer and pubs “should serve as a wake-up call”. UKHospitality Scotland executive director Leon Thompson, said: “The complexity of the scheme brings with it inherent financial risks to hospitality businesses. Scotland members continue to be concerned about secure storage, the theft of containers and the breakage of glass, all of which will result in the loss of deposits – a situation that would hit businesses hard. There is also no resolution to the issue of VAT paid on deposits. Unless HM Revenue & Customs makes changes, then businesses and consumers will be paying 24p per container, but will only receive 20p back. DRS will become another form of taxation on businesses and customers, adding to the cost-of-living crisis. Given that eventually there will be three separate schemes running across the four nations of the UK, we are working with members to arrive at shared solutions and approaches. However, it is clear all businesses will need to make significant changes to their financial and operating systems in order to comply with the complexity and variance in the regulations. As well as challenges over deposits, it is an important point that DRS is already proving a costly policy for hospitality at a time when operators can least afford it and when businesses already achieve impressive rates of recycling.”

 

Businesses urged to slash prices by cost-of-living tsar: Businesses are being asked to cut prices for consumers in a new government campaign. The government’s new cost of living tsar, David Buttress, the founder and ex-chief executive of Just Eat, asked business leaders on Monday night (27 June) for their ideas on “how to help” tackle the cost of living. A government source told the BBC the government will not provide any funding for businesses to cut prices. But a taxpayer-funded ad campaign to promote the initiative will run next month. The campaign would be about recognising the efforts of businesses who are trying to help consumers with the rising cost of living, and “amplifying and channelling them” as well as encouraging other businesses to do the same. The BBC has been told businesses will be encouraged to join the campaign by introducing price-cutting measures, and in exchange will add the campaign name and logo to their branding. The government intends to launch the campaign in early July. In a speech to business leaders at the CBI on Monday night, Buttress told them he wanted their “best ideas on how to help” to take to the “heart of government”. Examples he used to demonstrate how private companies could help included “extending mobile phone company social tariffs”, “learning from the success of Greggs’ breakfast clubs” – where the food-to-go company gives a free breakfast to some school children – or popularising apps that sell off cheap food that would otherwise go to waste. Buttress said there were four points in the year that businesses could provide price cuts to help people – summer holidays, children returning to school for the new term, inflation going up in autumn, and Christmas. The government will be “rolling out the official name with branding and logos shortly”, Buttress said. It's understood the slogan, which is still being decided, will promote a message about helping out in tough times, which businesses could display to give them “kudos”, as a government source put it, by cutting their prices for consumers using money they would otherwise use on marketing.

 

‘Reopen nightclubs to help level up towns’: Lisa Nandy, shadow secretary of state for levelling up, has suggested the key to turning around struggling towns could be reopening nightclubs. The Labour MP said clubs and music venues played an important role in the culture, history and identity of a town or city. She said this was more important than talk of moving institutions out of London, as a poll showed one in five northerners wanted a different place to become the UK’s capital city. “Every single town has lost a nightclub that they feel very strongly about, that was part of our history and our heritage,” she told Times Radio. Nandy, who is MP for Wigan, added: “Live music venues that used to sustain bands like the Verve who come from Wigan, those things have disappeared. So there is a serious point because it means we’re reflected in the national story.” Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, said: “Hospitality and the late-night economy were one of the quickest industries to rebound during the financial crash many years ago, harbouring an abundance of resilience and entrepreneurial spirit. It’s without a doubt that these businesses have a huge part to play in the regeneration of high streets in towns and cities across the UK. The government needs to recognise the economic, cultural, and community value of the night-time economy sector. The key to this is the ability to expand trade, they must look at opportunities to deregulate, create easements within planning and licensing as well as streamlining cost and process to allow for efficient growth and investment.” In 2010 there were 10,040 licensed clubs in the UK, according to analysis of Office for National Statistics data by Stampede and StoreKit. By 2021 that had fallen below 7,000. Supermarket alcohol deals, rising living costs and housing development have all been blamed.

 

Big Table Group adds two Las Iguanas sites to Center Parcs estate: The Big Table Group, the operator of Las Iguanas, Bella Italia and Café Rouge, is adding two new Las Iguanas restaurants to its Center Parcs estate, Propel has learned. The two new additions will take its total number of restaurants at Center Parcs’ five UK holiday villages to 14. The company is adding Las Iguanas sites into Center Parcs Elveden Forest and Sherwood Forest, doubling the number of sites under the brand at Center Parcs to four. The 284-cover restaurant and bar in Elveden Forest will open in August, creating 40 jobs. The 269-cover restaurant and bar in Sherwood Forest will open in November, creating 40 jobs. Big Table Group and Center Parcs extended their partnership in 2021 with a new six-year deal. The group operates four brands at Center Parcs, with Bella Italia, Café Rouge and new premium Italian casual dining concept, Amalfi, in addition to Las Iguanas. Center Parcs’ five luxury family holiday villages – at Whinfell Forest, Sherwood Forest, Woburn Forest, Elveden Forest and Longleat Forest – welcome 2.1 million visitors each year. Alan Morgan, chief executive at The Big Table Group, said: “Our long-term partnership with Center Parcs demonstrates a strong relationship and acknowledges the continued demand for our brands at its villages. Las Iguanas has consistently proven to be an extremely popular choice with guests of all ages, so it’s fantastic to add two more locations to our portfolio, and for Las Iguanas to become part of the Center Parcs experience for holidaymakers at Elveden Forest and Sherwood Forest.” Damaein Houghton, group food, beverage and retail operations manager at Center Parcs, added: “Las Iguanas is a household name and has been a real hit with guests at Woburn Forest and Longleat Forest, so we’re delighted to be bringing it to two more of our villages.” Last year, Big Table Group revealed plans to open 50 new restaurants and refurbish 70 sites over the next three years, investing £35m in new openings, which would take the estate to 200 restaurants across the UK, and a further £19m in the refurbishments.

Red Oak Taverns acquires three pubs from Liberation Group: Red Oak Taverns, the national pub operator founded by Aaron Brown and Mark Grunnell in 2011, has completed the acquisition of three tied tenanted pubs from Liberation Group for an undisclosed sum. The pubs are based in the south west of England and are operated by tenants under substantive agreements. They are the Old Station Inn in Hallatrow, Bristol; the Podymore Inn in Podimore, Yeovilton, Yeovil; and the Wiltshire Yeoman in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. It is the first portfolio acquisition for Red Oak since the major refinancing of the business in March, which included a debt refinancing with Hayfin Capital Management. Grunnell said: “We are pleased to be adding these pubs to our estate and look forward to welcoming the tenant partners to the Red Oak family. They fit very nicely into our south west estate, which already has our largest concentration of Red Oak pubs in the UK.” Red Oak Taverns’ estate comprises of 208 free of tie and tied pubs. It completed five portfolio acquisitions in 2021, comprising 34 pubs, and also made its first acquisition of 2022 in March, adding The Vine in Worthing, Sussex.

 

Giraffe to make India debut: Giraffe, the Boparan Restaurant Group-owned brand, is to make its debut in India, in Bangalore. The brand will open at the newly developed Terminal 1 at Bangalore International airport in partnership with HMSHost International. It will be joined by openings from PF Chang’s and Jones the Grocer’s newest Express format. HMSHost is strengthening its presence in India with the addition of 14 new stores at the newly developed Terminal in a Garden, Terminal 2, and ten new stores in Terminal 1, at Bangalore International Airport’s (BIA’s) Kempegowda International airport (BLR airport), Bengaluru. Jagvir Rana, HMSHost international regional managing director India and Middle East, said: “As the leading hospitality operator at BLR Airport, we are passionate about bringing BIA’s vision to life, bringing some remarkable new brands into the country and doing what we do best; creating places to be.” 

 

Joe Teixeira appointed managing director of Majid Al Futtaim: Joe Teixeira, the former chief executive of Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), has been appointed managing director of Majid Al Futtaim, the shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure operator with venues across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Teixeira spent more than five years at BRG, and was responsible for brands including FishWorks, Harry Ramsden’s and Giraffe. He was also previously managing director of Loch Fyne Restaurants and chief executive of Gourmet Gulf. Founded in 1992, Majid Al Futtaim owns and operates 25 shopping malls, 13 hotels and four mixed-use communities. It operates more than 400 Vox Cinemas screens and 36 Magic Planet family entertainment centres across the region. In addition to leisure and entertainment facilities such as Ski Dubai, Orbi Dubai and Ski Egypt. 

 

Chipotle confirms regional UK debut plans: US brand Chipotle has confirmed it will make its regional debut in the UK, in Watford. As Propel reported at the start of the year, Chipotle will open in the ex-The Entertainer unit at 60 High Street – next door to Five Guys – and opposite the Atria Watford shopping centre extension. The new site, Chipotle’s 12th in the UK, will open on Thursday (30 June) and create 20 jobs. Chipotle's director of European operations, Jacob Sumner, said: “We are thrilled to introduce our ‘craveable food with integrity’ to the Watford community.” Propel understands Chipotle’s immediate expansion plans continue to be focused on opportunities within the M25. The company has applied to open a site in West Hampstead. It is hoping to open in the former Barclay's site at the corner of West End Lane and Fawley Road, which would include a new takeaway hatch. Last month, Propel revealed Chipotle had promoted Jim Slater, the former managing director of Costa UK & Ireland, from managing director of its European operations, including overseeing its growth in the UK, to the new role of chief international officer.

 

Levy UK & Ireland acquires 50% stake in Peppermint: Levy UK & Ireland, the sports and entertainment division of Compass Group UK and Ireland, has acquired a 50% stake in bars and event solutions business, Peppermint. This follows a partnership over the past year that saw Peppermint bring drinks-led expertise and support at venues across the Levy portfolio. The partnership is set to expand throughout the Levy estate in 2022 and beyond, targeting growth through existing and complementary sectors. The joint venture will see Peppermint continue to grow its core business in events and festivals, but with the added backing from Levy, which it said will bring additional support in retail innovation, sustainability initiatives and access to its hospitality delivery businesses. Peppermint is the brainchild of Alex Brooke and Adam Hempenstall, who met at university where they both promoted student events. They founded the business in 2003 and Peppermint now services more than 40 events every year. The deal will see both Brooke and Hempenstall continue to run the business alongside operations director Jon Reid. Jon Davies, managing director of Levy UK & Ireland, said: “We will go from strength to strength to deliver the very best drinks-led experiences across our sports and entertainment portfolio, as well as pursuing new commercial opportunities both in the UK’s vibrant festival and events scene and new complementary markets.” Brooke added: “This is an exciting new chapter in Peppermint’s history. The natural evolution of our business is to build on our work in greenfield events into the sports sector and continue adding real value to our Levy partnership and the contracts and venues it operates.”

 

Cheshire hotel and gastropub group set to open fifth site: Cheshire hotel and gastropub group, Nelson Hotels & Inns, is set to open its fifth site this winter. It will launch The Manor at Greasby in Greasby, Merseyside, a gastropub with covers for up to 160 diners and a wedding barn for up to 80 guests. Plans are in place to breathe new life into the 17th century building, while the restaurant menu will focus on “traditional British gastropub fayre and refined European cuisine”, including handmade pies and oven-fired artisan pizzas. In keeping with the group’s dog-friendly offerings, dogs will not only be welcome but also have their own menu. Director of Nelson Hotels & Inns, Andrew Nelson, said: “After many months of planning, we are thrilled to finally announce the latest venue in the Nelson Hotels & Inns collection. We are excited to share our tried and tested recipe of high-quality food, drink and service with Greasby and are really looking forward to welcoming guests from near and far to see what we have in store.” The group also operates The Pheasant Inn in Burwardsley; The Fishpool Inn in Delamere; The Bear’s Paw in Warmingham; and the Grosvenor Pulford Hotel & Spa in Pulford, just outside Chester.

 

New Asian bar and kitchen concept to open in Covent Garden: Gura Gura, a new Asian bar and kitchen concept, is to open its debut site, in London’s Covent Garden. Experienced restauranteur Gobind Chona has agreed a deal with Longmartin Properties, a joint venture between Shaftesbury and the Mercers’ Company, to open Gura Gura at 19 Slingsby Place, The Yards. The 2,900 square-foot venue, due to launch in mid-October, will serve a mix of sushi, sashimi, dim sum and small plates, with highlights from the wok menu including lantern chilli prawns, Thai-style basil chicken and bulgogi style beef. Set across two floors, Gura Gura will host 110 covers. A cocktail offering will be available with a walkthrough “wine tunnel” at the entrance of the restaurant. Chona said: “This location puts us right at the heart of the West End, a bustling area and attracting both local and international visitors, to try our unique cuisine. Our distinct interior and ambiance, paired with great dishes and cocktails, will deliver a genuine dining experience.” CBRE is the asset manager on behalf of Longmartin Properties and Colliers and DCL acted for The Yards. Gura Gura represented itself.

 

Orton’s Hospitality closes Leicester restaurant after finding trading conditions ‘too difficult’: Orton’s Hospitality, the Leicester bar and restaurant owner, has closed its city centre restaurant, Orton’s Brasserie, after finding trading conditions “too difficult” to continue. The restaurant, in Orton Square, had previously announced it was closing temporarily, from the end of May until early June, to allow for “staff training and maintenance”. However, according to Leicestershire Live, diners who had booked after this date turned up to the restaurant only to find it still shut. Owner Guy Kersey said: “It is with great sorrow and regret the owners of Orton’s Brasserie have taken the very difficult decision to close the restaurant permanently. When the concept of Orton’s was born and put into action, it was never envisaged that there would be a global pandemic shortly followed by the worst recession in the last 40 years. While the desire was to be the quintessential eaterie in the city, and for a short period, this was achieved, external influences outside of the control of the owners meant that trading was just too difficult.” Orton’s Hospitality also operates The Carrington Arms in Ashby Foalville, the Dewdrop Inn in Hathern and The Queen’s Head in Bulwick, Rutland.

 

Pair of restaurant concepts secure sites at Northallerton scheme: A pair of restaurant concepts have agreed deals for sites at the Treadmills development in Northallerton, North Yorkshire. Open Jar, which is the brainchild of north east restaurateur Joseph Franks, will open its third site at the scheme while all-day independent restaurant Farmhouse will add to its outlet in Harrogate. Farmhouse has taken the ground floor unit at the former Governors House and Open Jar will move into one of the three restaurant units currently being built with a new Everyman cinema on the site. Open Jar currently operates from bases in Norton and Seaton Carew and will serve street food as well as a classic menu – and offer live entertainment. The former Northallerton Prison site is being transformed into a retail, business and leisure destination by Hambleton District Council and Yorkshire developer Wykeland Group.

 

New independent casual dining concept set to launch in Leeds: New independent casual dining concept Cult Wings is set to launch in Leeds this summer. Offering fried wings, gourmet burgers, craft beer, cocktails and tequila, it has taken a unit as the city’s Merrion Centre. Diners will be invited to sample a range of spice levels, from mild to extra hot. Charles Newman, associate director at Town Centre Securities, owner of the Merrion Centre, said: “This exciting, edgy and cool new independent operator is a great addition to our restaurant offering at the Merrion Centre and is definitely set to shake up the food scene in Leeds.”

 

Scottish distillers pass £2m crowdfunding target to help complete new whisky distillery and grow gin business: Scottish distiller, Port of Leith Distillery, has passed its £2m crowdfunding target to help complete the construction of its new whisky distillery and grow its gin business. Already under construction and scheduled to open in 2023, the distillery will be a nine-storey building overlooking Edinburgh’s historic docks and will feature a top-floor bar and restaurant. The company has set a target of selling a million bottles a year from the venue. Most of its revenue currently comes from its Lind & Lime Gin brand, launched in 2018, which exports to 24 international markets and sold 130,000 bottles last year. The gin operations were recently moved to a new expanded facility, based near the under-construction whisky one, to meet growing demand. The company has also set up a trading arm, Leith Export Company, which has seen it expand into selling champagne, with plans to include wine in the future. As well as completing the new distillery and growing the gin business, the company intends to use the crowdfunding proceeds to grow the export brands and make the company as sustainable as possible. It said: “With £10m raised to date, construction of our distillery well advanced and significantly de-risked, a fast-growing gin brand established, years of whisky research and development under our belts, and a carefully crafted and enthusiastic team in place, we’re excited to open this investment opportunity to the wider public.” The Seedrs campaign, which has almost a month left to run, has so far raised more than £2.1m from almost 300 investors, offered 7.15% equity. With a pre-money valuation of £27.7m, the company reported £1.7m in revenue in 2021 and £875,000 gross profit, and £100,000 Ebitda.

 

Everyman announces Jeremy Summerfield will no longer be joining as its new CFO: Cinema operator Everyman has announced Jeremy Summerfield "will no longer be joining the board as chief financial officer". At the end of March, Everyman announced Summerfield would join as chief financial officer on or before 1 July. Everyman had announced the departure of Elizabeth Lake as its chief financial officer in December. The company, which gave no reason for Summerfield’s about-turn, said instead it has promoted its current finance director Will Worsdell to its board as an executive director, with immediate effect. Worsdell joined Everyman in May, having held financial roles at Cote and Heathrow airport.

 

Granger & Co confirms August opening for fifth London site, in Marylebone: Granger & Co, the all-day dining concept set up by Australian TV chef Bill Granger and former My Kinda Town managing director Peter Webber, has confirmed an August opening for its fifth London site. Opening in the former Maison Sagne patisserie at 105 Marylebone High Street, the 85-seater restaurant’s menu will be inspired by Granger’s childhood in Melbourne; his travels to Sicily to Los Angeles, Bangkok and Mexico; and his restaurants in Sydney, Tokyo, Seoul and London. Granger said: “I spend half my time in Marylebone – it’s the perfect neighbourhood, with an embracing local feel, where we’ll have wonderful fellow neighbours like La Fromagerie, The Ginger Pig, David Mellor, Daunt Books and The Conran Shop, as well as Caseley-Hayford, Perfumer H, Bella Freud, Trunk and Monocle in Chiltern Street nearby. I like spaces where I can have a morning coffee, sitting quietly and reading the paper, or meet a friend for lunch or for a drink at the bar before (or for a snack after) a show. I have always wanted to create informal places that feel like an everyday luxury or treat.”

 

£3m entertainment venue set to open in Coventry: A £3m entertainment venue is set to open in Coventry after being delayed by the pandemic. Players Entertainment has been created on the site of the former Pink Parrot nightclub in the city centre and will create up to 100 jobs. The property was acquired by local entrepreneur Jeffy Li in 2019 but redevelopment and opening plans had to be put on hold until now. The venue will feature 20 private hire rooms that can cater up to 45 people, but can be stretched to host 80 guests through inter-connecting rooms. Each room has a drinks and snacks service through a service button, its own unique décor and equipped with up to 180-inch TVs, sound systems and karaoke systems. Guests will be able to tap into the venue’s playlist or use their own smartphone to access music. In addition, the Club Lounge will feature a bar and space for 500 people to watch live sports and events. Jonathan Owusu, general manager of Players Entertainment, said: “We’ve invested more than £3m to create a venue that is new to Coventry and unique to the UK. It’s not all about karaoke because, although each room has access to tens of thousands of songs, it also features connectivity to watch films, host presentations, play gaming consoles and more. We’ve invested heavily to ensure our guests feel like they have come to a special venue that is like nowhere they’ve been before.”

 

Mollie’s Motel & Diner to install electric vehicle charging facilities as part of sustainability pledge: Mollie’s Motel & Diner, the Soho House-developed concept, will install electric vehicle rapid charging facilities in all its future properties as part of the company's sustainability pledge. Mollie’s – which launched in 2019 with a motel, diner and drive-thru in Oxfordshire, followed by a second site in Bristol in 2021 – unveiled ambitious plans last November to expand to 100 sites over the next decade. This growth trajectory is projected to grow the brand to a £550m-a-year revenue business, with a further ten locations already earmarked, including the spring 2023 launch of a city-centre based Mollie’s Manchester. All existing Mollie’s properties are equipped with electric vehicle charging bays, and the business is now committing to feature them in every new site that has parking for 20 or more cars and can be served by the grid. Mollie’s Oxford and Bristol have eight and 14 charging bays respectively, with a mix of rapid and overnight chargers, and both will double their charging facilities in the next two years. Group chief executive, Darren Sweetland, said: “I am thrilled already with the sustainable and tech advances Mollie’s has made as a brand. We are pioneering in the hospitality and travel industry, and I will continue to ensure we champion our electrical vehicle charging commitment across our growing portfolio of hotels. I also pledge to double the existing charging bays over the next two years to meet with the ever-growing sustainable traveller lifestyle.” The tech-led company already offers digital check-in and 24-hour online chat support for guests, while diners can pay at the table or grab food to go through an app.

 

Edinburgh ‘gourmet mash’ concept opens third permanent site and first outside Scottish capital: Edinburgh-based “gourmet mash” concept, Makars Gourmet Mash Bar, has opened its third permanent site and first outside the Scottish capital. Founder John Stamp, who opened the original Makars at the Mound in Bank Street, Edinburgh, in 2015, has opened the outlet on the former Beso site at 190 Shaftsbury Avenue in London’s Covent Garden. He also operates a second Edinburgh venue and a seasonal site in the Lake District. Specialising in upgraded versions of classic dishes such as bangers and mash, Makars offers nine different types of mashed potato as well as starters such as soup, haggis and scotch eggs. Craft beer, fine wine, whiskies and spirits are available too.

 

Chef Hylton Espey confirms July opening for debut restaurant: Chef Hylton Espey has confirmed a July opening for his debut restaurant, Culture, which he will launch in Falmouth with wife Petronella. Located on Custom House Quay and opening on Saturday, 9 July, Culture will “celebrate local produce and hyper-seasonal cooking with a menu of nature inspired cuisine”. Formerly head chef at Rastella, the restaurant at the Merchants Manor hotel, during his six years there, Hylton was awarded three AA Rosettes. He said: “By building and maintaining fantastic relationships with my suppliers, I aim to source the freshest produce available. I work directly with farmers to produce sustainable, and where possible, organically grown food for my kitchen. My food style is about unique flavour combinations, with a few surprises on the plate. I want my plates to resemble and represent the ingredients they’re comprised of in a fresh, natural and modern way.” His offer will include a “journey menu” over multiple courses, while on set evenings, Culture will offer a vegan and gluten-free menu exclusively. An optional wine pairing chosen by the owners will accompany the menu, while the wine list will feature new and old-world wine, including some from the south west.

 

Former Roti King duo and Tamila founders’ joint pub venture opens: Former Roti King executive chef Prince Durairaj and operations director Glen Leeson, who last year launched south Indian street food concept Tamila in Hackney, have launched their joint pub venture. The duo have reopened The Cuckoo, a 19th century pub in Islington’s Hemingford Road, as The Tamil Prince, again offering south Indian cuisine. The menu is a mixture of small and large plates, alongside a selection of desserts and beer, wine, spirits and cocktails. Leeson is also a former general manager at JKS and operations director at Market Halls, while Durairaj worked in various kitchens across London before the pair teamed up at Roti King, the Chinese and Malaysian restaurant in Euston.

 

Gleneagles opens restaurant at first Edinburgh venue to public: Gleneagles has opened the new restaurant at its first venture outside of Perthshire to the public. Gleneagles Townhouse, a 33-bedroom hotel, members’ club and all-day restaurant based in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, opened earlier this month. All-day dining restaurant The Spence, which was initially open to hotel guests and members only, is now open to the public too. Led by head chef Jonny Wright, who returns to his native Scotland after stints at Jason Atherton’s Berner’s Tavern, Evelyn’s Table and Palomar in Soho, the restaurant will focus on “Scotland’s natural larder”. Dishes include wild mushroom tart with goats curd and hazelnuts, and whole roasted turbot with fennel and chilli. Among a seasonal weekend brunch menu will be west coast crab omelette, grilled asparagus with burnt butter hollandaise and Marbury smoked salmon with scrambled eggs. There will also be locally inspired cocktails, local whisky, beer, spirits and wine curated by bar manager Stefanie Anderson.

 

North Brewing Co set to expand to Manchester: Leeds brewer and retailer North Brewing Co is set to make its debut in Manchester. The company, which operates eight bars across Leeds and Harrogate as well as a taproom at its brewery, will this summer open in a unit at the new Circle Square development in Oxford Road, reports Manchester’s Finest. There, it will join the likes of Chinese restaurants Hello Oriental and Tsujiri, fried chicken concept Bird of Prey and events space Canvas, which will host live music and club nights as well as operating a bar and restaurant. As with its Springwell site, it is expected North Brewing Co will also sell coffee, takeaway beer and gluten-free and alcohol-free beer and cider. Propel revealed earlier this month that North Brewing Co, founded by John Gyngell and Christian Townsley in 1997, has also secured a site at the One Snowhill in Queensway, Birmingham, as it expands outside its West Yorkshire heartland.

 

Moët to open first permanent bar in Europe next week with Harrods launch: Moët will open its first permanent bar in Europe next week, at Harrods in London. The Moët & Chandon Champagne Bar, which will be on the ground floor, will be the largest champagne bar the store has seen. The bar – which will launch next Thursday (7 July) – will seat 34 people. The drinks list will include all wine that Moët & Chandon offers, ranging from by-the-glass to by-the-magnum. There will be food pairings by the Harrods in-store chefs including seafood dishes and pastries. They will include The World Is Your Oyster – rock oysters, pear, cucumber and Oscietra caviar; and Not Another Faux Pas – faux gras, rhubarb, ginger and bread, reports Hot Dinners.