Salt Bae’s Nusr-Et London posts turnover of £7m from just over three months of trading: Nusr-Et London, the Knightsbridge-based restaurant from Turkish restaurateur Nusret Gökçe, generated turnover of £7m last year, which included just over three months of trading. Companies House accounts for Nusret London, which opened Nusr-Et Steakhouse at The Park Tower Knightsbridge on 23 September, showed that turnover stood at £7,028,066, with pre-tax profit of £2,235,086 and Ebitda of £2,832,832 to 31 December 2021. From the circa 13 weeks of trading, the restaurant has generated about £170,000 of pre-tax profit a week on turnover of £540,000 per week. The company said: “The company started trading in September 2021 where the majority of the covid 19 restrictions had already been lifted in the UK, despite the Omicron variant, which impacted the hospitality sector for a short period of time towards the end of the year. The company has performed higher than the expected results for the last quarter of the year and the directors believe that the company will be able to continue to trade for the foreseeable future based on the profits generated during the year and management’s thorough review of cash flows.” The restaurant opened in London four years after it was first planned. On its launch, dishes included roasted asado short rib, Nusr-Et meat spaghetti and the Nusr-Et special, with Gökçe “personally selecting every cut”. Reports at the time of its launch said that a giant Tomahawk steak would set you back £630, while a golden burger cost £100. Gökçe operates several restaurants in Turkey as well as sites in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Miami and New York. He was dubbed Salt Bae after he sprinkled salt on a steak in a video that has been viewed more than 17 million times on social media. The London restaurant is owned by Turkish company Dogus International, which is one of the largest private-sector conglomerates in Turkey, with a portfolio of 250 companies across seven industries.

 

Only 25 of 596 companies in next edition of Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book generating pre-tax profit of more than £10m: Only 25 of the 596 companies featured in the next edition of the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book are generating pre-tax profit of more than £10m. Premium subscribers will receive the latest edition of the Blue Book, which is produced in association with Mapal Group, on Friday, 19 August, at midday. The Blue Book shows the effects of the pandemic, with total losses of £5.7bn being reported by 328 companies. However, a further 264 sector companies are still reporting total profits of £1.3bn. The 596 UK pub, restaurant, cafe and hotel operators featured have a total turnover of £30.1bn. The Blue Book provides an insight into UK operator turnover and profitability over five years, profit conversion and directors’ earnings. Premium subscribers are also to receive access to all the videos from Propel’s Women’s Entrepreneur and Leaders Conference, featuring the sector’s finest female leaders and entrepreneurs. A total of nine videos will be available at 9am today (Friday, 12 August). Premium subscribers also receive the New Openings Database, produced in association with StarStock; the Multi-Site Operators Database, produced in association with Virgate; and the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database. 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 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. In this week’s Premium Opinion, Wingett talks to Jens Hofma, Pizza Hut Restaurants chief executive and Itsu franchisee, about what one business is learning from the other, and becoming a multi-branded operator. At the same time, Dan Hawkie, managing director of Feed It Back, discusses customers’ biggest bugbears when visiting food and drink venues, including the noise around deposits and calorie labelling.

McDonald’s plans to gradually reopen its Ukraine restaurants: McDonald’s is planning to reopen its restaurants in Ukraine over the next few months, despite there being no end in sight to the country’s conflict with Russia. The company closed all its restaurants in Ukraine and Russia in March, with McDonald's selling most of its restaurants in Russia to one of its local licensees, Alexander Govor, in May. “After extensive consultation and discussion with Ukrainian officials, suppliers and security specialists, and in consideration of our employees’ request to return to work, we have decided to institute a phased plan to reopen some restaurants in Kyiv and western Ukraine,” said Paul Pomroy, McDonald’s head of international operated markets in a message to employees. The company also said it was working with suppliers to get products to its restaurants and bringing employees back on site with enhanced safety protocols. McDonald’s had 109 restaurants in Ukraine but did not specify how many it planned to reopen.

Chipotle to pay NYC workers $20m in labour settlement: Chipotle Mexican Grill has agreed to pay $20m to 13,000 workers in New York City for violating their right to rota schedules and paid sick leave ­– and said it is ensuring it will never happen again. Chipotle will also pay $1m in civil penalties. The settlement is the result of a city investigation that was initiated after 160 Chipotle employees and the 32BJ Service Employees International Union filed complaints against the company. New York’s paid safe and sick leave law, which went into effect in 2014, and the fair workweek law, which went into effect in November 2017, were both effectively violated with the company’s actions. Under the fair workweek law, fast-food employers must provide workers with their schedules at least two weeks in advance or pay a bonus for the shifts. Employers must also give workers at least 11 hours off between shifts on consecutive days or get written consent and pay them an extra $100. And employers must offer workers more shifts before hiring additional employees, to make it easier for workers to earn a sustainable income. Under the paid safe and sick leave law, Chipotle must provide up to 56 hours of paid sick leave per year. The settlement stipulates that anyone who worked in an hourly position for Chipotle in New York City will receive $50 for each week worked between 26 November 2017 and 30 April 2022. Former Chipotle employees must file a claim to receive their payments, the mayor’s office said. “We have implemented a number of compliance initiatives, including additional management resources and adding new and improved time-keeping technology, to help our restaurants,” said Scott Boatwright, Chipotle’s chief restaurant officer.

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a group of global fine dining restaurants that is going through a period of international expansion and is seeking a chief operating officer. The group operates restaurants across Europe, North America, South America, the Caribbean and the Middle East. With around 20 venues, the business is looking to double in size and continue to expand across all its existing regions, as well as Asia. A COREcruitment spokesman said: “To support this extensive growth, the group is seeking a motivated chief operating officer who can support this business and build a brilliant team.” The salary is up to £200,000 plus package. For more information, email hollie@corecruitment.com

 

Foodstuff nears £1m mark on crowdfunding campaign, plans London launch: Fledgling delivery business Foodstuff is nearing the £1m mark in its crowdfunding campaign, which it hopes will help it expand into four more major UK cities, including London. The business, which was founded by Toby Savill and James Perry, has delivered 70,000-plus orders across four major UK cities since its launch in Cambridge in May 2020. It had set a target of raising £900,000, with an offer of 9.1% of equity in the business, which gave it a pre-money valuation of £9,905,441. It is currently overfunding with 21 days left and has raised £991,918 from 264 investors. The company, which is chaired by Draft House founder Charlie McVeigh, says it is on “a mission to redefine the industry, focusing on quality food from indie restaurants aiming to deliver with fewer emissions”. It said that 40,000 customers have spent more than £1.7m on the platform to date. The company said: “We charge partners a £50 monthly fee, alongside a 15% commission for exclusive partners, or 25% if they’re multi-platform, keeping money in the pockets of restaurants and local communities. With 63% of consumers actively choosing local, 1,700 indie restaurants added to the delivery market since 2019 and a ratio of 4:1 versus chains, we believe that we’re perfectly placed to take our bite of a UK delivery market expected to reach £13bn in 2022, that has no plans to slow down.” Earlier this year, Foodstuff raised £1.1m in new funding in a round led by Base Investments UK, to accelerate the expansion of its food delivery business, and at the same time, appointed McVeigh as its non-executive chairman. 

Chipotle granted planning permission to open West Hampstead site: US brand Chipotle is set to open a further site in the UK after being granted planning permission to open a site in West Hampstead, Propel has learned. The company, which recently opened its first regional site in the UK, in Watford, taking its estate to 12 sites here, has been given the green light to include a takeaway hatch on a proposed site in the former Barclay’s bank unit at the corner of West End Lane and Fawley Road. Speaking last month, Brian Niccol, chief executive of Chipotle, said results from the company’s latest five openings in the UK had been “strong”, and it was “gaining confidence that Europe could be another layer to our growth story in the future”. Propel understands Chipotle’s immediate expansion plans continue to be focused on opportunities within the M25.

 

Piccadilly’s Sky Bar brought to the market: The Sky Bar, the circa 25,000 square-foot venue which is part of the iconic Trocadero building in London’s Piccadilly, has been brought to the market, Propel has learned. Located on the 12th and 13th floors, the newly developed space includes a circa 5,500 square-foot outside terrace which has 360˚ views across every major London landmark. Its existing license is up to 3am and it has a capacity for 1,000. The entrance to the new venue will be via a demised ground floor unit on Rupert Street, which is home to the likes of The Palomar, The Blue Posts, Hovarda and Speedboat Bar by JKS Restaurants. Propel understands that P-Three, the property advisory firm, is overseeing the leasing of the space.

 

Steven Kenee to step down as chief investment officer at Oakman: Steven Kenee is to leave his role as chief investment officer at Oakman Group, the Dermot King-led pub-restaurant operator. Kenee joined Oakman, which runs 35 rural and suburban pubs, three years ago having invested in the business during his time at Downing. Oakman founder and executive chairman, Peter Borg-Neal, said: “During his three years with Oakman, Steve made a huge contribution to our business. Among his many achievements was helping us to navigate through the shock waves of lockdown – delivering a successful equity fund raise and securing a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan. Latterly, he also successfully negotiated our near £30m secured debt with Cynergy, delivered our first ever FCA regulated retail raise and managed the process of Oakman Group becoming a plc.” Kenee added: “I am immensely proud of my time at Oakman. It is a business that I have always held in very high regard. I have learnt a lot from working with the team over the past three years and I wish them all the very best for the future.” Last month, it was reported that Oakman was hunting for a cash injection as it feels the pinch from rising costs. The Sunday Times reported that Oakman is working with advisers from Forster Chase to explore refinancing options in a mission to refurbish a string of new pubs. Propel understands that BGF, the former backer of Coaching Inn Group, which earlier this year invested in Arc Inspirations, had previously been in talks with Oakman regarding an investment. In a trading update last month, Oakman said it had slowed its opening programme as inflation threatened profits. It reported £65.1m of sales in the year to 4 July, up 55.4% on pre-pandemic levels. Oakman raised more than £4m from hundreds of customers in 2021, selling shares in the business to backers. Last year, it raised £14.2m of new equity, including £8.3m of shareholder loans that were converted to equity. King said Oakman was “exploring options to refinance” in a bid to raise funds to refurbish new sites.

Döner Shack to open first London site, plans four openings in the capital: Döner Shack, the fast casual kebab concept, will open its first London flagship site in late autumn, in Marylebone. The company will take on the former GBK site in Baker Street, which it said would be the first of four new openings planned for the capital over the next six months. Spread across two floors, the 3,000 square-foot Baker Street site will have seating for 40 people inside and eight people outside. It will join existing Döner Shack sites in Leeds, Manchester and Leicester, while a site is also planned in Glasgow’s Silverburn scheme. With a 15-year lease on the London property, the brand said it is now developing its first innovation store, with state-of-the-art robotic kebab cutters in its kitchens to help reduce food preparation time and food waste. The company said: “As the first Döner Shack location with a basement kitchen, customers will be able to see their food being prepared live via screens within the ground-floor restaurant and a custom-designed travelling belt to transport the food from the lower ground to the upper level to ensure the freshest of deliveries.” Sanjeev Sanghera, co-founder and managing director of Döner Shack, added: “We are so thrilled to announce the location of our new store in such a well-known street in London. Our brand has done brilliantly in the other cities across the UK and, with our dynamic concept which is unique in its menu and store design, I’m confident that this will be replicated here in Baker Street. The liveliness of the surrounding area matches our brand’s ethos perfectly.”

Vur Village hotels undergoes £465m debt refinancing, returns to profitability: KSL-backed Vur Village Hotels, which operates 33 hotels and leisure clubs across the UK, has reported it has undergone a £465m refinancing of its debt facilities as the business builds back from the pandemic. The three-year loan term is split equally between Village Finco 2022 and Euro Ruby Private. Vur Village Hotels has also purchased a long leasehold for land in Milton Keynes for £3.7m and is assessing development options for the site. It comes as the business, which operates a bar and grill restaurant and Starbucks coffee shop at each hotel, reported turnover increased to £139,963,000 for the year ending 31 December 2021, from £86,435,000 the year before. It saw a pre-tax profit of £40,932,000 compared with a loss of £126,075,000 the previous year. Those figures compare with turnover of £215,544,000 and a pre-tax profit of £7,644,000 it posted in the year before the pandemic. A total of 870 jobs were lost during 2021. The business received £8,677,000 through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (2020: £20,045,000) and £1,090,000 in covid-related government grants (2020: nil). In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “2021 was a year of two halves, with performance in the first half of the year significantly below 2019 levels as expected due to the ongoing impact of covid-19 restrictions. However, following the lifting of all restrictions in July 2021, the group performed well such that Ebitda in the second half of the year exceeded that of the comparative period in 2019. The food and beverage business also performed well in the second half of the year, with the pub and grill and Starbucks trading at 2019 levels. The group finished the year with 100,000 members at its health clubs, slightly ahead of the number it had at the end of 2019. The group was able to retain some of its cost savings in 2021 to help mitigate the lower revenues earned in the first half of the year.”

London pasta restaurant Al Dente to open third site and biggest to date, in South Kensington: London pasta restaurant Al Dente is to add a third dine-in restaurant to its portfolio. Owner Filippo Gallenzi will launch the flagship venue in South Kensington in October. Its largest site to date at 180 square metres, the restaurant, at 65 Old Brompton Road, will have capacity for 50 diners indoors and 12 alfresco, along with an on-site signature Pastificio, where pasta is made fresh daily. The restaurant will offer Al Dente’s staple menu including Spaghettoni alla Carbonara, created the traditional way with rich egg yolks, along with signature dishes such as the spicy Paccheri Salsiccia e 'Nduja, a spicy sausage pasta dish inspired by the classic dishes of Calabria. Gallenzi said: “It’s long been a dream of ours to open a large dine-in venue in such an exciting location as South Kensington.” Al Dente already operates sites in Fitzrovia and Monument.

Leisure Resorts see turnover almost double on pre-pandemic levels: Holiday park operator Leisure Resorts has reported turnover increased 43.3% to £28,228,161 for the year ending 31 December 2021, compared with £19,697,849 the year before. Ebitda was up to £7,046,054 from £4,758,407 the previous year. The company had a pre-tax profit of £2,217,250 compared with profit of £1,938,353 the year before. Turnover in the full year before the pandemic was £15,391,547, with a pre-tax loss of £785,182. In October 2021, the company acquired Angrove Country Park near Middlesbrough for £3,225,000 for its fifth venue, and an extensive programme of refurbishment is underway. The business invested more than £2m in its sites during the period.

Sodo Pizza lines up fifth site, first ‘south of the river’: London-based, independent operator Sodo Pizza is set to open its fifth site in the capital and first south of the River Thames, in Deptford. The pizza brand, which was founded in 2011 by friends Mike Wellan, Will Dorey, Enzo Caffarelli and Dan Birch, has secured a site in Deptford High Street for an opening this autumn. The artisan pizza concept, which prides itself on operating sustainably and sourcing ingredients responsibly with a focus on UK suppliers, also operates sites in Clapton, Walthamstow, Hoxton and Bethnal Green. It started off as a monthly pop-up at E5 Bakehouse, which is based in a railway arch in Hackney, with a site in Clapton becoming its first restaurant.

Leisureplex Hotels posts record profits and undergoes refinancing, looks to return to expansion trail: Leisureplex Hotels, part of employee-owned hotel operator Alfa Leisureplex Group, is looking to return to the expansion trail, having recording record profits after refinancing. The company, founded in 1984 by Tony and Peter Sawbridge, made pre-tax profits of £7,731,688 in the year ending 31 December 2021, compared with a loss of £2,294,535 the year before. Turnover was up from £7,947,212 in 2020 to £24,883,108, which the company said was a return to pre-covid levels. As coronavirus restrictions eased, bed nights were up 154% in the year, and trading revenue up 213%. The company received £2,342,301 in government grants compared with £4,474,297 the year before. It also benefited from the reduced rate of VAT and the sale of one of the company’s previously 22-strong hotel estate, in Bournemouth. It said: “The group priorities in 2021, alongside managing the impact of the pandemic on customers and our employee owners, was to refinance the business, in May 2021, in order to provide liquidity through the continued period of restrictions. The strong performance in 2021 has gone a long way to repairing the balance sheet following the effect of covid and leaves the business in a strong position to move forward and grow post-covid. Due to the conservative forecasts presented, the group has significant headroom within its agreed banking facilities, and new banking facilities have been agreed with the National Westminster Bank post-year end. The group continues to outperform budget expectations in 2022 and is currently on track to return to meet budget in 2022, despite increased cost pressures as a result of global inflation. The company is now looking to grow its hotel estate once suitable acquisitions are identified.” Dividends of £6m were paid (2020: nil).

Team behind Park Chinois appoints new group brands director: Island Hospitality, which is behind Chinese restaurant Park Chinois in London’s Mayfair, has appointed Danny Whittle as group brand director, starting with immediate effect. He will lead Island Hospitality’s commercial brand awareness throughout Ibiza and Europe and help grow its long-term strategy. Having worked with brands such as Renaissance, Ministry of Sound and Home at Space on Sunday, Whittle then spent 13 years as brand and program director at Pacha Ibiza, and has also worked for IBZ Entertainment Group. Alongside Park Chinois, Island Hospitality has an extensive portfolio on Ibiza which encompasses Beachouse Ibiza, Finca La Plaza, Massa Coffee, Locotaco and Mikasa, its 16-room boutique hotel and vegan restaurant. It also includes the Club Chinois nightclub, which opened in June.

Manchester’s New Century Hall announces second batch of food traders ahead of reopening: Manchester-based event space New Century Hall has announced more food traders that will take up residency in the venue’s ground floor kitchens when it reopens later this month. Completing the line-up at the venue, which reopens on 26 August after a £10m restoration, will be Zumuku Sushi from chef Benjie. The first Zumuku takeaway opened in Wilmslow and the New Century site will become home to its seventh, and first in Manchester city centre. Diners can expect authentic, fresh sushi as well as other Japanese favourites. Chef Tom Lowe also joins the venue with Tallow — “inspired by the great steakhouses of the UK and Europe and Tom’s passion for well-bred, native beef”. Northern Quarter-based PLY will complete the core New Century line-up with its “elevated pizza concept”, Wild by Ply. Each pizza will be wood-fired in a custom-built pizza oven, with all the dough made daily on the premises and hand-stretched. In total, six independent traders will now take up residence. The previous announcements included chef Adam Reid, the chef patron at Manchester-based restaurant The French (The Midland). The two-time Great British Menu winner will launch The Butty Shop, a new concept he hopes will bring the “great British butty back to life”.

 

Papa John’s opens in Bexhill: Papa John’s has opened a site in Bexhill, East Sussex. The outlet has opened in Cooden Sea Road. Amit Pancholi, UK director of business development at Papa John’s, said: “Bexhill is the latest new store opening in our expansion strategy and we will continue to add further outlets in towns across the nation, but in ‘non-traditional’ locations too. Here, we are working closely with existing third-party operators – often in the leisure, sports or holiday resort space.” Papa John’s has more than 500 UK sites.

Cardiff ramen concept opens first permanent site: Cardiff ramen concept Matsudai Ramen has opened its first permanent site. Founder James Chant has launched the 70-cover Matsudai Ramen at the Bank, following a five-month refurbishment of the former NatWest bank site in Grangetown. Since starting out in late 2019, Matsudai Ramen’s pop-up events have taken over kitchens in London, Manchester and Bristol, while during the pandemic, it branched out into DIY ramen kits, which will remain a core part of its offering. Available ramen styles will change with the seasons, and side dishes include Chant’s signature karaage (a Japanese method of deep frying) chicken and mushrooms. He said: “The fact we’ve just opened Wales’ first ramen shop – in my hometown – is still very surreal to me. Talk about letting a hobby get out of hand! Since we opened, the feedback has been amazing – for the food, the space and our brilliant staff, who have picked things up so quickly and are able to offer so much guidance. As for our location, Grangetown is just a brilliant place to be – the community here has been so welcoming.”

Shoreditch-based seafood restaurant and wine bar opens new takeaway hatch: Goddards & Gibbs, a seafood-focused restaurant and wine bar which launched at the Lore Group’s One Hundred Shoreditch hotel in March, has opened a new takeaway hatch. Located in the corner of the restaurant that opens out onto Shoreditch High Street, the hatch has been launched alongside a three-month collaboration with London dessert suppliers, Happy Endings. The residency will see a weekly-changing menu of ice cream sandwiches, signature sundaes and soft scoop served up, including vegan options. Happy Endings’ founder Terri Mercieca said: “I am so excited to be making desserts and sundaes again. It was the bread and butter of the business when we started, so to have the opportunity to do it, and in such a prime location, down the road from where it all started in Spitalfields, is fantastic.” One Hundred Shoreditch, which has 258 bedrooms and suites alongside six restaurants and bars, including a cocktail bar and rooftop bar and terrace, opened at the end of 2021.

Cheshire brewery Beartown opens new taproom: Cheshire brewery Beartown has opened a new taproom with space for up to 70 people. The Den has launched in its Spindle Street brewery in Congleton, serving beer brewed on site with new equipment. The beer menu is ever changing and served alongside a selection of wine, spirits and coffee. Beartown was founded in 1994 and has, over the decades, added bottles, cans and kegs to its range.

Welsh former bistro restaurant reopens as deli bar: Former Porthmadog bistro restaurant The Moorings Bistro has reopened as a deli bar under new owners. Charlie Weeks, whose two decades’ experience in the industry most recently took in a spell as a restaurant general manager in Nova Scotia, has partnered with Joanne Hewitt, who worked at a private wine shop in Yorkshire, to open the Bae Borth Deli Bar. The deli specialises in Welsh cheese, wine, ale and spirits, and also features a dine-in and takeaway offering of fresh salad, sandwiches and bar snacks. The new owners said: “We’re excited to own our own business and become part of the local Borth-Y-Gest community.” The venue had been operated by Melanie Gautier since 2014, but she decided to put it on the market to focus on other projects.

Shropshire caterer to open second cafe: Shropshire caterer J Grant Catering is to open its second cafe. The independent business has won the contract to run The Turned Wood Cafe on the ground floor at Flaxmill Maltings in Shrewsbury, which has undergone a £28m restoration by Historic England. The cafe – which will open on Saturday, 10 September – will have “a strong focus on sustainability and the environment in how food, drink and supplies are sourced and delivered”. Jody-Lea Grant-DixWilliams, director at J Grant Catering, told the Shropshire Star: “We want the food we create to be accessible to as many people as possible while being kind to the environment, which is why our menu is vegetarian, with plant-based and gluten-free options too.” Historic England said the cafe would be run independently from the wider attraction – meaning it can be open longer, and to outside visitors. J Grant Catering currently runs the Green Wood Cafe in Coalbrookdale.

London social enterprise cafe launches £50,000 fundraise towards second site: A London cafe providing on-the-job training for young people with learning disabilities has launched a £50,000 fundraise to help fund a second site. Founder and chief executive Bianca Tavell launched the first Fair Shot Cafe, in Mayfair’s South Moulton Street, in December 2021, after raising £300,000 in private funding. The same amount will be needed to open its second site, and a £50,000 fundraise towards it has been launched on Just Giving, to match a donation of the same amount. So far, more than £30,000 has been raised by over 300 supporters.

Stockport’s £45m leisure development adds new entertainment offerings: Stockport’s £45m Redrock leisure development, which launched five years ago, has added ten luxury bowling lanes, an arcade, interactive darts, karaoke and American pool to its entertainment offering. The new additions are part of an entertainment complex called The Light, which includes the already-open 12-screen Light Cinema. Keith Pullinger, co-founder at The Light, said: “We are excited to have opened this latest addition to The Light’s offer and we’ve been delighted by the response we’ve received. It was clear Stockport needed more leisure activities, and we feel we now have something for everyone.” Redrock has also let a unit to Turkish restaurant Afiyet, meaning it is now fully let.