First Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2023 opens for bookings, three free places per company for operators: The first Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2023 is now open for bookings. The conference takes place on Thursday, 23 March, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London’s Kensington. Multi-site operators can book up to three free places each by emailing paul.charity@propelinfo.com. Speakers will include AlixPartners managing director Graeme Smith, who will look at where the investment market now sits, who are the buyers and what can we expect in terms of M&A over the course of the year. Karen Turton, entrepreneur, former Nando’s and Turtle Bay Restaurants executive, and now chief executive of training consultancy firm Purple Story, will talk about how businesses can improve their performance through better leadership and where the key focus for chief executives and managing directors should be as they lead their teams through the next 12 months and beyond. Verity Foss, co-founder of Oowee Diner and Oowee Vegan, will speak about developing both vegan concepts, the role delivery has played in their growth and standing out in an ever-growing and evolving category. Meriel Armitage, founder of Club Mexicana, will discuss the expansion and evolution of the 100% vegan concept, the challenge of growing a business in the current environment and where it goes from here. Razak Helalat, founder of Black Rock Restaurant Group, will discuss how the Coal Shed and Burnt Orange operator oversees a number of different concepts across two cities, the ideas behind the company’s diverse offer and where it goes from here. Nisha Katona, founder of Mowgli Street Food, will speak to Propel group editor Mark Wingett about the next stage of the brand’s growth, opening in London, putting people at the core of the business and her hopes and fears for the sector. Nick MacKenzie, chief executive of Greene King, will discuss how the group has put people at the centre of its plans, its work with apprenticeships, prison leavers and the homeless, and the investment it is making on improving its existing estate. Thom Elliot, co-founder of Pizza Pilgrims, will talk about the group’s award-winning sustainability journey and how it informs all parts of the business, the company’s evolution and the role its academy is playing in encouraging new generations into the sector. Sohail Ali, founder of street food cafe franchise Chaiiwala, will discuss the concept’s creation, its expansion in the UK and internationally, the size of the opportunity and its move into the drive-thru category. Martin Williams, chief executive of Gaucho and M Restaurants, will talk about rebooting the business, taking a leading role on sustainability, rising to the recruitment challenge and returning to the expansion trail. Peter Marks, chairman of Rekom UK, the UK’s largest nightclub operator, will talk to Mark Wingett about the evolution of the business, its expansion plans in the UK and internationally and what the impact of the past three years has had on the late-night sector. Meanwhile, Robyn Black, head of content at Fleet Street Communications, will lead a panel on how the next generation of sector leaders are approaching issues including growth, staffing, diversity, sustainability and technology, featuring Pho chief executive Patrick Marrinan, Brasserie Bar Co chief executive Richard Ferrier,  Big Fang Collective chief executive Natasha Waterfield and Cosy Club managing director Amber Woods.

 

Sponsored message – Airship and Toggle launch campaign designed to support operators as margins are being squeezed: Airship, the hospitality CRM, and Toggle, the hospitality commerce platform, have launched “Budget Proof 2”, a campaign designed to support hospitality businesses during the current cost of living crisis – by offering low, fixed rates on both their platforms. Additionally, they’re offering a 50% discount on their fees for the first four months, for any operators that join before 1 April. Sam Brown, Airship and Toggle’s chief commercial officer, said: “Hospitality is entering another year of uncertainty, and while our prices are staying frozen in time, the same can’t be said for our technology. Since 2021, both platforms have advanced in light years, especially Airship. Our new dashboard displays the return on investment of each marketing campaign, pulling in basket data and showing generated visits, allowing you to demonstrate exactly the value being driven by your marketing department.” Read all about the campaign here. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

Sixth UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database to feature more than 10,000 new words of content, released on Friday: The sixth UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, which will be sent to Premium subscribers on Friday (17 February) at midday, will feature more than 10,000 new words of content, taking it to more than 85,000 words. It will provide insight on the offer, locations, cost and other key details of 185 companies offering a food and beverage franchise in the UK. Several sweet treat concepts are among the new franchisors featured. Among them is Paul, the French chain of bakery-cafe restaurants with 36 UK sites, which made its franchise debut here in November. Also featured is Floozie Cookies, an all-vegan stuffed cookie concept founded in 2020 by Kimberly Lin, which announced plans in November to expand internationally and in the UK under a franchise model. Doh’Hut, a Leeds doughnut shop that is set to make its London debut and open five new sites this year, is also featured. Premium subscribers also receive access to The New Openings Database; the Propel Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate; the Turnover & Profits Blue Book; and the Who’s Who of UK Food and Beverage. Premium subscribers have also been given access to the entire recording of the 2023 Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit Conference. Subscribers were sent 30 separate video presentations, featuring more than 80 speakers. 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 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. They 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 – sector still facing ‘incredibly challenging recruitment landscape’ with vacancy rates 72% higher than pre-pandemic levels: UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls has said the sector is still facing an “incredibly challenging recruitment landscape”, with vacancy rates 72% higher than pre-pandemic levels. It comes as data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the rate of UK unemployment was 3.7% in the three months to December, the same rate that was recorded in the three months to November. The data also revealed regular pay growth was 6.7% in the three months, the strongest growth rate seen outside the pandemic, the ONS said. Nicholls said: “The figures indicate hospitality businesses are continuing to face an incredibly challenging recruitment landscape. This chimes with our Budget submission that we sent to the chancellor earlier this month, where we call for Apprenticeship Levy reform, to give employers more control over the delivery and funding of training which would, ultimately, allow many of the economically inactive to get back into work, at almost no cost to the government. Recruitment will, undoubtedly, continue to be a key challenge for the industry to grapple with, so government intervention ranging from investment in skills and implementing short-term immigration solutions, will ultimately make the challenge easier for businesses to manage. It is only through measures such as these that the sector will be able to truly turn the corner.”

 

Subway considering potential sale of company: Subway has announced it is considering a potential sale of the company. It was reported last month that Subway had retained advisers to explore a sale of the circa 37,000-strong business, which could value it at more than $10bn (£8.2bn). It has now said it is going through a sale exploration process and there is “no indication of timing or assurance that a sale will occur”. In a statement released on its website, Subway said: “The management team remains committed to the future and will continue to execute against its multi-year transformation journey, which includes a focus on menu innovation, modernisation of restaurants and improvements to its overall guest experience. The company recently announced another record-setting year, ending 2022 exceeding global sales projections and achieving eight consecutive quarters of positive like-for-like sales growth.” Subway is being advised by JP Morgan on the sale exploration and said it will not be making any further comment until the process is completed.

Packaging recycling fees ‘out of control’ and cost breweries an additional £21m in 2022: Packaging recycling fees are “out of control” and cost breweries an additional £21m in 2022, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has warned. The rocketing costs of Packaging Recovery Notes (PRNs) – a certificate producers must buy to prove the equivalent amount of packaging they use has been recovered or recycled by an accredited waste management company – has led to an 111% increase in packaging recycling costs. With government reforms on the PRN market that seek to address its lack of transparency and extreme volatility not due until 2024, producers risk being lumped with similar huge and unpredictable costs throughout 2023, the trade body said. BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin said: “Extreme PRN costs had a huge impact on our sector last year, compounding significant increases in 2021, and yet they continue to go uncapped, and to a large extent unnoticed, by government. This is a market that is out of control and silently damaging many of our much-loved brewers’ businesses. We need intervention from government on PRNs now, not in a year’s time.” Paul Davies, chief executive of Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company, added: “Carlsberg Marston’s shares our industry’s strong sense of responsibility to work towards greater sustainability. To achieve this, we urgently need action from government to build a system that is fair to everyone involved.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a global luxury hospitality concept that is looking for a chief operating officer. A COREcruitment spokesman said: “The company needs someone who can really be the backbone of this business. It is looking for someone who has experience of working with premium, fine dining, rosette/Michelin level restaurants – on a global basis. Ideally, it is seeking someone that has experience working on a variety of business models – operated, franchise, joint ventures. The business is looking to open multiple new sites in the next few years with particular growth in the US, Europe and Middle East.” The salary is up to £200,000 per annum plus benefits. For more information, email stuart@corecruitment.com

 

Bear co-founder ­– business has ‘global potential’ after closing private equity fundraise: Craig Bunting, co-founder of Midlands cafe bar concept Bear, has told Propel the business has “global potential” after closing a private equity fundraise to help it open new stores. Founded in 2016 by Bunting and Michael Thorley, Bear has since grown to five stores across Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire. It has now closed a round of fundraising with Clark Group, a private equity firm based in Poole. The investment will enable Bear to open new stores and grow its online strategy. “The opportunities for us are endless,” Bunting said. “I genuinely believe Bear has global potential – how that looks is the conversations we are having at the moment. It could be smaller format stores, more partnership opportunities or sites at airports. We have a vision, and it was crucial we had an investment partner that shares that and buys into our long-term plan. We have a really good team, and it’s a real boost for us and the industry that Clark Group, which has experience in the retail and hospitality sectors, has seen that.” Bunting said the business hopes to open three sites this year if “the right opportunities arise”. He added: “It’s not easy – in my view, a lot of landlords have not caught up with where the market is yet.” Bunting said while the business had seen a slight drop in the frequency of visits during January, spend had not dropped off. As well as operating five bricks and mortar stores, Bear has also previously operated concessions within London retail locations such as Jack Wills in Soho and Paperchase in Tottenham Court Road. “We invested in Bear to support it and its ambitious growth plans,” Ed Formstone, chief financial officer at Clark Group, added. “Bear has an outstanding management team and an incredible, high quality customer offer that underpins the brand appeal. This will be complemented by the skills of Clark Group as Bear continues to grow its number of locations.”

 

Pret hires 250 Ukrainian refugees: Pret A Manger has hired 250 Ukrainian refugees as part of its employment programme set up to support people fleeing the war. Launched in April 2022 following the Russian invasion, Pret's Ukraine Employment Programme offers refugees arriving in the UK job opportunities at Pret shops through its charity arm, The Pret Foundation. The vast majority of those employed on the programme are women whose partners and families have stayed in Ukraine. In less than a year, several of the women have progressed to roles such as chefs, baristas and front-of-house staff. The company said some have already risen to become kitchen and front-of-house team leaders, while two will be starting an assistant manager course this year. Alongside employment, the programme provides a variety of additional support including help with travel costs and vouchers to buy household items, plus one-to-one counselling. English language tuition is also available, as is support with finding accommodation. The programme is led by Viktoria Bertics, a Ukrainian general manager who has worked at Pret for 17 years. She said: “I'm extremely proud of every single person on the programme and the feedback from shop managers has been fantastic – a testament to the Ukrainians' hard work and dedication in the most difficult circumstances imaginable. As the war goes on, we will continue supporting them in every way possible.” Pano Christou, chief executive at Pret and trustee of The Pret Foundation, added: “Viktoria and her team have done a phenomenal job, getting processes up and running in a matter of weeks to employ Ukrainian refugees in our shops, facilitate English lessons, and provide financial and mental health support. It's been a privilege to see those on our programme become part of the Pret family.”

 

Popeyes UK confirms next seven openings, including first two drive-thrus: Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, the US fried chicken quick-service brand, has confirmed the locations of the next seven openings in the UK, including its first two drive-thrus and two new London sites. The company, which expects to open 20 sites this year, has confirmed openings in Cambridge, Reading, Cardiff, Plymouth, Richmond, Rotherham and Glasgow’s Barrhead, with the latter two set to be drive-thrus. The brand’s first restaurant due to open in 2023 will be in Cambridge on Thursday (16 February) followed by Reading on Thursday, 23 February. The company said with Popeyes Stratford now being its highest-performing restaurant in the world – out of a 3,600 restaurants – it has stepped up its expansion plans to meet “rapidly growing demand” in the UK. The brand has also opened a further dark kitchen in Norbury to keep up with demand in south London. With 17 locations open, Popeyes UK said the pace of its openings is seeing the chain expand across the UK at a “faster rate than comparators who have also recently landed from across the pond”. Tom Crowley, chief executive at Popeyes UK, said: “The sustained demand we’re seeing for Popeyes in the UK is incredible, but not unexpected. That said, it’s still brilliant to see how enthusiastically the UK has welcomed us, and we’re particularly proud to be opening our first drive-thru locations this year. Now we’ve established a growing presence here, we’re excited to start turning our attention towards building an industry-leading employee value proposition for our UK teams and identifying where we can make a difference in the communities we’re part of.” The Rotherham drive-thru site was formerly occupied by KFC, which – as with its debut Stratford site – the company said the landlord elected to replace with a Popeyes restaurant. The UK represents the 11th new market for Popeyes, which this year celebrates 50 years since its first restaurant opened in New Orleans.

 

Time Out Market sets out global expansion plans: Time Out Group has set out its global expansion plans for Time Out Market, with a further eight set to open and more in the pipeline. There are seven Time Out Markets currently open, and as part of its expansion strategy, Time Out Market is focusing on management agreements with landlords and real estate developers. It has also appointed Gillingham Bell International Real Estate as its global real estate partner to help it target new sites worldwide. The pipeline for new Time Out Markets is Porto, 2023, owned and operated; Cape Town, 2023, management agreement; Barcelona, 2024, owned and operated market; Vancouver, 2024, management agreement; Abu Dhabi, 2025, management agreement; Prague, 2025, management agreement; Osaka, 2025, management agreement; and Riyadh, forecast to open in 2027, management agreement. Jay Coldren, Time Out Market co-chief executive (development), said the group has built a robust line-up of new markets and interest from landlords and developers who want to make Time Out Market an anchor of their properties. He added: “We are in advanced negotiations to grow our pipeline further and continue to be open to conversations. That’s why we are excited to bring on board Gillingham Bell International, which will collaborate with our team as we expect to accelerate the rate of signings.” The seven current Time Out Markets are in Lisbon, Miami, New York, Boston, Chicago, Montreal and Dubai.

 

White Brasserie secures Henley-in-Arden site for summer opening: White Brasserie Company, the Alchemy Partners-backed pub business, has further enhanced its openings pipeline, after securing a site in Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, Propel has learned. The Richard Ferrier-led business has secured the freehold of the Black Swan in the town’s High Street, with a reopening of the site planned for July this year following a major extension. Last December, the company outlined “Operation Thrive”, its strategy to build a UK pub business of scale that will see it look to build a portfolio of 50 freehold premium pubs over the next five years. Since being acquired by Alchemy last February, the company has acquired ten of the freeholds of its 20-pub estate. It said it had also prioritised acquisitions of “additional distinctive freehold pubs” and is currently under offer on six further sites that will open in 2023 and early 2024. As previously reported, it also expects to grow to more than 200 rooms across the UK within 18 months. 

 

Cairn Group reports half-year hotels Ebitda of £16.4m following ‘quicker and more remarkable than expected’ recovery from covid: Hotel and bar operator Cairn Group has reported half-year Ebitda of £16.4m for its hotels division after experiencing a “quicker and more remarkable than was expected” recovery from covid. It reported group Ebitda of £16,409,000 for the six months to 31 October 2022 (2021: £12,082,000). It comes as accounts for The Station House (Newcastle) showed turnover increased from £34,119,000 in 2021 to £109,424,000. This compares with £96,462,000 in the last full year before the pandemic, ending 30 April 2019. A pre-tax loss of £12,281,000 in 2021 recovered to a profit of £10,831,000 (2019: profit of 2,807,000). It received £646,000 in furlough payments (2021: £12,371,000) and £215,000 in other covid-related grants (2021: £1,282,000). Ebitda for the year was £16,502,000 (2021: loss of £4,463,000). Director Aran Handa, in his statement accompanying the accounts, said: “The recovery from the impacts of covid-19 lockdowns has been quicker and more remarkable than was expected at the beginning of the financial year. Trading results have continued to improve. At the date of this report [24 January 2023], the cash balance was £25,646,000. Cash has been generated from positive trading results, forward bookings and income from investments.” The group’s portfolio at the year-end consisted of 27 freehold and long leasehold properties. In September 2022, it disposed of its interest in two properties, yielding a profit of £16.4m, before loaning funds to a structure containing those same properties to yield further benefit in the future. In addition, during October 2022, the group received £30m from its joint venture. As a result, the group has made bank loan repayments of £50,130,000 since the year-end, reducing the outstanding bank debt to £139,010,000. Handa added: “The directors believe the completion of these transactions and reduction in outstanding debt ensures the group is in a strong position to deliver consistent results, and to manage the volatile economic environment and liquidity and interest rate risks. Cash headroom is forecast to remain well within the available facilities over the period.”

 

Chopstix launches new value menu, app users spending £1 more per transaction: Fast-growing quick service restaurant brand Chopstix has launched its new Wok Value menu, as it looks to meet “increased demand for budget-friendly menu items”. All dishes in the range are priced under £3 and include vegetable spring rolls and the brand’s “famed salt ‘n’ pepper chicken wings”. The circa 90-strong company, which opened 26 stores last year, and has a significant number of new stores in the pipeline, also revealed its app, launched last summer, has already received more than 150,000 downloads, with app users spending £1 more per transaction than non-users, delivering an 8% increase in average transaction value across the month of December. Rob Burns, Chopstix marketing director, said: “We’re very aware that consumers are feeling the pinch at the moment and we want to ensure we are offering delicious dishes for all tastes, budgets and dietary requirements. We have been delighted with the initial response the Wok Value menu has had with Chopstix customers and we will continue to innovate our menu as the demand for more meat alternatives and affordable food increases.”

 

M&B opens a second site featuring competitive socialising concept Arrowsmiths: Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), the Harvester, All Bar One and Browns operator, has opened a second site featuring its new competitive socialising concept Arrowsmiths. The interactive darts experience was launched in the O’Neill’s in Solihull last September. It features six individual booths for groups of up to 12 people. Guests can book 90-minute sessions for £7 per person for the Arrowsmiths experience, which includes electronic scoreboards and table service. A second site featuring the concept has now opened at the O’Neill’s in Watford. Anna-Marie Mason, divisional director at M&B, said: "Following the big success of Arrowsmiths in Solihull, we’re over the moon to bring the Arrowsmiths offer to the people of Watford.” Talking to Propel last year, M&B chief executive Phil Urban said the company saw Arrowsmiths “as being a neat solution for our pubs that have unused capacity”. 

 

Turtle Bay completes It’s All About Race Roadshow series: Turtle Bay, the Piper-backed Caribbean restaurant brand, has completed the launch of its It’s All About Race Roadshow (IAAR) – a dedicated workshop about how to be anti-racist. The workshops were held in each of the group’s 47 restaurants and attended by 600 team members, including the company’s senior executives, with the aim of creating a more inclusive and equitable future for the industry. As part of Turtle Bay’s zero-tolerance policy to discrimination, the Roadshow was created to educate and facilitate honest conversations about privilege, bias, microaggressions, racism, non-racist behaviour and, most importantly, the concept of being an anti-racist. Jo Cole, head of people at Turtle Bay, said: “As a business, we have invested heavily in our equality, inclusion and wellness programme, spending months training a group of internal workshop co-ordinators to facilitate conversations and provide the education, skills and resources needed for this roadshow.” Olajide Alabi, equality and inclusion partner at Turtle Bay, added: “We all have an opportunity to make a difference, we just need to be courageous enough to have uncomfortable conversations. This courage is contagious, and our teams at Turtle Bay have all shown their bravery and ability to create a better future, a more equitable and inclusive one for all.”

 

Other Side Fried founders to launch neighbourhood restaurant and wine bar: Matt Harris and Tommy Kempton, founders of the London fried chicken brand Other Side Fried, are to launch a neighbourhood-style restaurant and wine bar in Battersea Rise called Ploussard, this spring. The 34-cover restaurant and bar will open in St John's Road. The venue takes its name from the French red grape wine grape varietal “ploussard”. Harris, who’s previously held chef roles at The Parlour (Kensal Rise), One Leicester Street (Soho) and as head chef at Lamberts in Balham, will take on the head chef role at the restaurant, with Kempton overseeing front of house. Ploussard will offer a seasonal menu of plates “designed to be shared alongside a low-intervention wine list”. Harris said: “The area is already great for dining out, but it’s about to get a whole lot better! We hope Ploussard becomes a proper neighbourhood gem.” Other Side Fried opened its second site last year at 97 St Johns Road. The concept opened its debut permanent site at the end of 2019, in Brixton, south London.

 

Beckford Group to make hotel debut this autumn: South west operator Beckford Group – run by co-founders Dan Brod, Charlie Luxton and Matt Greenlees – will open its first hotel, Teffont House, this autumn. The property, previously Howard’s House hotel and dating to 1623, is in the Wiltshire village of Teffont Evias. It has 16 en-suite bedrooms, a walled garden (which will grow produce for the kitchen and bar), a new orangery dining room and a mini spa within the grounds. The acquisition marks a new chapter for the group, which already operates four country inns with rooms across Wiltshire and Somerset. It also runs both The Beckford Bottle Shop and Beckford Canteen – which only opened last month – in Bath. 

 

Pieminister launches first franchise site: Pie and mash restaurant operator Pieminister has launched its first franchise site, in the former Rosie’s Accessories shop at 24 Westgate, Bath. It is a 16th UK site overall for the company, founded by Jon Simon and Tristan Hogg in 2003, which also sells its pies through a network of pubs. Pieminister launched its franchise programme in August 2021, with the goal of having 100 pie shops and 300 digital pie restaurants by 2030. The company said: “As an independent Bristol business, we’re chuffed to bits to have landed in our neighbouring city of Bath. Many Bathonians discovered us back in the early days, at Glastonbury or The Raven in Queen Street, and we’ve been looking for the right spot to open a restaurant in the city for some time. The positive response from locals and a busy opening weekend is filling us with confidence that it’ll be a great success and a great indication of what’s to come.”

 

St Austell Brewery relaunches chef apprenticeship scheme: St Austell Brewery has relaunched is chef apprenticeship scheme in partnership with colleges across the West Country. These include Cornwall College Group, Truro & Penwith College, Exeter College and Bath College. The programme guarantees a minimum of 30 hours practical time in the kitchen, with a starting rate of at £9 per hour for under-21s. This hands-on experience is supported with regular college classes, that take place at least once a fortnight during term time. On completing the programme, successful apprentices will receive a formal qualification. Jon Kelley, early careers manager at St Austell Brewery, said: “We believe quality training and nurturing talent is at the heart of staff retention. That’s why we’re looking to invest in at least 30 chef apprentices, offering them hands-on experience and industry mentorship, with a formal qualification on top. To really change people’s perception of a career in hospitality – arguably one of the most important industries in our region – we need to also change the way we train to carry on nurturing talent. That’s something we’re immensely proud of at St Austell.”

 

Coya to open in Marbella for tenth site: Coya, the Peruvian restaurant and members’ club concept, is to open its tenth site, in Marbella, Spain. The venue will launch on Tuesday, 4 April, at the Puente Romano luxury resort, situated on The Golden Mile. Alongside its signature dishes such as Peruvian tacos, ceviches and a range of mains from the robata grill, Coya is also bringing its extensive library of homemade pisco infusions to Marbella. Located on the Puente Romano, the premises will also be the Coya day pool, a first for the group, where guests can lounge while enjoying a curated bar and small food menu. Daily by the pool, Coya resident DJs will be playing live downtempo, organic house with South American influence. Coya chief operating officer Yannis Stanisiere said: “History will be made for Coya as we ring in a new milestone by launching our tenth venue. This opening is even more special for us, being the first Coya to open in Spain, and the fourth in Europe.” Coya opened its debut site in London’s Mayfair in 2012 and also has a site in the City. Its other venues include Dubai, Monaco and Mykonos.

 

Restaurant Brands International names Joshua Kobza as new CEO: Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the owner of Burger King, Popeyes and Tim Hortons, has appointed current chief operating officer, Joshua Kobza, as its new chief executive, effective from Wednesday, 1 March. Kobza will replace José Cil, who will remain with the company as an advisor for one year. Cil was appointed chief executive of RBI in January 2019, after nearly two decades in various roles at Burger King, including as president of the chain. Kobza has been with the company for 11 years, first joining Burger King in 2012 before Brazilian private-equity firm 3G Capital acquired Tim Hortons in late 2014, and merged the two companies to create RBI. He then spent five years as chief financial officer of the parent company, before being appointed to a newly created role in 2018 overseeing digital initiatives across its restaurant chains. He was promoted to chief operating officer in 2019. RBI chairman Patrick Doyle said: “Over the past several years, the board of directors has worked with management to build a thoughtful succession plan for key positions, so this is a natural transition for Josh to lead our next phase of growth.” 

 

Manchester pasta concept rebrands following legal dispute with Glasgow restaurant of same name: Manchester pasta concept Sugo Pasta Kitchen has rebranded following a legal dispute with a Glasgow restaurant of the same name. The two restaurants became embroiled in a social media feud over use of the name in 2019, and the Manchester one, which has sites in Altrincham, Ancoats and Sale, has now changed its name to Sud, meaning south in Italian. Sugo in Glasgow, from the team behind Paesano Pizza in the same city, opened in 2019, with Sugo Pasta Kitchen having been on the dining scene in Manchester since 2015. The issues stemmed from the fact that diners in Glasgow were visiting the Manchester restaurant’s website to view the menu and buy gift vouchers without realising they were on the wrong page, reports The Scotsman. Sugo Glasgow’s owners have since trademarked Sugo pasta, meaning the owners of the Manchester business, brothers Alex and Michael de Martiis, had no choice but to rebrand. Posting the news on Instagram on Monday (13 February), they said: “Same us, same mission, same pasta kitchen. From today our new name will be Sud Pasta. We’re aware that we can’t stop any speculation, however, all we’ll say is that our home is in the kitchen, not the boardroom. We love our new name. We love what it stands for.”

 

South coast operator to mentor aspiring restaurateurs as it offers opportunity to run restored Worthing pier venue before finding permanent home: South coast operator Alex Coombes is offers aspiring restaurateurs the opportunity to run a restaurant he has restored on Worthing pier, before helping them find a permanent home in the West Sussex town. Coombes, who runs Perch restaurants in Lancing and Eastbourne, has restored The Nest, a standalone dining space on the first floor of Worthing’s historic art deco pier, to its former glory. Offering a helping hand to any new restaurants, Coombes and his team will provide the restaurant space, with its 35-cover dining area, kitchen and bar, for 18 months, while the new offering is established. They will also offer the operator help, support and coaching with marketing, HR and accounting, while rent will be set as a percentage based on turnover. After a year or two, the Perch team will assist the new restauranteur in finding their own premises in Worthing, at which point The Nest will be offered to the next batch of aspiring restaurateurs, with the aim of providing an ongoing stream of new additions to the town’s restaurant scene. “This is one of the finest dining spaces and I’m tremendously excited to see the ideas and developments that come from it,” Coombes said. “We want to support and grow a great idea into another fantastic restaurant in Worthing.” Coombes last year offered to sponsor two visas for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion.