Exclusive – Tapas Revolution undergoes restructure: Spanish Restaurant Group, the owner of the Tapas Revolution brand, has finalised a restructuring and has been acquired by Tapas Bidco, a new vehicle led and owned by the brand’s former managing director James Picton, Propel has learned. Following the opening of sites Basingstoke and Newcastle Metro Centre last year, the business, which operates 11 sites under the Tapas Revolution brand, commenced a restructuring process in February, with the transaction concluding late last week. The deal saw the departure of all former shareholders, within the “group company”. It is not clear whether chef Omar Allibhoy, who founded the brand, will remain with the business. The transaction includes the purchase of the Tapas Revolution brand and all of the trading locations across the UK. The brand operates sites in locations including Westfield London, Westfield Stratford, Lakeside, Bluewater and Bath. The business, which Picton joined in 2019, is believed to have a confirmed pipeline of new sites in place for the next 18 months, including, it is thought, a site at The Deck leisure and shopping quarter in Bracknell, Berkshire. At the start of 2020, Spanish Restaurant Group acquired and rebranded the remaining La Tasca sites and still owns the brand. The company secured £2.5m of new investment from Mobeus Equity Partners in 2017. 

UKHospitality tables opposition to late-night levy extension and reiterates need to abolish charge: UKHospitality has tabled its opposition to any extension to the late-night levy and reiterated the need to abolish the “outdated” charge. In its response to a Home Office consultation on extending the levy to apply to late-night refreshment providers, UKHospitality highlighted the entire consultation is based on an impact assessment and proposals from 2016, which is now “considerably out of date given the significant changes to the late-night economy in that time”. UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “The suggestion to extend the late-night levy is frankly absurd. The entire notion of the levy has already been discredited by a House of Lords committee, which described it as unsuccessful, and it continues to take away hard-earned money from strapped venues. Given the proposals to extend the levy were made seven years ago and since then we have had a global pandemic, a cost-of-living crisis and record inflation, there should be no serious consideration given to an extension. In areas where the levy is in place, it takes thousands of pounds out of the pockets of hospitality businesses, and that is money that could have been used to reinvest, open new ventures or hire more staff. If the government wants to demonstrate it’s on the side of business and economic growth, it should choose not to extend the levy and abolish it instead.” Meanwhile, Bolton Council is set to begin a consultation next month on introducing a late-night levy from January 2024. 

Giraudi Group to make Scottish debut with second UK site: Monaco-based hospitality group Giraudi will this summer make its Scottish debut, with a second UK site for its fledgling Le Petit Beefbar concept. Le Petit Beefbar Edinburgh is set to open in the 18th century InterContinental Edinburgh The George, in George Street. The menu in Edinburgh will draw on global influences, with Japanese, Mexican and European street food alongside its traditional steakhouse offering. New dishes will include Kobe beef jamón, aged for 18 months in Spain, and the Croque Sando, filled with dry-aged beef rib-eye prosciutto and mozzarella and served with Le Petit Beefbar’s signature sauce. There will also be extensive wine and cocktail lists. Le Petit Beefbar founder Riccardo Giraudi said: “This opening is very special to me as it marks our first venture into Scotland and gives us the opportunity to highlight the bountiful produce the country has to offer. Edinburgh is such a beautiful and vibrant city, and InterContinental Edinburgh The George is at its heart, so we’re thrilled to be opening up in the hotel’s beautiful restaurant space, giving it a Le Petit Beefbar makeover while retaining the incredible Georgian architecture.” Founded in Monaco in 2005, Beefbar now has 22 restaurants worldwide.