Puccino's looking to expand into new sectors as it seeks to grow to 125 sites by 2028: Travel hub coffee brand Puccino's is looking to expand into new sectors as it seeks to grow to 125 sites by 2028. The company recently opened its 38th site – all based at railway stations within the south east and Home Counties. The opening, at East Croydon station, was a first of 2023 for the brand, which was founded in 1995. “Our target is to reach 125 stores within five years,” commercial director Adrian Ayres told Propel. “We have seen great success within travel hubs, and we will continue to grow our presence within the sector. We're also exploring opportunities within alternative sectors such as leisure, education, and health, as we firmly believe our model will adapt to and thrive within these sectors. We were ready to grow in 2019, which was the peak of our business, but covid put the brakes on. Our focus over the past few years has been to resettle the business, ensuring profitability for all our partners, which we are pleased to have achieved, so our focus now is on growth. Expanding into other sectors opens not only more locations, but also an even wider choice of partners to work with – we are reaching out to larger groups who have the capacity to roll out multiple units through our corporate franchising model. Our intention is to break into those sectors this year, and I'd certainly like to see significant headway by 2024. Travel hub-wise, I'm exploring opportunities both within and outside of the south east.” Ayres, who said he is in negotiations for more travel sites at the moment, added the recent train strikes had little effect on sales, despite its sites being all in railway stations. “January saw like-for-like sales at 98% of 2019 levels despite reduced passenger numbers and with March having been a month without any strike disruption, we are delighted to be substantially exceeding our 2019 levels” he said. Puccino's features in the Propel UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, an exhaustive guide to the companies offering a food and beverage franchise in the UK and is available exclusively to Premium subscribers. The next edition – which is out on Wednesday, April 19 – will feature 200 companies. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Propel Premium for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or a supplier. The single subscription rate is £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Email jo.charity@propelinfo.com to upgrade your subscription.

Latest edition of Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book shows 66% of companies in profit, up from 64% last month: The Propel Turnover and Profits Blue Book, to be sent to Premium subscribers on Friday (14 April), shows 66% of the 718 largest sector companies are now in profit. The Blue Book shows 475 companies in profit and 243 reporting losses. This is an improvement from last month, when 64% of companies were reporting a profit. The Blue Book is updated each month and ranks companies by turnover, profit and profit conversion, listing directors’ earnings for the past five years. Premium subscribers also receive access to four other databases: the Propel Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate; the New Openings Database; the Who’s Who of UK Food and Beverage; 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 £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or a supplier. The single subscription rate is £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Email jo.charity@propelinfo.com to upgrade your subscription. Premium subscribers are also to be given exclusive access to the recording and slides to Propel Multi-Club Conferences. Premium subscribers also receive their morning newsletter 11 hours early, at 7pm the evening before; regular video content and regular exclusive columns from Propel group editor Mark Wingett.

  

Brits cutting back on eating out, only 8% planning to celebrate King's Coronation in pubs and bars: Brits are cutting back on eating out, and only 8% are planning to celebrate the King's Coronation in pubs and bars in May, according to the latest Barclays consumer spending index. It also said Generation Z consumers are spending more of their income on discretionary purchases compared with older age groups, including spending twice as much on takeaways, with the category seeing year-on-year growth of 9.2%. The Barclays report combines hundreds of millions of customer transactions with consumer research to provide an in-depth view of UK spending. Consumer card spending grew just 4.0% year-on-year in March as Brits made further cutbacks to cope with the cost-of-living crunch. As rising household bills continue to bite, more than half (54%) of consumers said they are cutting down on discretionary spending, especially eating out at restaurants (62%), which saw a noticeable drop in spend of 5.6% year-on-year. Increasing costs are also having a wider impact on hospitality spending, with more than a third (36%) now cooking more at home instead of eating out, while a fifth (21%) are avoiding social plans that involve eating out so they can save money. Looking ahead, just a third of Brits (35%) will spend on activities over the King's Coronation bank holiday weekend in May, with only 8% planning to spend money on drinks out at bars and pubs. Spending in pubs and bars during March was up 3.2% year-on-year. Esme Harwood, director at Barclays, said: “Hospitality and leisure businesses will be hoping that the busy bank holiday period provides a boost to counteract consumers' everyday cost-savings. While predictions for the Coronation weekend are lacklustre, the results from Mother's Day are more encouraging, demonstrating that Brits are still taking advantage of one-off moments to go out and celebrate.”

Near 60% increase in pubs closing in first quarter of 2023: More than 150 pubs have disappeared for good from English and Welsh communities over the first three months of 2023, according to new figures. The Press Association reported the rate of pubs being demolished or redeveloped for other purposes has increased by almost 60% at the start of the year as high energy bills have hammered the sector. Analysis of official government data by real estate adviser Altus Group showed the overall number of pubs in England and Wales, including those vacant and being offered to let, dropped to 39,634 at the end of the first quarter. It showed 153 pubs vanished for good with there having been 39,787 pubs recorded in England and Wales at the end of 2022. The data showed that 51 pubs were lost each month, accelerating from a reduction of 32 pubs a month during the whole of 2022. Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “Energy bills are decimating our sector with extortionate costs wiping out profits and closing pubs at a faster rate than the pandemic. Pubs that were profitable and thriving before the energy crisis are being left with no option but to shut up shop. We have been raising the alarm for months that energy costs are posing an existential threat to pubs across the country and these figures are evidence of that. It is essential the government intervenes to ensure energy suppliers are offering the option of renegotiation to pubs locked into unmanageably high energy contracts. Make no mistake, the longer this goes on the more pubs will be lost forever in communities across the country, something must be done immediately to save them.”

Neame – It’s hard to conceive of a sector that’s taken more of a hit: Jonathan Neame, chief executive of Kent brewer and retailer Shepherd Neame, has told The FT that it’s “hard to conceive of a sector that’s taken more of a hit” when it comes to inflationary pressures. He said: “It is energy intensive, food intensive and people intensive.” The data bears him out according to the Office for National Statistics. Prices in restaurants and hotels rose by an annual rate of 12.1% in February; the highest rate since data began in 1991. Shepherd Neame has increased prices by more than 20% since 2019 to offset rising costs and protect profit margins, but opted to do so in incremental rises rather than one annual hike. At hotel group Dalata, the wage bill has jumped 24% compared with 2019, but it is wary of passing costs on to the customer. “The consumer ultimately will vote with their feet,” chief executive Dermot Crowley told the FT. Dalata has instead cut down menu sizes in its restaurants and introduced cordless vacuums to speed up room cleaning, so the hotels need fewer housekeepers. Baton Berisha, managing director of the Wolseley Hospitality Group, which runs the eponymous Mayfair restaurant among others, said: “If you just transfer that price to consumers then they may not return.” Reluctantly Berisha had to increase smoked salmon menu prices by 20% last year and plans to do so again in May.

Calorie counting is wrecking menus: Sector leaders have said putting calories on menus is causing “nothing but a headache”. “It’s a huge cost,” Chris Galvin told The Telegraph. The chef, who runs five restaurants in London and Essex, said: “We have to take somebody out of the business, then they have to sit down, we have to contact suppliers and rely on information coming from them. But how scientific that is, we don’t really know. And if something doesn’t seem right, we then have to spend more time trying to find out if that calorific rate is correct.” It’s been almost one year since Boris Johnson introduced laws forcing restaurants and pubs to list calorie counts on their menus. The policy was designed to help diners make healthier choices and combat Britain’s growing obesity problem. But Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, told The Telegraph it estimates the change has cost businesses an average of £20,000 in the year since it became law. Costs arise from the man hours needed to source calorie countries from suppliers and reprinting menus across multiple restaurants. Galvin said it has cost his business thousands of pounds and contributed to rising prices on his menus. Despite the hassle, he claimed there is little evidence that calorie labelling has changed diners’ habits. Nicholls said the policy has made it more difficult for chefs to be creative. “Doing a whole summer menu or spring menu, they’re not doing that at this point in time because it’s just so uncertain – especially when you couple it with uncertainties around supply chain, products not being available and being changed at short notice and the impact that has on calories,” she said.

Molnar – I want to leave my kids with less McDonald’s and more choice: Tom Molnar, chief executive of Gail's, has told The Times that when it comes to growing the fast-growing bakery brand he wants “to leave my kids with less McDonald’s and more choice”. Revenue at Bread Holdings, the parent of Gail’s and The Bread Factory, grew by 196% to £250m in the year to 28 February 2022 compared with the year before. Sales in the year to February 2020, before the pandemic hit, were £116.4m. The 108-strong business has further plans to expand and will open between 20 and 25 shops this financial year. Molnar told The Times: “We live in a world where McDonald’s is the most successful restaurant and that’s fine, that’s what we chose. But who’s going to provide the alternative? I want to leave my kids with less McDonald’s and more choice. And it goes back to growth. If you stay small as a business, then it’s easy to stay ‘good’, but you don’t make an impact. That’s why I want us to be more present across the UK.” Labour shortages in the hospitality sector have been another obstacle for the business, which is why Gail’s has begun an “early bird” campaign to encourage people to take up craft baking. The campaign highlights that its bakeries close by 7pm, so its employees can enjoy work-friendly hospitality hours without the late shifts and have their evenings free. The business trains its staff through its own in-house barista and baking academies. Molnar argued that more options could be available if the government’s Apprenticeship Levy was more accessible. “The government should give the money directly to businesses and let them sort it out however works best for them,” he said. Gail's set to launch first digital loyalty programme – see Company News

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a leisure business in Surrey that is looking for a HR manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: "You will need to be CIPD qualified and have a passion for people. The key responsibilities will include leading the people team to achieve company goals and oversee all HR operations; developing, implementing, and managing talent acquisition and retention strategies; embedding talent and succession planning through the people team; supporting the learning and development team; managing restructures to maximise growth, productivity, and engagement; and managing any escalated complex employee relations cases." The salary is up to £65,000 plus bonus. For more information, email abbie@corecruitment.com

 

Simmons Bars secures The Hoxton Pony, FY sales up ‘more than 60%’: Simmons Bars, the London cocktail bar operator, has added to its openings pipeline in the capital, after acquiring the Hoxton Pony in Shoreditch, which will the first of five sites it plans to open this year, Propel has learned. The Nick Campbell-led company, which is backed by Lonsdale Capital Partners, has acquired the Hoxton Pony from Shoreditch Bar Group. The site at 104-108 Curtain Road, is just under 6,000 square foot and has a 2am licence. The business has begun a “substantial refurbishment” and is expecting to reopen the site by mid-June. Campbell told Propel: “The site will be our 26th in London and the first of five sites we currently have in the pipeline for 2023. We are working on a number of new site opportunities beyond our current pipeline and are focusing on the continued growth plan that doubles the size of the estate in the next three to five years. We have also just finished our financial year and it was another great performance. Sales were up more than 60% on the prior year and three times 2019 levels, with similar expected growth in Ebitda. Like-for-like sales were consistently up 15% throughout the year versus 2019 despite taking next to no price since 2019 (a one-off 2% increase on a small selection of products in 2021). Our new sites continue to trade very well with our latest and largest site opening in Holborn trading well above expected levels – more than 80% ahead of budget in FY23.” In December, Propel revealed Simmons Bars had completed the refinancing of its banking facilities with OakNorth. The expanded £5.5m facility further strengthened Simmons Bars’ balance sheet and supported its new site opening programme. 

 

Paris Baguette plans to open first UK franchise site this year: Paris Baguette, the South Korean bakery cafe chain, which made its debut in the UK last year, plans to open its first franchised location here by the end of this year, Propel has learned. Paris Baguette operates sites at the Battersea Power Station scheme and Kensington High Street, with plans to operate 20 locations across the country within three years. Last year, brand owner SPC appointed Jack Moran, formerly chief executive of Le Pain Quotidien, the all-day bakery and cafe concept, to oversee its move into the UK, France and, subsequently, all of Europe. Moran has almost 30 years’ experience in the hospitality sector and has held roles including managing director of Le Pain Quotidien UK, global chief executive of Paris Baguette North America, and director of restaurant and retail operations at Hard Rock International. He told Propel: “The first two sites have been very well received. Trade was very strong this week. We are actively seeking franchise partners in and around London. Our dream is to open one franchised location this year, which means we would need to sign an agreement in April. Further objective is to open multiple greater London franchised locations in 2024.” The UK launch represented SPC’s second European and ninth international market, following France, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the US and Vietnam. At the time of the launch, Moran told Propel: “This is a significant push. Our vision is to re-establish the neighbourhood bakery cafe as the heart of the local community. To that end, we will engage in significant franchising as we want the owner/operator to be from the local community. Our initial hope is to launch 250 units in the UK.”

Domino's franchisee sees turnover increase but profits almost halve: Hala Group, one of the UK's largest Domino's franchisees, saw its turnover increase but profits almost halve in the year ending 30 June 2022. The group, which operates more than 70 Domino's sites, reported turnover of £85,208,181 for the period, up from £81,996,977 in 2021. But pre-tax profit was down from £13,584,189 in 2021 to £7,139,152. This compares with turnover of £68,667,106 and pre-tax profit of £3,407,231 in the last full year before the pandemic, ending 30 June 2019. The company said it expects trading conditions to remain challenging but remains confident it will continue to deliver profitable growth. It received no government grants (2021: £1,295,080). Equity dividends of £814,000 were paid (2021: £5,790,240). Hala Group features in the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book. Its turnover of £85,208,181 is the 79th highest in the database. Its pre-tax profit of £7,139,152 is the 81st highest in the database. The Blue Book ranks companies by turnover, profit and profit conversion, listing directors' earnings for the past five years. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Propel Premium for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or a supplier. The single subscription rate is £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Email jo.charity@propelinfo.com to upgrade your subscription.

Greggs reports significant progress on 2025 sustainability goals: Food-to-go retailer Greggs has reported “significant progress” towards its 2025 sustainability targets as it launches the third edition of its annual sustainability report. First launched in 2021, The Greggs Pledge sets out ten focuses to help make the “world a better place”, with the aim of developing these over the years to come. These commitments, aligned with the ambitions of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, are based on three key areas that Greggs said it is best placed to make the most difference, including: building stronger, healthier communities – the pledge to provide free breakfasts to schoolchildren, give surplus food to those most in need and play a part in improving the nation's diet by helping to tackle obesity; making the planet safer – the pledge to become a carbon-neutral, zero waste business; and becoming a better business – the pledge to increase the diversity of the workforce and to use purchasing power responsibly, with the aim of making things better in the supply chain. Greggs said it has now reached the following key milestones, including: opening 789 breakfast clubs, feeding more than 49,000 children every school day; reduced manufacturing food waste by 10% (as a percentage of sales) and increased food redistribution of unsold food in shops by a further 10%. The business also opened its first eco-shop and brought in the sustainability initiatives from the eco-shop into more than 250 of all shops while 32% of its range is now “healthier choice” products. Roisin Currie, chief executive at Greggs, said: “By giving good food a second chance and redistributing it to those in need and reducing food waste, to implementing initiatives that directly tackle climate change, like continuing to switch to renewable energy, and ensuring we are committed to workplace diversity and inclusivity, we are driving initiatives to make the world a better place.” 

Loungers secures first site in north east for Lounge concept: Cafe bar brand Loungers is set to open its first site in the north east of England, after securing a site in Hexham, Northumberland. The Nick Collins-led business will open Muro Lounge on the former Argos site in the town. Talking last year, Collins said the north east was a region “we're just gradually starting to edge into” with Lounge openings in Yorkshire – in Northallerton, Rippon and Scarborough – but there was “an awful lot that we still got to go for”. Last week, Loungers opened its 185th Lounge and 221st site overall, Fioro Lounge, in Cheltenham. The company will launch Bianco Lounge in The White Rose shopping centre on Wednesday, 17 May. It comes following the opening of Caballero Lounge in nearby Thorpe Park in February.

Toca Social to make international debut with US opening: Toca Social, the interactive football bar concept, is to make its international debut later this year, with an opening in the US. The business, which is led by Alex Harman and launched at the O2 in summer 2021, will open a site in Dallas. The 56,000 square-foot space will offer four bars that include food service and 34 football pods for games that can house up to 12 participants. The three-story attraction will be built in the Design District in Riverfront Boulevard. The company is set to open its a site at the St James Quarter scheme in Edinburgh, later this year. Toca Social will add 22 boxes and two bars across a 30,000 square-foot space on levels three and four of the scheme. Late last year, Hammerson announced it had relet the top floor of the former Debenhams department store in the Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham to Toca Social. Set to open later this year, it will span 40,000 square foot. Propel understands Toca Social is also in talks on a site in Manchester.

 

Gail's set to launch first digital loyalty programme: Fast-growing bakery brand Gail's will launch its first digital loyalty programme on Tuesday (11 April). It will be accessed through downloading a new app, which can be downloaded in-store through QR codes. Rewards include a barista-made drink on signing up; a barista-made drink or a loaf of bread with each full digital stamp card; a sweet treat during the customer's birthday month; personalised offers and rewards; and first-to-know alerts about new product launches and exclusive events. Customers will gain one digital stamp per visit on their app, or two stamps if they spend over £20, with nine stamps making for a full card. Marta Pogroszewska, managing director of Gail's Bakery, said: “We're excited to launch the Gail's digital loyalty programme this spring, in response to how people now are looking to interact with the bakery, our baked goods and drinks. We have been searching for ways to reward our customers digitally by giving them unexpected delights and treats that are specifically tailored to their preferences.” Founded in 2005, Gail's opened its 100th store last year, and earlier this year began its expansion into the north west of England with openings in Wilmslow and Altrincham. It also last month secured a unit in the Brentford Project in west London.

 

JD Wetherspoon 'bizarre' pricing questioned: JD Wetherspoon's “bizarre” pricing has been questioned after the company recently increased its food and drink prices by 7.5%. Wetherspoon announced the price rises in February, with the company saying its increases were less than the rate of inflation. But TikToker Brodie Bites pointed out, during a trip to a Glasgow branch of the pub, that many charges end with a bizarre few pence lopped at the end, reports the Daily Mail. She said: “The point of this video is because for the first time in ages we've been to Wetherspoon, and normally it's like £1.29 for coleslaw, £10.59 for a burger and a drink – what the hell is this? £4.03 for soup, £5.54 for nachos – like what? £5.27 for a panini and a drink – what is actually going on? It’s such bizarre pricing, and even the side dishes – it's 81p for a side of chilli and £4.03 for chips – I just don't understand it.” At the time of the price rises, Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “Most businesses in the hospitality industry have had to deal with big price increases in the past year or two. We have tried to keep our prices competitive, bearing in mind that customers have suffered from inflation too. The 7.5% increase is less than the rate of inflation.” Meanwhile, Peel Hunt leisure analyst Douglas Jack has updated his forecast for Wetherspoon due to improving like-for-like sales momentum, driven by price and machine income and supporting margins. He said: "Cost inflation is circa 8% for the company, with drink costs rising more slowly than other categories, although the biggest supplier, in a legal dispute, does not appear happy with its arrangement with Wetherspoon. The mark to market position on energy costs is £40m per annum and could fall further before the fixed contract ends in September. We understand why Wetherspoon is not willing to discuss pricing in detail, even though its impact on profit could be huge. There have been sizeable movements in rent and central costs, with limited explanation and guidance. The company has indicated to us that disclosure (to enable conversion from IFRS 16 to IAS 17) should be improved at the final results. Our 700p target price equates to a 2024E price-to-earnings ratio of 20 times and an EV/Ebitda of 8.7 times (both IAS 17), a premium to the historic average even though worse disclosure and guidance could undermine the future rating. Although the pricing gap to the off-trade has widened, we believe February's circa 7.5% drinks price rise increases the upgrade risk. If all goes well, a £10-12 share price (63% equity upside, applying 2019’s level of profit and rating to 2026E) is feasible over the medium term, in our view, but there will likely be a few bumps on the road.”

 

EL&N secures Birmingham site for regional debut: Cafe and lifestyle brand EL&N has confirmed it will make its regional debut with a site in Birmingham's Bullring. Propel revealed in February that the brand, which operates 25 stores across Europe and the Middle East including ten in London, was in talks to take a site in the city's Bullring/New Street area. It has now agreed a deal with Hammerson for an 8,000 square-foot unit adjacent to Zara, from where it will offer afternoon tea, an all day brunch selection and patisserie from its in-house pastry team. Alexandra Miller, founder of EL&N Café, said: “Opening our Midlands' debut is a major milestone for us. When I launched the brand, my goal was to provide consumers with a memory that could last forever, and opening a space in a renowned destination like Bullring is reminiscent of that. I can't wait to bring this experience to a new demographic of customers.” EL&N also last month signed a deal with Lagardère Travel Retail, which became its exclusive franchisee in travel locations.

Fuller's reopens flagship London pub following fire: Fuller's has reopened its flagship London pub, The Admirality, at 66 Trafalgar Square, following a fire in July 2022. Following a complete refit, all areas of the three-storey pub have been restored to their former glory and more, including new hidden booths. The pub is now also fully electric and powered completely by a zero-carbon energy source. The pub is part of Fuller's Ale & Pie and will be offering freshly made pies alongside other pub classics. Simon Emeny, Fuller's chief executive, said: “I am delighted to be reopening the doors of The Admiralty – London's most central pub. The fire was devastating, and we can't thank our team and the London Fire Brigade enough, but it is great to see this wonderful site back open for business.” Soho fire station commander Jon Singleton and the crew that battled the blaze attended the opening event as honoured guests. As a gesture of gratitude, 50p for every One Gin Floradora cocktail sold at The Admiralty will be donated to the Fire Fighter Charity.

Truffle Burger lines up St Christopher’s Place site: Burger specialist Truffle will open its fourth bricks-and-mortar burger restaurant, in London’s St Christopher’s Place, Propel has learned. The Tom Bickers-founded concept has secured a site in Picton Place for an opening this summer. The business launched its first permanent site in Soho’s Bateman Street in 2020 and opened its second earlier this year on the ex-Badolina site at 206-210 Bishopsgate. It also operates pop-up sites in Seven Dials Market and on the Southbank.

Oodles Chinese confirms Aberdeen as location for Scottish debut this spring: Indo-Chinese concept Oodles Chinese has confirmed its Scottish debut this spring will be in Aberdeen. Propel revealed in January that the franchise brand was lining up its first Scottish site, with openings in both Glasgow and Aberdeen in the pipeline. First to open, in the coming weeks, will be the Aberdeen site, where it will share a former Sainsbury's unit at 206 Union Street with Heavenly Desserts. A Glasgow city centre site will then follow this summer, as Oodles looks to ramp up its expansion across Scotland and the north east of England, in partnership with Franchise&. Oodles has 36 sites and is also lining up a site in Newcastle, at 55 Grainger Street, as it targets 100 locations by 2025. 

 

Beannchor exceeds pre-pandemic levels of turnover: Northern Ireland hospitality company Beannchor Group has reported turnover exceeded pre-pandemic levels in the year ending 30 June 2022. It reported revenue of £28,022,908, up from £11,131,074 in 2021 and also up on the £22,990,016 reported in the last full year before the pandemic, ending 30 June 2019. Pre-tax profit grew from £2,908,193 in 2021 to £6,309,061 (2019 profit of £10,294,171). No dividends were paid. The company received £50,179 in government grants compared with £5,460,866 in 2020. Director James Sinton, in his statement accompanying the accounts, said: “Competition in the marketplace remained strong, with a number of new hotel openings and increase in bedrooms in Belfast. Given high cost inflation and the ongoing war in Ukraine, it remains difficult to confidently assess the full impact on the business going forward. However, we are comforted that the business remains profitable, well capitalised and has sound reserves. Steps have been taken by the management team to ensure the business not only has a full complement of skilled staff, but also to manage the rise in business expenses.”

 

Island Poké confirms May opening for northern debut: Island Poké, the White Rabbit Projects and Hero Brands-backed business, has confirmed its first site in the north of England will open in May. Propel revealed in February that the business, founded by James Gould-Porter, was looking at the former Pret site at 150 Grainger Street in Newcastle. The site will now open in May, in partnership with Jack Harrison and Danielle Sweeney, owner and business development officer respectively at Boom Battle Bar Glasgow. Island Poké, which last month opened its 15th London site, at 174 Portobello Road, opened its first site outside of the capital last summer when it launched a kiosk at Bicester Village in Oxfordshire. It has also applied to open in the former West Cornwall Food Co shop at 4 Burton Street in Bath, Somerset. Last year, the company said it had sold more than 80 locations across the UK, due to open over the next five years, plus a further 150 potential locations identified but yet to be sold.

 

Staycation boom sees Flamingo Land turnover return to pre-pandemic levels, new hotel and restaurant to open this summer: The company behind Yorkshire theme park Flamingo Land has said the staycation boom saw its turnover return to re-pandemic levels in the year ending 31 March 2022. Revenue increased 112% from £15,162,148 in 2021 to £32,151,765 and was slightly up on the £32,043,127 reported in the last full year before the pandemic, ending 31 March 2019. Pre-tax profit rose from £3,955,323 in 2021 to £13,325,359 (2019: 3,260,518). Dividends of £1m were paid (2021: £60,000). Director Gordon Gibb, in his statement accompanying the accounts, said: “The improvement in turnover is largely a reversal of the downturn that affected the company during the year ended 31 March 2021, when many businesses were impacted by the effects of covid-19, but also the fact that many UK consumers chose to spend their holidays in the UK during the 2021 holiday season. The accounting period ended 31 March 2022 reflects a more normal trading year, but the uncertainties created by the pandemic continued to affect decision making to some extent, and confidence in how the business may perform as it emerged from a difficult trading year.” A new ten-inversion roller coaster opened in July “to favourable reviews”, while a new hotel and restaurant are set to open this summer. The company has already paid back the £5m it borrowed through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme but has an outstanding loan of £3.2m, secured from the family pension fund to invest in a new theme park ride, to pay back by February 2027.

 

West London grocer set to make restaurant debut: West London grocer Andreas Georghiou is set to make his first foray into operating a restaurant. Georghiou, who with his family has run Andreas of Chelsea Green, at 4 Cale Street, for more than a decade, is currently in the process of moving his “high quality” grocers to a bigger premises next door, at numbers 6-8. Once the move is complete, with early May the target, he plans to launch a “bijou diner” called Kale Street in the old premises, opening in the early summer. It will serve cocktails and juice made using the company's own fruit and vegetables, alongside a menu that includes brunch plates and bagels created by Andrea's children, Wilbur and Tilly. The new grocery, meanwhile, will stock “one-off items from London's top restaurants”, alongside seasonal produce while downstairs will be a wine room offering varieties from neighbours Wild Tavern. Georghiou said: “This is a huge step forward for my family and I, and we hope we can continue to provide something truly special: the definitive grocery shop.”

 

Brighton chef opens second restaurant: Brighton chef Isaac Bartlett-Copeland has opened his second restaurant in the south coast city. Bartlett-Copeland, who learned his trade in the kitchens at Brighton's The Grand Hotel, opened a permanent site for his former pop-up, IsaacAt, in Gloucester Street in 2016. He has now followed that with wood-fire concept Embers, with fellow chef Dave Marrow, in Brighton's historic Laines. It is the first joint venture from the long-term friends, who first met 15 years ago while working at The Grand Hotel. The “feudal” and “stripped-back” style sees elements of every dish cooked entirely over local, kiln-dried ash and birch wood rather than gas and electricity. Dishes include glazed lamb ribs with candied ginger, kimchi and furikake; smokey chicken leg with crispy skin, n'duja aioli and honey butter; and wagyu Denver steak with roscoff onion and coffee hollandaise. Cocktails feature elements such as smoky flavours and flaming sugar cubes, to fit in with the 42-cover restaurant's concept. A further eight covers are located outside at the entrance, covered by an awning, while a back room with 18 further covers, will open in June.

  

State of Play Hospitality to open third Bounce site this summer: State of Play Hospitality, the Toby Harris-led, US and UK experiential leisure operator, will open the third site for its ping pong concept Bounce this summer. Propel reported in February 2022 that State of Play Hospitality, which also operates the Flight Club brand in the US as well as bingo concept Hijingo in the UK, had secured an 8,000 square-foot space within the Battersea Power Station development. A Bounce site will now open there this summer, adding to the existing venues in London's Old Street and Farringdon.

  

High-end greengrocer Natoora teams up with James Beard finalist to open London bakery: High-end greengrocer Natoora has teamed up with James Beard finalist Graison Gill, who was behind the award-winning Bellegarde Bakery in New Orleans, to open a bakery in London. Alma Mill & Bakery is set to open in Stanworth Street, Bermondsey, on Saturday, 29 April. Together, Natoora and Gill are on a mission to reinstate “the integrity of wheat by freshly milling on site and baking flavour-first, whole-grain loaves at a scale that will have a palpable impact”. Loaves on sale will be seeded sourdough, country loaf, ciabatta and baguette, with couronnes and brioche in development. The bread is also set to be available in various London restaurants as there are plans to bring in guest chefs for collaboration. The bakery's London opening entailed Graison selling his New Orleans bakery to a co-operative of his own bakers so he could make the move to the UK for what he described as a “fairy-tale opportunity”, reports Hot Dinners.

 

The Real Greek opens second Scottish location: The Real Greek has opened its second location in Scotland. Propel reported last month that the Fulham Shore-owned brand would kick off its 2023 openings pipeline with a launch in Glasgow's Silverburn shopping centre. The 160-cover restaurant, The Reel Greek's 27th overall, has now opened, offering indoor seating as well as click and collect. Nabil Mankarious, managing director at The Real Greek, said: “2023 has got off to a great start opening our second site in Scotland, following our strong stint of openings in 2022. We're excited to continue to roll out our ambitious plans across the country, and for the future of The Real Greek in Scotland.” Last week Fulham Shore announced it is set to be acquired by Great Sea Kitchens, a newly incorporated company established on behalf of Toridoll Holdings Corporation, which values the business at £93.4m.