Exclusive – Chicken Shop looking to grow as Dunstone makes further investment: Chicken Shop, which was previously known as Chik'n, is looking to grow off the back of a strong trading performance for the year to date, and further backing from main shareholder Sir Charles Dunstone. Propel understands that Dunstone, who also backs Five Guys here, has invested a further £8.275m in the six-strong business in the form of a loan. Dunstone, who became the majority shareholder of Chik'n in 2021, previously loaned the business £3.25m. It comes as the John Nelson-led company is understood to have seen “excellent trading” over the last few months, with like-for-like sales believed to have been up around 30% on the previous year. The business rebranded 18 months ago after entering into a partnership with Soho House Group. Propel understands that after the work carried out on the rebrand, Chicken Shop is now in a position to begin to look at further expansion opportunities in the capital. It also comes after recent consumer research carried out by the business found 50% of its consumers were new to the brand, which is thought to have highlighted the size of the opportunity for the company. Chicken Shop currently operates sites in Camden, Baker Street, Islington, Notting Hill Gate, Putney and Soho. Chicken Shop features in the Propel Multi-Site Database, which is available exclusively to Premium subscribers. The comprehensive database, which is produced in association with Virgate, is updated monthly and provides company names, the people in charge, how many sites each firm operates, its trading name and its registered name at Companies House if different. The database now features 2,983 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 kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to upgrade your subscription.

Next Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book shows sector companies’ profit outstripping losses by £1.48bn, up from £1.34bn last month: The next edition of the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book, which will be sent to Premium subscribers on Friday (13 October), shows the profit being made by sector companies is now outstripping losses by £1.48bn. The Blue Book shows the total profit of the 763 companies in the list is £3,462,090,613 and losses are £1,977,617,666. Last month, the Blue Book showed sector companies’ profit outstripping losses by £1.34bn. 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 five other databases: the Multi-Site Database, which is produced in association with Virgate; the New Openings Database; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database; the Who’s Who of UK Food and Beverage; and the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database. Premium subscribers are also to get access to the videos from this month’s Talent and Training Conference. They will be sent 13 videos on Friday, 27 October at 9am. 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 kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to upgrade your subscription. Premium subscribers are also being given exclusive access to the recording and slides to Propel Multi-Club Conferences. They 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.

Kaleido Rolls co-founder Laura Mimoun to speak at final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2023, three free places per company for operators: Laura Mimoun, co-founder of Kaleido Rolls, will be among the speakers at the final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2023. The conference takes place on Thursday, 16 November, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London’s Kensington, and is open for bookings. The all-day conference will focus on “progress in an era of strong headwinds”. Mimoun will discuss starting out in a lift and growing across London and into Europe. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Operators can book up to three free places per company by emailing kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.

Ex-Patisserie Valerie finance chief denies fraud: The former chief financial officer at collapsed bakery chain Patisserie Valerie has denied fraud as he appeared in court alongside his wife for the first time. Christopher Marsh, 49; Louise Marsh, 55; Pritesh Mistry, 41; and Nileshkumar Lad, 50; are all accused of defrauding the company’s shareholders and creditors between October 2015 and October 2018. It is said they put the business in peril by inflating profits, hiding debts, and presenting bogus figures in the company’s annual accounts and public statements. The Serious Fraud Office, which brought the criminal charges, said £28m was represented in the company accounts, while around £10m in debts were concealed. Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard banks were lied to about reserves in the accounts of Patisserie Holdings as well as the reasons for cheques not going through. It is also alleged the company’s auditor, Grant Thornton, was handed bogus invoices for fake vehicle purchases. Christopher Marsh, his wife Louise, who is an accountant, his deputy Mistry, and financial consultant Lad all appeared for a brief hearing on Tuesday (10 October). All four are accused of conspiracy to defraud, five charges of fraud by false representation, and making or supplying an article for use in fraud. Christopher Marsh also faces a further allegation of making false statements as a company director. Christopher Marsh denied the charges while the other defendants did not indicate any pleas. They have been bailed until a plea hearing at Southwark Crown Court on 7 November. A fraud investigation was opened in 2018, shortly before Patisserie Valerie tumbled into administration with a £94m hole in its accounts. The company and many of its shops were later bought out of administration by Irish private equity firm Causeway Capital for £5m.

BII urges government to further support pub sector with only 50% of operators making a profit: The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has called on the government to further support the pub sector as new research highlighted the severe impact exceptional costs are having on businesses. While two thirds of respondents to a BII survey reported trading back to normal levels or seeing a rise in sales over the past year, only one in two of these are making a profit. The BII has written to chancellor Jeremy Hunt ahead of the autumn statement, calling for further investment “in these essential businesses at the heart of their communities”. BII chief executive Steve Alton said: “Many long-standing, viable and diversified pub businesses are seeing strong sales simply not translate to profit. This is holding back their ability to further grow their businesses through investment in their offer and their teams. The exceptional short-term pressures will abate, and government must now invest in these essential community businesses to allow them to weather current trading challenges. Announcing an extension to the existing business rates support for at least another year will be a vital lifeline for many. Also levelling the playing field for pub businesses through reducing unfair and disproportionate taxes, focusing on a specific VAT reduction for pubs and hospitality, will be key to unlock the full potential of our sector.”

Burgerism receives interest from trade buyers, reports record-breaking September: Burgerism, the fast-growing, north west smash burger concept, has generated interest from trade buyers, as it reported a “record-breaking” September, Propel has learned. The five-strong business has delivered a 23% increase in like-for-like sales for the year to date. Factoring for new store openings, Burgerism said it was up 66% versus the prior period, with growth in delivery remaining a key driver. Mark Murphy, founder and chief executive of Burgerism, said: “We benchmark our delivery performance each month and remain pleased to see our results significantly ahead. The industry is seeing a dip in delivery volumes, with price inflation leading to ‘flatish’ growth, but we've somehow managed to buck that trend. We feel our clear focus on delivery has helped develop a loyal following since we started in 2018, with delivery marketplaces proving to be a winner takes most environment.” Murphy said he remained “hugely positive” about the opportunity ahead. He said: “When we first started the average urban dweller was ordering delivery once per month; today it's more like once per week. For high quality operators that remains a persistent cause for optimism.” At the same time, Burgerism's growth has raised interest from trade buyers, with its quick service restaurant format and delivery exposure understood to be a key attraction to interested parties. However, Murphy said he was hesitant to entertain outside interest at present. He said he sees “significant upside” from near-term expansion, with a current focus on additional openings in the Greater Manchester area. The business is taking part in a week-long collaboration with Hawksmoor’s restaurant in Manchester, creating a new “smash patty special” sandwiched between two Pollen Bakery-made buns. The creation is being served at the Hawksmoor site in the city’s Deansgate area. Murphy will be on the panel discussing the future of food delivery being held at the final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2023, which takes place on Thursday, 16 November, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London’s Kensington, and is open for bookings. The panel will discuss what comes next as the sector continues to seek the best way of integrating a delivery model after the boom during the pandemic. The all-day conference will focus on “progress in an era of strong headwinds”. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Operators can book up to three free places per company by emailing kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.

McDonald’s UK director of national operations – happier employees are leading to enhanced customer satisfaction and greater growth: Happier employees are leading to enhanced customer satisfaction and greater growth, according to Chris English, director of national operations at McDonald’s UK & Ireland. “What’s become increasingly obvious over the last two years is the relationship between employee experience and customer experience,” he told the Restaurant & Takeaway Innovation Expo 2023. “This isn’t new but it’s become more relevant than ever. There’s a direct link at McDonald’s between those restaurants with the best employee experience and those which deliver the best customer experience and have the best sales growth.” He said such thinking has become more essential at a time when McDonald’s has grown from “three customers journeys to 12 different ways for customers to use us”. He said: “That in itself adds complexity for our workforce, so it’s important for us to really look at how we enhance that employee experience – it’s much more than just an improved break room.” Improvements have included setting up a “business manager council” with representatives from different restaurants and a “bright ideas” Facebook-style crew engagement platform. So too are the new “Convenience of the Future” restaurants, which have so far been rolled out to around 250 McDonald’s. “It is about right sizing our restaurants for 12 service channels, creating more space for crew, couriers and customers so each has a better experience,” English said. “In those restaurants, we’re seeing stronger customer service metrics, stronger sales and growth, and crew satisfaction running 16 points higher. We’re also seeing better staff retention. We can only do so many a year though, so we’re looking at how we can make improvements across all our restaurants. We do this by trying to improve capacity, reduce complexity and by using something we call cognitive mode, which is about getting the right information to the right crew member at the right time.” One example is slowing the kitchen down and asking the team to send whole orders rather than partial ones. Changes have also been made to the way in which McDonald’s trains its new staff in delivering new promotions, led by feedback from its Generation Z employees. “Generation Z has grown up in a digital world where everything is at their fingertips and everything works, and that has been an education for us,” English added. “For new promotions, we’ve sent stock in early and trained the crew with a script and a check list. Generation Z has come back to us and said that’s not how they engage or learn, so we had to be a bit braver and relinquish some of those things, and we now do a 90-second ‘know it in 90’ video. The crew are coming up with videos and sharing them among themselves, which has been a huge step change for us.”

Zuma and Roka operator FY turnover tops £190m, ‘traded extremely well’ in year to date: Azumi, which is led by Sven Koch and operates the Zuma and Roka high-end restaurant brands, has said in the year to date it has traded “extremely well” and continues to seek opportunities to further expand. The business, which operated 22 restaurants worldwide at the time its accounts were filed, saw turnover in the year to 25 December 2022, reach £190,383,000 (2021: £121,269,000), with pre-tax profit standing at £46,126,000 (2021: £27,945,000). Operating profit increased from £30,648,000 to £48,354,000, while Ebitdar for the period was £64,740,000 (2021: £45,423,000). The company said for the seven months to the end of July 2023 “most restaurants outperformed their results for the same period in 2022”. At the reporting date, the group owned or had controlling stakes in seven restaurants in London, two in Florida, two in Dubai, and individual restaurants in New York, Boston, Las Vegas, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Rome and Madrid. It also had investments in restaurants in Istanbul, Bangkok, Riyadh and Mykonos following its opening in 2022. During the course of the year the business operated nine seasonal restaurants under management contracts across Europe and Asia. In January 2022, the group commenced operating its first full year restaurant under a management contract in Istanbul, which was followed by a second in Kuwait in September 2022. The company said: “The directors are satisfied with the performance of the company and group particularly in the light of the challenges presented by the covid-19 pandemic and are confident the prospects for the future remain good, with further openings across 2023 and 2024. The group continues to seek opportunities to further expand its restaurant business by opening new restaurants under sole ownership, by majority or minority ownership with business partners and via joint venture arrangements. The group also has a number of opportunities to operate some of its brands, particularly for seasonal restaurants, under management contracts. The pipeline of potential opportunities is strong.”

Auntie Anne’s targets hitting 50-store UK landmark next year as sales on track to pass £12m in 2023: Pretzel brand Auntie Anne’s has targeted hitting the 50-store landmark in the UK and Ireland next year, with sales on track to pass £12m in 2023. The American franchised chain of pretzel shops, which was founded in 1988, has grown to more than 1,800 locations in 25 countries and arrived in the UK in 2003. It opened its 38th location here last month, at 59 Kingsland High Street in Dalston, north London, and is looking to add a dozen more over the next year. “Auntie Anne’s UK & Ireland are moving into the fourth quarter of 2023 with exciting updates across all areas of our business,” the company said. “Sales are on track to hit £12m-plus network wide for the full year, representing a 10% increase on 2022, with customer growth driving half of that increase. In September, we opened our 38th store, situated outside Dalston Kingsland station, bringing our range of pretzels, original lemonade and freshly ground barista made coffee to a new and busy market. We are delighted to be working with James Williamson and KLM Real Estate on our growth and development, with a set target of 12 new openings over the next 12 months. Our sales continue to rise annually, reflecting growing demand and love for our product. As our brand grows, we remain authentic to the essence of Auntie Anne's – our signature, hand-rolled pretzels prepared with the same time-honoured recipe for 30 years.” There will also be a series of store refurbishments next year as the business prepares to launch a branding update, including a new logo, uniforms and menu. “Our evolved look, logo, uniforms and menu are designed to empower a new generation to ‘Twist Up Your Day’, embodying boldness, playfulness, and authenticity,” it added. “Our store designs have undergone a transformative process, aligning with the vibrant energy of our refresh.” 

Greggs opens first cafe inside a Sainsbury’s store: Food-to-go retailer Greggs has further strengthened its partnership with Sainsbury’s by opening its first cafe within one of the retailer’s supermarkets. The new Greggs cafe has opened in Sainsbury’s Crystal Peaks store in Sheffield, creating 15 jobs. The cafe is open from 7am-7pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am-4pm on Sundays. It is the third Greggs shop to open in partnership with Sainsbury’s, following the successful launch of shop sharing petrol forecourt spaces earlier this year. Greggs and Sainsbury’s said they plan to launch more sites together by the end of this year, which will include both petrol filling stations and cafes. Tony Rowson, property director at Greggs, said: “Our first Greggs cafe with Sainsbury’s is helping us continue to expand and diversify our retail estate as part of our ambitious property strategy. The opening will allow us to provide Greggs favourites to even more customers, in a format that complements Sainsbury’s Crystal Peaks store.”

Pizza Pilgrims set to open in East Croydon: Pizza Pilgrims, the pizzeria brand, has added a site in East Croydon to its 2024 opening’s pipeline. The Gavin Smith-led business will open in the south London neighbourhood in February, with details on its exact location yet to be announced. Having opened in Queen’s Park earlier this year, the business will open its first site in Leeds, next month. The company will open in the city’s Boar Lane, on the former Beer Hawk site. Earlier this summer, Smith told Propel: “When we were only operating in Oxford, the challenge was in demonstrating the relevance of Pizza Pilgrims outside of London, but having opened in Brighton, Cambridge and Nottingham, we can see that picture clearer now. They are all trading well ahead of expectation, growing and being very well received locally. We are also looking for interesting sites in cities such as Bristol, Cardiff and Edinburgh.” Propel understands Pizza Pilgrims is also in talks on sites in Paddington Square and King’s Cross in London.

Harri raises $43m to support expansion: Workforce management tech firm Harri has raised $43m, which included the close of its Series B round. The round was led by New York-based Atalaya Capital Management, with additional participation from existing investor Golub Growth, an affiliate of direct lender Golub Capital, and prominent undisclosed strategic investors. Harri said it will use the funds to deliver continued innovation, accelerate growth, and scale in response to market demand. Harri’s customer base spans operators across the hotel and restaurant industries including Subway, McDonald’s, Hawksmoor, Firmdale Hotels, and Radisson Hotel Group. Luke Fryer, chief executive of Harri, said: “Never before has there been a clearer link between employee and business performance for service industries. The components of a high-performing team are also more complex and dynamic than operators have ever experienced. Harri is playing the long game, we’re building solutions that help our clients navigate seemingly endless challenges and seize timely opportunities related to their most valuable resource. Our investors’ confidence in Harri and valuable guidance will be instrumental as we expand our go-to-market strategies as well as deepen our business intelligence and intentional artificial intelligence solutions that increase worker productivity, satisfaction, retention, and ultimately, profitability.”

Grind adds Canary Wharf and Ashford sites to its estate: Coffee brand Grind has added sites in Canary Wharf and Ashford, Kent, to its estate. The David Abrahamovitch-led business has opened a coffee shop site in Cabot Place, Canary Wharf. This followed the opening of its fourth coffee truck site, earlier this month, in the Ashford Designer Outlet. Earlier this spring, the company made its transport hub debut with an opening at St Pancras International station. The business replaced Nespresso Boutique at the station. Earlier this year, the business completed a £15m investment round, which was used in part to complete the acquisition of ready-to-drink coffee company, Bottleshot Coffee. The investment round, which valued Grind at £70m, was led by existing investor Richard Koch, who also led a £22m investment round into Grind in 2021. The new capital will also be used to accelerate growth in the company’s direct-to-consumer coffee business and add further Grind high street coffee shops. 

Caprinos Pizza makes international debut as it closes in on 100 UK sites: Pizza franchise Caprinos Pizza has opened its first international site, as it closes in on 100 UK locations. The business, co-founded by Khalil Rehman and Gul Mawaz in Didcot, Oxfordshire, in 2014, has opened in the DHA Lahore development in Pakistan. Rehman said: “Another milestone achieved. The opening in DHA Raya Lahore marked the first branch for global expansion of Caprinos Pizza. Gul Nawaz and I couldn’t be prouder to bring the brand we successfully created in the UK to our home ground, offering the best pizza with finest ingredients to Pakistani people. Our heartiest gratitude to those who came to grace the opening event and our teams from Pakistan and the UK.” Caprinos now has more than 90 UK locations following recent openings in Newcastle upon Tyne, Colchester, Melksham and London’s Canary Wharf.

Chopstix franchisee grows London estate with two new sites: RTL Enterprises, franchisee of fast-growing quick service restaurant concept Chopstix, is to add two new London sites to its eight-strong estate. It will open its ninth Chopstix site, in Baker Street, later this month. The franchisee is set to open a tenth store, in Bexleyheath, before the end of the year. RTL has opened four sites over the last 15 months, focusing on growing the brand in London with other high-performing sites in Walthamstow and Putney. RTL launched its first Chopstix site in Romford. On the Baker Street site, Aaron Moore-Saxton, Chopstix franchise director, said: “This is a high footfall site, located in one of the busiest parts of London, so the opportunity for the Baker Street store is huge. RTL Enterprises is an important franchise partner for us, operating several thriving sites, and it’s well-placed to maximise the potential of this high-profile new opening. The speed at which RTL Enterprises is growing with the brand demonstrates how much the team has bought in to Chopstix, and we’re excited to see how it expands its footprint with us.” Jimmy Arifaj, RTL Enterprises director, added: “Chopstix sites offer a fantastic return on investment, and that has facilitated the rapid growth we’ve achieved with the brand. We’re excited to have secured such a high-footfall location, and with clear operational processes, quick service, and ever-increasing brand recognition, I have no doubt we’ll have significant success with the Chopstix Baker Street restaurant.” The Chopstix Group consists of more than 100 Chopstix sites, in addition to ten sites operating as Yangtze, and 25 sites under the Chozen Noodle brand, which the group acquired earlier this year. 

Paddy & Scott’s makes West Midlands debut with Lichfield opening: Independent coffee shop operator and wholesaler Paddy & Scott’s has opened its debut site in the West Midlands. The company has launched a café in Lichfield, Staffordshire. Scott Russell, founder of Paddy & Scott’s, said: “This is a very exciting time for us as a business. A new cafe means a new chapter. I’m thrilled our coffee will be fuelling the ambition of the Lichfield community.” The opening in Bird Street adds to the company’s other cafes in Colchester, Hadleigh and Ipswich. Paddy & Scott’s also operates coffee shops throughout the UK working with Marriot and other hotel groups.

Greene King opens 40th Hive pub: Brewer and retailer Greene King has opened its 40th Hive pub. The Britannia in Bradwell, Stoke-on-Trent, has reopened as a Hive pub after a £400,000 investment. The site was previously a Greene King managed pub. The milestone opening comes less than two years after Greene King opened its first Hive pub concept, The Malden Grey in Sudbury, Suffolk. Since then, the Hive Pubs franchise concept and agreement has evolved in line with its expansion. Earlier this year, Greene King Pub Partners announced the enhancement of the Hive concept with a set of new menus and special offers tailored to the needs of different Hive pubs and the customers they serve. Aimed at those with experience of running a pub, the Hive Pubs franchise agreement gives licensees a ready-to-trade pub for £5,000 ingoing cost. Franchisees get a minimum guaranteed income of £20,000 as well as a percentage of food and drink sales and a share of the profits in their pub. Dan Robinson, managing director for Greene King Pub Partners, said: “We are delighted to hit yet another significant milestone in the rollout of Hive and our pub franchise offer. Hive continues to go from strength-to-strength and we intend to keep this momentum up heading into 2024. Our overwhelming focus as a business remains our core leased and tenanted estate, but we are excited for where we can take Hive even further.”

The Coffee House opens 17th site with 18th to follow soon: North west independent coffee shop The Coffee House has opened its 17th site, with number 18 to follow soon. Its latest store is a former bank in Chestergate, in the centre of Macclesfield. Next up will a site in the Merseyway Shopping Centre in Stockport, which the company said is “coming soon”. The Coffee House was founded in 2011 in Lymm, Cheshire, by brothers Chris and Stephen Shelmerdine, and also operates a production facility in Warrington. 

Molson Coors to invest £10m in Tadcaster brewery: Molson Coors Beverage Company has announced plans to invest £10m in its Tadcaster-based brewery, in order to increase production capacity and efficiency, and reduce emissions. The investment programme in The Tower Brewery in Station Road, which produces beer including Carling, Coors, Madri Excepcional and Worthington’s, is scheduled to take place over the next two years, and will lead to the site having “more advanced, energy-efficient equipment”. Stephen Moore, brewery director, said: “Carbon dioxide is released during the beer fermentation process, but instead of entering the atmosphere, we will soon be able to recover and transfer carbon dioxide within the brewery before it’s purified and compressed into a liquid for storage. From there it will be turned back into gas to be used in the packaging process, where it will be injected into the fermented product, giving our beer its signature fizz. This will make us more self-sufficient and play an important part in reducing our emissions. This is a landmark moment in our history, and as we prepare to ramp up production in the months and years ahead, it means we can keep making the nation’s favourite beer brands while reducing our impact on the environment.”

Benugo to launch at-home coffee: Benugo, the operator of deli cafes and catering in high-profile venues, is launching a retail coffee offer. The single origin ground coffee will be available to buy from Monday (16 October) at Benugo cafes in London, across the UK in John Lewis Benugo cafés and in Benugo workplaces for £5.95 for a 227g bag. It will also be available to order through Benugo's platter delivery service. Ben Warner, co-founder of Benugo, said: “When my brother Hugo and I opened our first cafe in Clerkenwell, east London in 1998, our vision was to give Londoner's a coffee experience they'd never had before. Today, 25 years later, we're thrilled our customers can experience part of our award-winning cafes at home with our first retail coffee blend.”

Multiple operator adds pub and hotel in Wiltshire to portfolio: Multiple operator Mohamed Aktaruzzaman, who owns several businesses in London and Horsham, has added a pub and hotel in Wiltshire to his portfolio. Aktaruzzaman has acquired the lease of the Old Railway Hotel in the village of Porton. The eight-bedroom hotel was purchased in 2021 by a small community consortium, who heavily invested in the business and brought it back to life. It said: “We are pleased The Old Railway Hotel has a new long-term tenant which will keep the hotel, restaurant and public house alive and thriving for decades to come. Mohammad and the team have lots of experience and fantastic ideas. We have achieved what we set out to do two and a half years ago, which was to save the local community venue, become a local employer and keep it going long-term.” Christie & Co acted on the deal.

Ex-Milroy’s employees to launch new bar in London’s Soho: Martyn “Simo” Simpson, owner of Milroy's of Soho, and drinks industry experts Chris Tanner and Jack Wallis, are to launch a “contemporary multi-faceted bar” called Dram, in London’s Soho. Opening next month, and located in Denmark Street, Dram will be set over three floors, within a 17th century grade II-listed building. It will include two bars, a whisky shop, an outdoor terrace, and a private pool room with a ready-to-drink cocktail vending machine. Tanner and Simpson were formerly part of the opening team behind Silverleaf at hotel Pan Pacific London. All three have previously been at whisky specialist Milroy's. The bartending trio said they hoped to take their years of experience in hospitality to “reimagine the future of drinking culture”. Dram’s entrance opens into the ground-floor bar and whisky shop. The bar then leads to the terrace. Situated above the mews building is the private pool table room, while The Dram’s low-lit basement cocktail bar offers an “innovative drinks offering centred around seasonality and exploration”. Located further along the basement bar is a multi-purpose room, which will serve as a lab for research and cocktail development for the Dram team. Etai Page, of Stonebrook London, acted on the Denmark Street deal. 

Afrikana opens restaurant at The O2 for second London site: African restaurant concept Afrikana has opened a restaurant at London’s The O2. The outlet has launched at the destination’s Entertainment District, which is owned and operated by a joint venture between AEG Europe and Crosstree Real Estate. Afrikana has opened a 1,992 square-foot unit, marking the concept’s second location in London, sitting alongside its site in Dalston, and 15th in the UK. The restaurant is operated by franchisees Ish Ikram and Ahdil Akhtar. The O2 was represented by Lunson Mitchenall on the deal.

Kitty Fisher’s team to open new restaurant: The team behind Kitty Fisher’s in London’s Mayfair is set to open a new restaurant in nearby Soho. Owners Tom Mullion, Oliver Milburn and Tim Steel will launch Cafe Kitty within the former Boulevard Theatre at 6 Walker’s Court on Tuesday, 17 October. The theatre itself is becoming a new cabaret space called Underbelly Boulevard, while Cafe Kitty will take over the theatre’s former restaurant space. It will offer dishes such as courgette bahji with curried yoghurt; leek and chestnut pithivier; and curried monkfish with samphire, crispy shallots and beurre blanc, reports Hot Dinners. The team is also behind Cora Pearl in Covent Garden.

JKS Restaurants retail range launches with Whole Foods Market: JKS Restaurant has launched its retail range exclusively with Whole Foods Market in the UK. JKS launched its new Gymkhana Fine Foods venture earlier this year. Gymkhana Fine Foods features restaurant-quality cooking sauces, marinades and chutneys from the group’s Michelin-starred Indian restaurant of the same name. The initial range features eight products, including four sauces, two marinades and two chutneys.

Joël Robuchon International to open second London site for deli concept this month: Joël Robuchon International will open a second site for its deli concept in London this month. The original Le Deli Robuchon opened in Piccadilly in December 2019. As revealed by Propel in June this year, the business, which also operates Le Comptoir Robuchon at the Clarges Street development in Mayfair, is opening a second Le Deli Robuchon, in Chelsea, at 279 King’s Road, below the Everyman cinema. The deli will open on Monday, 30 October. Le Deli offers a “casual yet sophisticated” all-day dining space with eat-in and takeaway options plus a patisserie. There will also be a selection of products available to buy, while the off-site boulangerie will offer fresh pastries, sandwiches, salads, afternoon tea, and cheese and charcuterie boards. Robuchon, who died in August 2018, was the most decorated chef in the history of the Michelin Guide, at one time holding 32 stars. The openings heralded a return of the Robuchon name to London after L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon closed in 2019. Brandon Elmon, of Genius1Group, acted for the landlord, and Dean Gambles, of Dean Gambles & Co, acted for the tenant on the King’s Road deal.

Somerset-based, award-winning holiday centre sees FY turnover rise by 14.4%: Warren Farm Holiday Centre, the award-winning, Somerset-based business, has said it has continued to see an increased demand for staycations after posting a 14.4% increase in turnover for the year to the end of 2022. The company, which operates its eponymous business in Brean, saw turnover for the year stand at £6,108,478 (2021: £5,371,370), with a pre-tax profit of £1,266,512 (2021: £1,677,177). The business said: “The company has had a successful year and continues to maintain its precedence as a holiday centre in the south west. Overall, turnover has improved by 14.4%. The company has continued to see an increased demand for ‘staycations’ following covid-19, which is reflected in the continued increased in turnover. A gross profit margin of 50.3% was achieved, compared with 61.8% in 2021. The company has continued to develop the tourer pitches on site and has seen an increase in demand from customers for pitches that have individual attached en-suite pods.” In terms of the company on-site Beachcomber Inn, turnover increased 11.6% during the year. It said: “The company achieved a gross profit of 61.44%, as compared with 64.12% in 2021. Although turnover has recovered since covid-19, the company is still feeling the effects from covid-19 in recruiting staff for the inn, especially those working in the kitchen and in particular, chefs. The aim of the company is to continue to increase shareholder value and the directors intend to continue with the strategy of achieving sustainable performance. The measure to the extent by which this goal has been achieved is demonstrated by using Ebitda. For the year under review Ebitda was £1,600,962 (2021: minus £2,002,741). The directors feel that the company's year-end position is satisfactory.”