Collyer – Bill’s turnaround gathering steam but productivity levels need to return to complete it: The turnaround of the Richard Caring-backed Bill’s restaurant business is “gathering steam” but there is a “very long way to go to recover the peak levels of profitability seen in FY17”, according to analysis by Geof Collyer, of Lavender Bank Partners. Collyer said: “Although the senior management roles seem to have been built around a revolving door in recent years, the owner has stuck with his business. It has been painful. Since the peak year, shareholders’ funds have declined by £48.5m, driven by an aggregate of over £50m of exceptional costs, impairments and disposal losses put through the P&L. In the latest reported year (FY22 to 1st Jan-23), group sales were still 12% behind FY17, but average sales/site were 20% higher than peak, and 8% higher than the previous record sales/site in FY15. However, beating the FY17 performance should have been achievable on an average sales/site basis, as the group average sites trading in FY22 were -27% below the peak, and down -37% in absolute terms. Today, they are even lower, which should also further improve the ratio going forward. What is still to do? Using Bill’s definition of adjusted Ebitda, the group’s FY22 Ebitda margin was 5.3%. In FY22, this was half of the sector average, in the bottom quartile of the top 30. It should be far more concerning that at above previous peak average sales, the margin should be less than half that of the peak year. This has to be the key to be addressed in Bill’s next phase of recovery. If driving higher profits is to be achieved at the same margin, then that could leave Bill’s exposed to the continually rising labour cost pressures. For example, sales/employee in the peak year of FY17 were +5.5% higher than in FY22, where employees were -7.7% fewer. FY22 sales were -£14.8m lower than peak in FY17, but labour costs were +£1.6m higher. In fact, the average sales/employee in FY22 were lower than in any year going back to FY11, outside of the pandemic years of FY20 & FY21. The sales per site prove that the consumers want the product. The steady gross profit margin proves that the mix and buying are under control. But the labour ratios show that the productivity needs to improve. That is the key equation to solve to complete the turnaround.”





Next Who’s Who of UK Food and Beverage featuring 752 companies to be released on Friday: The next Who’s Who of UK Food and Beverage will be published for Premium subscribers on Friday (20 October), at midday. A total of 25 companies have been added to the database, which now features 752 companies. This month’s edition will also include 123 updated entries. The companies, listed in alphabetical order, will have their most recent results reported as well as broader information around Ebitda, plans and trading style available. The database merges Companies House information, interviews and other public information to provide an easy to reference and exhaustive guide to the sector. 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 Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book; 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.

 

Jeremy King to speak at final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2023, three free places per company for operators: Jeremy King, the co-founder of Corbin & King and doyenne of London’s dining scene, 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”. King will talk to Propel group editor Mark Wingett about making his return to the sector, what he plans to do differently, and where he sees the restaurant market in the capital going. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Operators can book up to three free places per company by emailing kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.

 

Less than two weeks to go until entry for Restaurant Marketer & Innovator Awards closes: There is less than two weeks to go until entries close for the Restaurant Marketer & Innovator Awards. The awards, in their sixth year, recognise outstanding marketing and innovation in the sector and the closing date to enter is 11.59pm on Friday, 27 October. Awards are open to restaurant, bar and foodservice outlets. There are 14 categories: Best Communications; Best New Product Development; Best New Website; Best New/Improved Visual Identity; Best Digital Engagement; Best Use of Technology; Best Community or Charitable Initiative; Best Use of Data, Insight or Research; Innovation of the Year; Campaign of the Year; Launch Campaign of the Year; Marketer of the Year; Innovator of the Year and Future Marketing Leader of the Year. To recognise the important relationship between agencies and their foodservice clients, the awards will recognise both the operator and all agencies involved in the delivery of campaigns and projects. Past winners have recognised more than 50 brands and agencies including McDonald’s, Honest Burgers, Brewhouse & Kitchen, BrewDog, Turtle Bay, Fuller’s, Wagamama, Gail’s Bakery, YO!, Grind, Rick Stein, Searcy’s, Boxpark, PizzaExpress, Greggs and The Breakfast Club. Finalists will be invited to an awards ceremony on Wednesday, 25 January, in London. The awards will be delivered alongside the Restaurant Marketer & Innovator Summit. More details will be announced soon. Categories, entry information and judges can be found here.

 

Buzzworks Holdings MD – we need to rip up the traditional application process, especially for Generation Z: Kenny Blair, managing director of award-winning Scottish independent restaurant and bar operator Buzzworks Holdings, has said the industry needs to “rip up the traditional application process”, especially if it is looking to recruit from younger generations. Speaking at this month’s Propel Talent & Training Conference, Blair also said hospitality needs to “further embrace tech” to make the recruitment process slicker. He said: “Our current annual staff turnover is 45% and we have a goal of 25%, which is pretty low. The trend is that of the 45% of people that leave us within a year, over 50% of them leave in the first 90 days. This can only be one of two issues – it’s either a recruitment issue or an onboarding issue. Imagine if you could reduce your staff turnover by 25%. We think one of the major keys to retention is picking the right people for you and vice versa. My personal view is rip up the traditional job application and interview process. Get rid of the CV mostly, and take lessons from other industries. If you can sell your car in 30 seconds, why can’t you apply for a job in the same time? Why are we not using tech to match a business with more suitable people? There’s a whole industry out there in dating that is matching people. Why is hospitality not using that?” Blair said that the business invested circa £30,000 on a TikTok campaign at the end of 2021 to aid recruitment across its venues. He said: “We set a target 1.5 million views and we got over 2.5 million; a goal of 750 applications and we got 850. We managed to fill all the jobs, got our name out there and we’ve not had an issue recruiting those types of jobs since 2022. Be specific about your target, pick your influencers wisely and let them do it their way. Make the whole recruitment process as slick as possible. Initially, we asked for five pieces of information and found that the applications were trickling in. We changed that to two pieces of information – name and email address – and they came flooding in. We need to rip up the traditional application process, especially for Generation Z.” Blair’s presentation will be among those from the Propel Talent & Training Conference sent to Premium subscribers at 9am on Friday, 27 October. 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. 

Netflix to open stores where fans can play, shop and eat in 2025: Netflix plans to open new destinations where fans can immerse themselves in the worlds of their favourite TV shows, shop for clothing and eat themed food. Dubbed Netflix House, Bloomberg reports that the venues will feature a mix of retail, dining and live experiences, according to Josh Simon, the company’s vice president of consumer products. The streaming TV business plans to open the first two in the US in 2025 and then expand the concept around the world. Netflix has been experimenting with pop-up fan experiences for a few years and has introduced 40 in 20 cities around the world. They include a night of drinks and dancing inspired by period drama Bridgerton that has travelled to several cities, as well as a pop-up Netflix store at the Grove shopping mall in Los Angeles. Netflix House will be the company’s first permanent locations. “We’ve seen how much fans love to immerse themselves in the world of our movies and TV shows, and we’ve been thinking a lot about how we take that to the next level,” Simon said. “Netflix House will have rotating installations, including ticketed shows inspired by popular series and restaurants featuring food from unscripted shows. The food and drinks will range from fast casual – think burgers and fries – to more high-end dining, desserts and spirits.” Simon declined to provide more specific details on the features, in part because final decisions haven’t been made. The company is still looking at potential locations. It has opened most of its pop-up experiences in major cities, including Tokyo, New York and Mexico City.

Seafood companies call off merger after CMA intervention: Whitby Seafoods has elected not to proceed with its planned acquisition of Kilhorne Bay Seafood following the decision by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to refer the deal for an in-depth phase two investigation. Whitby Seafoods, via its subsidiary Kilkeel Seafoods, agreed a deal earlier this year to acquire Kilhorne Bay Seafoods. The CMA launched a merger review into the deal in August. Whitby Seafoods is a best known for supplying Whitby scampi to major retailers and pubs and restaurants across the UK. Kilhorne Bay Seafoods is based in Annalong, in Northern Ireland, and supplies seafood products to the catering, wholesale and retail trade. Earlier this month, the CMA announced its phase one investigation had found that, following the deal, Whitby Seafoods would face reduced competition from other scampi suppliers. It also found that Whitby Seafoods faces limited competition from potential market entrants and suppliers of other types of breaded seafood. A spokesperson for Whitby Seafoods said: “Half of Kilhorne’s scampi sales were in Europe, and this gave Whitby a unique opportunity to build a new market for our business. Sadly, the resources required to engage in a CMA phase 2 investigation are out of all proportion to any potential benefit from the deal, and we have therefore withdrawn our offer for Kilhorne.” 

 

TRG activist investor TMR criticises deal price, Oasis set to make £40m: An activist investor has criticised the price of the buyout deal for The Restaurant Group (TRG), claiming it undervalues the Wagamama-owner by around £100m. Last week, US private equity firm Apollo agreed to take TRG private for £506m, or 65p per share. TRG’s bosses have backed the deal, claiming they rebuffed an earlier lower bid. But TMR Capital, which has campaigned for months for the company to sell all its brands apart from noodle chain Wagamama, believes TRG is worth at least 80p per share. This would value it at more than £600m. TMR also told The Mail on Sunday that it alerted Apollo to The Restaurant Group as a good bid target. Earlier this summer, it was reported that TMR, which built up a 1.75% stake in the Wagamama owner, was considering a swoop for two of the four divisions at TRG. The British Virgin Islands-based investor was said to be eyeing a bid for the company’s Brunning & Price pub division and its casual dining chains, which include Frankie & Benny’s and Chiquito. At the same time, Oasis Management, the Hong Kong-based hedge fund that waged an activist campaign pushing for a shake-up at TRG, stands to net £40m in profit from its position. As part of the agreement on backing the Apollo bid, Oasis — TRG’s biggest shareholder with a 17.8% — had signed an “irrevocable undertaking” to offload its holding. The deal implied an enterprise value, including debt, of £701m. The sale, which is set to close early next year, would mark a rapid victory for Oasis after going public with its demands just eight months ago. The FT reports that Apollo’s offer values Oasis’ stake in TRG at just above £90m, from which the hedge fund stands to make £40m of profit, according to regulatory filings and people briefed on the matter. Oasis has only committed to a “soft” irrevocable undertaking, which means that if a rival bidder emerges with an offer 10% higher than Apollo’s 65p-a-share bid, the Hong Kong fund could generate even more profit from the position. Analysts at Stifel said this week that the Apollo offer could “flush out” a rival bid.

 

Chipotle UK FY turnover increases to circa £18m, focused on enhancing the digital capabilities: US brand Chipotle saw turnover for its UK business climb to £17.9m for the year to 31 December 2022 (£11.1m), as it said it continued to focus on “enhancing the digital capabilities” in its restaurants here to “accelerate revenue growth and profitability in the future”. The company, which operated 13 sites during the period, saw its pre-tax losses widen from £5.9m in 2021 to £7.6m last year. The company said: “Our cost of sales for the full year of 2022 were £19.4m (2021: £10.9m) primarily consisting of restaurant level expenses. Refining our long-term supply strategy for our European locations remains an important objective. We also continue to focus on labour costs as we strengthen our teams and become more efficient in serving, our customers. Lastly, we are focused on growing our delivery business while effectively managing the costs associated with this sales channel. We will continue to drive operational improvements and develop opportunistically as our brand gains traction and we create a deep pipeline of future restaurant leaders. We will continue to focus on enhancing the digital capabilities in the UK restaurants to accelerate revenue growth and profitability in the future. We opened four new restaurants in 2021 and two additional restaurants in 2022. There are seven more new stores scheduled to be opened in 2023.” The business currently operates 17 sites in the UK – 15 in London, one in Watford and one in Guildford. Earlier this month, the company opened on the former Hisar restaurant site in Lordship Lane, East Dulwich.

 

Roxy Leisure sees FY turnover top £23m, several more openings planned for next 24 months: Roxy Leisure, the operator of the Roxy Lanes and Roxy Ball Room concepts, saw turnover top the £23m mark in the year to the end of 2022, with pre-tax profit pushing past £3m, as it continues to eye expansion opportunities across the UK. The company, which earlier this summer opened the first site under its King Pins family bowling concept, in Manchester, saw turnover increase 94% in 2022 to £23,498,865, as it enjoyed the first year of trade since 2019 in which its venues were not subject to closures as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, along with the associated government restrictions. The then 13-strong group posted Ebitda of £5.5m (2021: £3.6m), and a pre-tax profit of £3,032,465 (2021: £1,748,690). In its current financial year, the company has opened sites in Birmingham (February 2023), Cardiff (April 2023) Leicester (June 2023) and Cheltenham (September 2023). The now 18-strong group said it continues to plan expansion in the coming years and has several more sites planned for the remainder of 2023 and 2024. The business recently lined up a second site for its King Pins family bowling concept, in the Silverburn scheme in Glasgow. In April, Roxy Leisure managing director Matt Jones told Propel the company had another four King Pins sites in major cities and shopping centres in legals and would target six sites within the next two years. The business is understood to be targeting a 19-strong estate by the end of the year and aiming to add five more sites in 2024.

 

Rick Stein posts FY pre-tax loss on the back of a challenging year: Rick Stein’s restaurant business posted a pre-tax loss of £347,000 in the year to 1 January 2023 (2021: £3,784,000), on the back of what it said was a “challenging year”. Stein’s Seafood Restaurant (Padstow) business posted turnover of £22,594,000 in the period (2021: £28,382,000). The company said that the year started off well despite trade being disrupted by the shadow of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, but as spring approached, the war in Ukraine had a “significant impact on our trading environment”. It said: “The rapid increase in our supply chain costs caused by the volatile energy markets was unprecedented. Fish and oil were amongst the most adversely affected commodities and resulted in an erosion of profit margin. The opportunity of overseas travel resumed in 2022, whilst visit numbers in Cornwall reduced by more than one million compared to pre covid. The well documented shortage of supply in the labour market (particularly in the hospitality sector) also restricted our opportunity to trade to capacity during 2022.” The group said it continues to “seek opportunities to maximise the profitability of the core business and has the vision to continue to grow its estate through investment in restaurants and rooms”. In this context, it said that the 2022 financial year had seen “double-digit revenue growth in these two areas since 2019”. Stein’s empire, which he owns with ex-wife Jill, includes The Seafood Restaurant and other locations in Padstow (Cornwall) as well as sites in Sandbanks (Dorset), Winchester (Hampshire), Marlborough (Wiltshire) and Barnes in London.

 

Jonathan Kaye opens fourth Storia site: Ex-Prezzo chief executive Jonathan Kaye has opened the fourth site for his fledgling Storia restaurant business. Kaye, who was also the ex-chief executive of Dining Street – the formerly listed Richoux Group, which was the company behind the Richoux, Friendly Phil’s, Villagio and The Broadwick restaurant brands – has opened his latest Storia site on the ex-Prezzo unit in Shepperton’s High Street. Propel revealed in July that Kaye was to double the size of the Storia estate after acquiring three sites previously operated by his former brand. He has also lined up openings in Woodford Green (November 2023) sand Redhill (February 2024). The sites are part of the 47 restaurants that Prezzo closed earlier this year, as part of its restructuring plan. Kaye, who grew Prezzo to circa 250 sites before it was acquired by US investment firm TPG in November 2014 for circa £304m, launched Italian restaurant concept Storia in 2021. Storia made its debut at the former Prezzo site in Tring High Street, before a second site opened on the former The Broadwick outlet in Radlett. Last summer, he opened a third Storia on the former The Broadwick site in Bridge Street, Maidenhead. Kaye launched the concept with business partner, and former Prezzo director, Mehdi Gashi. Brandon Elmon, of Genius1Group, is understood to have acted for the landlords of the ex-Prezzo sites.

 

Sides lines up Manchester opening: YouTube collective The Sidemen has lined up an opening in Manchester for its restaurant brand Sides. Propel understands that the business, which last week confirmed it will open a standalone Sides site in the Merry Hill shopping centre in the West Midlands, will take on the former Wolf Street Food unit in Halle Place, in the Arndale centre. Last week, The Sidemen also revealed it would open its first high street location, in Dalston, east London, this month. Founded in 2021, Sides grew initially as a delivery-only brand but intends to expand across the country, with as many as 200 sites over the next decade. 

 

QFM Group adds to Taco Bell portfolio: QFM Group, one of the UK’s leading franchise businesses, has added to its Taco Bell portfolio. The Sheffield business, founded in 1982, operates more than 120 units across three key brands, including more than 50 KFC restaurants and circa 36 Costa stores. It has now opened its 28th Taco Bell, in the Robin Park leisure park in Wigan. It is the third Taco Bell location in the north west of England, following the ones in Liverpool and Manchester. The group said: “Yesterday we opened our 28th Taco Bell in Wigan, and it’s a beauty! Pushing harder than ever on the design and the digital experience to create our best Taco Bell drive-thru yet! Huge thanks to the people of Wigan for an incredibly busy first day, we hope we can keep you coming back for more.” QFM also opened the UK’s first Dunkin’ store, in Liverpool in 2016, and is set to expand the US doughnut chain’s footprint over here. Having last month opened a second London location, in Soho, this is set to be followed by five further stores in the capital before the end of the year as part of an expansion plan which will see it double its store count in the next two years.

 

Greater Manchester McDonald’s franchisee falls to loss in ‘difficult’ year: McDonald’s franchisee C&T Restaurants, which operates 18 sites across the Greater Manchester area, has said it is a “strong position” to return to profitability in 2023 after falling to a loss in what was a “difficult” year due to “unexpected” rising costs. The business reported a pre-tax loss of £476,350 for the year ending 31 December 2022 compared with a profit of £5,531,378 the year before “as a result of the cost increases caused by worldwide inflation rise issues and rises in utility costs”. Turnover was slightly down to 63,277,656 from £64,193,932 the previous year as “sales returned to normal expected levels following a spike in 2021 caused by the post-covid demand for fast food”. In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “We are disappointed by the results and the negative cash flows that resulted. However, the company's balance sheet shows a healthy net asset position of £5,859,238 and, while this is down on the 2021 net asset position of £7,211,209, we are confident the company is in a strong position to return to profitability in 2023 and beyond as the worldwide economy recovers. There are no anticipated franchise acquisitions in 2023.” A dividend of £706,000 was paid (2021: £375,000). The business received £3,315 in government grants (2021: £257,378). C&T Restaurants is run by Judith Chapman and Gerald Thompson. Thompson joined McDonald’s as a part-time worker when he was 16 and opened his first restaurant as a franchisee in Middleton, near Manchester, in 2000.

 

Pizza Hut franchisee makes loss, acquires new store with more in pipeline: Pizza Hut franchisee Zaf Holdings made a loss in the year to 31 December 2022 and acquired a new store post year end, with more in the pipeline. A pre-tax profit of £2,340,599 in 2021 turned into a loss of £197,510 while turnover dropped from £21,776,519 to £19,243,237. Director Arif Jivraj said: “Store count over England is 27 in the course of the reporting period, with a number of new stores in pipeline, the continued growth and success of the group will sustained. The group has continued to perform with in management expectations and the group continues to maintain a healthy balance of working capital to meet its liabilities. Furthermore, the business continued to position itself for sustained long-term growth by investing in the staffing structure and providing developmental training across the group.” Jivraj said providing deals that offered a stronger value proposition and partnering with third party aggregators saw sales and profit rise significantly in the second half of the trading year. He added: “Post year end, the group has performed broadly in line with the director's expectation and continues to grow, despite increasing cost of sales and reducing margins. In addition, the group will have new income stream from next year from the purchase of new restaurant post year end.” No interim dividend was paid and total distribution of dividends will be £83,400 (2021: £77,678). In April, Propel revealed that Zaf Holdings had acquired the master franchise rights for US brand PF Chang’s in the UK and took on the Asian concept’s only site in the UK, in London’s Leicester Square.

 

Shepherd Neame launches craft coffee blend: Kent brewer and retailer Shepherd Neame has launched its first craft coffee blend. Creekside Coffee is inspired by the market town, Faversham, where Shepherd Neame’s historic brewery is based. The company has teamed up with fellow independent family business John Street Beverage, based in Greenhithe, to create the exclusive Arabica coffee blend. The coffee beans are Rainforest Alliance-certified, sourced from the regions of Brazil, Guatemala, Ethiopia and Colombia, and packed in recyclable vacuum-packed bags. Shepherd Neame managing director pubs, Jonathon Swaine, said: “We are committed to using local suppliers wherever possible, and are pleased to unveil this exclusive coffee blend to complement the offer in our pubs and hotels. We have worked hard, alongside John Street Beverage, to create just the right blend to ensure a unique taste and aroma.”

 

Brayford Hotels reports turnover exceeds pre-covid levels: Brayford Hotels – which operates sites in Hull, Grimsby and Lincoln – has reported turnover increased to £14,365,913 for the year ending 31 December 2022 compared with £10,139,847 the previous year. Revenue also exceeded the £13,174,072 reported for the year ending 31 December 2019 – the last full year before the covid pandemic. Pre-tax profit was up to £2,143,343 from £1,616,253 the year before (2019: profit of £572,675). Occupancy for the year increased to 76.98% from 69.44%. In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “With the geopolitical events in Ukraine at the end of February 2022, new challenges emerged for all business as inflation rose sharply, reaching in excess of 10% by July 2022, which resulted in supply chain issues which needed to be closely managed to ensure there was no impact on the hotels operations. One of the main influences on the inflationary rises was the unprecedented price increases in the energy markets. The hotels electricity contracts expired in September and were faced with 500% increases in the volatile market conditions. Measures were quickly put in place to mitigate these increases by entering into a flexible purchasing agreement which gave access to wholesale market prices. Increases in many other cost areas, particularly in food, have been managed to limit the impact on the financial results.” A dividend of £196,000 was paid (2021: nil).

 

New concept Barnaby’s and Fatto a Mano to open in Covent Garden: Barnaby’s, a new concept co-created by the founders of Buns From Home and the team behind cookie shop Crème, is to open in Covent Garden. At the same time, pizza concept Fatto a Mano will open its second London site. Landlord Shaftesbury Capital said it had signed nine new hospitality brands across its Covent Garden estate in the last six months. It said: “Highlights include “British independent favourite, The Breakfast Club; internationally inspired restaurants Fatto a Mano, Colonel Saab, Ikkan Sushi and Bone Daddies; and top chef Phil Howard’s pasta bar Notto. In addition, straddling both the F&B offering and retail offering, Covent Garden is set to welcome Läderach, the Swiss chocolatier, independent confectionary brand Lakrids by Bülow, and a brand-new concept called Barnaby’s, co-created by the founders of popular bakery Buns From Home and the team behind Crème the cookie shop.”

 

East Sussex hotel and golf group reports revenue growth but increase in losses: East Sussex hotel and golf group Horsted Estates has reported revenue growth but an increase in losses in the year to 31 December 2022. The group, which operates the East Sussex National Hotel and Golf resort, as well as the Horsted Place Hotel and Singing Hills Golf Course, saw turnover rise from £9,357,781 in 2021 to £11,529,723. Its pre-tax loss grew from £472,035 to £1,511,350 as costs increased by more than £1.5m. Government grants of £18,607 were received compared with £482,316 in 2021. Shareholder’s funds totalled £56,954,015 (2021: £55,653,164) and no dividends were paid (2021: nil). Director Susan Jenkins said: “Although there were no direct covid restrictions during the year, it was apparent some lingering effects among the population were still having an impact on the group's businesses.”

 

Kent operator takes on fifth site: Kent operator Paul Glicksman has taken on his fifth site in the county and fourth in the town of Westgate-on-Sea. The ex-motor home dealer, who ventured into hospitality in 2018 after retiring from his former trade, already operates Paul’s Bistro, Frederick’s Tearoom and St Mildred’s Bay Bistro in Westgate, and last year opened the Spitfire Cafe in Manton. He has now taken on the former seafront Marina Cafe, which has been closed for two years, with plans to reopen it early next year as a burger and ice cream parlour. “It is an amazing seafront location that has sold ice creams for years, and I see massive potential in it,” he told Kent Live. “We are going to continue with the ice creams and sundaes, and we will do some gastro burgers and have a good quality menu, but it won’t be massive. A burger and ice cream parlour is what we will focus on, and we will build on it from there.” Eventually, he aims to secure an alcohol licence for the venue and have a bar there too.

Cheshire hotel and spa returns to profit: Cheshire hotel and spa Shrigley Hall Hotel returned to profit in the year ending 31 December 2022. It turned a pre-tax loss of £6,768,009 in 2021 to a £1,083,255 profit, accounts for parent company Prahi Hotel Collection revealed. This was off turnover of £9,772,287, up from £6,768,009 in 2021. This compares to turnover of £7,157,489 and a pre-tax loss of £2,178,171 in the last full year before covid, ending 31 December 2019. Doncaster-based Prahi, led by Ashfaq Ahmed, acquired the 148-bedroom property, which also has an 18-hole golf course and country house, from The Hotel Collection in 2017.

 

Bolton brewery set to take over former pub for third site: Bolton brewery Blackledge is set to take over a former pub in Horwich for its third site. It is in advanced talks to move into the Ribblesdale Hotel, Gladstone’s and Baroque Bar at 35 Northgate in Blackburn and hope to be operating before Christmas, reports The Bolton News. The 19th century building was earmarked in 2022 to be the new home of the nearby Shh! Bar following a £350,000 renovation before owners Michael Mohan and Martin Booth-Morton pulled out of the move. Blackledge now intends to make the building its third site, joining The Brewery at its brewery in Horwich, and The Brewery Tap in Westhoughton. Wayne Roper, who founded the company with his brother-in-law Shaun Reynolds, said: “As soon as I saw the building, I was really taken by it. It’s in a great location and it feels like a really exciting time for that area. We want to be a part of it and can't wait to open our doors on this new venture in Blackburn.”

 

Live music venue Jimmy’s shuts Liverpool site: Live music venue Jimmy’s has closed its Liverpool site. The company, which was founded by George and Jimmy Craig, of the band One Night Only, opened the venue in Bold Street in August 2019. But the business has now shut the venue, reports the Liverpool Echo. Jimmy’s stated: “We had an incredible first six months when we launched the venue just before covid, but it’s been an uphill battle since then to keep things going among everything that has been happening in the world and particularly the hospitality sector. The directors and the staff have done everything possible with various initiatives and events to keep things going but we have been working against post-covid conditions and a major downturn in the economy, which has become increasingly worse as time has gone by.” Jimmy’s added the closure would not affect the business’ Manchester branch, in Blossom Street, Ancoats, which opened in 2016. For more than three years, Jimmy’s operated from the old Havelock Building in Liverpool, which was once home to one of Liverpool’s most famous nightspots, the Cabin Club.