Propel Newsletter Archive Page

Exclusive – Boojum plans to open 25 sites over the next five years in major UK student cities, starting in Leeds: Mexican fast-casual brand Boojum, which was acquired by the Azzurri Group last summer, plans to open 25 sites over the next five years in major UK student cities, starting with an opening in Leeds this spring. Founded in 2007, Boojum currently operates 15 sites, predominantly located across Belfast and Dublin. The company’s current mainland pipeline extends into Nottingham, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester. The new opening in the Merrion Centre, in Leeds, will mark the brand’s debut on the UK mainland. As revealed by Propel last month, Boojum is also making a significant investment in a new central production kitchen in the city, create 40 jobs across both sites. Robert Powell, head of operations at Boojum, told Propel: “We’ve seen other brands try to expand and not build out the necessary supply chain solutions to deliver the optimum experience. This often results in out-of-stock days or food sitting on shelves longer for the consumer. Our investment is aimed at delivering the freshest, highest quality Mexican product in the market.” The business said that operating a multi-channel, sit-in, takeaway, click-and-collect and delivery model from the Leeds site will help develop “a cult following” and that almost 150,000 social media followers “illustrate its success so far”. The Mexican fast-casual brand said its digital first approach has led to industry-leading store economics with particular success in the click-and-collect and delivery channels, earning it the number six spot in Deliveroo’s 2023 list of top trending dishes globally (the number one Mexican fast casual brand on the list). Boojum founder David Maxwell said: “Boojum's expansion into Leeds is no coincidence. The city’s bustling student life and reputation as a foodie paradise make it the perfect stage for our vibrant flavours.” Maxwell said that outside of weather events and transport strikes, trade for the business has been “at the top end of expectations”. He said: “It’s a difficult time out there for many of our competitors, but Boojum continues to trade ahead of the market in each city we operate in, driven in most part by our exceptional value proposition and loyal customer base.” Propel revealed last summer that the Steve Holmes-led Azzurri Group, which also operates ASK Italian, Zizzi and Coco Di Mama, was broadening its portfolio and entering the Mexican-themed fast-casual restaurant market with the acquisition of Boojum. It acquired a controlling interest in the then 14-strong business from Renatus Capital Partners for an undisclosed sum, with the intention of looking to help the business grow in Ireland and the UK.

Industry News:

Sponsored message – Nory launches automated payroll service with Nory Pay: Working in hospitality typically means high stress levels, tight margins and constant change. It’s unavoidable, right? Wrong. Enter Nory – the first artificial intelligence-powered operating system for restaurants and bars. A spokesperson said: “Nory is helping thousands of operators globally to centralise operations, empower workforces and fatten net profit margins. Our mission is to make everyone’s lives easier – from front-line teams to head office. Nory is purpose built to help your venues control prime costs, perform consistently and automate tasks that currently take huge chunks of time every week but shouldn’t. It allows you to manage all of your core in-venue operations from one platform. But wait, there’s more. Nory has launched a fully automated payroll service, Nory Pay! All your team needs to do is tap to approve a shift in Nory’s app, and we take care of the rest. It’s time to make admin heavy payroll a thing of the past. We manage the full payroll journey including employee setup and registration with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)/Nest; calculating payroll figures and related taxes; preparing gross to net reports; processing payments; issuing payslips; and filing necessary payroll taxes with HMRC. It’s time to make rewarding your awesome team frictionless with Nory Pay.” To find out more, click here. If you have a sponsored message you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

Variety of cafe/bakery brands to feature in next New Openings Database: Premium members will receive the next New Openings Database on Friday (2 February), at midday. The next database includes a variety of cafe/bakery concepts including Birmingham bubble tea brand Mowchi, which is set to triple its estate size in 2024, while Heavenly Desserts is aiming for 100 sites by the end of 2026 and Patisserie Valerie has reopened its store in Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, which the firm said was “a significant milestone” as it looks to reopen some of its once 200-strong estate. The database will show the details of 95 site openings, including which company has opened a site or its plans to open one in the future. It will have details on what type of site it is and its location, and there will also be a website link to the businesses. The database is published on a monthly basis and Premium Club members will also receive a 4,800-word report on the new additions to the database. Premium members also receive access to five other databases: the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the New Openings Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who’s Who of UK Food & Beverage. Propel is evolving its Premium subscription offer by launching Premium Club on Thursday, (1 February). All circa 4,000 existing subscribers automatically become members. The launch of Premium Club comes with even more benefits. All subscribers will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to four Propel paid-for events – The Excellence in Pub Retailing Conference (14 May), Social Media for Profit (18 July), the Talent and Training Conference (1 October) and Restaurant Marketer and Innovator (two days in January 2025). Operators will also be able to send up to four members of staff to each of our four Multi-Club Conferences for free. Premium Club members receive their daily Propel Info newsletter 11 hours earlier than standard subscribers, at 7pm the evening before. They also receive videos of presentations at eight Propel conference events two weeks after they are held. This represents around 100 videos of industry insight over the course of the year. Premium Club members will be sent a dedicated monthly newsletter that will highlight key updates in the sector and direct subscribers to all the vital content their membership offers. Premium Club members also receive exclusive opinion columns every Friday at 5pm, which include the thoughts of Propel group editor Mark Wingett and a host of industry leaders from across the sector. A Propel Premium subscription costs an annual sum of £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. 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. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

Tributes paid as Slug & Lettuce founder and ‘industry pioneer’ dies: Serial pub entrepreneur Hugh Corbett, founder of the Slug & Lettuce brand, passed away peacefully in hospital on Monday, 15 January, his family have announced. Having initially trained to become a chartered accountant, Corbett switched into hospitality in his early 20s, and during the 1970s and 1980s, operating a number of pubs and hotels in his home county of Gloucestershire. It was also during the 1980s that he founded Slug & Lettuce, growing it to an estate of nine pubs before it was acquired by Fast Forward Inns. Following several takeovers, the brand eventually become a national chain, with 70 UK units at its peak, and is currently owned by Stonegate. He went on to develop and sell on three further branded chains: Harvey Floorbangers, Tup Inns and Larrik Inns. An industry pioneer, he initiated the trend for removing opaque glass windows from pubs, replacing it with clear glass so people on the outside could see folk on the inside enjoying themselves, and promoted female friendly environments. Described by friends as a “true gentleman publican whose positive impact on the pub sector will not be forgotten” and “an infectiously loveable, generous character who will be sorely missed by all that know him”, Corbett leaves behind his wife, Judith, and children, Emily, Alexandra and James. Following in his footsteps, both daughters have had their own successful pub businesses, and his son currently has eight hostelries in London.

Southampton trials facial recognition cameras in pubs and clubs: Facial recognition cameras are being trialled to help stop those banned from pubs and clubs gaining access. BBC News reported the scheme, which is taking place in Southampton, is running for three months across six venues. It has been brought in after businesses found previous offenders were still getting into night-time venues due to fake IDs or human error. The camera uses images of 65 banned offenders and alerts door staff once they attempt to enter a venue. GO! Southampton, the Business Improvement District in the city, said it currently ran a red card scheme that meant once an individual was banned from one night-time venue, they were banned from them all. Jade McCauley, operations manager at GO! Southampton, said: “We think using this technology, we’re safeguarding people having a good night out from criminals that shouldn’t be in our night-time economy.” If a person is not recognised on the cameras, data will be instantly deleted from the system. The trial has already flagged six offenders to door staff. Jack Pearce, head doorman at Orange Rooms in the city, said: “Unless we’re constantly on the website checking, it’s quite hard to remember all those faces, so anything that can assist us on the door and make the whole area a lot safer doesn’t just benefit us as a venue, it benefits the area.”

Decision delayed on scrapping ban stopping new night-time operators opening in Bristol city centre: A decision on whether to scrap a ban that stops new pubs, bars and takeaways from opening in Bristol city centre has been delayed. The council’s licensing committee was split four to four in a vote on the issue, reports the BBC. Police opposed the idea, saying central Bristol’s night-time economy was at “saturation point” and stretched their resources, while one councillor said scrapping the ban would “put the public at risk”. A licensing officer said although police wanted to retain the ban, there were cases where the authority had agreed conditions with applicants for licensed premises that suggested it did not fully endorse the restrictions. The report will come back to a future committee meeting, which must be before 7 March, when the three-year policy expires. The zone reaches from Bristol’s harbourside to Stokes Croft and from Clifton Triangle to the edge of Broadmead.

Company News:

Hooters ‘confident of success this time’ in UK, targets up to 75 new openings with first in 2024: Hooters is “confident of success this time” in the UK as it targets up to 75 new openings, with the first in 2024. Propel revealed last month that the US sports bar and grill chain is looking to expand in the UK through the launch of a new franchise offer. While the brand has grown to more than 450 locations in around 30 countries since launching in Florida in 1983, its only long-standing presence in the UK has been a sole site in Nottingham, which opened in 1998. Other sites in Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff came and went, but Nottingham was joined last year by a new site in Liverpool – which at 10,000 square feet is said to be the largest Hooters in the world. Those two sites could now be joined by many others across UK cities, with Hooters having hired experienced franchise consultant Paul Davies, of Brand Mark Franchising, to lead the charge. “We’re confident of success this time,” Davies told Propel. “We’re going to offer a flexible model, with any size from 2,500 to 10,000 square feet, tailoring a site’s needs to the size and prosperity of the local population – you don’t need in St Albans what you’re putting into Manchester. The brand has invested in real collateral and marketing. We’re looking for regional master franchisees – which will be the beginnings of real expansion – and multi-site franchisees. Our first regional master franchisee is already in the final interview stages, and they’ll be looking to develop the M11 corridor between Cambridge and north and east London. We should get a first new site open this year, and we see a potential for 50 to 75 UK Hooters sites. Essentially, we want to emphasise the fact that Hooters is a sports bar concept offering hi-tech media for watching sports and has really upped the food offering to a more premium one.” The Nottingham site, which last year celebrated its 25th anniversary, is owned by Johnny Goard and business partner Julian Mills. “The city embraced us from the day we opened, and we are doing well, or we wouldn’t be here 25 years later,” he recently told Nottingham Live. “People are always surprised when they come in how good our food is. We cook everything from fresh except for frozen French fries and shrimps. We really respect our food quality. Our wings are unrivalled and world famous.”

Exclusive – I am Döner signs multi-site franchise deal to take brand into Canada for second international market: I am Döner, the award-winning better kebab brand backed by Think Hospitality, has signed a multi-site franchise deal to take the brand into Canada. In a deal facilitated by Seeds Consulting, a partnership with FD Builders will see I am Döner open five stores in the cities of Toronto and Mississauga in Ontario. It will be a second international franchisee deal for the brand, which also has a location in Dubai’s Silicon Oasis. FD Builders director Syed Danish said: “I have been searching for a hospitality brand for some time, and relatives in the UK informed me of I am Döner. When I saw I am Döner, I knew we had found an amazing brand. We have been working closely with the team for several months and will announce our first store location in the coming months.” I am Döner chairman James Hacon added: “We are excited to expand our international roll out with the team at FD Builders, which has both the experience and vision to make this a massive success. I spent time in Canada late last year and we viewed some epic site locations. We are very excited for what 2024 will hold for our growing brand.” Matteo Frigeri, founder of Seeds Consulting, said: “This is undoubtedly a significant step forward for I am Döner internationally. We were delighted to be able to support with our property connections, to ensure we access the right sites in downtown Toronto.” I am Döner was founded in Leeds in 2016 by Paul Baron, a former Michelin experienced chef, who aimed to transform the kebab from much more than just a late-night guilty pleasure. Last month, the brand made its London debut for its sixth UK site when it opened in Camden, having signed a franchise deal with Moshe and Agnieszka Forte, as revealed exclusively by Propel. I am Döner has stated ambitions to reach 50 sites globally by the end of 2025 and also said last year that it was in talks to open sites in airports and universities. FD Builders was incorporated in Canada in 2021, with Faisal Husnain a director alongside Danish, and is located in the town of Ajax in Ontario. I am Döner 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 available exclusively to Premium subscribers. The database is updated every two months, and the latest version features 225 businesses. 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.

Tortilla set to launch four new travel hub sites with SSP in 2024 followed by ‘strong pipeline of opportunities’ in 2025: Tortilla, the UK’s largest fast-casual Mexican restaurant brand, is set to launch four new travel hub sites in 2024 with SSP Group, the UK operator of food and beverage outlets in travel locations worldwide, followed by a “strong pipeline of opportunities” in 2025. SSP and Tortilla currently franchise at five sites across the UK. Tortilla has said franchise partnerships are a key part of its growth strategy, with transport hubs, universities and other such locations becoming “increasingly important channels”. Richard Morris, chief executive at Tortilla, said: “Our relationship with SSP has been hugely successful since we launched with them in 2019 at Euston station in London. While covid inevitably impacted the rate at which we opened sites, we have since launched record breaking sites in London Gatwick and Bristol airports, as well as Leeds MSA and Manchester Piccadilly stations. We are excited to continue our partnership with more UK travel locations, and potential European equivalents, over the coming years, given SSP’s strong foothold across 37 countries globally.” Cathy Granby, business development director at SSP, added: “SSP are delighted to continue our relationship with Tortilla, as we see the brand becoming more and more popular across all our locations within our travel hubs. The offer is good value, travels well and is great quality. We look forward to opening more locations with Tortilla over the coming years.” Tortilla said last month that it was excited by future growth opportunities but warned sales at its high street locations have been hit by low consumer confidence and footfall. It followed a trading update in which it said total revenue is expected to rise to £65.7m this financial year but underlying profits will be slightly below expectations at between £4.5m-£4.6m.

Barworks – first half of 2024 will be critical for business, talking to landlords outside capital: London bar group Barworks has told Propel that the first half of this year will be critical for the business, including the opening of its “most ambitious project to date” – Mare Street Market King’s Cross, this April. The company, which currently has three sites open, said trading in December was “good”, up 10% on the same month in 2022, while January followed a similar pattern as last year, “improving week on week”. The company told Propel: “We will open Mare Street Market King’s Cross in April, our most ambitious project to date. We are following the same format as Mare Street Market Hackney but on a bigger scale (18,000 square feet). We will also open the redeveloped Two Floors site in Soho, having got that back late last year. Unfortunately, we will be losing the Gas Station at the end of February due to landlord redevelopment of the site.” The group has secured funding towards the Mare Street Market King’s Cross site through a three-year loan of £750,000 with HSBC and asset finance of approximately £500,000 from a third-party provider. The company said it is always looking at opportunities to grow the business and is talking to landlords outside of the capital. It said: “Nothing signed yet, but plenty of interesting conversations going on, particularly around the Mare Street Market brand.” It comes as the business reported a strong year to the end of June 2023, with venues “trading beyond expectations despite the persistent train strikes”. It said: “The latest addition to the group, The Starman in Mayfair, steadily increased monthly sales during its first full year of operation. This was complemented by established sites achieving like-for-like sales growth of 17%. Turnover from continuing operations rose from £6.6m to £9.2m, a rise of 38.1%. Gross profit from continuing operations rose from £4.2m to £6.1m, a rise of 45.1%. Despite food and drink cost inflation, the gross profit margin improved during the year, rising from 63.5% to 66.7%. Further cost reductions were achieved at group level, through a natural reduction in management headcount. Combined with the cost savings made during the covid pandemic, this has resulted in a leaner business which achieved its first positive continuing operations Ebitda since the pandemic of £323,781 (adjusted for new site, pre-opening losses).”

US rolled taco concept aiming to enter UK market: US rolled taco concept Roll-Em-Up Taquitos is aiming to enter the UK market and will be looking to attract potential partners at this week’s British & International Franchise Exhibition in London. Roll-Em-Up Taquitos claims to be the world’s only taquito-centred franchise opportunity – taquitos being small, rolled-up tortillas with fillings such as beef, chicken or cheese. Roll-Em-Up Taquitos was founded in California in 2019 by Ryan Ursey and has since grown to 14 locations, mainly on the west coast of the States, with 13 more in the pipeline. It also offers “street corn”, churro doughnuts, queso, chips, house sauce and homemade guacamole among other dishes and sides. “Roll-Em-Up Taquitos is a pioneering street casual restaurant brand specialising in the exclusive creation and global franchising of taquitos,” the business said. “It is poised to introduce its unique franchise model to a wider audience, targeting both single and multi-unit franchisees. It has emerged as a trailblazer in the fast-casual restaurant industry, offering a unique and simple menu. Roll-Em-Up Taquitos has consistently prioritised innovation, quality and profitability, setting the stage for a truly unparalleled franchise experience.”

Incipio Group reports strongest ever month of trading, FY sales reach £26.4m: Incipio Group, operator of venues including Pergola on the Wharf, The Libertine and The Prince, has reported its strongest ever month of trading in December 2023, with like-for-like sales up 66% on the same period last year, contributing to a record year in sales of £26.4m. Driven by a combination of an increase in Christmas party bookings, private events and festive activations, Incipio said it saw an increase of 38% in guest visits compared with the previous year. The strong like-for-like growth was bolstered by a record-breaking month of corporate and private hires, which alone delivered £1.2m in sales throughout December. The company said: “As well as an increase in Christmas party bookings and private events, festive events were scheduled on dates less in demand for corporate bookings to maximise reasons to visit in December. The group has seen success through its innovative approach to curating seasonal activations, hosting high energy brunch and late-night concepts, and its use of TikTok to reach new audiences. The final element in the record-breaking December was a sell-out New Year’s Eve across the group, with more than £160,000 delivered in ticket sales alone. The strong ticket sales combined with venues at capacity on New Year’s Eve resulted it being the best day of sales in the group’s history.” Ed Devenport, chief executive of Incipio Group, said: “We are delighted to have finished 2023 with our best ever month as a group. The demand for our venues was high throughout the whole of December, testament to the outstanding reasons to visit created by our teams. We also invested significantly in the guest experience and delivery of private hires and it is rewarding to see this come to fruition, with 66% like-for-like growth in December across our eight venues, culminating in numerous group records being broken and several million-plus weeks in terms of sales.”

Sweden-based Mexican fast-food franchise Zócalo eyes Birmingham for UK regional debut: Sweden-based Mexican fast-food franchise chain Zócalo has lined up a site in Birmingham, as it looks to make its regional debut in the UK. Propel understands the brand has secured a franchisee for the city and has applied to open on the ex-Eat 4 Less site in New Street. Earlier this month, the business launched its first restaurant in the Republic of Ireland as franchisee Robert O’Donaghue opened at Unit 3 Village Green in Church Road, Douglas, Cork, and is eyeing further sites in the country. It follows Zócalo opening its first UK restaurant last year, at 21 Great Windmill Street in London’s Soho. Master franchisees Pritesh and Shivum Amlanu partnered with chef Andre Martin and former Premier League footballer Jose Fonte for the opening in October. Zócalo was founded in 2002 and has grown to 25 restaurants in Sweden, Denmark and Iceland. Speaking at the start of the year, Zócalo chief executive Einar Örn Einarsson said: “We have so many people who are interested in opening Zócalo restaurants in the UK, so hopefully our master franchisees can get a couple of deals across the finish line.”

Banana Tree lines up Portsmouth opening: The Big Table Group, the Las Iguanas, Bella Italia and Café Rouge operator, has lined up an opening in Portsmouth for Banana Tree, its fast-casual pan-Asian brand, Propel understands. The 18-strong brand will replace the Café Rouge site at The Canalside, Gunwharf Quays, before the end of March. Earlier this month, Propel revealed that Banana Tree is to make its debut in the north west next month with an opening on the current Café Rouge site in Salford Quays. It comes after the business recently announced the appointment of Kate Wilton, formerly of Stonegate Group, as the new managing director of Banana Tree. Anne Chow, who co-founded Banana Tree, is stepping down as its managing director after 28 years with the business. Alan Morgan, chief executive of Big Table Group, told Propel last month that he believes the company can grow Banana Tree to a “Las Iguanas-sized business in 18-24 months”. The company currently operates 50 sites under its Las Iguanas brand.

Yorkshire operator plans portfolio of venues across north of England after opening second site: Yorkshire operator Crazy Rabbit Inns has opened its second site as it plans to create a portfolio of venues across the north of England. The Green Tree Inn, in the village of Patrick Brompton, near Bedale, North Yorkshire, has been brought back to life following a two-year renovation programme costing £600,000. The gastro-inn has 48 covers, while four guest rooms are due to open in the spring. The company was founded by Yorkshire entrepreneur Collette Sunderland, who bought the Green Tree Inn in 2021 after it had been closed for several years and fallen into disrepair. Sunderland said: “We have stripped this grade II-listed and very dilapidated building back to its bare bones and reimagined it as a perfect, cosy Dales pub, with superb food.” Crazy Rabbit Inns was founded by Sunderland in 2021 and she acquired an interest in the Blue Lion Hotel at East Witton in 2022, which is currently being refurbished. The company plans to create a portfolio of luxury establishments across the north of England, providing high quality food and accommodation. Sunderland added: “There is a clear demand for the right sort of historic pub, offering outstanding food, wine, beer and rooms in the right location, and we hope to build on our success with further investment and gastro inn openings from this Easter onwards.”

Imperial London reports record turnover as return of tourists sees sales pass £100m for first time: Hotel group Imperial London has reported record turnover as the return of tourists to the capital saw its company sales pass the £100m-mark for the first time. The business, which operates six hotels in London, reported revenue of £119,906,173 for the year ending 30 April 2023, more than double the £55,670,075 reported in 2022. It also significantly exceeded the company’s last pre-pandemic turnover figure of £75,745,236 in 2019. Of the 2023 figure, £105,255,508 came from hotel operations (2022: £43,086,28) and £12,771,330 from property trading and investments (2022: £11,802,327) among other items. Its pre-tax profit also more than doubled, from £7,327,986 to £15,676,053. However, this still lags behind the company’s last pre-pandemic profit of £23,714,425, as costs rocketed from £39,756,421 to £75,696,324. The company received no furlough payments compared with £16,962 in 2022. There was also a £796,898 loss of disposal of assets (2022: £617,149). “Trading in London in the prior two years was difficult in the face of economic and travel restrictions that meaningfully impacted occupancy at the group’s hotels,” director Candida Walton said. “Business recovered strongly in the year as the group reopened its hotels and the board sought to recruit staff to manage the demand. The performance of the group's main divisions in the year benefited from this strong recovery in tourism in London. The directors remain confident in the future of the business as tourism has continued to return to London, which is reflected in post year end trading.”

Admiral Taverns invested more than £27m into community pubs last year: Admiral Taverns, the circa 1,500-strong, Proprium-backed business, said it invested more than £27m into elevating its community pubs throughout 2023. The group invested the funds into more than 300 pubs across both its leased and tenanted estate and its community wet-led division, Proper Pubs. Investments ranged from interior and external refurbishments through to updates to licensee accommodation and long-term structural improvements. Chris Jowsey, chief executive at Admiral Taverns, said: “We are committed to creating long-term, sustainable pubs that sit at the heart of their communities. Pubs are a cornerstone of British life and act as so much more than just a place to drink. They are social hives of activity that support all aspects of local life and most importantly, bring people together. It is vital that we continue to facilitate such an important part of community life by equipping licensees and operators with the correct tools and infrastructure to create thriving businesses.” The ongoing programme has seen Admiral invest across multiple areas of the UK. Manchester received a total investment sum of £1m across seven pubs, while Oxfordshire received £500,000 across an additional seven pubs. Sites that benefited from the investments include the Oddfellows Arms in Eccles, which received a £260,000 refurbishment in November, and the Golden Ball in Littlemore, with a £119,000 renovation also in November. In addition, the group invested more than £1.5m in numerous communities across Wales to further improve the offering of its pubs.

Whitbread grows Premier Inn portfolio in Ireland to six hotels with Cork opening: Whitbread has expanded Premier Inn’s presence in Ireland with the opening of its sixth site, in Cork city centre. The 187-bedroom hotel at Morrison’s Quay is the first Premier Inn to open outside of Dublin and grows the company’s network of hotels in Ireland to six and more than 1,000 trading bedrooms. Across Ireland, Whitbread believes there is capacity for around 3,500 Premier Inn bedrooms and sees the new Cork opening as a springboard for further expansion across the country. Alongside further expansion across Dublin, the company has named Killarney, Limerick and Galway as locations it is particularly interested in securing locations. Matt Gent, development manager for Whitbread in Ireland, said: “We’ve grown a lot in the past 12 months in Ireland as we respond to an undersupply of budget hotel rooms in the country and positive trading figures from our established hotels in Dublin. The opening of our first Premier Inn outside of Dublin in Cork city is an important milestone for us and sets us up for further expansion in regional towns and cities across Ireland.” Whitbread operates four Premier Inn hotels in Dublin city centre as well a large hotel at Dublin airport. In December, Whitbread announced it had secured its first location in outer Dublin, at Sandyford Business Park.

G-A-Y nightclub group sees turnover and profit fall as cost-of-living crisis impacts consumer demand: The G-A-Y nightclub group has reported turnover fell to £10,987,727 for the year ending 30 April 2023 compared with £11,682,184 the previous year as the cost-of-living crisis impacted on consumer demand. Pre-tax profit fell to £698,986 from £2,529,171 the year before due to inflation and the rise in costs. At the end of the period, the group had cash at bank and in hand of £3,614,242 (2022: £3,889,068). Since the year end, and as previously reported, the company, owned by Jeremy Joseph, sold G-A-Y Late in London, leaving it operating G-A-Y Bar and Heaven in the capital. The company did not receive any government grants (2022: £131,140). Dividends of £552,812 were paid (2022: £700,509).

Apple Butter Cafe concept confirms second site plans: All-day-dining concept Apple Butter Cafe has confirmed it will open its second site in London, in Westminster. Owned by Qatar-based hospitality company Adara Group, Apple Butter Cafe launched its first site in London, in Monmouth Street, on the former Balans Soho Society site in Seven Dials, in 2020. As revealed by Propel last November, Apple Butter Cafe has secured a site at 4-5 Langham Place, near Oxford Circus, for an opening in March. The company said: “Differing from the Seven Dials flagship café, this new 75-cover site is poised to transform into a distinguished dining destination, spotlighting new lunch and dinner options.” Founded by brothers Saleh and Mohammad Alayan alongside Faycal Abdel Khalek, the concept offers “a signature blend of speciality coffee, gourmet delights and Middle Eastern-inspired desserts”. The Adara Group also operates a number of coffee shops in the Middle East. Zack Azulay, of Restaurant Property, acted on the Langham Place deal.

Brend Hotels forecasts positive results in 2024 but expects profit to be ‘significantly reduced’: Brend Hotels, which operates a portfolio of 11 three and four-star hotels in Devon and Cornwall, has forecast positive results in 2024 but expects it profit to be “significantly reduced”. The business, founded by Percy Brend in 1969 with the purchase of The Royal Hotel in Bideford, reported its revenue increased to £45,226,690 in the year to 31 March 2023 from £44,220,154 the previous year. Its pre-tax profit dropped from £6,110,765 to £1,354,879 as costs rose by almost £3m and administrative expenses by almost £2m. No government grants were received compared with £1,404,544 in 2022. No dividends were paid (2022: £2m). Managing director John Brend – one of six family members who serve as directors – said they are satisfied with the results as turnover “returned to slightly better than normal levels”. He added: “In respect of the year 2023-24, turnover is expected to be similar to last year. However, the mix of turnover has seen a drop in gross profit and again wage costs continue to rise. There has been some easing of the energy crisis, which will result in cost savings in 2023-24. The markets are expected to remain competitive in 2023-24. However, we remain confident that we will reach a similar level of turnover, although due to increased costs in wages, utilities and other costs, profit for the year will be significantly reduced for the year to 31 March 2024. The directors anticipate that due to the continued loyalty of our strong customer base and quality product, together with usual summer season demand, that we will maintain turnover at normal levels. Increased wage costs and other costs due to inflation will impact on profitability, but these should be offset by reduced energy costs and efficiencies.”

Story of the Day:

Industry News:

Company News: