Auntie Anne’s UK master franchisee sees ‘plenty of scope’ here, looking to open six stores in 2024 and add to regional locations: Pretzel business Auntie Anne’s UK master franchisee has told Propel it sees “plenty of scope” here and is looking to open six new stores in 2024 and add to its regional locations. Freshly Baked, which has operated the US brand here since 2008, saw out last year with 36 sites and signed a contract extension with parent company, Focus Brands, noting the “potential for 90 new stores” here. The first of these will see stores open on the south coast and in Surrey this year, as well as in Ireland, where it currently has three sites in Dublin. “We also have a further 15-20 sites under consideration,” managing director Max Burton told Propel. “Longer term, we see plenty of opportunity in the north west and north east of England, in Scotland and in both the Republic and Northern Ireland. We were delighted to extend our contract with Focus Brands as while there were a few years left, both partners wanted to secure a longer-term partnership. We can now see the runway ahead and there’s plenty of scope for Auntie Anne’s in the UK. Sales have grown year on year and our sweet products have become our highest seller, as opposed to the US, where it’s the more traditional salted pretzel.” When Freshly Baked took on the UK master franchise for Auntie Anne’s 15 years ago, the brand had already been operating here for four years and had four locations, three of which were company owned. “We franchised them, and we’re pleased to say those original sites are all still trading,” said Burton. “In October, our Cheltenham franchisee, one of the first stores in the UK, celebrates their 20th anniversary. It was my dad, Robert, who took the brand on after finding out about it through a friend of a friend. He had experience franchising with another US brand, Thrifty Car Rental, but food and beverage was a different direction for him. He has now stepped back and is semi-retired.” Propel revealed last month that Freshly Baked had branched out into a second brand after signing a deal to open three sites and then ultimately become the UK master franchisee for Dutch smashed burger business, Fat Phill’s. “We would never say never to taking on other brands, but we’re 100% focused on these two as there are such huge opportunities for both,” Burton added. Auntie Anne’s features in the Propel UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, which is an exhaustive guide to the companies offering a food and beverage franchise in the UK and is available exclusively to Premium Club members. The database is updated every two months and the latest version, sent out earlier this week, features 235 businesses. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Premium Club 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.

Sponsored message – Gong Cha England makes technology investment to drive UK growth: Gong Cha England and Redcat have announced that the fast-growing bubble tea chain will use Redcat's hospitality IT platform to underpin ambitious plans for UK expansion. Serving a range of authentic hot and cold tea containing its signature “bubble” tapioca pearls, Gong Cha operates 2,100 stores around the world and intends to grow significantly in the UK. It sees the opportunity to expand from its current 12 UK stores, to 16 by the end of 2024, and has an ambitious long-term goal of reaching 500 stores. Partnering with Redcat, Gong Cha England – the trading name of master England franchisee GC Tea – will have a suite of digital services to “enhance customer experience and run operations effectively across current and future stores”. Through one integrated platform, Gong Cha England will use Redcat’s point of sale, self-service kiosk, loyalty programme, mobile app, online ordering and integration with Just Eat, Uber Eats and Deliveroo. Future plans include adding Uber Direct and ordering food with Google. To find out more how Redcat’s technology can help your operations, click here. If you have a sponsored message you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

San Carlo MD Marcello Distefano to speak at first Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2024, open for bookings: Marcello Distefano, managing director of restaurant group San Carlo, will be among the speakers at the first Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2024. The conference takes place on Thursday, 21 March, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London’s Kensington, and is open for bookings. Distefano talks to Propel group editor Mark Wingett about building and evolving a premium casual-dining business both in the UK and internationally, combating volatile trading patterns and placing greater trust in his teams. Operators can book up to three free places per company while Premium Club members who are operators can book up to four free places. To book, email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.

 

Premium Club members to receive next Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book today: The next edition of the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book will be sent to Premium Club members today (Friday, 9 February), at midday. The 875 companies in the database are turning over a total of £63.2bn. A total of 576 companies are making a profit while 299 are making a loss. The profit being made by sector companies is now outstripping losses by £1.83bn. The Blue Book shows the total profit of the 875 companies in the list is £3,902,007,404 and losses are £2,071,816,733. 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 Club members 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. Members are also to be given access to the entire recording of the 2024 Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit Conference. Members will be sent 26 separate video presentations, featuring more than 60 speakers on Friday, 16 February, at 9am. Propel has evolved its Premium subscription offer by launching Premium Club. All circa 4,000 existing subscribers automatically became members. 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 Club 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 Premium Club for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or a supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

Sector operators targeted in cloning scam: Sector operators, including businesses owned by some of the UK’s best-known chefs, have been cloned as part of an emerging identity theft scam. BBC News reported that Heston Blumenthal, Yotam Ottolenghi and The Ritz have all been targeted by fraudsters, who then open bank accounts and apply for loans. More than 750 fake firms have been registered, often with misspelled names, in the last six weeks. Companies House has begun an investigation. The BBC has been given the first detailed data revealing the scam – which is causing a major headache for individuals and businesses ­– by fraud expert Graham Barrow. He said Companies House, the UK’s central registry of companies, is “not fit for purpose” and should carry out more checks. In many cases, “clone restaurants” have been registered with very similar names to real businesses, usually with a slight misspelling. In other cases, fraudsters have misspelled a restaurant’s address – such as “Zizzi Caambridge” – one character away from the Italian chain Zizzi in Cambridge. The scammers have to provide the identity of at least one director per registration, but it is likely they are using names obtained from social media profiles or via data leaks. “There’s been this rise of identity theft, and the requirement for all of us to provide bills, passports or a driving licence, even if you want to get a library ticket from your local council,” Barrow said. “Companies House requires none of that.” He said it was “scandalous” that the situation has been allowed to continue “without any intervention whatsoever”. Next month, the body will get new powers to tackle fraudulent registrations, but tougher checks will take longer to introduce. Yotam Ottolenghi’s restaurant business now also has a clone, “Ottolenghii”, again with an extra letter in the surname. Ottolenghi’s company told the BBC: “Anyone who infringes our intellectual property or attempts to cause confusion with our brand or profit from our reputation, will have robust action taken against them.”

The AA and VisitEngland launch modernised hospitality accreditation and compliance scheme: The AA and national tourism agency VisitEngland have launched a new, modernised hospitality accreditation and compliance scheme. It aims to simplify the current quality standards and introduces the new and free Visitor Ready scheme, which has been created “to make compliance accessible for all”. Businesses can check eligibility on the Visitor Ready website, upload evidence, confirm key requirements and finish the application in 20 minutes. Approved businesses get automatic reminders when documents need to be renewed as well as a digital badge for marketing purposes. These badges “represent a commitment to compliance with core standards” and “assure customers they have the necessary checks in place”. Simon Numphud, managing director at AA Media, said: “The Visitor Ready scheme represents a shift in how we approach accreditation. It’s free to industry and extends the scheme’s reach across the UK’s hospitality, leisure, and tourism sectors.” VisitEngland director Andrew Stokes added: “This modernisation puts the consumer at the centre of the schemes and follows extensive research and consultation with the industry. And the result ensures tourism businesses are supported now and, in the future, as they grow and boost local economies.”

CAMRA – action plan needed to save Scottish pubs from permanent closure: The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has said an action plan is needed to save pubs in Scotland from permanent closure following the Scottish government’s latest announcement on minimum unit pricing (MUP). Holyrood said it intends to increase the MUP for alcohol by 30% to 65p from 30 September. But while CAMRA said policies like MUP will encourage people to “drink in the regulated setting of the pub” instead of drinking cheaper supermarket alcohol at home, it fears uprating it won’t have enough of an impact on its own in safeguarding the future of Scotland’s pubs. CAMRA’s Scotland director, Stuart McMahon, said: “Sadly, the Scottish government doesn’t seem to understand the importance of protecting our local pubs as community meeting places and as a safe, regulated place to enjoy a pint with friends and family. We are calling on the Scottish government to bring forward an action plan to protect and promote pubs as a force for good in our society. CAMRA urgently wants to see a rethink on help for pubs with business rates, the closing of loopholes in the planning system that allow pubs to be demolished by developers without the need for planning permission and a commitment not to cripple valued local pubs and independent breweries by bringing back draconian measures to ban alcohol advertising and sponsorship.” 

CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker welcomes 100th partner: The CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker, a sales measurement service for managed out-of-home food and drink groups, has welcomed its 100th partner. The Tracker has provided expert weekly and monthly analysis of sales trends for more than 15 years and now collects sales data worth more than £14bn a year from well over 11,000 sites, becoming a definitive measure of the industry. The 100-partner milestone follows a surge in interest in the Tracker in recent years. Participation is free and data is supplied with complete confidentiality, with businesses receiving strategic sales intelligence that allows them to benchmark their performance against the general market. The Tracker is also widely used to assess hospitality sales and trends and provides breakdowns of trading in restaurants, pubs and bars. Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at CGA by NIQ, said: “The CGA by NIQ team are very proud to have reached the landmark of 100 partners on the CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker, which reinforces its position at the heart of hospitality.”

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a procurement organisation based in the north west of England that operates across various industries and is looking for a head of procurement. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “You will play a pivotal role in shaping and implementing the procurement strategy, optimising supplier relationships, and driving cost-efficiency across the organisation. It is looking for a visionary leader who can lead and inspire the procurement team to achieve its strategic objectives.” The salary is up to £80,000 and the position is based in Manchester. For more information, email mikey@corecruitment.com.

Five Guys appoints Marc Sherman as property director, lines up Leeds Trinity opening: Better burger brand Five Guys has appointed Marc Sherman, formerly of Boparan Restaurant Group and MOD Pizza, as its new UK property director, Propel understands. Sherman, who has been working as a consultant for the past five years, had a brief stint as head of acquisitions at Boparan after spending 15 months in the same role at MOD Pizza. Prior to that, he spent three years as a senior acquisitions manager at The Restaurant Group. His appointment comes after Neville Maling, who has been head of property at Five Guys UK since its launch, moved up to be property director for the wider business, which includes Germany, France, Spain and Portugal. The brand plans to open a further 15-20 sites in the UK this year. Propel understands that as part of its openings pipeline for this year it has secured the former Giraffe site at the Trinity scheme in Leeds. Five Guys is also set to open a site at Cardinal Park, Ipswich. Last June, John Eckbert, chief executive of Five Guys UK, told Propel the business sees scope for a further 150 sites here, and that a transport hub opening is the “last boundary that lies ahead” for the brand. Eckbert said the British business had “exceeded expectations” and is now looking at opening sites in airports and train stations.

Taiwan’s largest dessert franchise chain eyes UK debut: Taiwan’s largest dessert franchise chain, Taro Yuan, is eyeing a UK debut after expanding to three other countries. Founded by married couple Eason Liu and Becky Zheng and starting out as a stall cart in Dounan Market, Taro Yuan opened its first store in 2015 and has since grown to more than 200 stores in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia and the US. Its menu includes taro balls (traditional Taiwanese desserts made from root vegetables), mini taro balls, mini sweet potato balls, grass jelly and shaved ice. Taro Yuan exhibited at last week’s British & International Franchise Exhibition, held over two days at London Olympia, as it looks to expand its operations.

Big Table Group appoints Sarah Sculpher as marketing director: Big Table Group, the Epiris-backed operator of the Café Rouge, Bella Italia, Banana Tree and Las Iguanas brands, has appointed Sarah Sculpher, formerly of The Rank Group and Caesars Entertainment, as the new marketing director of its leisure division, Propel understands. Scuplher joins the business after three years as marketing director at the Rank Group-owned Grosvenor Casinos. Prior to that, she spent eight years as chief marketing officer at Caesars Entertainment. Last October, Wagamama-owner The Restaurant Group completed the sale of its leisure business, which includes Frankie & Benny’s and Chiquito, to Big Table Group. The deal comprised 75 sites and the associated restaurant management team and employees.

Pret relaunches same-day delivery service: Pret A Manger, the JAB Holdings-backed chain, has relaunched Pret Delivers, its same-day delivery service where “customers can receive lunch platters to their doorstep”. The service provides the only way to order platters from the brand, while all other Pret products are also available for breakfast and lunch, on both delivery and click and collect. Businesses can have platters sent directly to their office and can also benefit from free delivery and same-day lunchtime delivery. There is a minimum order value of £30 on all orders. A Pret spokesperson said: “We’re delighted to relaunch Pret Delivers for delicious breakfasts and lunches fresh from our kitchen to your door, offering same-day lunchtime delivery as well as click and collect.”

Costa Coffee opens first site in Belgium: Lagardère Travel Retail has opened its first Costa Coffee bricks-and-mortar site in Belgium, at Liège-Guillemins Station. The company is the largest Costa franchisee in Europe, overseeing a network of 186 stores in seven countries. These include Poland and Latvia, where the travel retailer became the exclusive franchisee for both countries last year. Lagardère Travel European vice-president for foodservice, Mélanie Guilldou, said: “I am delighted to see the evolution of our long-lasting collaboration with Costa Coffee, reaching new heights with the opening of our first Costa outlet in Belgium. This expansion into a new country is testament of our growth achieved over the past decade, solidifying Lagardère Travel Retail’s leading position among the global players in the foodservice landscape in travel retail.”

Wendy’s plans Merseyside drive-thru opening: Wendy’s, the third-largest quick service restaurant chain in the US, currently operating circa 30 sites in the UK, is planning to open a drive-thru site in Merseyside later this spring. Propel understands the brand is planning to open a site on the Academy Business Park, near Liverpool. Talking to Propel in December, Wendy’s UK & Europe managing director Michael Clarke said: “We see lots of opportunity for drive-thrus in the UK. Our aim is for an eventual 50-50 split of drive-thrus and in-line stores, and at the moment it’s about 80-20. Each time we have opened a new drive-thru we have broken the record for daily and weekly sales.” Earlier this week, Propel reported that Square Burger, which became Wendy’s first franchise partner when it relaunched in the UK in 2021, is looking to open a second site in Hull, having applied to open a site in an empty shop unit in Jameson Street. The business opened what was declared as the world’s largest Wendy’s, in Hull, in December, taking over the former site of Papas Fish & Chips at Kingswood Retail Park. It has now 

Chopstix strengthens partnership with Butlins: Fast-growing, quick service restaurant brand Chopstix is opening its second site with Butlin's, with a launch at the holiday park operator’s Minehead site. The location – Chopstix’s fifth new site this year – forms part of a broader £1.2m investment from Butlin’s to improve the food offer in the Boardwalk area of the resort. The Minehead launch follows a highly successful opening at Butlin’s Bognor Regis last summer, which has prompted the holiday operator to explore a future roll-out at its Skegness resort as well. Full management of the Minehead site will be overseen by Butlin’s, with all team members, including ten new hires, undergoing a full Chopstix induction. Sam Elia, co-founder of Chopstix, said: “We’re delighted to be extending our partnership with such an iconic resort operator in Butlin’s. The first six months of trading at Bognor Regis has shown how well Chopstix works with Butlin’s and its guests, so I have no doubt the Minehead location will deliver the same fantastic returns.” Craig Goodwin, Butlin’s Minehead resort director, added: “Following the success of Chopstix opening in Bognor Regis last year, we're delighted to be bringing even more choice to our guests in Minehead. We know our guests want quality and value, so I’m confident Chopstix is going to be really popular.”

Cheltenham restaurant group set to open eighth site: Cheltenham restaurant group JM Socials is set to open its eighth site and second in Oxford. Founded by long-time friends Jay Rahman and Michael Raphael, JM Socials operates six restaurants in Cheltenham plus the Bhoomi Kitchen in Oxford’s London Road. It will today (Friday, 9 February) open another Oxford venue, Dosa Darlings, at 56-60 Cowley Road. Dosa Darlings aims to “disrupt the perception of traditional Indian cuisine by offering south Indian-inspired small plates and a playful cocktail menu”, putting a contemporary twist on authentic Kerala cuisine. Raphel said: “We’re excited to open and offer Oxford a fun space where people can come together and enjoy something new. Inspired by the tastes of Kerala in south India, Dosa Darlings will take people on a unique culinary experience in a casual, welcoming setting. Indian restaurants can typically be thought of as a masculine space, so we wanted to challenge that notion by showcasing cultural dishes with a modern ‘sassy’ twist. The result is a place for enjoying the authentic tastes of south India while having fun and cocktails.” 

London Mexican bar and restaurant operator back up to two sites as it launches late-night concept: Mezcalito, a London Mexican bar and restaurant specialising in tacos, quesadillas and burritos, is back up to two sites after launching a late-night concept in South Kensington. Mezcalito was launched in Chelsea’s Sydney Street five years ago by real life partners Oliver Castilla-Tristan and Laura Geas, who then opened a second site, at 63 Newington Green in Highbury, in May 2022. That site is now listed as permanently closed, but a new location has now opened in the former Eclipse cocktail bar and club at 158 Old Brompton Road. The 40-cover venue offers a cocktail bar on the ground floor and a boutique nightclub in the basement with a VIP area. Tacos and quesadillas are available in an array of flavours – including the Mexico City Al Pastor Tacos (slow-cooked achiote-marinated pork, roasted pineapple, onion, coriander and salsa verde) and the Baja California Fish Tacos (beer-battered sea bass, cabbage, pickled carrots, chives and chipotle mayo) – while dessert options include blood orange sorbet infused with tequila. Castilla-Tristan said: “It was always a dream to open a nightlife venue in our neighbourhood that not only celebrates Mexican heritage, but also offers a premium and vibrant experience for locals. Guests of Mezcalito Chelsea have been asking for a late-night haunt with our vibes and service and we have answered.”

Loungers secures approval for rooms above Llandudno site: Café bar operator Loungers has secured approval for plans to add bedrooms above its site in Llandudno, North Wales. It will see the retail, storage and staff space above the Ormo Lounge in Gloddaeth Street become a hotel. The first and second floors will be converted into a ten-bedroom hotel operated in conjunction with the restaurant, which opened last year. The Nick Collins-led business opened its first Lounge with bedrooms, the Albero Lounge, which overlooks the River Ouse in Bedford, in 2019. Loungers chairman Alex Reilley told Propel last year: “It is a site-specific thing where we have got lots of space to the upper floors, and think it’s worth considering, which clearly Llandudno is. We’re looking at another couple of locations also.” It comes as the business opened two new Lounge sites this week. On Monday (5 February) it opened Verraco Lounge in Bromsgrove, and followed it with the opening of Pontio Lounge in Chepstow – its 213 Lounge and 252nd site overall.

Arc Inspirations and ETM Group become official UK sports bar partners for the 2024 NFL season: The NFL has announced Arc Inspirations, ETM Group and Regional Taverns as official UK sports bar partners for the 2024 season. ETM Sports Pubs & Kitchens will serve as the home of NFL hospitality in London; Arc Inspirations and its Box venues will do the same in the Midlands and the north of England; and Regional Taverns, the joint venture between ETM and St Austell Brewery, and the operator of Ludo Sports Bar & Kitchen in Bath, will be the NFL partner in the south west. Kicking off the partnership is the Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday (11 February) in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium, where 12 venues will host official Super Bowl LVIII watch parties. The partnership continues to cover the entire 2024 NFL season, set to commence on 5 September with the defending Super Bowl LVIII champion hosting the NFL kick-off game. 

Selina’s London Hotel closed due to missed rent payment: Global hospitality group Selina has had its sole hotel in London closed after the landlord repossessed the property. The Skift reported that a note dated 4 February said the property had been repossessed and the building’s locks had been changed. The hotel on 88-89 Chalk Farm Road opened in May 2021. The owner of the property is Rose Two, which operates Rose Pubs and is a subsidiary of Solitaire Restaurants Holdings. Rose Two had sent a letter to Selina saying that it had failed to pay its quarterly rent and tax of £180,000 due at Christmas or to meet a subsequent extension to 1 February. “This unforeseen situation has prompted immediate action,” a Selina spokesperson told Skift. “We are proactively reaching out to all impacted guests. We are firmly committed to minimising any disruption and actively working towards a resolution that addresses all booking concerns in a timely and comprehensive manner. We understand the concerns regarding the situation at our Camden hotel. We are currently engaged in a comprehensive evaluation of the situation and are taking necessary actions in response to the landlord’s recent actions.”

Scottish hotel business sees turnover grow but slight fall in profit: Scottish hotel business Milton Hotels, which operates the Best Western Palace Milton Hotel in Inverness, saw its turnover grow but profit fall slightly in the year to 31 March 2023. Its turnover grew from £4,575,100 in 2022 to £5,843,817 while its pre-tax profit fell from £1,479,262 to £1,293,613. Dividends of £500,000 were paid (2022: £800,000). The family business was founded after the Second World War when William Milton acquired the West End Hotel in Fort William, which he later sold to fund the purchase of the Milton Hotel in the same town. The Alexandra Milton in Fort William and the Caledonian Milton Hotel in Oban followed in the 1970s, along with the Palace Hotel in Inverness, which later became the Best Western Inverness Palace Milton Hotel & Spa. The Golden Lion Milton in Stirling and Glasgow Milton Hotel and Leisure Club followed in 1991 and 2001 respectively, before a change of direction in 2002 saw the business sell all but its Inverness location, on which it is now fully focused.

Premier League club reveals plans for city centre fine dining restaurant: Premier League club Nottingham Forest has revealed plans to open a fine dining restaurant in the city. The club has lodged a licensing application with Rushcliffe Borough Council for the former Hart’s restaurant in Standard Hill, reports The Business Desk. The venue has been closed since 2019 after owner Tim Hart revealed plans to downsize his hospitality operation, which also includes the adjacent Hart’s Hotel. A statement accompanying the application read: “Nottingham Forest FC are in the process of acquiring the former Hart’s restaurant with the intention of reopening the restaurant. The primary purpose of the restaurant will be to offer a high-quality dining experience along the lines of what was on offer when the restaurant traded previously.” The plans include a venue on the ground floor that will include a private dining room – Hart’s originally had spaces for 80 covers downstairs. In December, Forest unveiled plans for 20 hospitality pods, which would be added to the open corners at the Trent End of their ground. The pods, which would essentially be shipping containers stacked on top of each other, would house 180 people over five storeys.

London hotel and real estate business acquires historic Banbury venue: London-based Tulip Hotels and Real Estate has acquired historic Banbury venue, the Whately Hall Hotel. Dating to 1677, the hotel has many original features such as stone passages, priests’ holes and a wooden staircase, as well as Berkeley’s Bar and Restaurant and 69 en-suite rooms. The hotel will be managed by Countrywide Hotels, reports Insider Media. Tulip also owns the grade I-listed Warbook House Heritage Hotel in Hook, Hampshire and London aparthotel Orchard Apartments, alongside a residential, real estate and serviced rooms portfolio.

Sheffield operators set to open second site: Sheffield operators Alice Cassinelli and Stuart Broomhead are set to open a second venue. The duo, who own Dysh Coffee & Kitchen in Ecclesall Road, are preparing to take over Raffina Fox Valley in Stocksbridge, a town to the north west of the city, reports Insider Media. Following a refurbishment, Raffina Fox Valley will reopen at the end of February under the management of Dysh, which is aiming to enhance the offering by introducing new food options and appointing a dedicated chef to expand the menu selection, with a particular focus on breakfast and brunch. Cassinelli, a Michelin-trained chef, said: “We’re thrilled to be expanding to Fox Valley and sharing our passion for great food and service with the local community.” Mark Ross, owner of Raffina Fox Valley, added: “I’m delighted to welcome Dysh as the new operator of Raffina. We are certain our loyal regulars and new customers will love its offering.”

New all-day dining restaurant to open at London’s Hotel Saint: A new all-day dining restaurant is set to open at Hotel Saint in the City of London. The Cardinal Bar and Kitchen will open this spring at the hotel, located at 9 Aldgate Street, offering 40-50 covers and an additional 40 on an outside terrace in warmer months. Dishes will include steak frites and olive oil poached salmon served with fennel-green apple salad; steamed mussels with crispy shallots; and stracciatella with slow roasted tomatoes, hazelnut dukkah and garlic toast. A dedicated bar will serve beer, wine and a signature cocktail menu with variations on old school classics. Hotel Saint was launched in March 2023, by hotel investment and management business Highgate, on the site of the former Dorsett City London, featuring 267 rooms over 14 floors.

Cornwall pizza restaurant opens second site: Cornwall pizza restaurant Pizza Jockeys has opened a second site. It has opened at Wesley Yard, Newquay, joining its Falmouth branch, which opened in January 2023, and previous seasonal pop-ups in Newquay. The site offers sourdough pizza as well as cocktails, mocktails, wine and soft drinks, plus eight draught beers and ale from Cornish breweries including Jubel, Newquay Brewing Project and Goodh Brewery. Pizza Jockeys owner Becky Bane told Insider Media: “Newquay was our first location when we started in lockdown, and it’s always been our dream to be back here permanently. It feels incredible to finally be back in our home town, with the added bonus of some outside space too. We’ve got exciting plans for the spot, including a few additions to the menu and a bill of live music.”

New owners plan hotel above JD Wetherspoon in iconic Blackpool building: The new owners of an iconic Blackpool building have outlined their vision to turn the upper floor, which sits above a JD Wetherspoon pub, into a hotel. ALB Group, based in Nottingham, has acquired the Pricebusters building in Bank Hey Street, which sits next to the Blackpool Tower. The developer is now hoping to secure a hotel chain to take over the upper floor. ALB managing director Arran Bailey said: “The old Pricebusters building is without a doubt one of the most iconic buildings in Blackpool. By taking over this unit, we hope that a hotel chain will be encouraged to occupy the top floors. It would be the ideal location for a hotelier.”