D&D London – progress has been ‘encouraging’ but transformational projects currently taking place will be ‘key to our long-term success’: Simon Wilkinson, director at D&D London, which owns and operates circa 30 restaurants across the UK and internationally, has told Propel that after four months under the new ownership of Calveton and Breal Group, progress has been “encouraging”. However, he said the business has many transformational projects currently taking place that will be “key to our long-term success”. Wilkinson, the former chief executive of Byron and La Tasca, said that the vision is to establish D&D as the “market leading premium dining business in the UK and beyond”. He said: “The financial model of the company was not sustainable, so we have reduced the support office cost base substantially. However, in certain areas, such as digital marketing, we have increased overhead. We have market-leading locations and we need to shout about them more and reach a wider audience of potential guests. We also need to get a lot closer to our current guests so a revamp of the D&D Loyalty Club scheme is a priority. The consumer is constantly looking for new experiences and innovation – we need to be at the forefront of that for the premium dining market.” Wilkinson said that the plan is to complete all the behind-the-scenes transformational projects by the end of the summer. He said: “We would hope to have completed our first-year investment programme within the core estate and be ready to kick-off more projects at the start of year two. In terms of growth and expansion, we are constantly looking at acquisitions and opportunities, but there is no time frame on that, as it is about the right opportunity. Our international business is trading very well and we are currently exploring opportunities in those cities. [Chief executive] David [Leowi] over the years has developed some great concepts such as German Gymnasium, Quaglinos, Madisons and 14 Hills to name a few. Why should there not be one of those in major cities around the world? Our priority in year one is to fix and stabilise the UK business. Historically the business expanded at the expense of the like-for-like estate, we won't make that mistake. However, we can't control the timing of new opportunities so we are ready should any present themselves. It is an exciting time for D&D London, but it is also a tough economic environment, so we know we need to be agile and realistic. We need to work hard, implement faster and be one step ahead of the competition.” A full interview with Wilkinson will appear in today’s (Friday, 8 March) Premium Club Opinion, which will be sent to members at 5pm. This week’s column will also include a piece by Emma Woods, chair of Tortilla, for International Women’s Day, on how male business leaders can help champion women in the sector. A 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 supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

Propel launches Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference, open for bookings with 20% discount on tickets for Premium Club members: Propel is launching the Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference. The all-day conference takes place on Tuesday, 14 May at One Moorgate Place in London and is open for bookings. Tickets are £295 plus VAT for operators and £395 plus VAT for suppliers. There is a 20% discount for operators and suppliers who are Premium Club members. Email: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to book places. Speakers will include Stephen Owens, managing director – pubs and restaurants at Christie & Co, who will set the scene for the market, with an update on sector valuations, price expectations, market sentiment, who the buyers and sellers are, and what’s in store for the year ahead. Mark Bentley, business development director at HDI, will talk about the areas where the pub sector is and has been performing strongly and where the opportunities are for the sector to drive growth. Jonathan Lawson, chief executive of Liberation Group, will discuss how the award-winning business has maintained its high standards while continuing to grow its mainland estate, the development of its bedrooms business as it targets a 700-bedrooms division, and the integration of the Cirrus Inns business, including its entry into the London market. Oisin Rogers will talk about the creation and running of The Devonshire, the Soho pub that incorporates a three-metre-long bespoke wood ember grill, the first of its kind in the UK; an on-site aging chamber that is the biggest in central London; its own bakery; three dining rooms; and the extraordinary lengths it has gone to in order to deliver the perfect pint of Guinness. Peter Borg-Neal, founder of the Oakman Group, will talk about maintaining the company’s award-winning standards against the backdrop of a volatile trading environment, his return as chief executive and how the sector must remain agile and respond quickly to the extraneous pressures it is facing. Susan Chappell, divisional director at Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), who is responsible for the All Bar One, Browns, Nicholson’s and Castle estates, which have an annual turnover of £500m, will highlight how M&B is evolving its business to stay abreast of trends in digital, delivery and premiumisation, and how its business transformational programme Ignite is delivering ongoing improvements. Andy Spencer, chief operating officer, and Robin Belither, managing director at Punch Pubs & Co, will talk about building the company’s managed partnerships division from scratch, the journey the division has been on, its successes, learnings and what comes next. James Brown, managing director of BrewDog Bars, will discuss building temples to craft beer in the UK and internationally, evolving the group’s model and its approach to hiring, training and retaining staff. Chris Stagg, who heads up the Revolution Bars Group-owned Peach Pubs, will speak about evolving and growing the business under new ownership, standing out in the premium pub market, and creating an award-winning culture. Phil Turner, managing director of Chestnut Inns, will talk about creating sustainable rural managed pubs and diversifying the business, such as acquiring a wine merchant, as part of its growth strategy. Meanwhile, Stonegate Group chief commercial officer Melissa Wisdom, Shepherd Neame managing director Jonathon Swaine, Greene King managing director Clair Preston-Beer, City Pub Group founder Clive Watson and sector investor Luke Johnson will talk about the challenge the sector faces in ensuring it maximises the performance of its pub assets in an era of declining alcohol sales.

Next edition of Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book to be sent to Premium Club members today: The next edition of the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book will be sent to Premium Club members today (Friday, 8 March), at midday. The 888 companies in the database are turning over a total of £64.5bn. A total of 582 companies are making a profit while 306 are making a loss. The profit being made by sector companies is now outstripping losses by £1.84bn. The Blue Book shows the total profit of the 888 companies in the list is £3,952,899,398 and losses are £2,115,273,329. 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, produced in association with Virgate; 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 Hospitality. All Premium Clubs members will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to five 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 that are Premium Club members 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 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 supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

Kate Nicholls – still plenty of work to be done for equality within hospitality: UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls has argued that while great strides have been taken, there is still plenty of work to be done to truly achieve equality within hospitality. Writing in Propel’s International Women’s Day Friday Opinion, Nicholls said it is a source of pride that workplace flexibility today makes it easier for employees to balance work and family commitments, and that a third of all board positions in the sector are held by women. “As a sector, we have worked diligently to create and foster environments that empower women, and there’s much to be proud of,” she said. “However, there is still work to be done. While all these milestone efforts are important for female progression in the sector, what’s clear is the work that lies ahead to truly champion inclusion. We have collectively made great progress but there is no escaping the fact that we need to keep up the momentum and, if anything, work even harder.” You can read more from Nicholls in her column for Propel’s International Women’s Day Friday Opinion, which will be sent at 11am today (Friday, 8 March).

EU to ban sauce sachets in restaurants by 2030, calls for UK to follow suit: Sachets of sauce will be banned from European restaurants after a deal was struck to ban single-use plastics in the EU. Belgium, negotiating on behalf of EU member states, reached provisional agreement with the European Parliament on the law to cut packaging waste. Negotiators agreed on packaging waste reduction targets of 5% by 2030 and 15% by 2040, with a commitment that all packaging should be recyclable by 2030. The targets will not apply to very small businesses, reports The Telegraph. From 1 January 2030, restaurants will be banned from offering sauces such as ketchup and mayonnaise in plastic sachets, unless they are takeaways. The ban will also apply to single-use plastic items such as disposable plates, cups and boxes used by fast food restaurants, and lightweight bags, such as those offered in markets for groceries. The agreement still needs approval from the European Parliament and EU governments. A UK ban on some single-use plastics came into force in October last year. It banned, among other items, single-use plastic cutlery, polystyrene cups and food containers in England. As things stand, the EU ban goes further and covers more items. The European legislation will apply in Northern Ireland. Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet, which campaigns to reduce plastic waste, said her organisation was celebrating the EU ban and added: “Now we call on the UK government to replicate this move in Britain.” Paula Chin, senior policy adviser at WWF UK, added: “The UK does have some single-use plastic bans in place, but overall progress is slower than the EU. We want to see more ambitious legislation to drive greater waste prevention.”

‘Industry-first’ recruitment trials secure workforce for Moma Group’s new London restaurant: Moma Group, the French hospitality company, is pioneering a new method of recruiting its team for its new London restaurant – by forgoing the traditional CV and interview process in favour of trial shifts. The company is set to launch the first international outpost for its Mediterranean concept, Mimosa, at The Langham in April, taking the space once occupied by Roux at The Landau. The initiative, which is believed to be an industry first, saw candidates take part in trial shifts recreating a live restaurant environment during a dinner service for 80 guests at Westminster Kingsway College and led to 35 members of staff being recruited from the event in roles from kitchen and bar staff to front of house. A total of 80 candidates took part in the trial shifts, and were observed and interviewed by management staff from Mimosa, and received comprehensive feedback from the guests they served during the shift, which helped determine the final hiring decisions. The initiative was run as part of Westminster Works, a scheme funded by Westminster City Council, developed in partnership by recruitment company Step Ahead; business management consultant New West End Company; Knightsbridge Partnership, which is the business improvement district for the area; and AttisTowns, which helps high streets “evolve and become more robust”. Célia Sesma, HR and administrative co-ordinator UK for Moma Group, said: “We were really happy about the response of the candidates and guests. It was great to get out of our comfort zone and we are keen to recruit on talent and attitude evidenced through trials. It really helps us to see the potential beyond a CV.”

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a Japanese restaurant in the heart of London that is looking for an executive chef. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “You will lead the culinary team to deliver excellence in authentic Japanese cuisine. The business is seeking a highly specialised chef with extensive knowledge in Japanese high-level dining.” The salary is up to £120,000 and the position is based in central London. For more information, email ryan@corecruitment.com. 

Exclusive – Mary Brown’s Chicken aiming to have first UK mainland site open this summer and estate of ten here by end of 2024, ‘no reason why it can’t be bigger than in Canada’:  Canadian quick service restaurant brand Mary Brown’s Chicken, known as MB Chicken internationally, has told Propel it is aiming to have its first UK mainland site open by the summer, with plans to have a ten-strong estate by the end of 2024. In the long term, the business also sees “no reason why it can’t be bigger here than in Canada,” where it currently has approximately 250 restaurants, with the potential to reach more than 500 locations. Founded in 1969, Mary Brown’s Chicken opened its first UK site – also its overseas debut – earlier this month with the launch of a store in Lisburn Leisure Park in Northern Ireland. “We’re also working with a multi-unit partner who has 30 units with other brands to open our sites in London and the south,” Dylan Powell, MB Chicken’s vice-president of international development, told Propel. “We have secured a location in Southampton and have offers on sites in Stratford, Central London, Dublin and Leicester. Our goal is to grow in clusters with experienced food and beverage operators and we’re hoping to have our first franchise store on the UK mainland – ideally in London – open by the summer. We’re also planning to have ten stores open across the UK in 2024, anchored by four in Northern Ireland. In Canada, we think we can hit 500 stores, and there’s no reason, looking at populations and demographics, why we can’t go that big or even bigger here in the long term – growing as quickly as we can but in a sustainable way and with the right partners.” The brand’s next overseas launch will be in Mexico in May, followed by Pakistan and India over the next year. However, Powell said the brand saw Northern Ireland as the perfect place for an international launchpad. “We were looking at overseas expansion before the pandemic, but we had to retrench before coming back to it,” he said. “The benefit of starting our overseas expansion in Northern Ireland is the availability of real estate, whereas securing sites in cities like London and Birmingham can become a bit of a blood sport. We also have a fantastic market entry partner in Northern Ireland, which is why we’re starting construction on our second site there in Belfast’s Odyssey Arena.” Mary Brown’s original founders, Pat Tarrant and Cyril Fleming, were forced to rename their establishment from Golden Skillet early on due to legal reasons. It is named after the wife of Golden Skillet founder Clifton W Guthrie, who is said to have created the brand’s recipe for fried chicken.

QSR pasta concept Guido’s eyes 20 to 30-strong London estate: Quick service restaurant pasta concept Guido’s is targeting an estate of 20 to 30 sites in London, after securing two new sites in Camden. Launched by Guido Oselladore in 2016, the business currently operates three sites in Chancery Lane, Fetter Lane and Kingsway. The first two are takeaway sites, with the latter, which opened last month, the group’s first site with seating. It is also the company’s first location that is open in the afternoons until 7.30pm. The business has now signed up to open two takeaway sites in Camden – one in the West Yard and another in the Hawley Wharf development, which will open mid-to-late April. Pre-covid it also operated a site in Soho. Oselladore told Propel: “The beauty of our business model is that it can adapt to several different locations, but for the time being it is safer to stick with smaller sites. Mainly, we've been trading Monday to Friday just over lunch. We are a quick service restaurant, a high-end Italian fast-food concept. We mainly serve pasta dishes, but in the future, as the business expands and grows into several locations of different sizes, we will look to introduce other Italian products.” The company is currently backed by family and friends, but had been speaking with venture capitalist funds prior to covid. Oselladore said: “We were still of a size that didn't make sense for them to invest in us. There might be another round of family and friends or a small company investing in us by the end of the year, but we're still in very early talks. The idea is to open more restaurants in London. Having seen the three sites (Kingsway, Chancery Lane and Fetter Lane) work next to each other, all of them full all the time, then it means we can even open 20 or 30 locations in London. Ideally, we would like them to be the size of our Kingsway site or slightly bigger. We would also love to try and get into airports and train stations. We are also looking to open in Stockholm and Dublin because we have some strong local partners there. There is nothing, as far as we know, like us – a quick service restaurant with a high-end product.”

NQ64 – we have traded well over the past six weeks, two sites in legals: Andy Haygarth, co-founder of NQ64, the immersive retro arcade bar concept, has told Propel that the 12-strong business has “traded well” over the past six weeks, as it reported full-year turnover of just over £13m. Haygarth said: “We had a record-breaking December, a tough January, as expected, and have traded well in February and March. We've got sites in Leeds and Nottingham in legals and expect to open both of them this year.” For the year to 28 February 2023, the business reported turnover of £13,065,061 (2022: £6,614,376). Ebitda stood at £3.5m after adjusting for exceptional items of £1.2m relating to pre-opening costs of new sites and the costs incurred in raising £2.5m of bank funding. It reported a pre-tax profit of £1,519,168 for the year (2022: £1,443,855). The company opened three new sites during the year, in Glasgow, Soho and Newcastle. The company said: “The board is pleased to report that all three locations are trading ahead of their pre-investment expectations. The profit after taxation for the year ended 28 February 2023 was £1.2m (2022: £1.1m). The group continues to pursue its strategy to expand across the UK. At the time of filing the financial statements, the group operated 12 venues in the UK after openings in Manchester, Shoreditch and Bristol. The group continues to plan expansion in the coming years and has several sites with deals agreed for 2024. The industry continues to face significant inflationary cost pressures across drink, wages and energy cost lines. The group has agreed distribution deals with drinks suppliers and energy costs have been fixed until June 2024.”

Fireaway plans to enter forecourt market with a new express format: Fast pizza brand Fireaway, the Mario Aleppo-led business, is planning to enter the petrol forecourt market with a new kiosk express format, Propel has learned. Fireaway, which has circa 170 sites, expects its first site under the new format to go live near Gravesend, in Kent, by the end of April, as it looks to make a concerted push into the forecourt sector. It comes as the business has sites under construction in three new territories – Turkey, Portugal and Dubai, which will be completed within the next four to eight weeks. In January the company overfunded on its £500,000 crowdfunding campaign to expand its central operations and brand reach and enhance its technology platform. It raised circa £510,000 from more than 800 investors. They had been offered 2.47% equity in return for the investment, giving the business a pre-money valuation of £20,049,056. The business said. “All funds will be invested in growing our business and generating additional value for investors. 2024 is set to be another bumper year for Fireaway as we continue to open new stores, both locally and globally, as well as innovate our menu and tech stack, all in the aim of customer satisfaction and growth.” Propel understands that Fireaway, which was launched in south London in 2017, plans to open a further 30 sites this year. The brand secured investment from six new backers in October 2022 and plans to have 500 sites within the next five years.

Gail’s to open first site in south west: Fast-growing Gail’s Bakery is to make its debut in the south west, with an opening in Bristol. The circa 125-strong company, which made its debut in the north west last year with a number of openings in and around Manchester, plans to open at 14 Regent Street, in the Clifton Village area of Bristol. Last year, Marta Pogroszewska, managing director of Gail’s, said data suggested there are 300 to 500 places that the “brand could fit”. Speaking at Lunch! 2023, Pogroszewska said the business had opened 30 sites in its last financial year to the end of March 2023, and had opened another ten since. She said: “We have a few more sites in the build stage and hope to open another 30 sites in total in this current financial year. Opening new sites has become second nature to us, and we are opening a new site on average every two weeks. We try to learn from every shop opening so we can evolve further. We get loads of emails and messages from people asking us to come and open in their towns, which is encouraging for us in terms of further expansion. We recently did some research on white space in the UK, and the data suggests that there are 300-500 places that our business could go into. Not to say we will, but that’s the potential. There are also other models we could explore. There is a good run in the UK ahead of us and a high demand for what we do.” 

Spider Entertainment plans to launch its own immersive entertainment venue in Manchester: Spider Entertainment, which provides design/build and operations management services for immersive entertainment venues, is planning to launch its own concept later this year, in Manchester. The company, which is led by Rob Hetherington and has worked with the likes of Merlin Entertainment and Kidzania, is planning to launch a new immersive concept called Spider Box. Propel understands that the business was previously eyeing an opening in Holborn, London, but has now applied to open in The Printworks scheme in Manchester. 

Chaiiwala set to make airport debut as London Luton looks to explore ‘enhanced dine-in experiences’ and pre-orders: Indian street food franchise Chaiiwala is set to make its airport debut this summer. The business – which passed the 100-site mark globally at the end of 2023 with an opening in Brantford, Canada – will open a unit at London Luton airport. It won’t be the first time the airport has broken new ground. Last summer, speciality coffee shop operator Black Sheep Coffee made its airport debut there too. It comes as London Luton said it is looking to reach beyond traditional airport food and beverage options and explore “enhanced dine-in experiences” as well as options for pre-ordering. “We proved during the post-covid recovery that there is appetite for the dine-in experience rather than simply functional eating options,” London Luton’s head of retail and surface access Mark Jennings told The Moodie Davitt Report. “We were well stocked previously with sandwich grab and go-style offers and we saw that people spent £9-£10 in a transaction, but that was the ceiling. Once you offer a sit-down menu and chance to relax and order a second drink or add to your meal, that figure can easily climb to £17-£18 on average. Part of our strategy is to have a range of products and price points so people can grab and go to take food onboard or sit down and have a meal. We are looking at dialling down the grab and go offer in exchange for enhanced dine-in options where it makes sense. There is always demand for the cooked breakfast, the fish and chips, the pint of beer, but where does it go next? How do you innovate with specific areas in the bar to lift transaction values? Something else we have not cracked yet is pre-order food. Our guests order delivery all the time from home, but ordering ahead of the airport journey is still alien behaviour for many.” The extension of airside food and beverage styles and formats led to the recent introduction of Italian-style outlet Nolito, complemented by the Smithfield Bar across the concourse. Another ambitious project will see the conversion of a former Frankie & Benny’s run by The Restaurant Group (TRG) Concessions into a split-level American-style diner and loft bar named Sanford’s, developed just for the airport. It involves a combined £8m investment from the airport shareholders and TRG, with capacity for 500 guests. The 900 square-metre space will be handed over to the operator for fitout in June, with opening slated for early December. “Frankie & Benny’s served us well, but the offer needed refreshing, and that family market is an important one for us,” said Jennings. “We wanted to grow food and beverage, and we are working closely with TRG from the design to the menu. It’s a statement location and reflects our shareholder view that experiences will shape the future at airports.”

 

Haven set to hire 10,000 new employees following 7% year-on-year increase in bookings for 2024: Holiday park operator Haven has launched a recruitment drive with 10,000 job opportunities, to support a 7% year-on-year increase in bookings for 2024 so far. New full and part-time positions will be available at each of Haven’s 41 UK parks, which reopen their doors in March, in roles spanning including activities and leisure, food and beverage and accommodation services. An additional 200 pitches are also being introduced across Haven parks this year to meet rising demand. Head of talent acquisition, Nola Ferguson, said: “This exciting phase of growth presents a fantastic opportunity for talented individuals to become a part of our dynamic team. As we gear up for yet another busy season, we want to hear from applicants interested in contributing to the success of our award-winning team, whether that be in a seasonal role or those aspiring to build a lasting career with Haven.” The company, which has more than 16,000 team members, invested more than £170m into its parks in 2023, including new activities and entertainment facilities such as adventure villages and show bars. This year, a £4m investment is being made to expand Haven’s food and beverage offering in, including the opening of a first JD Wetherspoon pub at a UK holiday park today (Friday, 8 March). Managing director Simon Palethorpe told Propel last year that Haven is also looking to roll out more Chopstix and Slim Chickens sites at its holiday parks, as well as possibly introducing new brands.

Monterey Jack’s set to make English debut in 2024: Scotland-based, American-style restaurant Monterey Jack’s is set to make its debut in England in 2024. The company, named after 19th century cheese smuggler “Mad” Jack Wyatt, currently has nine locations across Scotland. A banner on its website promoting new locations “coming in 2024” now lists London, Manchester and Newcastle. It also mentions two new Scottish sites, in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, although none of the exact locations have been revealed yet. In March last year, Monterey Jack’s opened its largest restaurant to date, set over 4,000 square feet. The £250,000, 250-cover restaurant opened at the M&D’s Scotland Theme Park in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, which borders Strathclyde Country Park. In its first three months, the site increased its footfall eight-fold on the previous restaurant there – run by a family who then became Monterey Jack’s franchisees. The owners found that guests were coming to the restaurant, which features immersive aspects such as soft play and bowling with a Wild West theme, as a destination within itself rather than attracting just park users.

Bournemouth better chicken concept launches franchise waiting list as it reports ‘positive’ start to 2024: Bournemouth better chicken concept Chicken & Blues has launched a franchise waiting list after fielding “hundreds of enquiries” over the last few years from potential partners across the UK. The quick-serve concept, which opened its third location in 2023, in Christchurch, alongside a food truck, has posted like-for-like site level revenue growth every year for the last ten years. Co-founder Joshua Simons said: “It’s been a positive start to 2024. We’ve been working closely with agents over the last six months to formalise the Chicken & Blues system as a franchise opportunity and are now opening up a centralised waiting list for interested parties. The group is trading ahead of projections, with record revenue days and weeks achieved in February. With the recent successful breakfast trial at our Poole restaurant, we’re excited about where Chicken & Blues is headed, and feel the time is right to engage with potential franchisees.” Chicken & Blues is looking for restaurants, takeaways, hybrids or express kiosks ranging from 800 to 2,500 square feet. Franchisees will give around 9% of net sales for royalties and marketing, while the franchise fee will be approximately £15,000 per unit, with a three-unit minimum. Franchisees will also need £500,000 liquid capital available for investment and be ready to begin development within the next 12 months. Chicken & Blues is targeting locations in Southampton, Portsmouth, Winchester, Weymouth, Salisbury, Brighton, Bath and Bristol and will assist with finding the right locations. Its other current restaurants are in Bournemouth and Christchurch.

Loungers eyes opening in Totnes: Cafe bar operator Loungers is set to open a site in Totnes, Devon. The company is looking to open the venue in the former Eversfields Organic farm shop and cafe in The Plains, which closed last September “due to challenging high street conditions and rising costs”. A spokesperson for Loungers told Devon Live: “We know Totnes well. It is a super area and we are hoping to open a Lounge in the town later this year creating between 30 to 40 jobs.” Loungers has applied to South Hams District Council for a licence to sell alcohol daily on and off the premises from 10am to 12am. In January, Loungers executive chairman Alex Reilley said it feels like the business, which also operates Cosy Club and roadside diner concept Brightside, is only just getting started and “there is so much more for us to go after”, as the company opened its 250th site in total. He said: “We’re on track to open 34 sites in the current financial year, which will be a record for us and will involve the creation of more than 1,000 jobs. In the longer term, we believe there is scope for more than 600 Lounges alone across the UK.”

South Wales McDonald’s franchisee acquires 17th restaurant: South Wales McDonald’s franchisee Lonetree has acquired its 17th restaurant. The business, led by managing director Ronald Mounsey, has added a new drive-thru in Milford Haven to his estate in the region. “Please join me in congratulating one of our franchisees, Ron Mounsey, on his recent expansion into a new restaurant,” said Ffion Williams, franchisee attraction partner at McDonald’s. “Ron has opened a new drive-thru restaurant in Milford Haven, making this Ron’s 17th restaurant in Wales. The successful opening is a testament to the dedication and preparation Ron and the team have undertaken during the past few months. Ron has established great community connections in Wales, and last week was no different in Milford Haven as he welcomed the Port Authority and local school children for lunch.” Mounsey became a McDonald’s franchisee in 1998 following a career in dairy farming in the north west and South Wales, opening his first restaurant in Carmarthen. He still lives on his farm in Carmarthen with wife, Gayle, but it’s no longer a working farm. 

 

Hotel Football reports record turnover and guest numbers, including busiest day yet: Manchester’s Hotel Football, co-founded by former Manchester United players Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville, reported record turnover and welcomed a record number of guests last year. The venue reported more than 52,400 guests staying in the 12 months to December 2023, up from 48,760 in 2022. The hotel also experienced its busiest day on record on 23 February 2023, as Manchester United welcomed Barcelona FC to Old Trafford, while overall room rate and occupancy grew by 18% and 10%, respectively, year-on-year. Hotel Football also reported its highest turnover on record since opening in 2015, with revenue growth of £1.2m year-on-year, due to increased demand. Nearly 300 events were held at the hotel in the year, catering to more than 18,600 delegates. Chris Hull, general manager at Hotel Football, said: “We are very proud to be the UK’s leading football hotel, and we pride ourselves on ensuring all of our guests travelling from Manchester, the wider UK or abroad have the very best experience possible, whether they are joining us for matchday dining or for a longer break at the hotel. This record year is testament to the dedication and motivation of the team we have here. The next 12 months will be another huge year for us at Hotel Football, especially as we continue to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Manchester United’s famous treble winning season, along with the men’s Euros football tournament.”

Santa Nata generating average site Ebitda of 30%-plus with pastel de nata ‘colonising the UK like never before’: Portuguese pastelaria concept Santa Nata is generating average site Ebitda of 30%-plus and selling more than 1,000 tarts a day from each of its outlet as pastel de nata “colonises the UK like never before”. The Guardian this week argued that pastel de nata has “become a UK staple”, with Esther Addley writing that they are becoming increasingly seen in supermarket chains as well as cafes and bakeries. On top of this, one scene in Oscar-nominated move Poor Things sees actress Emma Stone consume no fewer than 60 of the custard-based pastries. “In recent years, the pastel de nata has been colonising the UK like never before,” Addley wrote. “Once largely confined to delis or Portuguese bakeries, branches of Pret A Manger now offer them, as does Costa and Lidl. Sainsbury’s will sell you four for £2.25. Notably, only Aldi feels the need to translate the name.” Addley highlighted the success of Santa Nata, which Propel reported last summer is planning to open a third London site, having the previous year made its regional debut with a site in Oxford. Co-founder Francisco Oliveira’s family own seven bakeries in Portugal, while he operates two Covent Garden locations as well as the Oxford outpost. Addley said Oliveria’s plan “to sell tarts and not much else” was a bold one, but on any given day, each of his outlets can sell 1,000 pastel de nata – and double that at busy times. Oliveria, whose business is working with Seeds Consulting on its expansion plans, with a target of 25-plus UK locations, said its popularity has “exceeded expectations.” Seeds founder Matteo Frigeri, responding to the Guardian piece, said: “How many other food franchises generate an average 30%-plus site Ebitda (of net turnover excluding VAT)? We still have some very lucrative markets available in both EMEA and APAC.” Michelin star-winning Portuguese chef Nuno Mendes chef-patron of Lisboeta in central London, said he has memories of his grandmother taking him to a monastery in Lisbon whose monks have been selling them since 1837. “Fast forward 30 years, and I see them everywhere,” he added. Another fan is Jeremy Lee, chef-patron of Quo Vadis, who said he discovered pastel de nata when he moved to an area known as “Little Portugal” in south London. He said: “My jaw hit the floor. It was love at first bite – and has remained so ever since.”

 

Vivek Singh opens Cinnamon Bazaar in Richmond: Vivek Singh, executive chef and founder of The Cinnamon Collection, has opened a new Cinnamon Bazaar site in London’s Richmond. The new site has opened on the former Carluccio’s in Kew Road. The venue features Indian street-food dishes complete with a “chaat trolley”. Open from 9am, it serves a breakfast of smoked haddock kedgeree or signature stuffed parathas alongside fry-ups and muesli before the all-day menu kicks in. Singh made his name in the UK with the 2001 opening of his flagship Cinnamon Club and his first Cinnamon Bazaar was in Covent Garden. His group also includes two Cinnamon Kitchens, in the City and Battersea. In January, Propel reported that the Cinnamon Collection, which is owned by Boparan Restaurant Group, swung back into profit in the year to 1 January 2023 as it continued to bounce back from the pandemic. The company generated revenue of £11,539,000 (2022: £6,728,000).