Dishoom to focus on Permit Room this year: Brian Trollip, managing director of restaurant group Dishoom, has told Propel that the business will not open a site under its eponymous brand this year but focus on perfecting its new all-day bar-cafe concept Permit Room. The company launched the first standalone Permit Room in Brighton last November and is now working on a new Permit Room opening in Cambridge. Propel understands Dishoom has lined up the former Blue Boar pub site in Cambridge’s Trinity Street for a second Permit Room opening later this year. The debut Permit Room, which launched in Brighton’s Laines area, draws inspiration from the “beer bars and drinking holes” that flourished in post-prohibition-era Bombay. It is named after the official term for all Bombay drinking establishments, in which, according to the Bombay Prohibition Act of 1949, only permit-holders may consume alcohol. Trollip told Propel: “We want to perfect it, and when you do something new, you just know you’ve got to concentrate entirely on that for a year or so, just to make sure that it’s everything you want it to be. We want to fully focus on it because we want it to be brilliant. We’re trying to take a slightly different approach, drinks forward, but offering a great dining experience at any time of day and doing something that feels materially different and maybe more fun than Dishoom in its own way. We’ve been talking about opening a bar since 2012, and then, the more we explored that and explored Bombay’s drinking culture, we realised there’s food right in the middle of it. And I think every time we’ve tried to do something – we tried to do a Permit Room in our Edinburgh site – we found out that food had to be in the middle of it. We said let’s build a place that we want to go hang out in and do that in a place that we think is really exciting, which was Brighton. It’s fun, it’s doing pretty well and we’re really enjoying it, and then we’ll see what happens in Cambridge.” On the Cambridge site, he said: “It has stacks of character, and it should be really exciting. I’m really nervous about it still, but people seem to be enjoying the Permit Room as much as we do, which is the main thing.” The first Dishoom opened in Covent Garden in 2010 and the business now has seven restaurants in London, one in Edinburgh, one in Manchester and one in Birmingham, plus a dozen delivery kitchens and an online store. The company opened its first south London Dishoom, in Electric Boulevard next to the Battersea Power Station development, in December. The 235-cover site also houses a Permit Room bar. Dishoom features in the Premium Club Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the latest edition of which was released last Friday (8 March), featuring 889 companies. Its turnover of £57,978,000 for the year to 1 January 2023 is the 178th highest in the database. The Blue Book ranks companies by turnover, profit and profit conversion, listing directors’ earnings for the past five years. 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 – HGEM introduces new services – Complaint Management and Review Responses: Guest experience company HGEM has launched two new services, designed to help busy teams with responding to their customers online. Steven Pike, HGEM’s managing director, said: “You can now outsource responding to your customers’ reviews or complaints, which can be incredibly useful for businesses that are low on capacity or resources.” With Complaint Management, HGEM can respond on behalf of the brand to any feedback or complaints that come via a feedback survey. Benefits include bespoke response templates, reflecting the brand’s tone of voice; guaranteed first response in two to three working days; and the ability to track all responses and metrics, such as response speed, volume and complaint categories within HGEM’s platform. With Review Responses, businesses can outsource responses to customers’ reviews from Google, Facebook and Booking.com. Pike added: “We can help businesses get the benefits associated with responding to reviews in good time, such as an SEO boost, increased review volume and ratings.” Other benefits include guaranteed next working day responses; bespoke response templates ensuring the brand’s tone of voice; and tracking responses and metrics from within HGEM’s platform. Find out more about each service here. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

Oisin Rogers to speak at Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference, open for bookings with 20% discount on tickets for Premium Club members: Oisin Rogers will be among the speakers at 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. 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. For the full speaker schedule, click here. 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. 

 

Next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality to feature more than 232,000 words of content: The next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality will feature more than 232,000 words of content when it is released to Premium Club members on Friday (15 March), at midday. The database now features 866 companies, and this month’s edition includes 11 new additions and 36 updated entries. The companies, listed in alphabetical order, will have their most recent results reported as well as broader information around Ebitda, plans and trading style available. The database merges Companies House information, interviews and other public information to provide an easy to reference and exhaustive guide to the sector. Premium Club members also receive access to five other databases: the Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate; the New Openings Database; the Turnover & Profits Blue Book; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database and the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database. 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.

European hotel values see modest rise in 2023 but fail to reach pre-pandemic levels: Hotel values across Europe remained steady in 2023 buoyed by the consolidation of the post-pandemic recovery and a steady desire to travel, keeping average room rates strong, according to the annual European Hotel Valuation Index (HVI) by global hotel consultancy HVS. These influences combined to offset the impact of a number of geopolitical challenges including the war in Ukraine, the war between Israel and Hamas and the shaky Chinese economy as well as increasing operating costs and high interest rates, the report said. The result was a modest uplift in hotel values of around 1% across Europe, keeping them at about 97% of 2019 levels. This slowdown follows steady increases during 2021 and 2022, when the HVI reported value rises of 3.8% and 4.5% respectively. “Revenue and profit recovery still resulted in marginal gains in value over the year, despite the challenging outlook on valuations parameters,” said HVS London associate Julia Dzerkach, co-author of the report. “But the elevated cost of debt in the first half of 2023 and the persisting macroeconomic influences have resulted in a subdued market for hotel transactions with a wide bid-ask spread for sales and acquisitions.” The year saw hotels in Paris, London, Zurich, Amsterdam and Rome remain the most highly valued across Europe, with Geneva, Florence, Milan, Barcelona and Madrid completing the top ten cities. “There’s still global uncertainty in the year ahead, but we should see more stability in terms of price changes moving forward,” said report co-author Clemence Sennavoine, associate at HVS London. “The prospect of declines in interest rates, coupled with modest revpar growth as demand volumes completely recover, should bode well for 2024.”

 

‘Beer bikes’ banned as ‘nuisance’ across Europe spread to UK cities: “Beer bikes” banned from some European cities for being a nuisance are spreading to cities across the UK. The “oversized bikes” have been a stag party staple on the continent for decades but the nuisance they caused on public roads led to them being banned from the centres of Amsterdam, Prague, Budapest, Munich and Düsseldorf. The Times reported that despite their chequered past in Europe, the pedal-powered pubs-on-wheels are popping up in cities across the UK, with services launching in Bristol, Birmingham and Edinburgh in recent weeks. Seating up to 17 drinkers per bike, customers pay £450 to drink as many beers as they want while a sober driver steers them through the city streets for an hour. Thanos Koufis, operations manager for Beer Travel UK, said the firm started in London in early 2022 and since then has launched beer bike businesses in Newcastle and Liverpool. “I find the bad reputation to be a bit unfair. It’s a way of bringing people together and socialising in a physical activity with friends,” he told The Times. The firm is now expanding its operation with bikes in Bristol, Birmingham and Edinburgh. It also operates bikes in Bratislava, Vienna and the outskirts of Prague. “The reputation comes from other people not being professional, but you can’t put someone else’s incompetence on other people’s operations,” Koufis said. “I strongly believe we do our utmost to provide employment to the local community and we want to integrate into the city and make it part of the reason people come to Bristol. Our intention is to make everyone laugh and not create some sort of havoc.”

 

Pizza Hut relaunches New Founder Programme: Pizza Hut UK & Ireland has relaunched its New Founder Programme – designed to help entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds bring their business ideas to life. The company, in partnership with national enterprise charity Hatch, first launched the programme in May 2021, and the following year offered grants of up to £5,000 to budding business leaders. To date, almost £2.5m has been invested into the programme, reaching 1,025 entrepreneurs, helping fund 97 new businesses and create 220 jobs. The relaunch comes as new research from Pizza Hut UK & Ireland shows that almost two thirds of people with an additional income stream would love to turn their passion project into a full-time business. But more than a third see a lack of consistent income as the main barrier, and just under a quarter are uncertain about the demand in the market. The same amount have already been knocked back when trying to scale up, which grows to more than a third for those from underrepresented communities, while more than half said they had little support of knowledge to focus on their passion project. However, nine in ten founders supported since the programme’s inception have said they have left with strengthened business management skills – and an average increase of 35% in turnover. Emily Curtis, head of people, operations and social purpose at Pizza Hut UK & Ireland, said: “There are many barriers impacting entrepreneurs, and we know from our work in this area that some groups continue to be overlooked by investors. It is so important that everyone has the same opportunities to pursue ventures they are passionate about, and despite beginning this journey in 2021, the issue today remains as prevalent if not more so as it was back then. As such, we have broadened the scope of our initial programme to include even more people who are not being considered for support, education or investment to offer the tools and skills they need to start their businesses – even our own team members.”

 

Music promoter, venue owner and festival organiser Vince Power dies aged 76: Vince Power, who ran some of London’s top music venues, has died at the age of 76. Born in County Waterford, Ireland, he moved to London aged 15 in 1963. By 1982 he had opened the Mean Fiddler in Harlesden, funded from a successful second-hand furniture business he’d built up over the previous two decades. The site became one of the most iconic music venues in the capital and welcomed legendary artists including Eric Clapton, Roy Orbison and Paul McCartney. At one point, Mean Fiddler Music Group owned a number of key live music venues across the capital, including GAY, The Astoria and The Jazz Café. Mean Fiddler was floated on the stock market and took a stake in the Glastonbury festival in 2002 (which was later bought back in 2012). Power sold his share of the company in 2004, and set up another business, Vince Power Music Group, which founded the Hop Farm festival and ran it between 2008 and 2012. Most recently, he was overseeing the Camden live music venue Dingwalls. Power received a CBE in 2006. In a statement, his family said: “It is with great sadness that we confirm the passing of Vince Power. A visionary entrepreneur who enhanced and influenced the music industry significantly, while always being a dedicated, loving father and a loyal friend to so many. We want to thank everyone who has offered their condolences and request that our privacy be respected at this time of great sadness.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a growing consumer goods business that is looking for a commercial finance lead (qualified accountant). A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “You will have experience of working in the consumer or fast-moving consumer goods sectors. You will lead and support the commercial finance team, acting as finance business partners to the sales director and his senior leadership team, to provide accounting advice and financial analysis. You will lead UK monthly and quarterly forecast, influence and advise on all promotional and investment decisions, ensuring all are based on firm return on investment assumptions. You will also be a key member of the sales and operating planning process, ensuring a joined up and co-ordinated approach to the forecast between the UK commercial team, supply chain and financial planning and analysis, and be the first point of contact for any commercial finance queries from the board of directors. You will be responsible for reporting commercial KPIs and analysing commercial performance, drawing on internal and external information to deliver insight to senior management.” The salary is up to £85,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email oliwia@corecruitment.com.

 

India-based bar and restaurant concept where customers negotiate drink price with virtual bartender to make its UK debut: Agent Jack’s, the concept where customers negotiate the price of a drink from a virtual bartender, is to make its UK debut after securing a site in London’s Blackheath, Propel has learned. Parent IT company, HQL Solutions Private, which is venturing into the hospitality business in the UK and already operates a number of sites across India, has signed a partnership deal with the Ajay Shetty-led Crust & Wine to make its UK debut with Agent Jack’s. It has secured the former Bianco 43 site in Lee Road on a 15-year lease, with an opening expected this summer. Under the concept, customers use an app to negotiate for their drinks at their own choice of prices with the virtual bartender. The company said: “The virtual bartender may agree or disagree with the customers and each offer that is rejected is followed by a witty yet humorous reply that challenges customers to try again. This interaction is publicly displayed on a large projector screen, bringing a mix of humour and interactivity in addition to great deals for the customers.” Emma Wright, of CDG Leisure, acted on the Blackheath deal.

 

Ebrington Collection eyes further openings in the Cotswolds, plus move into London: Ebrington Collection, the pub management company led by Rupert Bagnall, former operations director for the managed business of brewer and retailer Wadworth, has told Propel it is looking at further opportunities in the Cotswolds and launching in London. Last month, Propel reported that two pubs in the Cotswolds that are part of the Ebrington Collection had reopened – The Harcourt Arms in Stanton Harcourt, near Witney, and the Plough in the village of Kelmscott, near Lechlade. The 17th century village pubs have been revamped and relaunched by brothers Olly and Will Oakley. Bagnall was operations director of Wadsworth’s managed houses from 2006 to 2019 and then joined Barkby Group as director of operations before leaving in May last year to launch Ebrington Collection. Propel has learned that the new venture, which also includes the Ebrington Arms near Chipping Campden, was created as a management company to run existing freehold assets owned by its backer, a Malaysian businessman called Tan Sri Razali Rahman. On further additions under the Ebrington Collection umbrella, Bagnall told Propel: “We are hoping to be opportunistic and will not be looking at a one-size-fits-all approach. We will seek to grow only if the right opportunity presents itself but would like to be in both the Cotswolds and London.”

 

Irish restaurant group comes out of examinership as it separates UK arm: The group behind the Cornstore and Coqbull restaurant chains in Ireland has come out of examinership. The High Court appointed an interim examiner to several related companies that operate the restaurants in November. The Irish arm of the Cornstore Group has now come out of examinership after being granted protection over a debt of €26.7m, reports the Irish Independent. New investment in the group has come from Relm Finance and will see the owner Padraic Frawley remain as a director. The Irish and English arms of the group will now be split into two separate companies. Frawley told the Irish Independent the hospitality sector in Ireland had gone through the “perfect storm”. “Ireland was cross-securing debt for expansion in London,” he said. “There was never any issue with Ireland. It was trading well for years and has been profitable without being sucked into the malaise of the various problems. We found ourselves put into administration quite suddenly, and then, as a result, I appointed an interim examiner to see if we could reach an agreement – which we did. We got fresh funding in Dublin for the Irish group, so Ireland is now totally separate from the UK. That is great news, as we have saved more than 200 jobs in Limerick and Cork.” It is understood that the companies in the UK are the ones that were facing problems, with the Irish restaurants trying to service their debts. Frawley said that he felt confident in the future of the Irish companies and would be investing in the businesses there. Established in 2000 with Aubars in Limerick, the group opened Cornstore restaurants in Cork (2007) and Limerick (2008), which was followed by Coqbull restaurants in Cork (2014), Limerick (2015) and Castletroy (2019). Propel reported in January the four-strong, former East London Pub Company estate founded by Frawley has been placed on the market after administrators were appointed in November.

Freehold on Laine Pub Company property in Brighton put on the market: The freehold on a Laine Pub Company property in Brighton has been brought to the market by agent Fleurets. North Laine Brewhouse is located on the corner of Gloucester Place and Gloucester Street and currently trades under the Laine Pub Company, which operates 56 pubs made up of a mixture of freeholds and leaseholds sites. These are mainly located in Brighton (33 pubs), London and Birmingham, while its beer is sold in over 800 pubs across the UK. The company is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Punch Pubs & Co, which had £54.1m of available liquidity as of 3 December 2023, represented by £50m undrawn against the revolving credit facility and £4.1m of cash reserves. Fleurets has been instructed to seek offers of £5m for the freehold interest in the historic four storey property. A purchase at this level reflects a net initial yield of 4.76% assuming standard purchaser’s costs. The current vendor, Gloucester Enterprises, took a 20-year lease on the Gloucester Nightclub and Gloucester Mansions in 1989. The nightclub broke the mould of clubbing in Brighton with its innovative approach which included no membership, no dress code and pub prices. The freehold was purchased in 2000, and almost immediately, the club was leased to the current tenant. The freehold offers the ground, basement and unit occupied by Laine Pub Company with rent £135,000 per year; eight flats above on assured shorthold tenancies with rent of £118,800 per year; potential for rental growth on residential units and development opportunity on the rear of the site. Elysia Wilson-Gunn, divisional director for Fleurets, said: “We expect strong levels of interest due the potential value-add gain in this sale.”

 

Canadian pancake brand Fluffy Fluffy set to open in Bristol for sixth UK site: Canadian pancake brand Fluffy Fluffy is set to open in Bristol for its sixth UK site. Fluffy Fluffy will open at 8 Park Street in the city on Saturday, 23 March, adding to its sites in Reading, Liverpool, Leicester, Manchester and Leeds. Hussein Umar, UK development lead at Fluffy Fluffy UK, said: “Bristol, brace yourself! On Saturday, 23 March at 12pm, Fluffy Fluffy, the Canadian sensation adored for its divine Japanese soufflé pancakes, is touching down in Park Street with an epic grand opening. We’re beyond thrilled to introduce the magic of Fluffy Fluffy to the Bristolians.” Fluffy Fluffy launched its signature souffle pancakes in 2018, in Toronto, and now has 22 sites across North America, plus multiple sites in Europe. The brand made its UK debut in October 2022 with a site in Manchester’s Whitworth Street and has planned at least five opening in 2024. Longer term, it is aiming for 25 UK location by 2025 as it works towards an eventual estate here of 100-plus.

 

Marston’s begins search for new chair: Marston’s has announced that following five and a half years as chair of the group, William Rucker has informed the business of his intention to step down. Rucker will step down from his role as director and chair of Marston’s board with effect from 8 July 2024. Rucker’s decision comes in view of his other increased business commitments, which include becoming chair designate of British Land with effect from 9 July 2024. Marston’s said its nominations committee, led by senior independent director, Octavia Morley, is overseeing a “comprehensive search process” to appoint Rucker’s successor and a further announcement will be made in due course. Rucker said: “It has been a real privilege and honour to serve as chair of Marston’s. I am confident that Marston’s is in great shape and in good hands as the company prepares for the next phase of its development, with chief executive Justin Platt at the helm. I wish Justin and the wider team every success in the future.”

 

Travelodge rolls out new restaurant concept: Travelodge has announced it has begun the roll out of its new restaurant concept, 85 Bar Café. The circa 600-strong business said that as part of a multimillion-pound investment, and in conjunction with the company’s most significant brand transformation to date, the introduction of 85 Bar Café is in response to consumer research, carried out by Travelodge, to gain further insight into the needs of the modern traveller. It said: “85 Bar Café, a nod to the iconic British hotelier’s heritage of when it opened its first hotel in 1985, is an overhaul of the pre-existing Bar Café and offers a welcoming, stylish and comfy space for eating, drinking and unwinding (or a quiet spot for working) while also maintaining Travelodge’s quality offering at great value prices.” It said 18 Bar Cafés have already been upgraded to the new design with the roll out set to continue into additional selected Bar Cafés, as well as several new Travelodge hotels, across the country. Karen Broughton, Travelodge chief sales and marketing officer, said: “Our new Bar Café concept offers a modern atmosphere for all-day dining with a diverse menu to appeal to a variety of tastes. This inviting space is available for both guests and passers-by to enjoy a drink or bite to eat or to connect with friends, family or colleagues. All of this is at great value, including our unlimited breakfast offer, with the added benefit of children eating for free. The expansion of 85 Bar Café forms part of a strategic hotel investment programme that will see us upgrade half of our rooms by the end of 2024.”

 

District Coffee founder launches bakery concept in east London: Chelsea Finch, the founder of the four-strong District Coffee concept and the Where’s Fred’s cafe/wine bar, is part of the team that has opened a new bakery in east London. Finch has teamed up with Giulia Agnoli, former head baker at Hedone, and Faye Weatherburn, former head pastry chef at Hedone, as well as pastry chef at The Ritz and head of pastry at London Stock, for the venture, reports Hot Dinners. Layers Bakery has opened in Orchard Place at the Goodluck Hope scheme on the Leamouth Peninsula, serving pastries, breakfast, brunches and coffee. The menu includes corn and chickpea fritters featuring coconut yoghurt, spinach, poached egg and salsa verde; and leek and sausage flatbread with leek bechamel, sausage stuffing and sriracha mayo. The venue also hosts workshops and events, such as cookie-making classes for kids and viennoiserie pastry-making sessions for adults. 

Sri Lankan restaurant Kolamba gearing up to launch second site: Sri Lankan concept Kolamba is gearing up to launch its second London restaurant, in Spitalfields. Founders Eroshan and Aushi Meewella will this spring open Kolamba East at 12 Blossom Street in Norton Folgate. It follows the launch of their first restaurant, Kolamba, which opened in Soho in 2019. The second outpost will “showcase the duo’s modern take on Sri Lankan home-cooking, bringing the bold and vibrant flavours of Colombo to east London”. Inspired by the husband-and-wife team’s upbringing in Colombo, the menu will feature dishes of Sinhalese, Tamil, Moor, Burger and Malay descent. These will include a new selection of larger feasting plates, designed for sharing, alongside Kolamba’s “short eats” snacks, signature hoppers and fragrant sambols. The 92-cover restaurant will also have a dedicated central bar serving cocktails made using Sri Lankan spirits and ingredients that reflect the food menu, as well as two private dining rooms. Eroshan and Aushi said: “We are thrilled to be bringing Kolamba to east London this spring, and to be able to offer a new, elevated dining experience to our guests in this incredible space.” Before launching the first Kolamba together, Eroshan worked in financial IT and ran an award-winning property studio, while Aushi worked in the advertising, fashion and luxury property sectors.

 

New immersive theatre experience to launch in south London: Bridge Command, a new immersive theatre experience where the audience controls a spaceship “battling to save humanity”, is to launch at the end of this month, in south London. The Times reported that Sonny Schneider, a former City trader, is investing £3m in the new venture, an interactive show inspired by Star Trek and a cross between theatre, roleplay and escape room. Schneider Investment Associates has put up the millions to construct the two replica spaceships of Bridge Command under railway arches in Vauxhall. When audience members arrive at the “theatre”, they are given uniforms and training in how to control UCS Havock and UCS Takanami. Each person has a role on the bridge operating the software that controls the ship, such as pilot, navigator, engineer, drone operator or weapons officer. There is a self-destruct button for emergencies. Every physical element of the set, like the fuel rods, is connected to the central operating system. There are familiar spacecraft trappings including bunks, a cargo bay, detention centre, sliding doors and an emergency shuttle pod. As the ship “takes off”, there is a vibrating hum and moving stars to give the sense of space travel. Each ship holds 14 people and the actors from Parabolic Theatre play various roles in the story, which is set in the 2180s in an asteroid belt 22 light years from earth. but it’s up to the audience to control the narrative. Schneider told The Times: “You’re basically the star in your own TV show and your decisions matter. If you choose to go left and not right, then you won’t complete the mission, something else will happen. So, you have proper autonomy and your choices will make a difference, which ultimately means if they decide to turn around and fly into the sun as soon as you take off, their show is over quite quickly.” For those that just fancy a drink on the set, there is a transporter that will deliver guests into a bar with a capacity for 100 people. 

 

Blacklock confirms Manchester opening plans: Skinny chops concept Blacklock has confirmed it will make its regional debut in Manchester later this year. Propel revealed last September that the Gordon Ker-led business, which currently operates five sites in London, was to open in the grade II-listed Freetrade Exchange building at 37 Peter Street in the city. The business, which became B-Corp certified last October, has now confirmed that the new site will open this autumn. Ker said: “It’s long been a dream of mine and the team to open Blacklock in Manchester given its vibrant and bustling culture and brilliant food scene. It’s so important for us to be in buildings with character and history, and this part of Manchester has that in spades. I absolutely love the architecture in Manchester; the tiled basements, lightwells and stone frontages feel very us, and when a landlord asked what we thought of a basement hiding in plain sight beneath the bustle of Peter Street, I knew we’d found our perfect Manchester home.” The new restaurant will be led by general manager Lucy Ames-Greenall. Originally from Manchester, Ames-Greenall has managed Blacklock Shoreditch for the last three years. Last summer, the business opened its fifth restaurant, in London’s Canary Wharf. The site is based in a stand-alone warehouse under the railway tracks in the North Dock. At 4,000 square feet and with 120 covers, a ten-metre bar and outdoor terrace, the opening was Blacklock’s biggest restaurant yet. Blacklock also has restaurants in Soho (opened in 2015), the City (2017), Shoreditch (2018) and Covent Garden (2022).

 

London Burger restaurant opens first site outside the capital: Three-strong London burger restaurant Chuck has opened its first venue outside the capital, in Gloucester. Chuck – which was founded in 2012 and has sites in King’s Cross, Brick Lane and Liverpool Street – has opened at Gloucester Food Dock in Gloucester Quays. Behind the concept is Cheltenham chef Lewis Spencer, who also operates Mexican restaurant Elote at Gloucester Quays. Chuck uses aged, UK reared, ex-dairy cow beef and smoking techniques “to add an extra dimension to their dishes” and also offers cornflake chicken strips, loaded fries, mac ‘n’ cheese balls, coffee, smoothies, juice and locally brewed beer. “We’re excited to open our doors and get cooking,” Spencer said. “Chuck will provide the very best of British, well sourced ingredients in every meal. Using our multi-fuelled smokers, we’ll add an element of smoky flavour to our dishes, whether it be pastrami benedict brunch or our Miss Piggy burger, Chuck will be a burger bar like no other.”

 

Maki & Ramen opens new site ten days after closing two locations: Edinburgh Japanese restaurant concept Maki & Ramen has opened a new site ten days after closing two of its locations. The ten-strong group, which was founded by Teddy Lee in 2015, announced earlier this month that it will soon close its sites in Edinburgh’s West Richmond Street and Nicolson Street. The former was the group’s first venue, and the business has since opened sites in Glasgow, Manchester and, most recently, Leeds. It has now opened a new site just yards from one of the locations it closed, at 80 Nicolson Street. “Surprise! Just when you thought you’d had your last bite, we’re rolling into a new chapter at 80 Nicolson Street,” a company spokesman said. “Yes, you heard it right. We haven’t gone far – just round the corner, bringing you more of the Maki & Ramen love. To our loyal fans, your support means the world to us. Here’s to new beginnings and continuing our journey together. Can’t wait for you to fall in love with our new spot just like the old one. See you there.” Maki & Ramen operate further Edinburgh sites in St James, Leith and Fountainbridge, plus two Glasgow venues.

 

Knoops makes Scottish debut: Luxury hot chocolate shop concept Knoops has opened its first store in Scotland. Propel revealed in September that Knoops had secured a site in Edinburgh for its first opening outside of England. The store has now opened at 11-15 Victoria Street in Edinburgh Old Town for Knoops’ 16th shop overall. Knoops plans to reach 20 sites by the end of March as it works towards an eventual target of 120 stores here and 3,000 globally by 2030. It is set to open a further Edinburgh location this month, in the former Starbucks site on the corner of George Street and Castle Street, and in Leeds’ Trinity scheme. It is also set to make its Midlands debut in May, with a launch in the former Paperchase site in Nottingham’s Clumber Street. Last month, Knoops’ executive chairman and chief executive William Gordon-Harris told Propel there is “phenomenal momentum across the business” as it enjoyed a record start to the year. Knoops, which completed an £8.3m fundraising last November, saw store revenue increase by 23% on a like-for-like basis in January, which came off the back of a best-ever Christmas.

 

Thesleff Group reveals launch date for second Los Mochis site: The Thesleff Group has revealed the launch date for the second site for its Baja-Nihon restaurant Los Mochis. The venue will open on Thursday, 11 April in Liverpool Street. The opening of Los Mochis London City will be the group’s biggest site yet at 14,000 square feet across the ninth-floor rooftop of 100 Broadgate, adding to the Notting Hill location that opened in 2021. The new venue will feature a bar, restaurant, two private dining rooms and a 3,000 square-foot outdoor terrace with panoramic views of the city. The main bar will have one of the largest selections of fine and rare tequilas and mezcals in Europe. There will also be cocktails alongside wine and sake. The restaurant, with space for 150 diners, will feature a sushi bar and robata grill with 15 different Kushiyaki (grilled skewers) charred over open fire, as well as sharing dishes and Los Mochis favourites including truffle guacamole on crispy rice, spicy hiramasa maki, and trailer park chicken taco. There will also be a programme of live music and DJs. Markus Thesleff, founder of Los Mochis, said: “We’re excited to be able to bring Los Mochis to Broadgate, as we have worked tirelessly to create something incredibly special.” The Thesleff Group also owns cocktail bar Viajante87 in Notting Hill and Sale e Pepe in Knightsbridge. 

 

Akbar’s opens tenth site: Indian restaurant group Akbar’s has opened its tenth site, in Blackburn. The company has spent £400,000 transforming the former Blakey’s cafe-bar underneath the grade II-listed King George’s Hall in Northgate into a restaurant. Akbar’s also has sites in Bradford, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Middlesbrough, Rotherham, Newcastle and Sheffield. Owner Shabir Hussain started out with a 28-seater restaurant in Bradford in 1995, named after his father, with that site having now trebled in size.

 

Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire hotel operator reports turnover exceeds pre-covid levels: AJL Hotel Holdings, which operates three hotels in Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire, has reported turnover increased to £7,468,972 for the year ending 28 February 2023 compared with £5,691,843 the previous year. Revenue also exceeded the £6,354,962 reported for the year ending 29 February 2020 – the last full year before the covid pandemic. Pre-tax profit was up to £1,556,517 from £887,553 the year before (2020: profit of £536,275). Gross profit percentage was maintained at 36%. The company did not receive any government grants (2022: £272,964) but did receive insurance claims of £429,335 (2022: nil). AJL Hotel Holdings operates the Aston Hall Hotel in Sheffield; Hellaby Hall Hotel in Rotherham; and West Retford Hotel in Retford, Nottinghamshire.

Mission Mars gets go-ahead for Rudy’s site in Altrincham: Mission Mars has been given the go-ahead to open a Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana site in Altrincham. The company has received approval by Trafford Council to convert Charis House in Central Way, which has been unused since food and drink hub One Central ended operations last year, reports Altrincham Today. Last week, Propel revealed the 20-strong Rudy’s has added a further site in London to its 2024 openings pipeline. Propel understands that Mission Mars has secured a former Domino’s Pizza site in Queensway for Rudy’s. The company, which aims to open a further ten pizzerias in FY24, has already secured openings in London’s Shoreditch High Street, Tottenham Court Road and Spitalfields, plus in Durham’s Silver Street; in High Ousegate, York; and on the former Black Pearl site in Bridgford Road, West Bridgford. The brand has also been linked with an opening in Prestwich. Mission Mars, which is backed by the Business Growth Fund, is also behind Albert’s Schloss.

 

Lancashire operators open new peri peri chicken and sports bar concept: Lancashire operators Chris Donaldson and Marcus Harrington have opened a new peri peri chicken and sports bar concept. They have opened Fusion Sports Bar on the site of their former Fusion chicken restaurant and takeaway in Pedder Street, Morecambe. The duo also run The Royal Bar & Shaker cocktail bar in the town’s Marine Road Central. They previously operated two other Fusion takeaway outlets – opening in Heysham Road in Heysham in 2018, and in Church Street in Lancaster in 2019. In 2022, they decided to close the Heysham and Lancaster premises and operate solely from the Morecambe location, which opened in the former Grove restaurant in May 2021. “We have been busy working behind the scenes to bring you the perfect spot to relax, enjoy a drink, grab some tasty Fusion food and enjoy all of the major sporting events aired across Sky Sports and TNT,” the pair posted on Facebook. “Expect new TVs, a stocked-up bar, and enjoy your favourite Fusion takeaway food. More restaurant updates coming soon.”

 

Scottish world buffet restaurant set to open second site: Scottish world buffet restaurant Booffi is set to open a second site. Booffi opened in November 2021 at Unit B in Britannia Way, Clydebank, and last summer added a standalone dessert shop, Pure Sweet – which had operated as a pandemic delivery service – to its premises. Booffi is now set to bring its all-you-can-eat buffet, which focuses on Indian, Chinese and Italian dishes, to Glasgow’s Forge Retail Park. Teasing the new opening, the team wrote on social media: “Have you heard the news? Booffi World Buffet Is expanding. We are, for two years running, Scotland’s best buffet and we are only going up from here. We are coming soon to the Forge Retail Park.”

Burnley burger bar owner set to open new pizza restaurant: Burnley burger bar owner Kyle Ellis is set to open a new pizza restaurant in the Lancashire town. Ellis, who runs Ellis’ in Manchester Road, will open Tribeca in the St James’ Row building previously home to The Mix and Italian restaurant Astoria, on Friday, 29 March. “This is going to be massive, and we cannot wait,” Ellis said on social media. “We will have our new pizza menu, a next level drinks/cocktail menu, ball games and Sky/TNT sports in our dedicated upstairs lounge, and of course, our signature vibes. We cannot wait to bring the good times back to this iconic Burnley gaff and we’re buzzing for you guys to see what we’ve done to the place…we’re obviously biased, but we genuinely believe this could be one of the best venues in town.”