Shares in Revolution Bars Group fall 50% on possible restructuring: Shares in Revolution Bars Group, the operator of the Revolution, Revolución de Cuba and Peach Pubs brands, dropped more than 50% in Tuesday’s (26 March) trading after the business confirmed it was exploring its strategic options, such as a restructuring or sale. The company’s shares fell 51.72% in late trading to 1.4p, giving it a market cap of £3.2m. It comes after the business confirmed it was engaging with key shareholders and other investors, including Luke Johnson, in respect of a fundraising, and exploring all of its options, including a possible restructuring of certain parts of the group, and a sale of parts or all of the business. It said that it is not in talks with, nor in receipt of an approach from, any potential offeror relating to an acquisition of the issued and to be issued share capital of the company. It comes after claims that it is exploring the closure of a quarter of its venues. Sky News reported that Revolution Bars Group was drawing up plans to axe roughly 20 of its worst-performing bars and has also been sounding out investors in recent days about a cash call to raise approximately £10m – more than the company's current market capitalisation. Russ Mould, analyst at AJ Bell, said: “It’s not a major surprise to see the company confirm speculation it is looking to raise emergency cash and slash its workforce. The share price reaction suggests the market is expecting a discounted and highly dilutive fundraising.” The company said in January that it would shut eight sites, blaming declining spending among younger consumers. In a trading update later that month, it warned on profits but said it had had its best Christmas trading period for four years.

 

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 Propel Multi-Site Database to be sent to Premium Club members tomorrow, grows to 3,075 businesses: The next Propel Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate, will be sent to Premium Club members tomorrow (Thursday, 28 March), at midday. The database has now grown to include 3,075 multi-site operators, which operate 72,186 sites. An additional 16 companies, which operate 492 sites between them, have been added during March 2024. The database has been redesigned so Premium Club members are able to search the data segmented into key industry sectors. This new straightforward segmentation allows users to search quickly in key categories such as pubs and bars, cafe bakery, quick service restaurants, casual dining, fine dining, hotel and experiential leisure. Premium Club members will also receive all the videos from last week’s Propel Multi-Club Conference at 9am on Friday, 5 April. They will include Adil Group chief executive Raja Adil talking about life as a franchisee of Burger King, Costa Coffee, KFC and Taco Bell; and Steve Moore, founder and chief executive of Red Engine, the Flight Club and Electric Shuffleboard operator, explaining how the company has become a £100m-turnover business. Premium Club members also receive access to five other databases: the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the New Openings Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who’s Who of UK Hospitality. Plus, all 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 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 a supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

 

Like-for-like footfall in UK’s fast-food restaurants down 1.5% in February, ‘no improvement over January’s numbers’: Like-for-like footfall in UK’s fast-food restaurants was down 1.5% in February, with “no improvement over January’s numbers”, according to the latest report from market intelligence platform, Meaningful Vision. It said that following an almost 5% like-for-like decline in visits in January, a figure of 1.5% for February 2024 appears to be an improvement. But it warned that this scenario is potentially deceptive, with 2024 being a leap year, and so an additional day versus February 2023 needs to be accounted for. “When we compare traffic by an equivalent number of days, February 2024 is actually down by 5%, and this means February really shows no improvement over January’s numbers,” the report said. Further analysis showed all growing segments in the foodservice market showed signs of slowing down during January and February. Even London, a city demonstrating a 5% growth rate in 2023, remained flat, with only Central London remaining on the growth path, returning 8% growth. All market segments demonstrated a decline in footfall in the first two months of 2024 except bakeries and sandwich shops, which are still growing by 3%, but at only half the 6% rate seen in 2023. Early morning visits are still the fastest growing, up almost 15%, while the dinner period has seen the largest decline in visits. Maria Vanifatova, chief executive of Meaningful Vision, said: “The British Retail Consortium also recorded low traffic numbers for retail in February. Consumer demand was dampened by the wettest February on record, translating into a poor month of retail sales growth. It’s possible the weather also impacted foodservice visits, but in our opinion, the main factor behind the slowdown in traffic is declining consumer confidence, commensurate with a weakening of demand.”

More than half of Brits planning staycation this year: More than half (55%) of Brits have said they intend to holiday in the UK this year, up from 52% last year, as the staycation boom continues, according to new research from Mintel. The climate emergency is making staycations more appealing, with 56% of UK holidaymakers saying they are likely to choose staycations above holidays abroad for climate-related reasons. Around three in ten (28%) UK holidaymakers said warmer UK temperatures are encouraging them to take domestic holidays. Overall, four in ten (39%) holidaymakers said unpredictable UK weather means they are more likely to book a British break at the last minute. There remains a “positive covid” legacy for the home market as nearly half (47%) of domestic holidaymakers have taken more staycations than trips abroad since the pandemic. Almost a third (32%) have discovered a new UK destination due to covid-19 travel disruptions.

  

Bubble CiTea sets its sights on franchise network of 300-plus stores after hitting 50-site landmark: Bubble tea brand Bubble CiTea has set its sights on a franchise network of 300-plus stores after hitting the 50-site landmark. The business, founded by Suneet Sachdeva in 2012, reached 50 locations with a flurry of openings at the end of last year, including at Watford Atria, Teesside Retail Park, The Bentall Centre in Kingston and at Chantry Place in Norwich – upsizing from a kiosk to a full store due to its success there. The brand is now working with Platinum Wave Franchising to expand its reach further across the UK, with multi-site developer opportunities available. “Bubble Tea is one of the fastest growing food groups in the world – in the next five years, the bubble tea industry is expected to grow by nearly 54%,” a Platinum Wave spokeswoman said. “Bubble tea is firmly established now in the UK, but there are still a huge number of people yet to try it and fall in love. That’s why we know our group of 50 company-owned stores will soon become a franchise network of 300-plus stores. We have big expansion plans. In fact, with the right franchise partners onboard, we believe Bubble CiTea will become the market leading brand in every UK town and city.” The brand specialises in Taiwanese bubble tea – flavoured drinks consisting of a tea base, sugar, and popping juice ball “bubbles” made from tapioca. Sachdeva, who discovered bubble tea while travelling in Asia and Australia, and who opened his first store in 2013, in Guildford, said 2023 had been a record year for openings, with 15 new stores launching. “With these recent additions, our network now spans more than 50 locations across the nation, firmly establishing Bubble CiTea as Europe’s largest wholly owned bubble tea chain,” he said. “Can you believe we’re already setting our sights on location number 60? Other highlights of 2023 included expanded self-serve screens now available in more locations nationwide, allowing customers to customise their drinks extensively. We also had an all-time high in returning customers, supported by our Bubble CiTea app, and had tremendous engagement on TikTok and Instagram, reaching more than 100 million impressions.” Bubble CiTea is offering five-year franchise agreements, renewable at no additional charge subject to approval, with exclusive rights to operate within a specified territory. 

  

Tom Sugarman joins Itsu as its new hospitality and development director: Tom Sugarman has stepped down as managing director of Wasabi, the sushi and bento chain led by Henry Birts and backed by Capdesia, to join Itsu as its new hospitality and development director, Propel has learned. Sugarman joined Wasabi, originally as its operations director, in May 2021, before being promoted to managing director the following year. He previously spent nine years at Pret A Manger, most recently as its UK shops director. The Henry Birts-led Wasabi told Propel that the business is currently in the process of finding a replacement for Sugarman. Last year, Propel revealed that Wasabi had completed a re-organisation into three distinct business units – restaurants, grocery and manufacturing – to “dial up the focus in each of these key areas”. It came after Capdesia, which acquired a minority stake in Wasabi in 2019, partnered with Elliott Advisors (UK) to lead a recapitalisation of the business. Capdesia said the new funding positioned Wasabi for future growth while also strengthening its balance sheet. At the start of this month, Greg Thorp, chief financial officer at Itsu, told Propel the brand was seeing growth across all aspects of its business, that there is a lot of the country the brand can still open in and that it hopes to add a fifth UK franchise partner this year.

 

McDonald’s set to roll out sale of Krispy Kreme doughnuts at its stores across US, no plans to extend to UK: McDonald’s has reached an agreement with Krispy Kreme to sell its doughnuts in its stores across the US in the second half of this year, but the partnership will not be extending to the UK. It follows McDonald’s conducting a limited test of Krispy Kreme doughnut sales at nine US locations last year. Nationwide availability at participating restaurants across the US is expected by the end of 2026, the companies said. Three of Krispy Kreme’s most popular doughnuts – original glazed, chocolate iced with sprinkles and chocolate iced – will be delivered to McDonald’s restaurants every day. They will be available individually or in boxes of six, starting at breakfast and lasting throughout the day, while supplies last. “Since the launch of breakfast nearly 50 years ago, we’ve continued to offer new menu items, flavours, and experiences that have made McDonald’s an irreplaceable part of fans’ morning routines,” said Tariq Hassan, McDonald’s USA’s chief marketing and customer experience officer. “This partnership is an exciting next step in that journey and a chance to unlock new business opportunities in the breakfast category and throughout the day.” Josh Charlesworth, Krispy Kreme president and chief executive, added: “Partnering with McDonald’s on a national scale will provide our fans and doughnut lovers unprecedented daily access to fresh doughnuts and the joy that is Krispy Kreme.” Charlesworth said the deal will more than double the outlets for Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the US, which currently stands at about 14,000 points of access, including retailers. A McDonald’s UK spokesperson told Propel: “This is not something that will be rolling out in the UK.”

 

Luke Johnson’s Risk Capital Partners acquires stake in specialist tour operator: Sector investor Luke Johnson’s private equity firm Risk Capital Partners has acquired an undisclosed stake in specialist tour operator Simpson Travel. The operator offers boutique hotels, luxury villas and apartments in Corsica, France, Greece, Italy, Mallorca and Turkey. Former Hotelplan UK chief executive Paul Carter will become the company’s chairman following the deal, while Ed Pyke will step up from operations director to become managing director. Founder Graham Simpson will remain as an advisor to the board, while his two sons, Mathew and Daniel, and daughter, Hannah, will continue in their roles of product director, commercial director and head of trade sales, respectively. Helen Grace will continue as marketing and communications director. Graham Simpson founded Simply Travel as Simply Crete in 1978, offering villa holidays in Greece. Thomson Holidays bought Simply Travel in 1999 but Graham Simpson returned to the trade after a sabbatical to set up Simpson Travel in 2002, becoming managing director in 2008. Risk Capital Partners’ involvement in travel has included Neilson Active Holidays and Cruise.co.uk, which was sold to Bridgepoint Development Capital for £52m in 2016. Graham Simpson said: “There is no doubt Risk Capital Partners’ backing presents an exciting prospect. It is as passionate as I am about the future of Simpson Travel, and I know that our founding principles will remain at the heart of the business. I look forward to watching the business go from strength to strength under the leadership of an outstanding management team.” Johnson added: “We believe Simpson Travel is a terrific brand with a tremendously loyal customer base. We look forward to supporting Ed and the management team in their ambitious plans to develop the business.” Johnson was chairman of Neilson Active Holidays from 2014 to 2018 before it was sold. He was also the largest shareholder and a non-executive director at Elegant Hotels, which was sold to Marriott for $200m in 2019.

 

Music and arts operator Broadwick partners with New York event design company for new US venture: Broadwick, the electronic music and arts operator, has partnered with New York event design company, TCE Presents, for a new US venture. The two companies are combining forces for a series of projects to be announced that will form new experiences in North America. They said this will be “one of the brightest unions of expertise the events industry has seen in recent years, taking the live landscape into a new space”. More information on the first project will follow in April. TCE Presents has pioneered large-scale events in and outside New York, at ground-breaking venues, under a portfolio of event brands led by the house and techno focused Teksupport. TCE Presents produces more than 150 shows per year including fashion and corporate activations. Since being established in 2010, Broadwick’s electronic music, arts and space management has seen it operate 30-plus venues and entertainment spaces, including Printworks London and Depot Mayfield in Manchester, selling in excess of one million tickets a year.

 

Chinese street food brand makes UK debut, in London’s Hammersmith: Chinese street food brand YGF Malatang has made its UK debut with an opening in Hammersmith, west London. The business, the world’s largest malatang (a common type of Chinese street food hot pot) brand, has opened at 8 Hammersmith Broadway. YGF Malatang opened its first outlet in 2020 and has grown rapidly to more than 6,000 locations, mainly in Asia, and last month launched in New York. Guests can choose from a selection of noodles, meat, vegetables and seafood, pay at the counter and wait for their custom broth to be cooked up.

 

Shake Shack set to make UK train station debut: US better burger brand Shake Shack is set to make its UK train station debut. It will open a site at Unit 17 The Circle at St Pancras International early this summer, offering breakfast burgers, the signature ShackBurger, crinkle-cut fries, flat-top dogs, ShackMeister Ale and hand-spun shakes in addition to special menu items unique to Shake Shack St Pancras. Since the original Shack opened in 2004 in New York’s Madison Square Park, the company has expanded to more than 430 locations including 140 international outposts. There are currently 14 Shake Shacks in London and one each in Cardiff and Oxford, as well as restaurants at Gatwick airport and Lakeside in Essex. Last week, Shake Shack announced that it was hiring Papa John’s chief executive Rob Lynch to take up the same position with the business. Lynch, who will take up his new role on 20 May, succeeds Randy Garutti, who announced his intention to retire in December having led Shake Shack for more than two decades. 

 

Greene King opens first site under new Nest franchise concept: Greene King Pub Partners, the leased, tenanted and franchise business unit of Greene King, has opened the first site under its new Nest franchise concept. The Palmer Tavern, located in Wokingham Road in Reading, Berkshire, has become the first Nest Pub following a £360,000 investment by Greene King. The pub will be operated by Samantha Lane, who becomes the first Nest Pubs franchisee. Propel revealed last month that Greene King was set to launch Nest Pubs as its second franchise concept, following the success of Hive Pubs, which was launched in 2021 and now operates in more than 45 sites. Hive Pubs will continue to expand and grow alongside Nest Pubs, which will be wet-led pubs predominantly located on busy high streets and in communities, “providing great value, an excellent experience and regular sport and entertainment”. Previously, Lane was a Greene King Pub Partners tenant operating The Albion in Reading, where she had also been general manager before becoming the tenant. She said: “My vision for The Palmer Tavern is to make it the hub of the community – a friendly, warm and welcoming home from home. As a concept, Nest Pubs is all about delivering a great community pub experience, so it is the perfect fit for me.” Dan Robinson, managing director of Greene King Pub Partners, added: “We’re delighted to get our first Nest Pub off the ground and open. Our £360,000 investment has transformed The Palmer Tavern into a Nest Pub and we are really excited to see how the franchisee concept delivers.”

 

Big Smoke Pub Co returns to the expansion trail with East Moseley site: Big Smoke Pub Co, which underwent a restructure last summer, has returned to the expansion trail with a new site in the village of East Moseley. The business is currently renovating The Poyntz Arms with a plan to open it in mid-April. The company said: “Located a stone’s throw from the brewery, The Poyntz has been on our wish list for a few years now and we’re chuffed to be working with landlords, Shepherd Neame, to bring this beautiful pub back to life. The pub will be opening with a new drinks offer, including a great range of Big Smoke beer on keg and cask alongside a freshly prepared, seasonal menu.” The five original pubs operated by Big Smoke Pub Co were sold for £80,000 via a pre-pack administration last summer. The business was acquired by a new vehicle led by Big Smoke directors Rich Craig and James Morgan. The company currently operates the Antelope in Surbiton, The Albion Tavern in Kingston-Upon-Thames and The Flintgate in Walton-on-Thames. It also operates three sites at Heathrow airport and one at Luton airport. 

 

KFC and FareShare launch campaign to raise awareness of community kitchens and drive more volunteers: KFC and food redistribution charity FareShare have launched a campaign to raise awareness of community kitchens and drive more volunteers. The action is being driven by new research commissioned by KFC and FareShare revealing that 51% of Brits don’t know if there is a community kitchen in their area. While 31% could confidently locate a local food bank and 26% a local animal welfare charity, just one in ten (10%) could say the same for a community kitchen. This despite the fact that 11 million Brits are currently facing food insecurity, according to The Food Foundation. A new “Bucket Bike” designed to raise awareness of community kitchens and the need for more of the volunteers who power them is being trialled in Brighton between FareShare’s Sussex & Surrey local depot and the KFC restaurant in Western Road. It comes as KFC hits the milestone of one million meals redistributed via FareShare. Jenny Packwood, chief corporate affairs officer at KFC pan-Europe, UK & Ireland, said: “At a time when food insecurity is high, we need to remove the barriers to helping local people give up their time. By bigging up the bucket bike, we want to shine a light on the tireless work of local volunteers in transporting our chicken from restaurant to plate and show people just how easy it is to give back, so that we can all tackle food insecurity and continue to provide the joy of our finger lickin’ chicken to communities in need.”

 

Hopback Brewery looking to increase sales by exploring new markets and marketing less well performing pubs to a wider audience: Brewer and retailer Hopback Brewery, which also operates nine pubs – mainly in the south and south west of England – has said it is looking to increase sales by exploring new markets and marketing its less well performing pubs to a wider audience. It comes as the business reported a slight increase in turnover for the year ending 30 September 2023, up from £2,679,994 in 2022 to £2,790,204, but saw its pre-tax losses widen from £34,597 to £63,249. Further analysis of the revenue shows £1,391,570 came from pub sales (2022: £1,312,406) and £1,398,634 from brewery sales (2022: £1,367,994). Furthermore, £2,780,275 came from UK sales (2022: £2,679,994) and £9,929 from Europe (2022: nil). No government grants were received compared with £23,667 in 2022. Interest income of £12,088 was received (2022: £527). No dividend was paid (2022: nil). “The main focus of the forthcoming year is to increase sales by exploring new markets and trying to market our less well performing pubs to a wider audience,” director John Gilbert said. “We regret that we appear to have been correct in stating in our last report that the last financial year would prove even more challenging than 2022. All of the concerns then mentioned are still present and the international situation has only got worse. One of the risks specific to our sector are that many pubs, and not just rural ones, are now operating on limited opening hours; a trend that we believe the proposed increase in the minimum wage will only exacerbate. This will obviously impact on sales. Generally, pubs have not returned to pre-2020 levels of trading, and this, as higher input costs such as energy and wages again push up prices, making a once affordable daily pleasure a luxury, is only likely to continue. In spite of yet again having made a small pre-tax loss, our cash reserves remain strong and we have no net debt.” A fixed rate loan of £304,500 taken out with Lloyds in December 2014 is due to be repaid in full in December 2024 or new terms negotiated. An additional £500,000 taken out under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme in September 2020 with Lloyds is also being repaid in 60 instalments of £8,333.33.

 

Liverpool Italian coffee shop concept set to open third site: Liverpool Italian coffee shop concept Gran Caffè is set to open a third site in the city. Owned by Italian brothers Paolo and Donato Cillo, Gran Caffè first opened in Williamson Square a decade ago – originally as P&D Deli – and opened a second venue, in Duke Street, in December 2023. The third Gran Caffè will be the first to open outside the city centre, in Lark Lane in South Liverpool, with a developed menu and all-day offering. Gran Caffè will serve its signature breakfast pastries that are crafted and baked fresh each day, as well as a selection of brunch dishes. The menu will also now include Italian small and large plates for lunch, aperitivo and dinner. Opening in late spring, it will also offer its award-winning, artisan gelato, which is made in-house every day too. All ingredients are provided by their sister Maria’s A Tavola da Maria Delicatessen and its coffee is ground from beans from the family’s roastery, Torrefazione Lucana, in Potenza.

 

Stonegate Group partners with parcel locker provider: Stonegate Group, the UK’s largest pub company, has partnered with parcel locker provider Quadient, with the collaboration set to see 400 new parcel lockers installed across 1,200 managed pubs. The lockers, part of Quadient’s “Open Locker Network”, will allow customers to pick up and return online deliveries at any time, regardless of the delivery carrier). The network aims to provide convenient and secure parcel collection points integrated into people’s daily routines. Claire Rust, senior buying manager at Stonegate Group, said: “We believe pubs are a central part of British communities. Parcel lockers will make our pubs even more valuable by offering a trusted location for neighbours to pick up and return packages.”

 

North east gym business acquires former County Durham Wilko store for 11th venue: North east gym business OneGym is opening a site in a former County Durham Wilko store for its 11th venue. Middleton Enterprises-backed OneGym has acquired the site in Osborne Road, Chester-le-Street, which closed in September after Wilko fell into administration. The 20,000 square-foot site is being brought back to life by OneGym and will open later this year. Paul Pearson, co-founder and managing director of OneGym, said: “We’ve been looking to open a gym in the town for some time now so as soon as we were shown around the site, we knew it was perfect.” Co-founder David Pearson added: “As two brothers who were born and raised in the region and have a real passion for fitness, it’s been a labour of love in so many ways, especially when we look at how we're supporting our local communities and helping improve the lives of others.” Bradley Hall acted on the deal. In December, OneGym told Insider Media it was aiming to open up to five sites a year as it plots UK expansion. Middleton Enterprises, which provides growth capital to established and profitable small and medium-sized enterprises, backed OneGym in 2022 to support its ambitions.

 

Leasehold of East Sussex seaside pavilion goes on market: The leasehold of an East Sussex seaside pavilion has gone on the market. Agents Fleurets and Dyer & Hobbis have been instructed by Sea Change Sussex to market the 19th century Marina Pavilion in St Leonards-on-Sea. Covering approximately 14,000 square feet, Marina Pavilion offers two large and flexible trading areas and a large balcony offering views over the beach and sea. The site ceased trading in January 2024. Chris Broome, property director of Sea Change Sussex, said: “We are pleased to offer this exciting seafront opportunity, which may be suitable for many different types of leisure uses, with a view of bringing the building back into occupation as soon as possible.” In January, the BBC reported Sea Change Sussex had reached an out of court settlement with operator Azur, which it said had failed to keep up with its payments. Azur had been operating the venue since 2008.

 

Duo behind The Oystermen open third Covent Garden venue: Rob Hampton and Matt Lovell, who are behind Covent Garden seafood bar and kitchen The Oystermen, have open a third venue in the area. They have opened bar and restaurant thirty7, at 37 Bedford Street – joining The Oystermen, which opened in 2017, and wine shop and bar Bedford Street Wines, which launched in 2021. The new 1,544 square-foot venue seats 45 diners, including a basement cocktail bar. Showcasing a blend of culinary influences from New York, Paris and beyond, it offers a brasserie-style menu led by head chef Grant Clark. Clark was previously with New York East Village restaurant Hearth and has also worked as April Bloomfield’s sous chef at The Breslin, and more recently at Angela Hartnett’s Cafe Murano and Jason Atherton’s Harrods Social. “We couldn’t be happier to welcome Grant to the team,” Lovell said. “His commitment to the use of quality ingredients and his skillset from a varied career make him the perfect fit for our vision at thirty7.”

 

Urban Pubs & Bars to reopen former M&B site in London’s Clapham tomorrow: Urban Pubs & Bars, the London pub operator founded by Malc Heap and Nick Pring and backed by Davidson Kempner and Global Mutual, will open its new venue in Clapham tomorrow (Thursday, 28 March). Propel revealed last month that the Chris Hill-led business had secured the site previously occupied by Mitchells & Butlers’ (M&B) All Bar One brand in Northcote Road. The property, which was closed by M&B late last year, has undergone a £1m refurbishment and building programme and is reopening under the new name The Red Setter. Last month, Urban Pubs & Bars, which operates 42 sites, said it was poised for further expansion as it reported record revenue of £52.2m for the year ending 30 April 2023. The group has more than doubled in size in the last 24 months. 

 

Family-owned north west hotel group aiming to double estate to six sites: Family-owned Boutique Hotel Group is aiming to double its estate to six sites across the north west. The company is behind Peckforton Castle and Nunsmere Hall in Cheshire, and Inglewood Manor on the Wirral. After covid slowed the company’s growth plans, managing director Chris Naylor told Insider Media the group now intends to acquire more venues in the coming years. “We'’e expecting to see a lot of opportunities coming up,” he said. “Many wedding venues, sadly, in the last couple of years have weathered covid but it’s eaten into their reserves. Inflation has played a big factor in food costs, and interest rates have made it tough, not to mention energy costs.” In particular, Naylor said he would like to own a wedding venue in the Lake District. “You pay a premium for the location but the opportunities for the wedding market are incredible,” he added. One requirement Naylor has for the venues is that they are all within driving distance. “It’s a family business, so my wife and I plus my mum and dad are the four main owners, then my brother and sister are also involved,” said Naylor. "I think that's why people buy into us.”

 

Liverpool buttermilk fried chicken concept set to open third site: Liverpool buttermilk fried chicken concept Patterson’s is set to open its third site, as it ventures outside the city for the first time. Patterson’s was founded in 2015 when the owners of the former Hastie & Patterson electrical store in Liverpool’s Gradwell Street pivoted to a new “chicken and tunes” venture, having used their spare time in the back of the shop developing their very own chicken spice recipes. It also had a unit at 15 Blackstock Street in Liverpool’s Blackstock Market, and also had a site in the former Button Street Smokehouse, which is now closed. The team will this Friday (29 March) open its latest site, at Manchester’s Freight Island, offering crispy coated tenders, wings, burgers and loaded fries, and the all-new “Freight Island Stacker” – exclusively available in the Manchester food hall – all of which can be served with Patterson’s signature chicken or white gravy. Declan Carr, general manager of Pattersons, told Confidentals: “We chose to work with Freight Island because we’ve heard great things about what it’s helped bring to the Manchester hospitality scene since it opened. We’ve been ourselves a few times and the food and entertainment quality is brilliant, so it's just a scene that we really wanted to be a part of.”

 

South London craft beer brewer plans second site in former gym: South London craft beer brewer, London Beer Factory, is planning to open a second site in a former gym. Founded in West Norwood in 2014 by Ed and Sim Cotton, London Beer Factory already operates the Barrel Project at 80 Druid Street in Bermondsey. The company has now applied to transform the former Muscle Bull Gym, which opened inside the railway arches along 64-66 Gedling Place in 2016 but closed in 2021, into a taproom. A patch of land out front could be utilised for outdoor seating, reports The Southwark News.

 

Liverpool operators open second site: The team behind coffee house and bar Pertichor in Liverpool has opened a second site in the city. Best friends Leigh Rollinson and Jack Davies, who operate Pertichor in Aintree Village, have opened Terra Preta, also a coffee house and bar, in the former Wizards Den shop and Jaxon’s micropub in Longmoor Lane. Terra Preta serves hot drinks and cakes in the morning and alcohol from midday. The venue is spread across two floors, although the second floor, which will be an events and meeting space, is not yet open for business. The bar will has eight draft taps offering craft and German beer, four of which will be rotated. There is also cheese and wine nights, live music and more, reports The Liverpool Echo.

 

Gym concept opens second Hull site: Gym concept TC60 Training Club has opened its second site in Hull, at the city’s Fruit Market. Former professional boxer Tommy Coyle has extended TC60 Training Club to include the new location in Humber Street, adding to its venue at Bridgehead Business Park. The new gym offers a full schedule of classes, small group personal training sessions and member access to the TC60 Training Club app. TC60 Training Club has been joined at the Fruit Market by The Social Distortion, offering guests a selection of Asian dishes accompanied by creative cocktails. American-style smokehouse The Smoke Room, is also due to open in April, with owner Andy Chase taking inspiration from the smokehouse shacks he visited during travels across America.

 

Belfast pub owner doubles up: Belfast pub owner Kevin Collins has opened a second site in the city. Collins, who runs Ben Madigan’s in north Belfast, has acquired McKenna’s bar in Sailortown and said he will invest around £200,000 in revamping and rebranding the venue, creating 20 jobs. The Dock Street pub went on the market in late 2022 when proprietor Brian McKenna announced his retirement. Collins told Belfast Live. “For me, it’s about being an authentic Belfast bar. It’s about looking at the history of the area and trying to reflect that in the bar. We’re very conscious there’s a lot of history there and we want to respect that.” McKenna’s will remain open for the time being, with a refurbishment planned in the coming months ahead of a summer launch.

 

Turkish restaurant concept set to open in Bristol for second site: Turkish restaurant concept Cappadocia is set to open its second site, in Bristol. Set across two storeys, Cappadocia will occupy the former Afrikana premises in Baldwin Street. Cappadocia, which is named after the Turkish destination, serves a selection of Turkish and Mediterranean dishes. The new site is due to open in mid-April, reports Bristol Live. Cappadocia currently operates a restaurant in Bath that opened in 2019 and is said to be the only Turkish restaurant in the city. The menu includes a range of cold and hot meze dishes, appetiser platters, traditional soup, salad and a kids’ menu. Mains include a four-course set menu, which includes dishes such as chicken casserole and lamb moussaka. The drinks list features wine, beer, cider, cocktails, mocktails, spirits and soft drinks.

Basingstoke board games cafe concept plans to start expanding after second successful year: Basingstoke board games cafe concept Dice Tower Gaming is planning to start expanding following its second successful year in business. Dice Tower Gaming has seen consistent growth since opening in the Hampshire town in January 2022, at the Red Lion Hotel. “We’re almost at capacity at all peak times now,” co-owner Martin Robertson told the Basingstoke Gazette. He added that the site has been “absolutely smashing it” over the past two years. Robertson is striving to take the cafe to new heights along with co-owner Scott Malcolmson. “We sat down and developed the business to a point where it can be sustainable,” Robertson said. “We are in the best position we’ve ever been in. We see growth in the future because people just love what we do.” With their current location reaching its limits, the owners are actively seeking a new site to accommodate the growing demand. “We want to open the new venue within the next three to six months," Robertson said. “Finding the right place at the right price is challenging, but we're eager to expand. We’ve even had to turn customers away due to capacity limitations.” The owners are exploring potential locations and keeping the specific details under wraps for now. They recently launched a social media campaign, inviting customers to suggest their preferred location for the new site.