Stonegate to begin trialling two new concepts for late-night venues: Stonegate Group, the UK’s largest pub company, is to trial two concepts that will be positioned in some of its late-night venues, Propel has learned. One will be a karaoke-based format called Careless Whisper and the other a high-energy space, which will include live music, called Rita’s Beer Hall and Ballroom. Stonegate chief executive David McDowall told Propel: “Although still in the early stages, I am excited about two new concepts our awesome teams are developing, Careless Whisper and Rita’s Beer Hall and Ballroom. Careless Whisper is an immersive-themed karaoke concept, while Rita’s offers a high-energy, cool space known for live music, great bee, and cocktails, with some fun surprises thrown in. We are committed to innovatively reimagining our spaces to offer interactive, social experiences for our guests and both concepts are designed to bring people together in unique and engaging ways.” On the group’s late-night venues, McDowall told Propel last month that where the proposition is clearly differentiated, “it is still hard, but we trade pretty well”. He said: “Popworld is pretty consistent, Be At One is pretty consistent. Slug & Lettuce is not really late-night but it’s high street, high energy – we’ve worked really hard on the evolution of that business, and it is going well. Some of our regional-based, unbranded nightclubs are finding it tough, just like for everyone else, because we all know that people are socialising differently. So, in the short term, that’s quite stressful for those particular sites. We’re very fortunate that it’s a relatively small part of our estate, but it’s an important part. Firstly, we’ve got great people running that business, And the second thing is that if you look past the short-term stress, there's got to be an opportunity to think differently and innovate around the way these spaces are used, and we're working really hard on a couple of things designed to do just that. We continue to invest in late night, and at the same time, work hard on some innovation that might just really help us think very differently about how these spaces are used.” 

 

Sponsored message – Subway EMEA partners with Vita Mojo to create more efficiencies, help drive traffic and sales: Subway, one of the world’s largest restaurant brands, has committed to rolling out the next phase of its digital experience with Vita Mojo. Subway has appointed Vita Mojo to roll out self-order kiosks as well as a kitchen management system and kitchen display screens across three markets – the UK, Finland and Germany. “Europe is leading Subway’s global digital evolution by providing guests with an elevated in-restaurant and online experience and more ways for them to order their favourite subs,” said Carrie Walsh, president of Subway EMEA. “Early guest feedback on the kiosks has been extremely positive and franchisees across the market are eager to bring the new digital enhancements to their restaurants.” The announcement comes after an almost three-year process during which Subway searched for the right tech partner to deliver a global self-order kiosk project. With bespoke technology designed to help hospitality brands take control of operations with one system, Vita Mojo provides streamlined tech for more than 150 scaling brands including Leon, YO! and Gail’s. Read more about this partnership here.  If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

Premium Club members to receive Multi-Site Database and videos from Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference this week: Premium Club members are to receive the Multi-Site Database and all the videos from the Excellence in Pub Retailing Conference on Friday (31 May). The next Propel Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate, provides details of 3,123 multi-site operators and is now searchable in seven main segments. The database features, 915 (29%) operators from the casual dining sector, 766 (25%) pubs and bars, 516 (16%) cafe bakery, 428 (14%) quick service restaurants, 250 (8%) hotel, 194 (6%) experiential leisure and 54 (2%) fine dining. It is updated each month, and this edition includes 25 new companies. Premium Club members will also receive videos from the Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference, which includes a fascinating industry panel consisting of Shepherd Neame managing director Jonathon Swaine; Greene King managing director Clair Preston-Beer; City Pub Group founder Clive Watson; Debbie Whittingham, employee director at JD Wetherspoon; and sector investor Luke Johnson talking about the challenge the sector faces in ensuring it maximises the performance of its pub assets in an era of declining alcohol sales. Premium Club members also receive access to five additional databases: the New Openings Database; the Turnover & Profits Blue Book; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database and 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 Propel paid-for events including 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 are also 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.

 

‘Pubs will be thriving in five years as they’ll have a far more diverse set of customers’: The UK’s pubs will be thriving in five years’ time as they’ll have a far more diverse set of customers. That was the view of Greene King managing director Clair Preston-Beer, speaking during a panel session at this month’s Propel Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference 2024. The panellists were asked how they saw the landscape looking for the managed pub sector in half a decade’s time. “I think pubs will be thriving as they’ll have a far more diverse set of customers in the pubs – whether that’s age, gender or ethnicity – I think that’s the way pubs will evolve,” said Preston-Beer. “I’m excited about that and think it’s great for the sector.” City Pub Group founder Clive Watson said: “The future is positive. Before covid, the young didn’t really want to mix with the old, but I think that will change. There will be more ageless and classless pubs, that’s where I see the big change being, and I think we’re seeing that already.” Debbie Whittingham, employee director at JD Wetherspoon, said: “We’ll be five years down the line of making those continual small improvements in everything we do. I can’t see a negative, I think pubs will be thriving.” Sector investor Luke Johnson said: “I hope there isn’t too much more consolidation as part of the joy of the British pub industry is it is still relatively fragmented and there are an awful lot of good independent pubs and smaller medium sized businesses that manage to thrive. Although the pub will have to continue modernising, the traditional aspects where there’s great company and great refreshment must stay at the heart forever.” Shepherd Neame managing director Jonathon Swaine added: “We’ll have invested in five more years of career pathways and nine more since the Brexit vote, so we’ll perhaps be more used to developing our own people and being more self-reliant than we have in the past, although I think a stronger relationship with Europe will be a good thing. I think we’ll have a super digital literate group of managers who will be recasting hospitality as a great career, which I think we’re on the cusp of at the moment.” Propel Premium Club members will receive all the videos from the Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference on Friday, 31 May at 9am. 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. 

 

Chef overtakes programmer as most common occupation of migrants arriving in UK on skilled worker visa: Chef has overtaken programmer as the most common occupation of migrants arriving in Britain on a skilled worker visa, according to a Financial Times analysis of official data. Some 6,203 chefs were granted skilled worker visas in the year to March 2024, a rise of 54% on the previous year, figures published by the Home Office showed. In the same period, the number of work permits granted to programmers and software developers more than halved from 8,752 to 4,280. The contrasting trends highlight the extent to which labour shortages have lingered in lower-paid sectors even as hiring slowed in the tech sector and other white-collar professions, the FT said. There were also reductions in the amount of skilled worker visas awarded to management consultants, and those working in the finance and insurance sector and scientific and technical sectors. A total of 67,703 skilled worker visas were issued by the Home Office in the year to March 2024, down 2% on the previous year, the data showed. Chefs are among the lower-paid occupations that are likely to be priced out of the visa system in future as minimum salary requirement has risen to £38,700, or £30,800 for younger workers. The average annual salary of a chef was £22,877 in April 2023, according to the most recent ONS data. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said chefs “stood out” as one of the few roles skilled enough to qualify for a visa in a sector where 6% of jobs were unfilled. The rise in visa grants to chefs was driven by arrivals from south Asia, with 25% of visas in the first three months of this year issued to Indians, 22% to Bangladeshis and 21% to Pakistanis. Curry house owners have long lobbied government for easier access to the visa system to overcome a perennial staffing crisis. In 2019, then home secretary Priti Patel ceded to calls for a so-called vindaloo visa, removing a previous restriction on restaurants that offered takeaways. But Nicholls said chefs recruited from south Asia would be working across the industry, not only in curry houses, given the demand for their skills. Continuing labour shortages have also led to a rise in the number of jobs in food and hospitality, such as butchers and restaurant managers, being taken by people arriving on skilled worker visas. Accommodation and food service accounted for 17% of skilled worker visas granted in the first quarter of 2024, well above twice the proportion two years ago.

Costa Coffee to launch robotic coffee kiosk concept: Costa Coffee, in partnership with Delaware North, will launch its autonomous coffee technology, Costa Coffee Creations, at the Austin-Bergstrom International airport in Texas, in August. Located at Gates 11 and 16, the 24 square-foot Costa Coffee Creations is a fully robotic system that delivers “barista-quality espresso drinks without the need for any human assistance for up to seven days”. The equipment, capable of serving both hot and cold beverages, utilises 100% freshly ground whole beans, milk and alternative milk options. Delaware North said Costa’s current coffee robot in the Austin airport, and a precursor to Costa Coffee Creations, has demonstrated remarkable success, achieving double the revenue per square foot compared to other offerings in the airport, which saw 22 million passengers fly in and out in 2023 alone. Nick Rex, senior director at Costa Coffee, said: “Amid persistent labour shortages and growing consumer demand for convenience and personalization, Costa Coffee Creations emerges as the perfect solution. With the ability to concoct an infinite array of coffee options in minutes and facilitating seamless mobile ordering, all without the need for human intervention, the machine embodies a win-win scenario for operators and guests alike.” 

 

More than two thirds of pints of beer and glasses of wine poured in UK pubs and bars ‘contain less drink than they should’: More than two thirds of pints of beer and glasses of wine being poured in pubs and bars in the UK contain less drink than they should, new research suggests. A report published by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) found 70% of the beer and wine it sampled across the country was being short measured, reports the BBC. CTSI found that if beer was short measured, it was, on average, 4% less than a full pint, while for wine it was, on average, 5% lower than the 175ml standard glass. The consumer body said that among the 137 drinks it sampled across 77 pubs and bars, the most under-poured drink was bought in Walsall, in the West Midlands, which was short by 15%, or 26ml. Large deficits were also found in Belfast and Havering in east London. Duncan Stephenson, a spokesman for CTSI, said the study was a “snapshot” and called for broader research to be undertaken into the issue. John Herriman, chief executive of CTSI, said it was “calling on the hospitality sector to ensure that consumers get value for money by making sure they are correctly measuring the drinks they are serving to customers”. Campaign for Real Ale chairman Nik Antona said customers were “well within [their] rights” to ask for a top-up if short measured by more than 5% and added: “Consumers shouldn’t have to feel short changed when they support their favourite pubs, social clubs, and taprooms.” Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said industry guidance reflected a requirement for a 95% liquid pint and affirmed that consumers who wanted a smaller head on their beer “should always feel free to ask for a top-up and should never be refused”.

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a top-end restaurant operation in London that is seeking a senior operations director. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “You will come on board and oversee this key brand as it is expanding. This role will require a self-starter and someone incredibly adaptable, with commercially awareness of the hospitality industry and be able to lead from the front. You will work with the founders and help add value across their business. You will be comfortable with implementing procedures and process and will enjoy a fast-paced lifestyle. The ideal candidate would have worked for branded and independent operations in a quality forward thinking environment. You will have a strong passion for quality food and wine and be guest experience focused and dynamic in your approach. Experience in very high-volume restaurant operations will be necessary.” The salary is up to £150,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email stuart@corecruitment.com.

 

Licensing update: John Gaunt & Partners licensing solicitors has just published its latest licensing update. This month it looks ahead to the Euros along with a consultation about alcohol in licensed pavement areas, which it urges operators to respond to. The full update can be accessed here.

 

Exclusive – Bear to launch £2m crowdfunding campaign to support growth: Cafe bar concept Bear is to launch a £2m crowdfunding campaign to support its expansion, including opening new sites, Propel has learned. Founded by lifelong friends Craig Bunting and Michael Thorley, Bear began as a business inspired by Bunting’s travels in Australia and Thorley’s Royal Marines background and started in a shed with a supermarket espresso machine. The business, which is backed by Clark Group, has now grown to operates seven sites across the Midlands and Cheshire, serving speciality coffee, seasonal fresh food and cocktails. Bear stated: “As the nation’s coffee culture continues to flourish, Bear recognises the importance of staying true to its roots while growing its footprint. This crowdfunding campaign aims to raise £2m, which will be used to open new stores, enhance product offerings and further develop the brand. With plans to achieve five times sales growth and 29 times Ebitda growth over the next five years, this is an exciting time for Bear and its community.” Bear is offering 17% equity in return for the investment, giving the business a pre-money valuation of £9,820,602. Since Bear opened in Uttoxeter in 2016, it has sold more than one million coffees. Total revenue to date is £15m, with the business seeing 39% growth for the year ended 31 March 2024 compared with the previous year. The last 12 months also saw Bear hit a £5m annual revenue run rate and grow its online reach 168%. The business has also achieved 56% turnover growth in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the previous year and more than half of its guest base are regular repeat visitors. The company has opened two new sites in the last 12 months. Bunting said: “Harnessing eight years of success, with your partnership, we can fund our future growth and realise even more of Bear’s potential. We want to share ownership of our award-winning brand. Bear is more than just coffee and brunch – we are a people first brand delivering an exceptional product and experience in places that inspire adventure, connection and lifestyle.” In 2022, Bear raised investment from family coffee company Clark Group, which has invested in brands including Bremont, Monica Vinader and Vivobarefoot. At the time, Bunting told Propel that Bear has “global potential”.

 

Milton Keynes franchisee signs UK master franchise agreement with German staffless gym brand, 200 potential locations already identified: Milton Keynes franchisee Empowered Brands has signed a UK master franchise agreement with German staffless gym brand fit+, with 200 potential locations already identified here. Empowered Brands is already spearheading the growth of the UK gym franchise énergie Fitness and Australian boot camp concept UBX Boxing & Strength here. The new deal will see Empowered Brands roll out fit+ gyms across the UK and Ireland, adding to the circa 250 locations it already has across Europe – projecting 2024 turnover in excess of €30m. Co-founded by Torsten Boorberg and Björn Krämer following staffing challenges they faced in the industry, the fit+ model has seen exponential growth of 200% in just three years. This is expected to rise to 300% by the end of this year, with a target of 320 gyms open. The model targets smaller territories than traditional gyms and often including 24-hour access. Mark Pinner, chief at Empowered Brands, told whichfranchise: “It’s game-changing for the industry as it’s a concept that’s able to reach underserved communities easily, where perhaps they don’t currently have a convenient fitness facility, or where they do but it has restricted hours. We’re really excited to roll the concept out, providing everything that people need for a complete training programme.” Asides from a model which minimises overheads and running costs, the level of investment required to kickstart owning a fit+ franchise starts at just £25,000. Pietro Nicholls, chairman of Empowered Brands and portfolio manager at RM Funds, the investment management firm backing it, added: “fit+ will help more people to own their own gym as one of the most affordable and convenient options to get into business with a gym franchise. The addition of the fit+ franchise enhances our expanding portfolio of fitness and wellness franchise brands, further solidifying our franchise royalty platform.” It comes as Empowered Brands opens two new franchised énergie Fitness gyms, in Lichfield and Tooting, as well as three new UBX Boxing & Strength franchise clubs, in Alderley, Windsor and Wembley. Pinner added: “We’ve an exciting pipeline of new openings to come across both énergie Fitness and UBX Boxing & Strength, and we anticipate appeal for fit+ franchisees being just as strong, with interest already being shown among existing franchisees in our network.”

 

Kaspa’s launches in Morocco for second overseas market, two further sites secured: Dessert franchise concept Kaspa’s has launched in Morocco for its second overseas market, with two further sites secured in the country. It has opened at the Menara Mall in Marrakech, and the site will be operated by Kent-based franchisee Goldex Investments. Kaspa’s entered its first overseas market in 2020 with an opening in Islamabad, Pakistan. “It was a great experience to attend the long-awaited opening of our store in Morocco,” said Kaspa’s founder and chief executive, Azhar Rehman. “It hasn’t been easy by any means of imagination with so many challenges along the way, taking us almost a year to get the store open, but I guess this is all part of learning and when you finally get there the feeling is far sweeter. We will be looking to expand with another two sites secured. Looking forward to the expanding the brand further into the Moroccan market.” Founded in 2013, Kaspas’s has grown to more than 100 UK sites.

 

Kibou set to open sixth site: Kibou Restaurants, the Japanese concept led by Regent Inns founder David Franks, is set to open its sixth suite this summer. It will open in the former Wilding unit at 11-12 Little Clarendon Street in the Jericho neighbourhood of Oxford in July – joining its venues in Cambridge, Cheltenham, Battersea, Clifton and Solihull. The 100-cover bar and restaurant will feature a dining room with views over an open sushi kitchen, and a cocktail lounge with a cocktail and spirits bar. There will also be an additional 40 covers within a Japanese-inspired walled courtyard, and a private dining room with space for up to 12 covers. The menu will centre on classic and contemporary Japanese sharing plates, ‘moriawase’ sushi and sashimi platters, fresh seafood, A5 grade seared wagyu and bowls of ramen. There will also be a selection of Japanese whisky, sake and umeshu, and Japanese-brewed beers. Sam Horswill, managing director at Kibou Restaurants, said: “A site in Oxford has long been on our wish list for Kibou. It’s the perfect demographic for us; has ‘city’ status but with a ‘market town’ appeal, is economically robust and benefits from a vibrant visitor economy that’s as centred on locals as it is tourists and the student population. Recruitment is now well underway for all key positions, plus we’re working with the current team at Wilding, who are leaving the site, to offer employment opportunities to them as well, as our overall team will be growing in number. We believe Kibou Oxford will be a solid addition to our already successful portfolio and remain firmly focused on the considered expansion of the brand over the next five years.” In September 2023, Propel revealed that Kibou had appointed advisors to explore its options as it gears up for further growth. The business is understood to be working with William Baxter and Payam Keyghobadi, advisors at Dow Schofield Watts London.

 

Former Airship and Toggle CCO invests in digital ordering platform storekit: Sam Brown, former chief commercial officer at Airship and Toggle, has become a strategic investor and advisor in storekit, the London-based digital ordering platform. Storekit provides operators with highly flexible, omni-channel ordering including order and pay, pay at table, collection and first party delivery. Brown recently left Airship and Toggle after four years following its acquisition by Zonal. Storekit co-founder and chief commercial officer, Angus Jackson, said: “Sam is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to hospitality tech. He’s successfully scaled the sales and marketing functions of two businesses to exit and we’re excited for him to bring that experience into the next phase of growth at storekit.” Brown added: “It’s difficult to build great tech for hospitality that genuinely moves the needle for operators. Very few founders understand what’s required to build something that lasts the test of time, but team storekit is doing something special.” Brown’s investment follows that of hospitality influencer ‘Clerkenwell Boy’ and Prue and Tom Freeman, founders of Daisy Green Collection. Although primarily UK focused, storekit has a presence in 19 countries and more than 1,000 venues, including the likes of Incipio Group, Patty&Bun, Livelyhood Pubs, Byron, Bao, Daisy Green and Sushi Dog.

 

UK’s second-largest KFC franchisee sees losses rise to £5.3m as turnover hits record £229.8m: New Demipower, the second-largest KFC franchisee in the UK, has reported turnover increased to a record £229,758,119 for the year ending 31 October 2023 compared with £220,156,760 the year before. Of the figure, £149,638,058 came from in-store visits (2022: £142,899,825) while £80,120,061 came from delivery (£77,256,935). The business saw pre-tax losses rise to £5,341,056 from £1,020,94 the previous year. The group opened one new store in the period and operates circa 125 sites. In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “The group is keen to invest in new restaurants and the directors are continuously looking at opportunities to expand the business.” The group did not receive any government support (2022: £250,023 in business rates grants). No divided was paid (2022: £1,020,942).

 

Zia Lucia to open in Fulham: London pizzeria concept Zia Lucia is to add to its estate in the capital with an opening in Fulham. The business, which opened its first regional site, and tenth in total, on the ex-ASK Italian site in Mary’s Butts, in Reading town centre, last month, has secured the Mama Jerks site at Fulham Broadway for an opening later this year. Founded in 2016 by Italian born Claudio Vescovo and Gianluca D’Angelo, Zia Lucia said the opening in Reading will mark the start of its national rollout as it looks to open up to ten sites throughout the UK over the next three years, following the “significant success of its neighbourhood London restaurants”. D’Angelo told Propel last month: “We are in advanced talks on a further site in the capital, it is basically almost done, and waiting for the planning. It is an incredible, exciting area for us. We’ve been looking there for a while, and we have found an incredibly nice spot. Then we are hopefully looking for two or three more this year. We have some discussions out on a couple more in London and a couple outside of the capital. So hopefully, we’ll sign up two or three more for which one or two should be outside London as well.” The business has been working with consultancy firm GNF Worldwide, and D’Angelo said that rather than franchising, the company is looking to go down the joint venture route to aid its expansion plans. Savills is working with Zia Lucia on its expansion plans.

 

Cairn Group makes ‘significant’ bank loan repayments after receiving £20m profit share and £30m in loan repayments and dividends from JV: Hotel and bar operator Cairn Group said it has made “significant” bank loan repayments after receiving a £20m profit share and £30m in loan repayments and dividends from its joint venture (JV). This, in addition to the previously reported £15.8m profit on disposal of two properties in September 2022, allowed the group to reduce its outstanding bank debt to £131,560,000 from £188,277,000 in 2022, according to its accounts for the year to 30 April 2023. “The directors believe that the completion of these transactions and reduction in outstanding debt ensures the group is in a strong position to deliver consistent results, and to manage the volatile economic environment and liquidity and interest rate risks faced by the group,” director Aran Handa said. “The joint venture is expected to yield further profits and dividends in the future.” The group’s profit share from its JV in the previous year was £214,000. The group also signed a new five-year bank loan with HSBC in May 2024, set at variable rates but interest-only for three years. Group Ebitda excluding JV profits rose to £20,460,000 in the period (2022: £16,502,000) and turnover increased to £131,664,000 from £109,424,000. Its pre-tax profit grew from £10,831,000 to £43,137,000. “The recovery from the impacts of covid-19 19 lockdowns and restrictions was quicker and more remarkable than was expected at the beginning of the financial year,” Handa said. “Following covid, the opportunity was taken to holistically reconsider business models at every hospitality venue, and initiatives and programmes were implemented to deliver value for guests against a more efficient cost base. However, the group continues to trade in a challenging and changing market principally due to both global and UK specific economic uncertainties. Specifically, the impact of inflation on the group’s key costs, including wages, food and beverage purchases, and utilities, has been material to the results and this has continued to be the case through 2023 and to date in 2024.” The group’s portfolio included 25 (2022: 27) owned properties at the reporting date of May 2024, with a net asset value of £99,778,000 (2022: £58,385,000). “Even with cost pressures and expected future challenges due to economic and political uncertainties, Ebitda is forecast to continue to show growth, driven principally by reconsideration of pricing and food and beverage business models,” Handa added. “Furthermore, cash reserves allow the directors to carry on with an ambitious development plan foreseen for the organisation.” No dividends were paid (2022: nil). No government grants were received (2022: £861,000).

 

Japanese restaurant business Yoshinoya to make European debut in Edinburgh: Japanese ‘beef bowl’ business Yoshinoya is to make its debut in Europe with an opening in Edinburgh. Earlier this spring, the company announced it was to expand its ramen restaurant business, opening new locations at home, in Europe and Southeast Asia. Yoshinoya Holdings-owned ramen shop operator Withlink has 44 ramen shops in Japan and 29 overseas, mainly in Indonesia. Part of its plans is to launch a Bari-Uma store, which serves tonkotsu pork-bone-soup ramen in Europe. Yoshinoya previously opened gyudon beef bowl shops in south east Asia and the US, but this will be its first opening in Europe, before looking to open in other markets including Germany and Italy. It is believed that the company plans to open a Bari-Uma in the city’s Cockburn Street, in the unit formerly occupied by the Viva Mexico restaurant.

 

Dublin toasted sandwich concept targets 40 locations, with interest from outside Ireland: Dublin toasted sandwich concept Gridollah has targeted 40 locations in Ireland after launching a franchise programme and said it has had interest from outside Ireland too. Jacob Long and Jack Brennan started the toastie business as a food truck in Malahide during the pandemic, in 2020. It now has three locations in Dublin and two in Cork, having built up a customer base at pop-ups and events. “We have a goal of probably about 40 (locations) in Ireland, and our bigger goal is to become a legacy brand outside of Ireland,” Long said. “We want to represent a lot of the Irish culture in a food and beverage concept, which isn’t something you typically see abroad.” Long said there are 15 active enquiries from potential franchisees and interest from outside of Ireland as well. Franchises will cost €15,000 up front, as well as a franchise fee of 6% and 2% of net sales. The company highlighted the flexibility of locations in which the franchise can be operated from and said the firm has a strong appeal among the 24 to 34-year-old age demographic. “We rented a food truck from a friend of ours who used to do all the festivals, and we got a flat top grill and a coffee machine and a couple of fridges,” Long added. “It was really just a little passion project to waste a bit of time before we went back to work, and now nearly four years later, it’s grown into this great franchise opportunity.”

 

UK bubble tea brand Cupp makes Northern Ireland debut and signs up master franchisee for the country: UK bubble tea brand Cupp has made its Northern Ireland debut and signed up master franchisee for the country. It has opened at 23 Dublin Road in Belfast, meaning Cupp now has a presence in all four home nations across circa 37 stores. The company now has the 40-store landmark within its sights, with further locations in Edinburgh, Leeds and Croydon set to open soon. “Today I’m in Belfast for the launch of Cupp,” franchise consultant Mikayla Whittle said. “Incredibly excited to see this brand’s continued expansion and happy to have brought on a multi-unit franchisee for the Northern Irish territory. I have some great franchise opportunities available in various cities across the north of England, Scotland and Ireland.” Cupp, founded by Lee Peacock in Bristol in 2012, said in September last year that it is closing in on a first overseas site and is holding talks with potential international master franchisees.

 

Croeso Pubs adds ex JD Wetherspoon site in Penarth to portfolio: Croeso Pubs, the South Wales pub chain which already runs seven venues including The Philharmonic and Brewhouse in Cardiff, is taking over the lease of The Bear’s Head in Penarth. The pub in Windsor Road, Penarth, was formerly run by JD Wetherspoons, which announced its sudden closure in March when it decided not to renew the lease on the venue. Croeso Pubs has stepped in to take over the lease and will reopen The Bear’s Head's doors in early July. The Bear’s Head is the second ‘community pub’ for Croeso pubs – in December last year, it refurbished The Discovery in Lakeside, Cardiff, following a £400,000 investment. In the past few months, it has also extended the Blue Bell in Cardiff’s city centre – moving into the former Brew Monster bar next door. And in January 2023, it also acquired the lease for The Dock in Cardiff Bay. The company said it is committed to retaining as many aspects of The Bear’s Head as possible, but will also invest significantly in the premises, including the introduction of live sport from Sky and TNT Sports. Director Simon Little said: “Our recent acquisition of The Dock in Mermaid Quay and The Discovery in Cardiff's Lakeside has given us a blueprint for success and delivers what our customers tell us they want – particularly through the promotion of live sport and affordable food. We are really pleased to be able to add a venue in Penarth to our growing portfolio and hope to replicate the success we've had in our other venues to The Bear's Head by delivering what the people of Penarth want in their local pub.” Fellow Croeso Pubs Director Craig Davies added: “We now have a successful formula that we have worked hard to refine when taking over new pubs, which fulfils our determination to provide quality venues for the communities we operate in. The fact that the community launched a petition when the closure of The Bear's Head was announced demonstrates that this is a place that matters to locals, and this only galvanises our resolve to invest in this ‘must visit’ pub in Penarth. It is our intention to run the business along the same ‘value lines’ as the local community previously enjoyed.”

 

Burger King to bring back $5 value meal: Burger King is bringing back its $5 value meal, signalling an escalation in the burger wars in the US. “We are bringing back our $5 Your Way Meal as agreed upon with our franchisees back in April,” said a Burger King spokesperson. He added that the company was “accelerating its value offers”. According to a Bloomberg report, Burger King’s value meal consists of a choice of one of three sandwiches with nuggets, fries and a drink. Burger King plans to run its promotional offer for several months, the report said. The return of value meals highlights the pressure US fast food chains face to attract lower income consumers who have pulled back from eating out due to sticky inflation. Both Starbucks and McDonald’s have seen a hit to their sales due to cautious consumer spending and have ramped up promotional offers to increase traffic to their stores. Wendy’s announced its $3 breakfast meal deal last week. In contrast, Bloomberg had reported earlier that McDonald’s promotion would run for about four weeks. The chain is testing two other value platforms that could be ready in the second half of the year, the report said. McDonald’s is reportedly set to launch its $5 value meal in the US beginning 25 June, after an earlier failed attempt. The burger giant has faced opposition from franchisees saddled with high labour costs. To “sweeten the deal” McDonald’s has asked Coca-Cola to chip in to mitigate costs.

 

Brother Marcus hires Jon Green as new ops director: Mediterranean restaurant concept Brother Marcus has hired Jon Green, formerly of Chicken Shop, PizzaExpress and Prezzo, as its new operations director. Green joins the four-strong business with 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including leading PizzaExpress in the UAE and serving on the senior leadership team at Prezzo restaurants. He also spent a year and a half as managing director of the Sir Charles Dunstone-backed Chicken Shop (formerly Chik’n). Tasos Gaitanos, co-founder of Brother Marcus, told Propel: “Jon brings a wealth of experience to the company. We very much look forward to seeing him develop the teams and elevate Brother Marcus' approach to Mediterranean hospitality.” Founded in 2016 by three school friends, Alex Large, Arthur Campbell and Gaitanos, the all-day concept currently operates sites in Spitalfields Market, Islington’s Camden Passage, South Kensington and Borough Yards. Last month, Propel revealed the company is to return to the expansion trail after 12 months of consolidation, with plans to reach ten sites in London over the next few years. To aid its plans, the company recently hired Dorian Waite, co-founder of the Active-backed Honest Burger, and former operations director of Bill’s, as a non-executive director. Large told Propel: “Last year was one of planning and getting to a stage where we feel confident to expand without putting too much pressure on our head office team and ensuring our current sites are performing to the best of their ability. Like-for-like sales were up 25%, full-year sales increased 35% to £6.9m, while our Ebitda stood at £690,000 after central costs. This calendar year has also started strongly, and we are now in a position to build on that foundation. We want to get to ten sites in the capital. Being in such an exciting city, there’s lots of opportunity to be able to reach that number without losing sight of where we started and what Brother Marcus is.” 

 

South east England Domino’s franchisee reports record turnover of £14.9m but falls to loss as cost pressures continue: South east England Domino’s franchisee Monte Laguna has reported turnover increased 15% to a record £14,851,514 for the year ending 31 August 2023 compared with £12,874,642 the year before. The company made a pre-tax loss of £172,116 compared with a profit of £663,925 the previous year. Gross profit margin was down to 24.3% from 30.1% the previous year due to the continued cost pressures on raw materials and direct costs. Meanwhile, wages as a percentage of sales were up to 36.7% from 34.0%. In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “The leadership team continue to exploit opportunities to grow the business both organically, as well as develop the team in order to maximise the value provided to their customers across the company. The liquidity of the company remains healthy.” No dividend was paid (2022: nil). Monte Laguna last week opened its 22nd site, in Tenterden, Kent, its second new opening of 2024.