Oisin Rogers – The Devonshire understood to be the biggest Guinness account in the world with 240 barrels sold St Patrick’s week: Oisin Rogers, the co-owner of The Devonshire in London’s Soho, has said he has been told by Diageo that the venue has the biggest Guinness account in the world. Speaking at Propel’s Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference, Rogers, who opened The Devonshire last November with Flat Iron founder Charlie Carroll, would not be drawn on the venue’s average weekly sales but said “they spent a long time beginning with a two” – which are understood to be in reference to takings in excess of £200,000 per week. He also said the pub has a daily delivery of Guinness to keep up with demand. Over the St Patrick’s week, the site sold 20,400 pints and went through 240 barrels of the Irish stout. Rogers said: “We started off with the pub smashing it and the restaurant being quite slow because obviously we opened that side of the business slowly. But about five or six weeks ago, the restaurant overtook the pub. And now the restaurant’s probably 35% ahead of the pub sales, and that continues to grow. The restaurant is 70% food and 30% drink whereas the pub is 99% drink, so overall we’re on 50/50 now. We want to go to 60/40 eventually so we'll grow the restaurant side of the food business. It [Guinness] certainly wasn’t what we wanted to be defined by. We’ve always done Guinness and we did it really well at the Guinea Grill, but I wanted to put an installation of Guinness in that mimicked how it’s sold in Dublin exactly, if not better. That was the only way we felt we would get the absolute new premium product. It’s somehow worked, and we’ve achieved a slightly better product I think than some of our competitors, and the guests feel that. The volume makes a big difference as well. When you’re selling a lot of it, it actually tastes better, and that’s been a big thing.” Rogers ruled out a second site and said the fact that The Devonshire was always going to be a one-off helped with the decision making behind the venue. He said: “I think it’s interesting that all of the decisions we made from the start were about being a one-off business. They’re not ‘rollout-able’ and I think you can feel that in the walls of the place that we decided to do it once, do it properly, do it with reasonable expense, and be a decision that we will stick to for five, ten, 20 years. I have great sympathy for people who have to open a pub every six weeks or every month, or in the case of Alex [Reilley] at Loungers, every week. I don’t know how they do it. Once you’ve got a second place then one’s always slightly better than the other, and that would freak me out. I don’t think I’d be able to cope with it.” On whether managed operators should give more autonomy to their pub managers, Rogers added: “I feel that the pubs where there are operators who are able to make decisions on the fly without too much influence from outsiders tend to be much more comfortable places to have a good time in.” Rogers was speaking at Propel’s Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference – all the videos from which are now available to Premium Club members. In his video, he talks about the detailed research he undertook in Dublin to make sure The Devonshire poured the perfect pint of Guinness, plans to develop The Devonshire further, reveals his precise requirements before he agreed to open The Devonshire and how he feels about Albert’s Schloss opening around the corner in Piccadilly.

 

Sponsored message – sing your way to success by using karaoke rooms to boost venue profitability: Private karaoke rooms are more than just a trend. Over the past four years, their popularity has soared, reflected in booming search traffic and increased customer interest. This trend shows no signs of slowing down, and businesses that jump on board are experiencing real financial benefits. Hotels, bowling alleys, bars and restaurants are joining the trend with brands like Boom Battle Bar, Roxy Leisure and All Star Lanes all adding karaoke rooms. Steve Dalton, UK managing director for karaoke solution Singa Business, said: “A recent study by Aalto University found a 12.23% increase in return on assets for venues with karaoke compared with those without. This boost in results has been shown year over year, meaning karaoke rooms provide a long-term financial benefit. The benefits of karaoke rooms are not just seen across venues that are focused on competitive socialising operations, but also traditional pubs and nightclubs looking to transform underutilised spaces. Karaoke rooms provide additional income with booking fees as well as food and beverage sales. Karaoke rooms are especially popular for event bookings for both individuals and corporate clients.” Learn more about the profitability of karaoke rooms here and see how Singa Business can help bring karaoke to your venue. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

Variety of experiential operators to feature in next New Openings Database being released to Premium Club members tomorrow: The next Propel New Openings Database will be sent to Premium Club members tomorrow (Friday, 7 June). The database will show the details of 234 site openings, including which company has opened a site or its plans to open one in the future. It will have details on what type of site it is and its location, and there will also be a website link to the businesses. The database is published on a monthly basis and Premium Club members will also receive a 14,643-word report on the 234 new additions to the database. The database includes new openings in the experiential leisure sector such as CBeebies Rainbow Adventure, an immersive theatrical experience, opening in Westfield London; Alpamare Waterpark, which is gearing up to open this summer in Scarborough; and Adventure Leisure’s 14th Mulligans, which is set to open in Guildford. Premium Club members also receive access to five other databases: the Turnover & Profits Blue Book; the Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate; 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 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 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.

 

Growing number of sector businesses introducing premium coffee option: A growing number of UK hospitality and retail businesses are introducing premium in-store coffee concepts to boost sales, foster brand loyalty and elevate their value proposition, according to the Non-Specialists Report UK 2024, the World Coffee Portal’s first dedicated analysis of the UK’s fast developing non-specialist coffee market. The report identifies 11,039 points of sale in the UK and that 12-month outlet growth remains flat, with 245 net openings across 24 of 69 brands offset by 245 net closures across 17 brands. Subway is the segment market leader with 2,158 sites, ahead of McDonald’s 1,450 and JD Wetherspoon’s 798 locations. Petrol and service stations, hotels and supermarkets are considered by industry leaders surveyed to be the most beneficial locations to position non-specialist coffee concepts. Quick service restaurants are the largest group of non-specialist coffee operators in the UK, followed by pubs and bars and supermarkets. The survey of more than 2,000 consumers identified that convenience is the main purchase driver at non-specialist coffee locations. However, it said convenience alone is no guarantee that footfall will translate into sales given the multitude of premium options available in the highly developed UK branded coffee shop market. While speed of service is considered the most important visit driver for consumers surveyed, nearly a quarter have avoided a concept due to poor customer service. At the same time, consumers are evenly split on whether self-serve coffee machines or staff-led service are the most suitable formats for non-specialist locations. Only a minority of UK consumers believe coffee from an automated machine rivals a barista hand-crafted beverage. Many – particularly 55s and over – strongly favour human interaction when ordering. World Coffee Portal forecasts the UK non-specialist coffee segment will add 135 net new sites over the next 12 months, expanding 1.2% to reach 11,174 locations. However, the growing sophistication of UK coffee consumers means there is a robust market for premium coffee beyond typical coffee shop locations – with petrol stations, hotels and supermarkets all standing to boost sales and footfall by catering to high-quality coffee demand.

 

McDonald’s loses EU trademark for chicken Big Macs: McDonald’s no longer has the exclusive right to use the label “Big Mac” in reference to chicken burgers sold in the European Union after a ruling by the EU’s highest court. The EU General Court has ruled against McDonald’s in a long-running trademark case. The court said McDonald’s does not have the right to use the Big Mac trademark for its poultry products. The dispute centred around Irish fast food brand Supermac’s attempt to revoke McDonald’s trademark on “Big Mac”. The EU Intellectual Property Office dismissed the attempt and confirmed McDonald’s usage, but the General Court has now partially annulled the office’s decision and rejected McDonald’s arguments. The court ruled that McDonald’s has not “proved genuine use” of the Big Mac trademark in poultry products in a consecutive five years, and so loses the trademark. The ruling may be appealed to the EU’s top court, the Court of Justice. McDonald’s noted in a statement that the court’s decision did not affect its right to use the “Big Mac” trademark. But it does open the door for other businesses to use the name, including Supermac’s. The dispute goes back to 2017, when McDonald's blocked Pat McDonagh, managing director of Supermac's, which operates 120 sites across Ireland, from registering Supermac's as a trademark, to pave the way for expansion outside Ireland. McDonagh countered that McDonald’s was not using its trademark for restaurants, so other businesses should not be blocked from using the term “Mac” in their names. McDonagh told BBC News the ruling displayed a “common-sense approach to the use of trademarks by large multinationals”. “We knew when we took on this battle that it was a David versus Goliath scenario,” McDonagh said. “We wholeheartedly welcome this judgement as a vindication of small businesses everywhere that stand up to powerful global entities.” McDonald’s said: “Our iconic Big Mac is loved by customers all across Europe, and we’re excited to continue to proudly serve local communities, as we have done for decades.”

 

French lose culinary crown to Spain: France’s restaurants are no longer world-beaters, according to a survey commissioned by Atout France, the French tourist board, and seen by the newspaper Le Parisien. It found that international holidaymakers preferred Italian and Spanish cuisine to French. The findings infuriated some traditionalists but came as no surprise to other observers, who claim that French food is in decline, reports The Times. The poll was published less than two months after Olivia Grégoire, the tourism minister, said French cooks were being outshone by rivals from Asia as well as Denmark, Spain and Peru. Grégoire said she wanted to create a culinary academy to find and train promising young chefs and encourage them to travel the world. The poll, conducted by Harris Interactive, surveyed 28,844 people from 30 countries. Philippe Gloaguen, founder of the Guide du Routard series of guidebooks, blamed tour operators for the results, saying they took holidaymakers to the wrong restaurants. He said France had “exceptional gastronomy” but tourist parties were often led to big brasseries of lesser quality.

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a branded hotel in Brighton, East Sussex, which is looking for a director of sales and marketing. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The business is looking for an entrepreneurial individual with a passion for the industry. You will drive the sales and marketing strategy and grow new business for the property. The business is looking for someone who has experience with trade shows, business development and a passion for sales.” The salary is up to £57,000. For more information, email ed@corecruitment.com.

 

Fireaway launches new express format, plans a further five: Fireaway, the Mario Aleppo-led business, has made its entrance into the petrol forecourt market with the opening of its new kiosk express format, with plans to open five more over the next year. The circa 175-strong business has partnered with Highway Shops Retail, which operates circa 15 forecourts across the south east, to launch the new kiosk format in a site in Gravesend. Fireaway has opened within a Londis convenience store at the petrol station with dual signage. The 150 square-foot site has 17 covers and offers eat in and delivery. Aleppo told Propel that the company is planning to open five sites under the new format in the forecourt sector over the next 12 months. It is though more could open in partnership with Highway Shops Retail if the first one proves successful. Last month, Fireaway opened in Lisbon for its first site in Portugal, with an opening in Turkey set to soon follow. The business, which also operates sites in the Netherlands and Northern Ireland, is set to increase its international presence further with plans to launch in Dubai later this year. In January, Fireaway raised circa £510,000 through a crowdfunding campaign to expand its central operations and brand reach and enhance its technology platform. Propel understands that Fireaway, which was launched in south London in 2017, plans to open a further 30 sites this year. The brand secured investment from six new backers in October 2022 and plans to have 500 sites within the next five years.

 

GSG Hospitality acquires first pub: North west operator GSG Hospitality is to enter the pub sector after acquiring The Hightown near Liverpool. In collaboration with executive head chef Daniel Heffy, alongside GSG’s Matt Farrell and John Ennis, the company said it is “set to revolutionise the traditional pub experience with a menu that steps away from typical gastropub offerings”. GSG will oversee the extensive refurbishment of The Hightown, transforming it into a “dynamic hub of hospitality”. Farrell said: “We are eager to create a unique space that caters to diverse dining preferences and brings the community together. The initial focus will be on developing both indoor and outdoor spaces.” The Hightown will continue to operate as a traditional pub on the ground floor. The first floor will feature a British restaurant, offering a refined menu crafted by Heffy. Guests can expect a “sophisticated dining experience with high-quality dishes that celebrate the best of British cuisine, created with local ingredients”. The hub will also house a cocktail bar. “We know the area well and feel that it’s underutilised from a food perspective in a beautiful area of the country renowned for its villages, golf courses, and accessible links to Liverpool and Southport,” said Farrell. Plans are also in place to reinstate the rooms at The Hightown. GSG also operates two salt Dog Slims bars – one each in Liverpool and Manchester – plus speakeasy cocktail bar 81, tequila bar El Bandito, all-day restaurant Nord, Caribbean cocktail bar Manolo and the Duke Street Food & Drink Market – all in Liverpool. The company is also set to open a fifth site for its Bold Street Coffee concept, and third in Manchester, with a launch at 2 Hardman Street in the Spinningfields area of the city. 

 

Cambridgeshire café concept reaches crowdfunding target, plans further openings: Stir, the Cambridgeshire cafe and bakery concept, has begun overfunding after reaching its crowdfunding target in just over a week, as it looks to add to its five-strong estate. The business, which was launched by husband-and-wife team Judith and Matt Harrison in 2015, was looking to raise £100,019, with a pre-money valuation of £3.2m. It has so far raised more than £142,000 from in excess of 40 investors, with 29 days still to go of the crowdfunding campaign through Seedrs. Since its launch in 2015, Stir has grown to five outlets – two in Chesterton, plus sites in Histon, Fulbourn and Green Street, Cambridge – and a large-scale craft bakery unit, growing more than 50% over the last 18 months and delivering diversified revenue streams in excess of £3m per annum. It plans to use the new funding to open more sites, launch an e-commerce platform and expand its wholesale capabilities. The company said: “Our mission remains the same: to bring our simple yet brilliantly executed offering of bakery delights, brunch favourites, and premium coffee to neighbourhoods across Cambridgeshire.”

 

Rhubarb expands US presence with Cynthia Battaglia partnership in The Hamptons: Rhubarb Hospitality Collection, the premium international hospitality group, has expanded its US presence by partnering with The Hamptons caterer, Cynthia Battaglia, to launch Events by RHC Out East. As part of its expansion, Rhubarb will establish a permanent base in the heart of the Hamptons with a dedicated kitchen and local team in Main Street in Bridgehampton, growing its partnership with Rethink Food to repurpose appropriate leftover food for meals that feed New Yorkers in need. Collaborating with Battaglia, a premier Hamptons caterer for more than 25 years, the group will utilise her connections to local farmers, fishermen and growers in the area to create upscale events, from weddings and private parties to intimate alfresco dinners. Menus include an elevated Seafood Bake featuring lobster, little necks, shrimp, PEI mussels and jumbo shrimp alongside small plates of king salmon poké and heirloom tomato tartare. PB Jacobse, chief executive of Rhubarb, said: “We’ve had great success with events in some of Manhattan’s most iconic buildings including our restaurant Peak, 100 storeys up in Hudson’s Yard, and previously in The Hamptons. This collaboration is a natural extension and strengthens our presence in the region.” Battaglia added “The menu truly embodies the upscale yet laid-back atmosphere of The Hamptons, so I’m thrilled to help bring this to life, offering residents memorable and creative events using fresh, seasonal, and locally sourced food.”

 

Kokoro pauses ‘aggressive growth strategy’ and increases prices twice in space of three months amid ‘volatile economic environment’: Sushi and bento brand Kokoro is pausing its “aggressive growth strategy” and revealed it made two price increases in the space of three months amid the “volatile economic environment”. The company stated: “For the time being, Kokoro will transition from pursuing aggressive growth to carefully monitoring the surrounding conditions and gradually solidifying the business strategy. Amidst the challenging landscape shaped by global events such as the ongoing Ukraine War, lsrael-Hamas conflict, the Suez Canal crisis and the repercussions of the Bank of England's interest rate hike, Kokoru, like its peers in the food and beverage sector, faced notable pressure. The necessity to adapt to a volatile economic environment was evident as Kokoro implemented price increases in August and November 2023, potentially having negative impacts on sales figures.” It comes as Kokoro, which was founded in 2010 by Ray-Kyu Park and operates 72 sites across the UK, reported turnover increased to £12,754,086 for the year ending 31 March 2023 compared with £9,326,680 the previous year. Pre-tax profit was down to £29,727 from £565,004 the year before. A dividend of £1m was paid (2022: nil).

 

Sky News – EMK Capital leading race for TeamSport: The owner of Williams Advanced Engineering is the leading contender to buy TeamSport, Britain’s biggest indoor go-karting operator. Sky News reported that EMK Capital, a London-based private equity firm, has emerged as the frontrunner to acquire the business. The price is expected to be in the region of £150m. Livingbridge and 3i Group were among the other buyout firms that had expressed interest in TeamSport. The go-karting group is owned by Duke Street, one of the UK’s best-known buyout firms and the former owner of Wagamama. TeamSport trades from 35 sites in the UK, three in Germany and two in the Netherlands. Prospective buyers are said to have been attracted by the potential to grow it to 200 sites across its existing markets alone. The Sunday Times reported at the end of last year that TeamSport had hired investment bank Harris Williams to explore options ahead of a potential auction. TeamSport was acquired by Duke Street Capital in 2017 in a £40m deal. It opened its first track in Guildford in 1992 and its indoor tracks range from 400 to 1,000 metres, featuring ramps and chicanes. 

 

JD Wetherspoon cuts price of its breakfast to £2.99 at 78 sites: JD Wetherspoon has cut the price of its breakfast across 78 pubs to just £2.99. The pubs in question are based in the south east, with the majority in London. Four breakfast offers are available for the low price. These include its small breakfast, which features a fried egg, bacon, Lincolnshire sausage, baked beans, and a hash brown. Usually, this menu item is priced at around £4.50, although prices do vary across the company’s sites across the country. Customers can also get the small vegetarian breakfast – which includes a fried egg, vegan sausage, baked beans, hash browns, and tomato, and the vegan breakfast – which has two vegan sausages, baked beans, two hash browns, mushroom, tomato, slice of toast and vegan spread. Finally, you can also get the “freedom breakfast”, which has two fried eggs, bacon, baked beans, two hash browns, mushroom and a tomato. Wetherspoon founder and chairman Sir Tim Martin said: “We believe that Londoners will welcome a great choice of breakfasts at value-for-money prices in our pubs.”

Adam Simmonds to head up new fine-dining restaurant that aims to end homelessness, concept to head to other cities in UK and abroad: Two-time Michelin starred chef Adam Simmonds will head up a new fine-dining restaurant in London that aims to end homelessness. Home Kitchen, which will open in the former Odette’s site at 130 Regent’s Park Road, has said it will be the world’s first fine dining restaurant to be staffed by homeless people. All staff will benefit from full-time contracts paid above the London Living Wage, with travel expenses and training also covered. It is intended that Primrose Hill will be the first of many sites as it scales to other cities with significant homeless communities – in the UK and internationally. Simmonds, who will be executive chef, said: “Home Kitchen will be an accelerant out of poverty for our recruits and an incubator of untapped talent for the catering industry.” Alexander Brown, one of the co-founders of Home Kitchen, added: “Promising negotiations are underway for a further round of potential backers for a second restaurant in Brighton, home of the second biggest UK homelessness population, also with US based backers for a much-needed initiative in San Francisco.” The first cohort of recruits will be 16-strong and found through working with partners Beam, Soup Kitchen London, Change Please, Beyond Food Foundation and The Passage. All profits will be reinvested into scaling to other locations in the UK, and eventually, globally. 

Zaap Thai operator to open new chicken concept: Sukho Group, which operates the Sukhothai and Zaap Thai concepts, is to open a new chicken concept in Nottingham called Gai Zaap. The company, which operates six sites under the Zaap Thai name, will open the new 66-cover restaurant on its former Zaap's Thai supermarket site in the city’s Upper Parliament Street. The business said Gai Zapp promises “to redefine the chicken shop concept with its unique, innovative Asian-inspired twist, the name translates as 'super tasty chicken”. A selection of mains will include Thai-style salt and pepper chicken, fragrant Hainanese chicken rice, chicken noodles and grilled chicken with som tum salad. Crispy chicken skin and chicken livers will be served as small plates along with chicken cakes and chicken satay. Accompanying the chicken will be a range of homemade sauces and coatings including tangy chilli-tamarind, spicy Thai Jeaw, crispy chilli and garlic, and tom yum spice. Diners will be able to see chefs working in an open kitchen. Gerrard Marks, managing director of Sukho Group, said: "We're thrilled to introduce Gai Zaap to the vibrant culinary scene of Nottingham. It’s a concept we’ve been developing for a long time and we’re so excited to bring it to life. We’re taking the chicken shop and injecting a unique Asian twist. We’re creating a dining experience that celebrates the versatility and deliciousness of chicken in every bite, from our beak to feet menu philosophy to our stylish modern interior, every aspect of Gai Zaap has been shaped to delight our guests."

 

Wingers acquires former Costa site in Nottingham: Buttermilk fried chicken restaurant concept Wingers has acquired a former Costa Coffee site in Nottingham. Wingers, which was set up during the pandemic by brothers Amran and Dylan Sunner and their dad Bill, has secured the unit at 48-50 Bridgford Road in West Bridgford for its 11th site. The company’s most recent opening was its first Wingers Taproom, at the former Bun and Barrell pub in Harborne, Birmingham, last month. The pub had been acquired earlier in the year by Wingers’ development agent TJ Choongh, in partnership with friends Bobby Nahal, Raj Sandhar and Rav Mangat. Wingers also made its airport debut this year with an opening at Birmingham International.

 

Street Feast founder to launch multifaceted venue in London’s Dalston: Dominic Cools-Lartigue, the founder of street food market concept Street Feast, is to launch a multifaceted venue in Dalston, east London. Dalston Yard will bring together a range of food and drink operators alongside emerging artists, music programmers and well-being professionals when it opens next month. The Hartwell Street space will feature ten kitchens including permanent restaurants such as chef-restaurateur Andrew Clarke’s international chop house, Butcher of Dalston, as well as summer residencies from the likes of Budgie Montoya and Gizzi Erskine. Other permanent spots include Roseau, a bakehouse by day and wine bar by night; Little Gai, which is a dive bar that offers a blend of tastes from Japanese izakaya-inspired dishes by Acme Fire Cult to vegan Jamaican patties by Denai Moore; and Brothers & Sisters, which offers dishes from the chefs from east and west Africa. There will also be seven bars across the 27,000 square foot venue offering a selection of wine, spirits and craft beer. Cools-Lartigue said: “Dalston Yard is designed to be a home for creators that represent the breadth of London’s cultural excellence. With Street Feast, back in 2012, I wanted to create a viable alternative to going to a pub or a restaurant. Now with the proliferation of food halls, I’m keen to move things on again with Dalston Yard.”

 

Dakota plans debut airport hotel: Boutique hotel brand Dakota is set to open its first airport site – at Manchester airport. The 154-bedroom property forms part of the Mix Manchester development, for which a planning application has been submitted to the city council. The hotel will also feature a bar and brasserie-style restaurant. Dakota was founded by veteran Scottish hotelier Ken McCulloch, who originally founded the Malmaison hotel brand in 1994. It also operates hotels in Motherwell, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester, while a site in Newcastle is due to launch in spring 2025. Andrew Ovenstone, managing director of Dakota, said: “This is a significant moment for Dakota, and this airport expansion marks an exciting time for our team and guests alike. We are looking forward to being part of the journey for the 28 million travellers that come through the airport – bringing our unique brand of luxury hospitality to the airport hotel market.” Subject to planning consent, the hotel, which is expected to generate up to 150 jobs, is due to open in 2026.

 

DiningSix confirms plans to open KöD site in Soho: Copenhagen-based business DiningSix, which made its UK debut with an opening under its Danish steakhouse concept KöD in London last year, has confirmed plans to open a second site in the capital. Propel revealed last month that DiningSix had lined up an opening on the former Zelman Meats/Block restaurant site in St Anne’s Court, Soho. DiningSix has now confirmed that KöD Soho will launch in mid-July based on the same successful format of its sister restaurant, KöD City in Devonshire Square. Running the kitchen operations for all UK KöD restaurants is James Durrant, who previously worked for Gordon Ramsay Holdings and The Stafford Hotel. Behind the brand is London-based founding partner Morten P Ortwed who, along with five friends, launched KöD in Denmark in 2014 before moving to the UK to oversee the UK developments and launch KöD City last March. KöD City was the seventh opening under this brand name for the Danish group. There are currently three sites in Denmark and three Norway premises. DiningSix operates 22 sites across Europe under eight brands that also include Basso, Klokken, Keyser Social and Feed Bistro, as well as the takeaway format Burger Shack. Ortwed told Propel earlier this year: “It’s going great – we are very happy with how KöD is performing here so far, but I didn’t move here just to open one restaurant.” Stephen Kane, of Stephen Kane and Co, acted for DiningSix on the Soho deal, while Brandon Elmon, of Genius1 Group, acted for the landlord Raymond Estate.

 

Urban Baristas opens first franchise location: Aussie-inspired coffee concept Urban Baristas has opened its first franchise location. The 13-strong business, founded in 2016 by Huw Wardrope and Jono Bowman, launched its franchise programme in December, and told Propel that it was set to double its estate in 2024 as it also explores opportunities outside London. Gustavo Paseto Zonta, who has been with the business for five years, signed up as a franchisee in February and has now opened his debut location, in Batavia Road in New Cross Gate, south London. In March, Urban Baristas also signed up Veronica Murrighile as a franchisee, and she is planning to launch her first location in London’s White City. The company also has openings in Tooting Bec, Twickenham and Maidenhead – its first regional site – in the pipeline.

 

Mitchells & Butlers boosts sustainability drive with solar panel roll out: Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) has boosted its drive to sustainability with the roll out of solar panels across its estate. The systems will be installed at All Bar One, Harvester, Toby Carvery, Miller & Carter and O’Neill’s sites across the UK, as M&B looks to reduce energy costs on its journey to net zero. Bespoke solar photovoltaics systems have already been installed at 43 pubs, with a further 13 currently underway. Producing a total of 1480kW, they will save more than 370 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year – the equivalent of taking more than 50 cars off the road. Ian Reeley, head of sustainability development at M&B, said: “M&B implemented a sustainability strategy in 2019, and alongside commitments to the local communities we serve and responsibly sourcing our products, our targets include net zero by 2040, zero operational waste to landfill by 2030 and 50% less food waste by 2030. At M&B, we ensure all our electricity is generated from renewable sources. This has made a significant impact on our emissions but did not protect us from recent price increases. During 2023, we began a programme to install solar to a significant number of our freehold properties that have the potential for a roof top solar installation. We’re looking to generate more than 20% of all the energy we use ourselves and reduce our overall energy costs.”

 

Napoleons owner exploring options for land surrounding Sheffield Stadium, turnover up but profit down: A&S Leisure Group, owner of casino operator Napoleons, has said it is exploring options for the use of the land surrounding its greyhound stadium in Sheffield to boost income. The group operates the Owlerton Stadium alongside its casinos in Sheffield, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford and Hull. “Following disruption to the trade of the hospitality sector in recent years, mainly due to the recent pandemic, the directors look forward to a period of consolidation and growth with confidence in reference to the casino part of the group,” director Susan Battersby said. “The directors expect the trade of the conferencing and banqueting facilities to continue to grow and expand as well as allowing the use of the stadium to return to more normal levels. In addition, the directors continue to explore new revenue streams through more varied use of the stadium facilities as well as exploring options to make use of surrounding land to generate income.” The group’s turnover grew from £40,423,222 in 2022 to £44,410,403 in 2023. Of this, £37,765,629 came from its casinos (2022: £33,794,934), £3,747,659 from racing (2022: £3,240,434) and £3,170,115 from other income (2022: £3,387,854). A pre-tax profit of £10,155,529 in 2022 decreased to £6,869,952. No government grants were received compared with £35,440 in 2022. Dividends of £3m were paid (2022: £1m). “Both the company and the group have substantial net assets of approximately £39m and £47m respectively,” Battersby added. “The group has strong cash reserves to act as a cushion against any deterioration in the trading position, and efforts continue to reduce costs wherever possible.”

 

Midlands better burger business owners offering new partners two franchises for the price of one: The owners of Midlands better burger business Phat Buns are offering new partners two franchises for the price of one. Founded in 2019, Phat Buns is owned by Hussein Sacranie and Ahtesham Moosa, who have grown it to 13 locations – with sites in Liverpool, Wolverhampton and Sheffield set to follow in the near future. The duo also own Doorstep Desserts, which has three locations in Leicester and one in Nottingham. “We are thrilled to announce milestone anniversaries for our businesses this year,” Sacranie said. “Doorstep Desserts is celebrating its tenth anniversary, and Phat Buns is marking its fifth year of success. To commemorate these achievements, we are offering an exclusive opportunity. Purchase a Phat Buns franchise and receive a Doorstep Desserts dark kitchen absolutely free. This unique offer provides you with two distinct brands and two revenue streams for the price of one. Having both a savoury food and dessert brand allows you to cater to a wider audience, enhance customer satisfaction, and increase overall sales. Food and desserts naturally complement each other, creating a seamless dining experience that encourages repeat business.” Sacranie said earlier this year that Phat Buns had a current pipeline to reach 20 sites in the UK and was working on deals for international locations in Canada and the UAE.

  

Premier Inn increases Ireland room requirement to 5,000 bedrooms: Premier Inn owner Whitbread has raised its bedroom target for Ireland by 30%. The company has revised its medium-term growth target to 5,000 bedrooms in Ireland, up from its current network target of 3,500 bedrooms. It has also released an updated list of target locations where it wishes to operate a hotel across the country. These include additional sites across Dublin city centre, four new locations in outer Dublin as well as 11 target towns and cities across Ireland. These include Killarney, Kilkenny, Kinsale, Sligo, Westport, Tralee, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Wexford. Whitbread said its confidence for Premier Inn in Ireland is underpinned by an analysis of the performance of its trading hotels in the country and an assessment of future hotel demand in the country. The uplifted requirement forms part of Whitbread’s established medium-term growth plan of 125,000 Premier Inn rooms across the UK and Ireland. Whitbread relaunched Premier Inn in Ireland following the acquisition of a prime development site in Dublin city centre in 2018. The business now operates a network of six Premier Inn hotels in Dublin and Cork and employs more than 200 people across the country.

 

Superbowl UK to open southernmost site this summer, turnover boost driven by amusements: Superbowl UK is set to open its southernmost site this summer and said its turnover boost in the year to 31 August 2023 was driven by its amusement arcades. The 13-strong business opened one new site during the year, in Stafford, and will this August open a new site in Aldershot, Hampshire – its first location south of London. As well as bowling, Superbowl UK offers kids soft play, Sega Prize zone arcades, laser quest, crazy golf, ninja assault courses and food and beverages at each of its sites. Turnover for the year grew from a restated £14,020,469 in 2022 to £16,014,997. Of this, £5,937,358 came from bowling (2022: £5,785,848), £3,332,487 from food and drink (2022: £3,437,673) and £6,689,370 from amusements (2022: £4,632,257). “The turnover of the business increased to £16m in the year from last year’s £14m,” said director Kate Quaintance-Blackford. “This was largely driven by the fact that the billing arrangements with Sega returned to those in place before the covid-19 pandemic and this was reflected throughout the year compared with part of the year in the previous financial year. This has also resulted in lower gross profit margin and Ebitda margin.” The company’s pre-tax profit fell from £1,838,806 in 2022 to £1,268,216. Dividends of £278,220 were paid (2022: £170,874). No grants were received compared with £78,000 in 2022. “The group is continuing to invest in re-fitting its sites and keeping up with new technological changes such as new scoring systems and string lanes,” Quaintance-Blackford added. “It is our ongoing plan to open a new centre every year and to continuously upgrade our existing sites.”