We Do Play secures UK debut site for Canadian interactive gaming concept Activate: We Do Play, which is behind trampoline brand Flip Out and crazy golf concept Putt Putt Social in the UK, has secured a UK debut site for Canadian interactive gaming brand Activate, in London. The company has signed a new 15-year lease for its first London store at Mount Royal, 530 Oxford Street. In May, Propel revealed that We Do Play had signed an exclusive deal to launch the Canadian interactive gaming brand in the UK. Founded in Winnipeg in 2019, Activate has since grown to 20 operational sites across Canada and the US, with plans to open 20 additional locations in 2024, including two in Dubai. Activate also has a significant global presence on social media, accumulating more than half a billion global views on channels including TikTok. Activate offers an immersive gaming experience where participants engage in dynamic game rooms, navigating various physical and mental challenges that respond in real time. Activate blends physical activity with interactive technology, including gaming rooms involving shooting hoops, laser combat, climbing walls and grid dancing. Richard Beese, owner of We Do Play, said: “We are pleased to bring Activate to the UK. We are actively searching for a minimum of 30 prime sites for our rollout, with the first site expected to open by early 2025. This marks an important milestone for We Do Play as we expand our portfolio of immersive and experiential venues. We Do Play aims to introduce the distinctive experience of Activate to the UK, offering a new level of interactive and immersive leisure.” We Do Play also operates five sites for Putt Putt Social and 32 sites for Flip Out. A new report produced by Propel on the fast-growing experiential leisure sector was launched on 1 August. The report profiles the current shape of the experiential leisure market – including brands, estate size, trading type and geographical location and future trends. It provides a detailed list of UK experiential leisure companies including key staff and Companies House information. The report includes more than 180 companies, 3,500 sites and a 35,000-word report. The report is available for £595 plus VAT although Premium Club members can receive the report for £395 plus VAT. The report will be made available for free to existing Premium members on Tuesday, 10 September at 9am. Email: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to order a copy.

Popeyes UK people director Matt Hudson to speak at Propel’s Talent & Training Conference, open for bookings with 20% discount on tickets for Premium Club members: Matt Hudson, people director at Popeyes UK, will be among the speakers at Propel’s Talent & Training Conference. The all-day conference takes place on Tuesday, 1 October at One Moorgate Place in London and is open for bookings. The conference will showcase examples of outstanding people culture among companies within the sector and how the industry is attracting talent. Hudson will talk about evolving a people culture while opening up to 30 sites a year. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Tickets are £345 plus VAT for operators and £395 plus VAT for suppliers. Premium Club members get a 20% discount. Email: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to book places.

Premium Club members to receive latest UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database tomorrow: Premium Club members will receive the latest UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database tomorrow (Wednesday, 14 August), at midday. It will feature 11 new additions, while one former entry that is no longer trading has been removed. This brings the total number of featured companies to 270, with more than 145,000 words of content. Among the new additions are quick service restaurant operators Sole Luna Pizza, which is based in Didcot in Oxfordshire and offers traditional Neapolitan thin-crust pizza; Phat Buns, the US-style smash burger brand with 13 sites across the UK; London halal flavour-coated chicken wings concept WNGZ with five sites across the capital; and Midlands better burger business Brgr Lab, which launched a franchise programme in March 2024. Premium Club members also receive access to five other databases: the Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate; the New Openings Database; the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book; 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 the Talent and Training Conference (1 October), Restaurant Marketer and Innovator (two days in January 2025) and Excellence in Pub Retail (May 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.

Foodservice market ‘showing signs of recovery’ after experiencing 1% decline in visits in first half of 2024: The foodservice market is “showing signs of recovery” after experiencing a 1% decline in visits in the first half of 2024, according to new analysis by Meaningful Vision. This follows a trend of declining traffic that began in the latter part of 2023 as the market struggled with high inflation and changing consumer behaviour. The analysis showed January 2024 marked the lowest point seen thus far, with a nearly 5% slow down, but by May traffic showed a year-on-year increase, followed by a 1.2% rise in June. The fast-food segment experienced a slight reduction in traffic of 0.7% in the first six months of 2024, faring better than restaurants, which saw a 5.8% drop. Bakery and sandwich outlets were the only formats to see positive trends, with a 4.4% increase in visits over six months. Visits to coffee shops declined 1.7%, while fast-food brands involving chicken and burgers saw traffic reductions of 4.2% and 2.2% respectively. However, the picture is more nuanced when considering like-for-like sales. Despite a 3.2% increase in the number of outlets for the top 120 brands, like-for-like visits fell by 4%. Meaningful Vision did note most leading brands are expanding their presence, which affects like-for-like traffic figures. London saw nearly 6% growth in fast-food visits, propelled by a young population, greater job concentration, and higher-than-average incomes. The top ten largest cities outside London experienced modest growth, averaging around 3%, while growth in the next 15 cities remained flat. By contrast, smaller cities saw a more significant decline of 4.6% in fast-food visits, impacting overall market numbers. In the capital, Central London enjoyed an increase in traffic, whereas traffic in Greater London remained flat. This pattern is consistent across the UK, with city centre locations growing faster than suburban areas, Meaningful Vision said. Traffic in centrally located outlets increased by 3.6% on average and nearly 8% in London, while suburban areas experienced a 2.3% decline. Meaningful Vision chief executive Maria Vanifatova said: “While the first half of 2024 presented challenges for the UK foodservice industry, there are encouraging signs of recovery. The resilience of certain segments, coupled with increased promotional activity and evolving consumer behaviour, offers cause for optimism. However, ongoing inflationary pressures and intense competition will continue to test the industry’s adaptability.”

Hospitality sales down by up to 40% in towns where rumoured protests were planned: The impact on hospitality sales in towns where rumoured protests were planned to take place was as high as 40%, with businesses reporting footfall down by as much as 75%, according to UKHospitality. There were widespread cancellations, particularly in coastal towns where coach and day trips were pulled, the trade body said. City centres also saw mass cancellation of events, with many workers instructed to work from home. Over the weekend, business secretary Jonathan Reynolds backed UKHospitality’s calls for insurance companies to act swiftly to help businesses recover. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “These figures are startling and shows the enormous impact the riots, and threat of further disorder, have had on our high streets and communities. Thankfully, protests and riots didn’t materialise as feared this weekend and we can now turn to how we support our high streets to recover, at a time when many were already struggling with the affordability of running a hospitality business during challenging economic times. Hospitality is the glue that knits our communities together and our sector stands ready to work with the government to play a central role in the renewal of our high streets after the challenges of the last ten days. Quick action on practical measures like insurance claims will be crucial for businesses to get back on their feet.”

Last orders for post-work drinks: The traditional pint after work is dying out as a result of remote working and the rise of sober Generation Z staff, a report has found. The Times reported that employers have been issued with guidelines urging them to replace after-work drinks at the pub with daytime or virtual workplace socials. The recommendations, drawn up by the Work Foundation, a think tank at Lancaster University, and the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking, aim to create “inclusive and healthy workplace cultures” for staff who don’t drink alcohol or who work from home. Experts said companies should all have an alcohol policy in place telling staff to avoid describing socials as “drinks” and instead label events as “networking” or “gatherings”. In a series of recommendations, companies have been urged to put policies in place to cut down on “harmful” workplace drinking such as “running activities that do not centre on alcohol, and host morning, lunch, or afternoon gatherings to include those with caring responsibilities and/or disabilities who may struggle to attend evening events”, the report said. Companies have been told to always provide non-alcoholic drink options at social events and to run training for all staff on the “health risks” associated with drinking alcohol. Latest data show one in five of Generation Z, the term for adults aged 18-27, do not drink alcohol and the report said this generation expects a more “inclusive and positive work culture” that prioritises health and well-being. The report involved a survey of 1,167 business leaders from across Britain. It found that only one in five employers have policies on responsible alcohol consumption in the workplace, and most do not have guidance on inclusive social events. 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a family-owned food and beverage business that is seeking a key account manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “With a turnover just shy of £1bn and a huge focus on sustainability, the company supplies its products to many counties across Europe. The key account manager will join the sales team, to maximise sustainable short and long-term sales, boost profitability and increase its stronghold in the wholesale market with a particular focus on the leading UK food wholesalers and distributors. Reporting into its Buckinghamshire head office, this is a remote sales position. However, the individual must be extremely proactive in their approach and prepared to travel.” The salary is up to £55,000 and the position is based in/around London. For more information, email mikey@corecruitment.com 

Competitive socialising concept Fairgame eyes City opening: Fairgame, the competitive socialising concept from Richard Hilton, the founder of Gymbox, and sector investor Paul Campbell, is eyeing an opening in the City of London, for its second site. Propel understands that Fairgame, which launched in Canary Wharf at the end of 2022, has applied to open a site across the basement of the One New Change Scheme, in St Paul’s. Fairgame’s first site was backed by investment from BGF and from a consortium of private investors. The adults-only, Canary Wharf site, spread over 15,500 square feet at Frobisher Passage, combines food and drink alongside nostalgic fairground games – with a competitive edge. Every game is hooked up to innovative wristband technology and linked to a custom app to track gamers’ scores. The food offer is provided by Burger & Beyond, Mission Mars-owned Rudy’s Neapolitan Pizza and Don Mas Tacos, as well as prosecco-infused candy floss, gelato and toffee apples from the Candy Stand. Hilton has also previously talked about launching the concept in the US.

Wingstop UK – we have an ambitious pipeline of openings well into 2025: Wingstop UK, which is being rolled out here by Lemon Pepper Holdings and is currently seeking new investment, has said it has “an ambitious pipeline of openings well into 2025”, as it gears up to open its 50th site here. The company, which has reportedly hired Goldman Sachs to find new owners, has opened its latest site in the UK, its 49th, at the White Rose Shopping Centre, marking the third Leeds site for the brand. Tom Grogan, co-founder of Lemon Pepper Holdings, master franchisee, Wingstop UK, said: “We are excited to expand our presence in Leeds, opening a new site in one of the country's most famous shopping centres. Our dine-in Boar Lane site and delivery-only kitchen have proved incredibly popular with locals, so the addition of a new location will help to bring our delicious wings and flavours to an even broader audience. This comes at a very exciting time for Wingstop UK as we approach our 50th site and have an ambitious pipeline of openings well into 2025.” Wingstop will hit the milestone with its next site, opening next week in Bolton, on the ex-YO! Sushi site at Middlebrook Retail & Leisure Park. Wingstop also has openings lined up in Crawley in West Sussex, Parrs Wood (Manchester), Lakeside in Essex and Whitechapel, Uxbridge and Ealing in London. Sky News reported that the sale of Wingstop UK had been initiated in response to unsolicited expressions of interest from potential buyers. Goldman Sachs is understood to have begun issuing information about Wingstop UK to third parties in the last couple of weeks, although the likely valuation of the business is unclear at the moment. It is aiming to have 57 sites open by the end of the year and is believed to have the potential for up 500 sites here. Wingstop’s first UK site opened at Cambridge Circus in central London in 2018 after Grogan, Saul Lewin, and Herman Sahota persuaded the brand's American owner to sign a deal with them, despite their lack of restaurant industry experience.

Honest Burgers reports record year of delivery as it eyes UK-wide expansion: Honest Burgers, the Active Partners-backed business, has reported a record-breaking year of delivery, with like-for-like delivery sales up 22% over the last six months, driven by covers growth of 16%. The burger business has extended its exclusive partnership with Uber Eats until 2026, and said it will “leverage its popularity on Uber Eats to help its UK expansion over the next 12 months”. The 39-strong business plans to launch its long mooted smashed burger concept later this year, and The Smashed Burger, Honest Burger and Plant Vegan Burger are currently the most popular menu items being ordered from Honest Burgers on Uber Eats. Marcus Denison-Smith, chief marketing officer at Honest Burgers, said: “We are delighted to extend our exclusive partnership with Uber Eats and look forward to continuing our exceptional sales momentum we have achieved together since launching two years ago. Over the last six months, our like-for-like delivery sales are up 22% driven by covers growth of 16%. This demonstrates the demand for fantastic quality burgers beyond our restaurants.” Matthew Price, general manager UK, Ireland and northern Europe at Uber Eats, said: added: “We've seen an exceptional reaction from our customers, who love being able to enjoy these elevated burgers from wherever they are.” 

Heartwood Collection acquires two pubs from Whitbread: Heartwood Collection, the Alchemy Partners-backed business, has acquired two further sites from Whitbread – The George & Dragon in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and the Red Lion in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, Propel has learned. The acquisition of the pair follows deals with Whitbread for the Royal Forest, in Epping Forest, Essex, and The Manor Inn, in Godalming, Surrey. Both new properties will undergo multimillion pound refurbishments with The George & Dragon becoming Heartwood’s seventh pub with rooms and scheduled to reopen in 2025. The pubs join the seven other sites already confirmed by Heartwood for the next 12 months as part of its growth plan to reach more than 60 sites by 2027. The George & Dragon is a historic inn located in Marlow town centre. The refurbishment will see its 17 rooms transformed into boutique bedrooms that reflect the town’s history and location on the River Thames. The site also comprises 200 internal covers in its bar and dining room and a further 50 external covers. The Red Lion is located on the canal in Stratford-upon-Avon and will be renovated to create 175 internal covers across the bar and dining room with an additional 200 external covers in the garden. Richard Ferrier, chief executive of Heartwood Collection, said: “We are delighted to have acquired these two iconic pubs from Whitbread. We have tracked them for a long time. We will now invest significant time and capital in them. Both the George & Dragon and the Red Lion will add a huge amount to our Heartwood Inns business. We have real momentum in our acquisition programme at present and a busy 12 months ahead.” Heartwood currently operates 25 Heartwood Inns pubs and 14 Brasserie Blanc restaurants across the UK. At the end of April, Whitbread, which operates the Beefeater, Bar + Block and Brewers Fayre brands, set out plans to exit 126 of its lower-returning branded restaurants as it seeks to optimise its food and beverage offer. The revamp, costing £500m over four years, will also include the conversion of 112 restaurants to 3,500 new hotel bedrooms. Whitbread had already agreed to sell 21 restaurants for £28m, to the likes of Young’s and the Heartwood Collection.

BrewDog appoints Andy Simmons as operations director UK & Europe: Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog has appointed Andy Simmons as its new operations director for its bars business across the UK and Europe. Simmons was previously at brewer and retailer Greene King for three and a half years, including most recently as operations manager for its Urban Pubs in the south of England. He also spent three and a half years at TGI Fridays, including a stint as head of transformation and change, and more than six years at Mitchells & Butlers, where he was a regional business manager across its Castle Pubs division. Under his new role at BrewDog, he will lead the bar operations teams across the company’s managed estate, which currently comprises 60 bars throughout the UK and 16 across Europe. Earlier this summer, BrewDog opened its debut site in Thailand and said it planned “multiple” venues in the country. BrewDog Ploenchit launched in Bangkok, opposite the Central Embassy, with franchise partner Atalanta Hospitality. BrewDog announced its partnership with Atalanta Hospitality in May as part of its plans to treble its 100-strong bar estate over the next decade.

Greene King hires 250th prison leaver: Brewer and retailer Greene King has hired its 250th prison leaver through its Releasing Potential programme. The programme was launched in May 2019 to support those leaving prison to find employment with the company. The programme works with more than 65 prisons across the UK, providing information and support for prisoners to develop their skills in food preparation, customer service, barista training and housekeeping to prepare them to work in Greene King pubs and hotels upon their release. Greene King has invested in two training kitchens within prisons at HMP Thameside in London and HMP Grampian in Peterhead in Scotland. Each site emulates a Greene King kitchen and delivers bespoke training programmes. As part of its commitment to hiring prison leavers, Greene King became one of the first employers in the UK to take part in a pilot programme offering apprenticeships to prisoners in open prisons in October 2022. Earlier this year, Greene King’s first apprentice through the programme, who started their apprenticeship while in custody, has become a full-time kitchen team member for Greene King. It is currently working with a number of other candidates who are planning on starting an apprenticeship before their release date. Nick Mackenzie, chief executive of Greene King, said: “We are committed to championing social mobility through providing everybody, regardless of their background, with the chance to pursue a long-term career in the hospitality industry. With pubs at the heart of local communities across the country, our Releasing Potential scheme supports prison leavers nationwide on their journey to successful rehabilitation. We are proud to have offered a second chance to 250 individuals and look forward to welcoming many more.”

Chopstix makes first move into retail sector with Iceland link-up: Fast-growing, quick service restaurant brand Chopstix has made its first move into retail with the launch of its “Wok Pot” range into more than 500 Iceland & Food Warehouse stores across the UK. Developed and brought to market in collaboration with Chopstix partners AAK Foods and Brandship, the new cooking sauce pots provide consumers with an opportunity to “recreate signature flavours from the much-loved quick service restaurant brand at home”. The “Wok Pots” are available in two variants – sweet and sour and a teriyaki, staple sauces of the Chopstix menu. The products are available currently at £2 a box. Elio Elia, head of product at Chopstix, said: “Launching in retail is an important step in our ambition to bring the Chopstix brand and our signature flavours to even more people in the UK, and brand extension through new product development such as this will be critical in us achieving these long-term goals.” The company, which operates more than 150 sites, said that the launch of the retail line comes as it continues to deliver strong sales across its restaurant portfolio, while undergoing a busy period of brand development and expansion. The business said it boasts a strong pipeline of new sites, through both company operated and franchise ownership models, thanks to partnerships with established franchisees including Butlin's, Haven and Welcome Break.

US pizza concept Sbarro makes Scottish debut: US pizza-by-the-slice brand Sbarro, which is being rolled out in the UK by EG Group, has opened its first site in Scotland. The brand, which recently opened Britain’s first dedicated drive-thru for pizza, in West Yorkshire, has opened a site on the City South Office Park, Portlethen, near Aberdeen. The brand, which now operates 18 sites in the UK, plans to open a handful more before the end of the year. The drive-thru site opened in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, at the end of June. The 750 square-foot venue offers a new breakfast range, available from 7am to 11am daily, including Sbarro’s new breakfast Strombolini in two flavours – sausage, egg and cheese; and ham, egg and cheese – in addition to a breakfast pizza, available as an extra-large slice or whole pizza. Lorna Watts, UK marketing manager at Sbarro, told Propel that the brand is trading “very well” and has another five or six sites planned for 2024, “which are in the various stages of development”. EG Group agreed a deal in November 2020 to become the master franchisee for Sbarro in the UK. The brand operates around 630 sites in 28 countries.

Caffe Concerto secures site in London’s Oxford Street: Patisserie and café brand Caffe Concerto is to further increase its presence in central London, with an opening in Oxford Street. The company, which operates 20 sites in London, plus one in Birmingham as well as two sites in Saudi Arabia and one each in France and Qatar, has signed for a 15-year lease at Mount Royal, 536-540 Oxford Street. In June, Propel reported that the business saw a 45% revenue boost in the year to 31 August 2023 due to new openings and greater demand – a year after completing its company voluntary arrangement (CVA). Turnover rose from £28,248,375 in 2022 to £41,077,757. The company saw pre-tax profit almost halve from £10,859,969 in 2022 to £5,5424,985 as costs rose by more than £10m and administration expenses were up by more than £8m. Caffe Concerto entered into the CVA in April 2021, where it agreed to pay £10,000 a month for 60 months, with a minimum dividend of 14.79p in the pound paid to unsecured creditors, who were owed a total of £11,022,230. However, following a downturn in the company’s turnover in spring 2022 and the directors believing they would be unable to maintain the monthly payments, creditors agreed to a variance that saw a director borrow £200,000, allowing for a second and final dividend of 4.65p in the pound to be paid to unsecured creditors.

Manchester operators to launch new quick-service pizza restaurant concept and aims to roll out nationwide: Manchester operators Joel Wilkinson and Dan Mullen are to launch a new quick-service pizza restaurant concept that it aims to roll out nationwide. Detroit Slims is set to open at the Circle Square development in Oxford Road this autumn with a second site planned to follow in Greater Manchester by the end of the year. The team – who are behind Manchester's venues Detroit-pizza style concept Ramona, “creative neighbourhood” Diecast and wood-fired restaurant concept The Firehouse – will be bringing a “fresh and hot twist” on quick-service Detroit-style pizza to the city centre. The 1,800 square-foot space will have 30 covers with the menu featuring ten-inch long rectangle shaped pizza baked fresh to order, featuring toppings such as the Cheese Burger Slim, Barbecue Meat Feast, the Shroom Slim and The Pepperoni Crown. There will also be a variety of house-made dips and a selection of sides including chicken tenders tossed in homemade Cajun pepper and crispy scooper fries. The drinks menu will feature “Slim Shaky” milkshakes. Mullen said: “Detroit Slims has been in the works for a while now and we are so excited to finally introduce this new concept. Detroit has been a city close to our hearts since we first visited, so much so, we brought a piece of it back home when we opened Ramona in 2021. Detroit Slims is the newest iteration of our love for Detroit-style pizza! We’re so excited to finally introduce Slims to our home city of Manchester, and eventually bring Detroit-style pizza to everyone UK-wide.”

JKS to open Ambassadors Clubhouse next week: JKS Restaurants has announced its latest venue in London, Ambassadors Clubhouse, will open in Mayfair, next Tuesday (20 August). Propel revealed in 2022 that JKS was planning a new venture in the former Momo premises at 25 Heddon Street. The latest venture from the group, founded by Jyotin, Karam and Sunaina Sethi, will “celebrate food, drink, music and culture from the region of Punjab”. Named after the Sethi's grandfather, a former Indian ambassador, the interior will take inspiration from his summer house in Dalhousie and the abandoned party mansions of northern India. The restaurant will host 140 covers including three private dining rooms (The Raja Rani Room, The Tamasha Room and The Jungli Room) and a heated Verandah. The menu will begin with papads and chaat, the quintessential street food of the region, and bitings, a word used to describe drinking snacks, before the main event of kebabs cooked across the tandoor (clay oven), sigri (charcoal grill) and tawa (flat griddle). Matka and karahi will include classic curries cooked in iron woks and earthen clay pots, as well as biryani and pilau, served alongside an extensive list of tandoor-roasted bread. Karam Sethi said: “For my family, and Punjabis more broadly, food has always been love and life. The sharing of food in abundance is an integral part of our culture, and distinctive from any other style of hospitality. Ambassadors Clubhouse will be built on the legacy of my family, showcasing our age-old recipes and visits to the region as children, while paying homage to my grandfather and his life.” Ambassadors Clubhouse will also host Ambassy: a late-night music programme featuring weekly resident DJs (from 10pm to 2am every Thursday to Saturday) and VIP DJ events.

Noble Hospitality Group opens second site for pizza concept: Noble Hospitality Group – the group behind Japanese concept Chotto Matte, Angus Steakhouse and Steak and Company – has opened a second site for its Alley Cats pizza concept. The company launched the concept, which focuses on New York City-style pizzas, at the start of the year in London, at 22 Paddington Street, just off Baker Street. Now a second site has opened at 342 King’s Road in Chelsea having previously agreed a deal with landlord Sloane Stanley Estate. Headed by chef Francesco Macri, the menu at the 1,277 square-foot space includes 14-inch pizzas such as the marinara, vodka sauce, tuna bonito, cacio and pepe, and wild mushroom. The group preciously told Propel it had targeted 15 sites by 2029 for Alley Cats. Shelley Sandzer acted on behalf of Sloane Stanley on the deal.

Permanently Unique Group to launch new Manchester restaurant and music venue next month: Permanently Unique Group, the independent restaurant business formerly known as Tattu, will launch its new restaurant and musical venue, Louis, in Manchester next month. Located in the city’s Spinningfields, in the ex-Carluccio’s site in Hardman Square, Louis – which launches on Friday, 13 September – will be “an ode to the classic New York restaurants that are often portrayed on the silver screen as a home from home”. The venue’s menu will be overseen by executive chef Ippokratis Anagnostelis. It will be a dinner-only venue and will open five nights a week, with a reservation only policy. Akin to the era that has inspired much of Louis, the restaurant will encourage a no-photo environment, with an emphasis on “lived-experience over content creation”. As well as having classic Italian dishes and cocktails, Louis will also be the home of musical performances. The high-end restaurant group, which was founded in Manchester in 2015 by brothers Adam and Drew Jones, operates Tattu restaurants in London, Leeds, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester as well as Greek concept Fenix in Manchester. The group will launch its debut international site – Tattu Dubai – this year.

Jason Atherton to launch new brasserie restaurant in London next month: Chef Jason Atherton and his wife Irha will open their new brasserie restaurant in the former Aquavit site in London’s St James’ Market next month. The couple said the 85-cover Sael would serve “affordable, no-holds-barred cooking” that celebrated all things British without “the shackles of traditional fine dining”. The restaurant’s kitchen will be led by Dale Bainbridge, who has worked with the Athertons’ Social Company group for a decade and was head chef at the now closed Pollen Street Social restaurant in Mayfair. Sael will occupy a 9,088 square-foot site in the Crown Estate-owned St James’ Market development in Piccadilly. Guests will be able to choose their base ingredient – whether vegetable or protein – cooked on the wood-fire grill—and then customise their meal with a variety of sides. Dishes will also include a mixed grill featuring a variety of British meat, a Cumbrian lamb hotpot, and a hundred-layer heritage snail and ox cheek lasagne. The drinks menu will feature wine, beer and cider as well as local brews on tap. Above Sael will be Apples & Pears, a bar “offering an edgy, understated aesthetic where art and attitude intersect”. The venue will feature a DJ booth for late-night entertainment. The food offering will feature snacks from Sael complemented by an evolving cocktail list. The Athertons said: “With Sael, we set out to create the ultimate destination in London for anyone seeking the best British food in a relaxed and vibrant setting. Opening a quintessentially British-style brasserie has been a long-held dream of ours, and we're thrilled to finally bring it to life.” The Athertons operates seven sites in London and a total of 16 globally.

Royal China site found 'repeatedly hiring illegal workers' in Home Office raids: A well-known London Chinese restaurant has been accused of repeatedly breaking immigration laws after three Home Office raids uncovered illegal workers. The Evening Standard reported that the Royal China in Baker Street has been fined a total of £470,000 following immigration enforcement visits between 2018 and this year. A Central London immigration officer branded it the “worst licensed premises in Westminster” for employing staff without right to work visas. At least 20 people have been found to be illegally employed during three raids on the venue famous for its dim sum, according to police. Officers said some staff told them they had been working long hours for little pay. One reported doing 66 hours a week while earning just £6-an-hour, the Home Office said. Minimum wage is £11.44 an hour. “The workers reported being paid less than the minimum wage and working excessive hours,” a Home Office immigration officer said in a report to Westminster Council due to be discussed on Thursday (15 August). On 10 May this year, nine workers – almost a third of the staff on at the time – were arrested. Six Indonesian and two Malaysian men were found to have overstayed their visas, while one Chinese woman was found to be working in breach of her visa. Royal China was fined £360,000 over the violations. The Royal China Group owns six restaurants in London, including the upmarket Royal China Club, also in Baker Street, as well as a venue in Dubai. The 24-26 Baker Street venue site is the only one accused of offences.

Lamington Group to bring aparthotel business to York for fifth site: Aparthotel operator Lamington Group has unveiled plans to bring its Room2 format to York. Located inside the city's castle walls, room2 York will offer 116 guest rooms, a meeting space, laundry room, gym, and new Winnie's cafe and bar concept specialising in home cooked and locally grown food. It will be the brand's first property in the north of England, and is due to open in early 2026. Robert Godwin, chief executive at Lamington Group, said: “Room2 York will be a fantastic development that we are delighted to be progressing despite challenging economic conditions. In line with our One Living Planet strategy, we are proud to continue the creation of long term environmental and social value for our partners, guests and community.” Room2’s “hometel” offering was the brainchild of Godwin and his brother Stuart, former members of the British Olympic development sailing team. The venues combine elements from Airbnb, serviced apartments and boutique hotels. Room2 currently has four operational locations, in Hammersmith and Chiswick in west London, Southampton and Belfast.

1000 Trades team including MasterChef winner opens new Birmingham restaurant: A team behind 1000 Trades bar in Birmingham, including chef Dan Lee, who won BBC TV’s MasterChef: The Professionals in 2021, has opened a new bar restaurant in the city. Billed as “an independent neighbourhood tearoom, bar and kitchen”,1000 Trades On The Park is operating from premises at grade II-listed Lightwoods Park and House in Bearwood after securing £140,000 to innovate and grow from the Community Investment Enterprise Fund. Building on the success of 1000 Trades bar in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, which opened in 2016 and is named after the city’s reputation for hosting 1000 trades during the 1800s, owners Jonathan Todd and John Stapleton have launched the Bearwood venture, backed by executive head chef Lee. Stapleton said: “1000 Trades On The Park has a very different feel to the Jewellery Quarter as it is a hub for everyone, with people of all ages visiting the park and a true community feel. The experience of building 1000 Trades in the centre of Birmingham has given us confidence as, with the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, we have learned a great deal. Our mantra continues to be quality and variety, which is the approach we have now brought to Bearwood.”