Premium Club members to receive two updated databases this week: Premium Club members will receive two updated databases this week. The latest Propel UK Food & Beverage Franchisee Database will be sent tomorrow (Wednesday, 6 November) at 12pm. It will feature ten new additions plus updates to existing entries. It now has 180 entries and more than 76,000 words of copy. Among the new entries are Amorino franchisees 4orty and Sandyman Investments, and Starbucks franchisees 1 Oak Investment Group and The Explorer Group. The next Propel New Openings Database will be sent to Premium Club members on Friday (8 November). The database will show the details of 196 site openings, including Simmons Bars opening their cocktail concept in Manchester, The Wild Swan from Thornbridge & Co opening in London, and BrewDog opening at Belfast Grand Central station. Premium Club members also receive access to four other databases: theTurnover & Profits Blue Book, the Multi-Site Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor 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 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.

Starbucks brings back retro touch with hand-written names on cups: Starbucks is bringing back a nostalgic component of its coffee service to grow its returning customer base. Last week, Brian Niccol, the brand’s chief executive, announced that Starbucks baristas would once again write customers’ names in Sharpie on their cups. The idea is to emulate the community feel of smaller coffeehouses by incorporating a “human touch”. In recent years, most Starbucks customers would receive their coffee or drink order with a printed name ticket. Written names were a fixture of the coffee chain for years as customers would often share misspellings of their names on social media. Over the years, former employees have admitted to misspelling customers’ names intentionally as a marketing tool as people are more likely to take a photo of their cup with a mistake on it. Niccol estimated that the company needed to track down “something like close to 200,000 Sharpies”. “Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as just going to the Staples and picking up some Sharpies,” he told CNBC. The Independent reports that the news comes as Starbucks announces a slew of store updates including the return of self-service sugar and condiments and no more milk alternative fees. Before the 2020 pandemic, Starbucks allowed customers to grab sugar and cream packets themselves. However, when covid-19 forced patrons to wait outside for their orders, the company packaged the condiments for them. “Our customers are asking for it, and our baristas are saying it would help them,” Niccol said about the return of self-service stations. As for why Starbucks needs to boost customer morale, Niccol said global sales dropped by 7% at stores open for at least a year while customer transactions decreased by eight percent. Niccol confessed these “financial results were very disappointing.” He added: “It is clear we need to fundamentally change our strategy to win back customers and return to growth.” Last week, Starbucks announced customers would no longer have to pay extra if they want soy, oat, almond, or coconut milk with their drinks. According to the company estimate, this change will ensure customers are paying about 10% less than they would when there was a charge for plant-based milk. What’s more, Niccol said Starbucks would be cutting back promotional discounts offered to Starbucks rewards customers to help increase full-price sales.

Manchester airport opens new ‘culinary experience’ developed by Great British Menu winner: Manchester airport has opened its new “culinary experience”, developed by Great British Menu winner Adam Reid. The chef patron of Adam Reid at The French in the city has crafted a menu of pre-flight meals available to all passengers at the airport’s new “aether” terminal. The airport is billing aether as “the first private terminal experience accessible to all airline passengers”, regardless of their ticket class. The food offering is part of “an elevated, first-class experience for all passengers, typically reserved for business and first-class”. Reid joined The French, in Manchester’s Peter Street, in 2013 as head chef, before taking over as chef patron in 2016, since when he has been awarded four AA rosettes.

Anna Haugh opens Irish wine bar: Restaurateur Anna Haugh has opened an Irish wine bar in London’s Chelsea. The Little Sister is located next to Mrytle, the Irish restaurant that Haugh launched five years ago. The Little Sister has taken over another wine space, Last Drop Wines, in King’s Road. Haugh told Hot Dinners that the venture “focuses on Irish talent – from the food produced in Ireland to wine made across the world by Irish people”. The short food menu to go with the wine including oysters, pickles and cashel blue cheese truffles with blackberry puree. Haugh said: “I was more nervous about this venture than I was about Myrtle, which has gone from strength to strength even with the curve balls that have been thrown. The bar is being really well received and often guests for the restaurant have a pre-dinner drink there, which is great as it looks and feels different so adds to the overall experience.”