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Thu 7th Nov 2024 - Propel Thursday News Briefing |
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Story of the Day:Shore Capital expects hospitality market to emerge smaller than it could have been following Budget, questions how much further sector can go on price: Greg Johnson, equity analyst at Shore Capital, has said that due to the impact of the Budget on costs, “ultimately, we expect the hospitality market will emerge smaller than it could have been”, and asked at “what point do customers become resistant to all this cumulative inflation?” Johnson said: “The sting in the tail was the reduction in national insurance thresholds, which accounts for the bulk of a potential further circa 4% increase in employment costs (beyond the expected national living wage increase) across the hospitality sector. The industry will undoubtedly work hard to attempt to mitigate these cumulative measures, with pricing likely to be the key lever, and we now expect price inflation across hospitality of at least 3% against prior expectations of between 2% and 3%. The measures announced in the Budget could be an additional circa 4% to annual labour costs versus prior estimates, ranging from just over 2% (C&C Group) to more than 4% at pub groups such as Marston’s and Mitchells & Butlers (M&B). On top of our previously anticipated 6% increase in the national living wage, we now expect double-digit annual employment gross cost inflation in the 12 months from April 2025. The concern being at what point do customers become resistant to all this cumulative inflation?” Johnson said across the companies he covers, M&B appears to be most impacted, by up to £40m, followed by JD Wetherspoon (circa £35m) and Whitbread (up to £30m). He said: “At the other end of the spectrum are the likes of Hollywood Bowl, Gym Group and C&C, where we estimate a further potential circa £2m-£3m increase in employment costs. After several years of inflation busting increases, the million-dollar question is how much further can the trade go on price? The pub model has historically proven relatively inelastic, but at what point does the perception become an (un)affordable treat. Wetherspoon probably has the most room to move on price, while SSP has arguably the least price elastic customer demographic. Ultimately, we suspect the hospitality market, be it through closures or fewer openings, will emerge smaller than it potentially could have been (licensed venues are already down 15% since before the pandemic). However, the strong, especially those that can continue investing, will undoubtedly become (relatively) stronger.” Sir Tim Martin hints at price rises at JD Wetherspoon – see Company News
Industry News:Premium Club members to receive new searchable and segmented New Openings Database tomorrow: The next Propel New Openings Database will be sent to Premium Club members tomorrow (Friday, 8 November), at 12pm. The database will show the details of 196 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 10,553-word report on the 196 new additions to the database. The database is now segmented into seven categories – cafe bakery, casual dining, experiential leisure, fine dining, hotels, pubs and bars, and quick service restaurants – making it even easier for users to search. The database includes new openings in the experiential leisure sector such as Professionals at Play opening the third site for its family bowling concept, King Pins, in Bristol, Spider Box, the multi-sensory social entertainment concept that has opened in Manchester, and Elvis Evolution, an immersive Elvis Presley experience in London. Premium Club members also receive access to five other databases: the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the Multi-Site Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, 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 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.
Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a food and beverage business that is seeking a senior national account manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The position will be responsible for identifying, developing and securing new partnerships with key clients within the foodservice sector, while being pivotal in driving business growth by targeting potential clients, understanding their needs, and delivering tailored solutions.” The salary up to £75,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email mikey@corecruitment.com.
Company News:Sir Tim Martin – ‘cost increases for business end up being paid by working people’ as he hints at price rises at JD Wetherspoon: Sir Tim Martin, chairman of JD Wetherspoon, has told Propel that “cost increases for business end up being paid by working people” as he hinted at price rises, with the pub company preparing for a £60m rise in staff costs as a result of the Budget. From April next year, the minimum wage rises 6.9% to £12.21 for workers aged over 21 and £10 for those aged 18-20, while the main rate of employers’ national insurance contributions will increase from 13.8% to 15%, with the threshold at which the tax is paid falling from £9,100 to £5,000. Speaking following Wetherspoon’s first-quarter trading update, where the company reported like-for-like sales in the first 14 weeks of its financial year to 3 November were 5.9% higher than the previous year, Sir Tim said price rises at Wetherspoon “had not been discussed yet” as a result of the cost increases. But he told Propel: “Various trade organisations have suggested increases of 6% to 8%. Cost increases for business end up being paid by working people.” In terms of how much prices could go up, Sir Tim said Wetherspoon will “as always, make every attempt to stay as competitive as possible”. Shore Capital analyst Greg Johnson said the increase in national insurance contributions alone at Wetherspoon could be £30m and estimated that would mean the equivalent of a further 5p on a pint, and that he believed prices are set to rise by above 3% next year. Johnson said he suspected Wetherspoon “has more room than most” to raise prices “before customers become resistant”. Wetherspoon now has three of its 797 pubs operating as franchises – at Hull University student union, Newcastle University student union and Haven’s Primrose Valley holiday park in North Yorkshire. Wetherspoon is reviewing plans to open at further Haven sites, and Sir Tim told Propel there are “a few irons in the fire” when it comes to further franchise partnerships. Sir Tim also confirmed that Wetherspoon has secured the Revolution site in Bath’s George Street for its second site in the city. The property is set to reopen next year, and Sir Tim said it would possibly be under its Lloyds No 1 format. Last month, Sir Tim told Propel he was aiming for the company to double its sales to £4bn in the next ten years after passing the £2bn mark for the first time.
Cornish Bakery lines up ten new sites for 2025 as it works towards target of ‘at least 100’ locations, reports record-breaking October half-term: Fast-growing independent brand Cornish Bakery has said it is lining up ten new sites for 2025 as it works towards its target of “at least 100” locations. The first of these, early next year, will be in Cirencester in Gloucestershire, with the company having secured a former bank building in the town centre. Recent new high street openings in Taunton, Winchester and Chelmsford have all significantly exceeding expectations in the first few weeks of trading, and next month, it will open site number 65, in Milton Keynes’ centre:mk. In addition to the positive trading from the new openings, the company has also reported a record October half-term, with customer transactions up 26% on last year. Cornish Bakery has also been named one of the only UK hospitality companies in the 2024 Top 100 Interpath Retail Growth Index. The index lists the top 100 UK’s fastest growing businesses across a multitude of sectors and is compiled by analysts at Oresa, ranking retailer’s two-year compound annual growth rate based (CAGR) on the last three years of their sales. Cornish Bakery’s listing showed 40.84% two-year CAGR to come 83rd out of 100. Managing director Mat Finch said: “We’re already one of the only UK independently owned fastest growing bakery companies, so I’m not surprised to see that our exceptional yet carefully tuned growth has made such an impressive list of all UK retail companies. In the words of our founder, Steve Grocutt, bakery is the new coffee shop, and we’re bringing our high-quality products, freshly baked in-store every day, to more and more cities, market towns, tourism locations and designer shopping villages every month.” Finch added that new products such as shakshuka croissants, pistachio croissants and chorizo, mozzarella and Cornish sea salt pasties have been a hit. Finch was hired as Cornish Bakery’s first managing director in June, at which point the business also said has secured new funding to assist its ambitious growth plans. Meanwhile, also included in the 2024 Top 100 Interpath Retail Growth Index were Grind (38th with 63.74% CAGR).
200 Degrees secures Castleford site as it expands Yorkshire footprint: 200 Degrees, which was acquired by Caffè Nero last month, has added a site in Castleford, West Yorkshire, to its opening pipeline. 200 Degrees will open the outlet in December, located at Junction 32 Shopping Outlet. The Castleford launch will mark 200 Degrees’ 22nd site across the UK, and sixth in Yorkshire, since opening its first location in Nottingham 12 years ago. The new store will have a 1,250 square-foot layout, with approximately 80 covers, including indoor and outdoor seating options. Will Kenney, commercial director of 200 Degrees, said: “We’ve seen from the popularity of our other coffee shops in the area that the good people of Yorkshire love 200 Degrees. We're excited about joining the existing businesses in the shopping outlet and the exciting brands that are also opening there in the coming months.” Last month, Caffè Nero, the Gerry Ford-led, premium coffee house business, told Propel it is looking to open new sites across all its brands following its acquisition of 200 Degrees. Propel revealed exclusively that Caffè Nero had acquired 200 Degrees, which was backed by Foresight and founded by Rob Darby and Tom Vincent in 2012. 200 Degrees’ current 21 sites join the circa 620 Caffè Nero locations and circa 120 Coffee#1 outlets in the Caffè Nero portfolio, which sit alongside its Harris+Hoole and Aroma brands.
The Stable operator sells Fistral Beach Bar to Boardmasters Festival owners: Sourdough South, operator of the Three Joes and The Stable pizza brands, has sold the Fistral Beach Bar in Newquay to Superstruct Entertainment, owners of the Boardmasters Festival, which is held in the Cornish town each year, Propel has learned. Sourdough South acquired the site in September 2021 and said at the time that it would “overnight become our highest turnover site by some margin”. The company’s then chief executive, Tim Hall, said: “Once we have completed a refurbishment, the restaurant will offer 350 external covers directly accessible from the sand and a further 150 internally.” US private equity firm KKR acquired Boardmasters’ parent company, Superstruct Entertainment, for a reported £1.1bn earlier this year. Superstruct owns and operates more than 80 music festivals across ten countries in Europe and Australia. In September, Propel reported that Sourdough South saw its losses widen in the year before closing most of its Three Joes estate. In April, the company confirmed the closure of half of its then six-strong Three Joes business, followed by a fourth closure – its site in Lincoln in June – leaving it with just sites in Winchester and Sheffield. In the year to 31 December 2023, the company reported a pre-tax loss of £1,629,610 compared with £1,334,284 in 2022. The 2022 results included a £429,795 profit on disposal of tangible fixed assets. Turnover grew from £16,614,724 in 2022 to £17,144,768. The company still operates nine The Stable restaurants, including a site in Newquay. In June, Propel revealed that Hall, who co-founded Three Joes in 2017 before acquiring the Stable group in 2020, was stepping down as chief executive. He said that while the group had decided to trim its Three Joes estate, The Stable and Beach Bar restaurants were “in excellent condition and performing ahead of 2023”.
KFC and Pret franchisee narrows losses as turnover grows: KFC and Pret franchisee K&Z Holdings narrowed its losses in the year to 31 March 2024 as its turnover grew. The business, which operates a portfolio of KFC stores across London and the south east and 11 Pret stores in Dorset, Hampshire and Surrey, saw a pre-tax loss of £423,899 in 2023 reduced to a loss of £318,051. The company, which is lining up a 12th Pret location, at Rushden Lakes, saw its turnover increase from £18,740,221 in 2023 to £22,356,359. No government grants were received (2023: £78,334) and no dividends were paid (2023: nil). “The results for the period under review and the financial position at the period end were considered satisfactory by the directors,” director Shahaz Nanji said. “The group’s objective is to achieve sustainable rates of growth and returns through a combination of organic growth and acquisition of new units. At the year-end, the group had net current liabilities of £272,376 (2023: net assets of £22,209) and net liabilities of £77,511 (2023: net assets of £492,919). The performance aligns with our expectations, reflecting our strategic investment in refurbishing and updating our existing estate to enhance customer experience and sustain sales.”
Social Pantry hires Paul Trimmer as new FD: Social Pantry, the London operator and events caterer backed by Edition Capital, has hired Paul Trimmer, formerly of Darwin & Wallace and Camm & Hooper, as its new finance director. Trimmer spent more than 11 years as finance director of Darwin & Wallace, and previous to that, had the same role for five and a half years at the Imbiba-backed Camm & Hooper. Social Pantry currently works with more than 70 iconic venues across London and the UK including Somerset House, The National Gallery and The Royal Academy of Arts. Last month, Social Pantry announced it had achieved B Corp certification. The business, founded in 2011 by Alex Head, is now officially verified as meeting “high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability”. Propel also reported last month that Mark McQuater, the former chief executive of Revolution and Barracuda, had joined Social Pantry as its new chairman. McQuater, who is also currently chair of Parogon Group, Deckhouse and Professionals at Play, took over the role at Social Pantry from James Spragg, who stepped down earlier this year. Spragg, the former chief executive of Casual Dining Group, was named as the new managing director of Deckhouse, the all-day dining cafe and bar concept, earlier this year.
Individual Restaurants opens Chichester Piccolino as brand makes Sussex debut: Individual Restaurants has opened its new Piccolino site in Chichester, West Sussex. Propel revealed in August that Individual Restaurants had acquired the former Three Joes site in South Street. The Piccolino restaurant has now opened for the brand’s debut site in the county. The 6,000 square-foot space offers 110 covers inside the main restaurant and a 16-seat patio. Guests are able to enjoy Piccolino’s table-side immersive culinary offering, such as the giant Pecorino cheese wheel, serving up authentic Roman carbonara, and the salt-baked seabass, cooked and filleted tableside. Alongside the food is Piccolino’s extensive bar menu, including cocktails and speciality wine. The opening marks Piccolinio’s 22nd restaurant in its growing portfolio in what is the brand’s 25th year. Andrew Garton, chief executive of Individual Restaurants, said: “We are thrilled to introduce the first Piccolino to Sussex, in Chichester. The restaurant will be delivering the outstanding hospitality and vibrant Italian cuisine that Piccolino is known for.”
Hoburne sees profit halve after ‘challenging year’ hits cost base: Hoburne, the operator of nine UK holiday parks, saw its profit halve after a “challenging year” to 31 January 2024 hit its cost base. The company’s pre-tax profit was down from £8,868,282 to £4,531,250 while its turnover dropped from £51,804,687 to £47,387,475. Ebitda fell from £11,837,973 to £8,778,233 while capital expenditure was up from £10,302,246 to £13,578,391. The group renewed its £12m revolving credit facility, of which £6m was drawn down at 31 January 2024, to 30 April 2026. “Following a particularly challenging year, the group’s turnover decreased by 8.5% and profit before tax reduced by 49%,” said director James Forward. “Double digit inflation, rising interest rates and low consumer confidence impacted the demand for holiday homes and holidays and also our cost base. Holiday home sales volumes fell by 8%. Demand was stronger for pre-loved rather than new holiday homes. resulting in lower average margins and an overall 40% fall in holiday home sales profits on the prior year. Holiday bookings and tariffs were impacted by a tendency towards late bookings driven by discounts. In addition, the poor summer weather adversely impacted our peak trading during July and August. Hoburne is adapting and responding and continues to invest in teams that have the skills and expertise to drive the business forward to deliver on growth. The exciting improvement projects delivered across our parks are enhancing the experience of our guests and customers and we plan to continue this investment programme. It is becoming increasingly challenging to recruit and retain the talented people we need in the business to continue to deliver a great experience to our customers. A number of opportunities remain for increasing the number of pitches within the existing portfolio, in addition to continuing to upgrade the quality of our facilities.”
Lucky Onion Group owner – future of Cheltenham venue in danger if outside dining plans refused: Julian Dunkerton, owner of the seven-strong Lucky Onion Group, has said the long-term future of its Cheltenham hospitality venue No.131 could be in danger if plans to enhance the building aren’t approved. Dunkerton, who is also chief executive of high street brand Superdry, acquired the three buildings that make up No.131 in 2018 and said he has spent £18m renovating them into a premier dining and hospitality spot. During covid, the venue constructed 16 temporary marquees in order to switch its operations to provide outdoor dining, and the marquees have remained in place since, leading to criticism from some corners, with Cheltenham Civic Society previously describing them as “tatty”. Dunkerton said 60% of the turnover at No.131 is now based on the outside space and that plans lodged with Cheltenham Borough Council for a permanent structure to replace the marquees are vital to the venue’s future. He told Insider Media: “The marquees were never meant to be a permanent structure. Any application to extend the life of them was while we were doing proper designs for more permanent structures. If the plans aren’t approved the viability of the business will be in question – 70 to 80 jobs will be lost immediately because we’re so dependent on the outside space to operate this business effectively.” Dunkerton also said the hospitality industry in the UK is in “a precarious position” and the government’s Budget announcements have done little to enhance confidence within the sector. He added: “Hospitality needs VAT to be cut by 10%. If the government doesn’t do that, we’re looking at long-term decline. It’s tough to provide a really good service in this sector without better support.”
WSH Restaurants to open new Berkshire site later this month: WSH Restaurants, the operator of the award-winning Woodspeen in Newbury, will open its latest site in Berkshire, The Braywood, later this month. WSH Restaurants – the parent company of hospitality brands including Benugo, Searcys, BaxterStorey and Holroyd Howe – opened The Woodspeen in Newbury in 2014 before launching the Clockspire in Somerset, the Sparsholt in Oxfordshire, and the Boxford in Berkshire, which opened in August last year. The Braywood – which will open on Saturday, 23 November – is located on the former site of the Royal Oak in Paley Street near Maidenhead. The kitchen will be overseen by Sam Brennan, previously head chef at The Woodspeen, whose cooking will focus on seasonal British produce, using local suppliers. Front of house will be overseen by general manager Thomas Gammella, previously restaurant manager at The Woodspeen. WSH Restaurants managing director Alessandro Fasoli said: “I’m incredibly proud to have overseen The Braywood project from start to finish. It’s been a privilege to watch our talented team come together and create something truly special. From the initial concept to the final touches, every detail has been meticulously crafted to provide an unforgettable dining experience.” The Braywood includes a 70-cover dining room, cocktail bar and landscaped gardens, with terrace seating for around 36 covers, which will be available during the summer months. The company is also planning to open a restaurant in Fitzrovia, which will mark the group’s London debut.
Wood Leisure acquires Perthshire holiday park: Scottish holiday park operator Wood Leisure has acquired the Faskally Caravan Park in Perthshire for its sixth site. Faskally, which has been under the ownership of the Hay family since 1954, covers 30.9 acres and offers around 330 pitches. These provide a mix of private static and lodge holiday homes, a hire fleet and extensive touring caravan pitches. Wood Leisure director Margaret Wood said: “We are delighted to secure the acquisition of Faskally and we look forward to maintaining the same family-run feel and high standards that the Hays have maintained for last 70 years.” Ian Hay, whose parents purchased Faskally in the 1950s, added: “It was very important that we were able to ensure our family park was sold to a similar family operator to ourselves with a shared ethos.” The deal, for an undisclosed sum, was arranged by Colliers. The vendor was advised by South Forest and Colliers, while the buyer was advised by Blackadders.
US-based seafood restaurant concept Saltie Girl surrenders lease of sole UK site, property under offer to new tenant: US-based seafood restaurant concept Saltie Girl has surrendered the lease of its sole UK site, with the property under offer to a new tenant, Propel has learned. Saltie Girl – which specialises in lobsters, oysters, caviar and premium tinned seafood – made its UK debut on the former Prezzo site at 15 North Audley Street in London’s Mayfair in November 2022, but shut the restaurant in February this year. Propel reported in March the lease was being marketed by Saltie Girl, but it has now been surrendered to landlord Grosvenor, which told Propel the site was already under offer to a new party, with legals aimed to be completed before Christmas. Saltie Girl is part of the Met Restaurant Group, which is led by US restaurateur Kathy Sidell and owns and operates five restaurants in and around Boston, including the original Saltie Girl. Restaurant Property acted for Saltie Girl on the Mayfair lease disposal.
Zócalo founder takes on Wok to Walk master franchise for Iceland: Einar Örn Einarsson, founder of Sweden-based Mexican fast-food franchise brand Zócalo, which made its debut here last year, has taken on the master franchise in Iceland for Wok to Walk. Einarsson founded Zócalo in 2002 and grew it to 25 restaurants in Sweden, Denmark and Iceland before it made its UK debut in October 2023, in London’s Soho. Zócalo has since also opened in Birmingham’s New Street, as it looks to expand across the UK. Toridoll-owned Wok to Walk, meanwhile, has grown to more than 100 sites globally since being founded in Amsterdam in 2004 and currently has 13 UK sites. “Global wok kitchen business Wok to Walk has finalised a franchise agreement with master franchisee Einar Örn Einarsson, founder of established Tex-Mex brands Serrano and Zócalo, to develop the brand across Iceland,” said franchise consultant Seeds Consulting. “Three to five new sites have already been secured for development and are set to open within the first year of the agreement, which also represents Wok to Walk’s first venture into Iceland, the 19th country in which the brand will now have a presence.”
Midlands restaurant group confirms spring 2025 opening for its Japanese concept’s second site: Midlands restaurant group A Rule of Tum has confirmed a spring 2025 opening for the second site of its Japanese concept, Maneki Ramen. The group initially launched Maneki Ramen as a noodle bar pop-up called Lucky Cat in 2020, opening its debut bricks-and-mortar venue in Worcester the following year. As previously reported, it agreed to change its name after receiving a letter from Gordon Ramsay’s solicitors claiming Ramsay, who has Lucky Cat restaurants in Manchester and London’s Mayfair, holds a trademark for the use of the name. For Maneki Ramen’s second site, A Rule of Tum has acquired the lease of the former Stirlings Bar & Lounge site at 21 Ludgate Hill in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. The concept is led by head chef Pete Dovaston, who uses techniques learnt while living in Tokyo, New York and China. “Birmingham has a vibrant foodie scene, so opening a new restaurant in the city has been one of our business aspirations for some time,” he said. “We can’t wait to become part of the community and bring all the Maneki dishes people know and love, as well as introducing some extra new and exciting ones.” Dishes include tebasaki wings with ginger and furikake, roast duck ramen with sesame bean sprouts and pak choi, and sesame miso shoyu with charred sweetcorn and nori. There will also be a list of natural wine and curated cocktails. The 2,000 square-foot site will offer 70 covers, plus an additional 40 seats downstairs, with collection and delivery options also available.
Ground Espresso opens further Belfast location: Northern Ireland coffee shop Ground Espresso Bars has opened a further location in the country’s capital city of Belfast. Located in the city’s Forestside shopping centre, it is a 28th site in Northern Ireland for the Darren Gardiner-led brand. It also has two in England – in Bedford and Worcester – and one each in Scotland (Stirling) and Republic of Ireland (Dublin). “Another Ground Espresso Bar open as we continue to grow this locally owned and operated coffee brand,” Gardiner said. “Delighted to be trading at Lesley Forestside and encouraging to see how popular this store has already become in its first week of bringing proper coffee to this prestigious development.” The company was founded in Coleraine in 2001. Gardiner is also behind the four-strong gelato concept Milk Parlour in Northern Ireland.
Mandarin Oriental set to open rooftop bar at its Mayfair hotel: Mandarin Oriental, which operates a worldwide portfolio of circa 42 luxury hotels, including two in London, is set to open a new rooftop bar at its Mayfair location. Abar Rooftop will open at the Hanover Square venue on Monday (11 November), with the food and drink offer led by chef Akira Back. With room for 50 indoors along with a large outdoor terrace, Abar Rooftop will offer a seasonally changing cocktail menu, reports Hot Dinners. There will also be a bar menu featuring the likes of miso niçoise salad and wagyu burger at lunchtime, and sushi tacos and sashimi and caviar in the evenings. The hotel opened in 2022 and followed Mandarin Oriental’s first London hotel, at Hyde Park, which launched in 2000.
Swindon microbrewery set to open second site: Swindon microbrewery The Drink Valley is set to open a second site in the Wiltshire town. The microbrewery, in Fleet Street, is a family-run business known for its Indian street food and variety of craft beer and ale. After three years in the town centre, owner Dhiraj Pujari is bringing the business to 53 Devizes Road in Old Town, in the former Connie’s Chinese restaurant and takeaway space. “We’re bringing our new craft beer to Old Town, and it will be a different style of food,” he told the Swindon Advertiser. “We’re looking more at continental food. We don’t want to repeat everything and have it the same, we want to have something exclusive and different. There will be live music and other events, like comedy nights. I’m really excited. We actually started the business at the end of covid, so we’ve faced quite a few different challenges and the energy crisis and cost-of-living crisis. It has been a bit difficult, but we’ve survived with people supporting us, which has given us more strength to open another venue.”
East London operator to open all-day café for second site: Francesca D’Agostino, who is behind Wilton Way Deli and Wines in Hackney, east London, is opening her second site. D’Agostino is launching “all-day café” concept Fran’s in Wilton Road on Thursday (7 November). She told Hot Dinners the venture is inspired by the “old-style Italian/British cafes that are disappearing” with a focus on comfort food. The menu will include the “almost all-day breakfast” that will be available until 3pm, while the evening offering will feature pasta dishes and pies such as chicken, leek and potato. D’Agostino will also be renting out space for workshops downstairs.
Preston coffee shop opens second site: Preston coffee shop Jonah’s Coffee has opened a second site in the city. Launched by Adam Jonah in 2018, Jonah’s Coffee has been trading from the city’s Box Market and has now opened close to the city’s university campus. A former empty office in Hope Street, between Friargate and Corporation Street, has been converted following a major renovation project. The Box Market is a development of upgraded shipping containers under Preston’s 1920s Fish Market canopy.
Future of Leicestershire hotel and country club ‘uncertain’: The future of Stapleford Park, the grade I-listed country house hotel in Leicestershire owned by Dreamr Hotels, is uncertain, according to its liquidators. Alex Cadwallader and Neil Bennett, of Leonard Curtis, were appointed as joint liquidators of the business last month, since when the site has ceased to trade, with more than 90 jobs lost. Cadwallader said the future of the property, which features 48 guest rooms, “remains uncertain at this stage”. He added: “Our priority was to ensure the most orderly wind-down of trading possible. Significant efforts were made to communicate with and relocate the guests that were staying at the hotel, which was at approximately 50% occupancy. Leonard Curtis attended the site and worked closely with front of house staff to make this possible, and the wider group also met some essential costs to limit the impact on guests and future bookings.” Stapleford Park was bought by Dreamr Hotels in August 2022.
Cornwall amusement park announces closure: Flambards Theme Park in Helston, Cornwall, has announced its closure. Founded in 1976 and offering 15 attractions, including a Victorian village, the park has suffered from rising costs, declining ticket sales and closed rides amid a shortage of specialist parts. “Flambards has been a cherished destination for generations, and it is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell,” the park said in a statement. “Despite significant and ongoing investment since its rescue from closure in 2013 by the current owners, rising costs and a steady decline in visitor numbers have made the park’s operation and further investment unsustainable. Over the years, Flambards has strived to evolve, overcoming numerous challenges to continue bringing joy to families and visitors from across the region. Unfortunately, this year saw the retirement of several older thrill rides, as the increasing difficulty of sourcing specialised parts and maintenance expertise became insurmountable. Additionally, the much-loved Victorian Village exhibition now requires extensive remedial work; it will remain closed while we investigate alternative options to preserve and honour this unique collection.” The park’s indoor play centre, Ferdi’s Funland, will reopen as a stand-alone attraction later this month. Flambards was opened as the Cornwall Aero Park by former Royal Navy officer Douglas Kingsford Hale in June 1976. Livingstone Leisure, which owns various nature reserves, bought the park in 2013.
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