The Beefy Boys – focused on expanding sustainably, hires Simon Blagden as chair, confirms fourth site: The Beefy Boys, the better burger business, has told Propel it is focused on “expanding sustainably”, as it confirmed it has secured a fourth site and that Simon Blagden, the former Jamie’s Italian chief executive, was working with it in a chairman/advisory role. The Beefy Boys, which was born out of a back-garden barbecue in 2011 between four childhood friends – Anthony Murphy, Daniel Mayo-Evans, Christian Williams and Lee Symonds – will open on the former Loch Fyne site in Bath’s Milsom Street, early next year. The company currently operates sites in Hereford, Shrewsbury and Cheltenham. Murphy told Propel: “We are focused on expanding sustainably and are very wary of the mistakes other businesses have made when rolling out too quickly – standards slip and you can go off the boil. It needs to be the right site in the right city. We are concentrating on finding locations within two and a half hours or our hub in Hereford. That will allow us to maintain the standards of our supply chain – our meat comes from Hereford, and also make sure we are on top of operations in each site. We are also focusing on locations that aren’t saturated with burger offers, such as Bath.” The new Bath site will feature The Beefy Boys’ signature menu of “smash patties, loaded fries, and next-level sides, all made with high-quality, locally sourced ingredients”. It will also feature the company’s Oklahoma Onion Boy burger, which won it the title of the UK’s Best Burger in 2023. The company, which is also exploring an opening in Cardiff, confirmed it is working with Blagden on its growth strategy. Blagden, who joined Jamie’s Italian in 2008 as its managing director from PizzaExpress, spearheaded the growth and development of the Jamie’s Italian brand in the UK and internationally, growing it into a business that at one time was valued at circa £200m. He stepped down from Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group in October 2017. Earlier this month, Propel revealed that Manjit Dale, founding partner of TDR Capital, the backer of Stonegate Group and Popeyes UK, had become an investor in and director of The Beefy Boys. Murphy said: “Simon’s expertise is proving, and will continue to prove, invaluable, as we look to grow further. We have also recently secured some backing from a fund, which will help us to take on further sites.” This summer, the company hired Paul Alexander, former managing director of Tiny Rebel and ex-operations director at Loungers, as its new head of operations. The Beefy Boys also launched its first book – “The Beefy Boys: From Backyard BBQ to World-Class Burgers”.

Drake & Morgan chief development officer Graham Hall among speakers at Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit, open for bookings: Graham Hall, chief development officer at Drake & Morgan, will be among the speakers at the Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit. Hall will be part of a panel led by Propel group editor Mark Wingett that also features Satnam Leihal, chief executive at Boparan Restaurant Group, Lisa Buckley, chief retail officer at BrewDog, and Tas Gaitanos, co-founder of Brother Marcus, talking about their market outlook, focuses for 2025 and where they’ll be looking to innovate and evolve their brand. Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit is returning for its seventh edition, and tickets are now on sale. The event is a partnership between Propel and Think Hospitality, aiming to build a community, promote the sharing of ideas, recognise talent and define the future of eating out. Bookings are now open for the two-day conference as the centrepiece of the January event series, taking place on 21 and 22 January at One Moorgate Place in London. The conference will focus on technology, marcomms strategies, proposition, brand building, the latest market insights, digital developments and diversification of revenue streams. It is designed for customer-focused chief executives, senior marketers, technology and innovation teams, as well as investors wanting to better understand the latest marketing, innovation and development opportunities to build market share and grow. For the full speaker schedule, click here. The pre-Christmas early-bird prices are as follows: a one-day ticket for operators is £295 plus VAT while a two-day ticket is £550 plus VAT. Supplier tickets are £395 plus VAT for one day and £700 plus VAT for two. Propel Premium Club members receive a 20% discount. To book, email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.

Premium Club members to receive updated segmented Multi-Site Database on Friday featuring 788 pub and bar operators: Premium Club members are to receive the updated Multi-Site Database on Friday (29 November). The next Propel Multi-Site Database provides details of 3,291 multi-site operators and is searchable in seven main segments. The database features 968 (29%) operators from the casual dining sector, 788 (24%) pub and bar operators, 556 (17%) cafe bakery operators, 450 (14%) quick service restaurant operators, 270 (8%) hotel operators, 206 (6%) experiential leisure operators and 54 (2%) fine dining operators. The database is updated each month, and this edition includes 31 new companies. The database includes new companies in the pub and bar sector such as Pretty Decent Beer Co, operating taprooms across London, Irish pub concept Nancy Spain’s, and Henley Pub Co, the independently back company from Henry Day. Premium Club members also receive access to five additional databases: the New Openings Database, the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, 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.

UKHospitality – sector can help government achieve aim of getting those economically inactive back into employment: UKHospitality has said the sector can help the government achieve its aim of getting those economically inactive back into employment, as it welcomed many of the proposals in the “Get Britain Working” white paper. The paper, which was unveiled on Tuesday (26 November) sets out how the government plans to achieve an 80% employment rate. UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “Hospitality is proud to offer jobs for everyone. Many of the proposals in this white paper can benefit hospitality and further that work. The focus on young people, through the Youth Guarantee, is positive, particularly as hospitality gives so many people their first job and a path to progress from bar to board. The commitment to overhaul the Jobcentre system is also encouraging. That work must focus on the employment requirements of local businesses if it is to fully to benefit those communities. The transformation of the apprenticeship levy is a long-standing priority for hospitality and much needed. We now need to see a clear timetable for reform and that all relevant sectors are included in the testing of foundation apprenticeships. Hospitality can help the government achieve its aim of getting those economically inactive back into employment and I would urge it to permanently roll out our skills pilot to accelerate this. That pilot was extremely successful, generating an 85% completion rate with 80% of people now employed in hospitality. While this white paper is largely positive, the elephant in the room is the detrimental impact the changes to employer national insurance contributions will have to employment in the sector. We need to see that urgently addressed with action to mitigate the impact on team members working lower hours.” Meanwhile, UKHospitality has said the cost of changes to employer national insurance contributions “will have a far more immediate impact on employment than changes to employment rights”. Giving evidence to the Employment Rights Bill Committee, UKHospitality deputy chief executive Allen Simpson reiterated the need to get the legislation right for sector businesses, reflecting its unique circumstances compared with office jobs. This includes the need for longer reference periods to determine the hours offered in a contract offer to someone working on a zero-hours contract and providing clarity for businesses around notice or cancellation of shifts to reflect the practicalities of hospitality – for example, team members agreeing to swap shifts at late notice, or a venue trying to stand up a team at late notice to cater for a large booking.

 

Junk food could be hit with more taxes as part of government’s back to work drive: New taxes could be introduced on unhealthy food under plans to bear down on sickness benefits that are being considered by ministers. A blueprint to stem the growing tide of people signed off with ill health suggests extra “sin taxes” may be used to help reduce obesity levels, reports The Telegraph. The proposal is contained in a “Get Britain Working” white paper that sets out how the government will tackle joblessness. The paper points to obesity as a key contributor to conditions like back pain and cardiovascular problems, which are keeping millions off work. The document stated: “The government is committed to reducing the number of people becoming overweight and obese and wants to work with the sector to consider all levers to further encourage food and drink reformulation to help tackle obesity, in a way that protects consumers and with a focus on voluntary and regulatory measures.” Wes Streeting, the health secretary whose department was involved in drawing up the paper, has previously suggested he is prepared to use “the heavy hand of state regulation” to force food companies to make their products healthier.

Sacha Lord – the UK is facing a pub crisis: Sacha Lord, the night-time advisor for Greater Manchester, has said the UK is facing a “pub crisis”, with pubs needing to sell an additional 60,000 pints a year to combat an increase in business rates. Lord said: “From April 2025, pubs with a £100,000 rateable value will see business rates jump by £19,000 a year, due to the changes in relief. To meet this increase, they’ll need to sell an additional 60,000 pints a year: that’s 1,200 more pints a week, or 170 extra pints every single day. And that’s before factoring in skyrocketing energy bills, rising wages, and other costs. Survival won’t be an option for many. To say we’re killing off our pubs is an understatement.”

Contract caterers beat inflation with 7% growth in third quarter of 2024: Sales at Britain’s leading contract caterers grew by 7% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2024, the latest Contract Catering Tracker from CGA by NIQ and Bidfood reveals. It means caterers have now increased sales for 14 quarters in a row. The figure was slightly behind the rate of 10% in the second quarter of this year, but sales over the last 12 months compared with the previous 12 months have grown 9%. The third quarter also brought a small rise in the number of outlets served by contract caterers. After a steady downward trend since the start of the covid-19 pandemic, sites increased by 1% year-on-year. Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at CGA by NIQ, said: “Fourteen consecutive quarters of growth is an outstanding achievement by the contract catering sector. It is particularly impressive in light of the severe inflationary pressures that it has faced in the last few years and demonstrates the strong underlying demand for its services across both the public and private sectors. Those cost challenges are unfortunately going to intensify following the autumn Budget, which risks compromising the major economic contributions of caterers.” Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, added: “We are once again seeing positive sales and growth figures from contract caterers, with sales increases for more than three years. However, the recent changes to employer national insurance contributions put all of that positivity at risk in April. Contract caterers deliver a vital public service to our schools, hospitals, visitor attractions and many more, and we need urgent action to mitigate the impact of these increases.”

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a group of pubs in the north of England that is seeking a head of food to lead culinary operations. A CORErecruitment spokesperson said: “This role involves taking charge of back-of-house operations, driving quality and consistency across multiple venues. The head of food will shape the food direction of a growing business with multiple thriving sites and big plans for the future.” The salary is up to £80,000. For more information, email yasmin@corecruitment.com.

Licensing update: John Gaunt & Partners licensing solicitors has just published its latest licensing update. With Christmas approaching, the update includes the company’s yearly advice for all operators, if they haven’t done so already, to check their premises licences to ensure they are authorised for all that is planned at their sites. For more details read the full update here.

 

San Carlo reveals group now turning over £100m as it rebrands site in London’s Knightsbridge: San Carlo Group has revealed it is now turning over £100m as it rebranded its site in London’s Knightsbridge, transforming from Cicchetti to one of its flagship restaurants. Located in Hans Road, adjacent to Harrods, San Carlo Knightsbridge offers a traditional Italian food and beverage menu “in keeping with San Carlo’s timeless style”. San Carlo’s winter menu includes a variety of carne (meat), pesci (fish), and dolci (sweet) dishes, as well as new starters and pasta dishes. The 100-cover restaurant spans two floors and has a stand-alone bar and a private dining room for 18 guests. San Carlo Group opened its first restaurant in 1992 in Temple Street, Birmingham, and has 25 sites across the UK. In addition, the group also has restaurants in Kuwait, Bangkok and Qatar and will soon be further expanding into Bahrain, Dubai and Miami. Speaking at Propel’s Multi-Club Conference in April, San Carlo Group chief executive Marcello Distefano said there are great opportunities overseas for premium dining concepts.

Amorino signs up franchisee for south west London, plans initial three openings: Italian gelato brand Amorino has signed up a franchisee for south west London, which is planning an initial three openings. The brand, which has 31 UK locations, has secured Sailesh Lakhiani as a new franchisee, with plans to open stores in Wimbledon and Putney in London as well as Guildford in Surrey. “I’ve always had a passion to own an ice cream business due to my family having experience in the ice cream industry,” Lakhiani told whichfranchise. “When I came across Amorino, I knew it was a brand that I wanted to be part of. I’m excited to be opening in key areas in south west London and to replicate the success my fellow Amorino franchisees have had.” It comes a week after Amorino signed up Saleh Al-Omeri, who said he plans to open three stores in Birmingham and one in Stratford-upon-Avon. Last month, former KFC franchisee Khawar Hussain opened his third store with Amorino, in Canterbury, Kent. Amorino is seeking multi-unit partners across the UK as it looks to build to 50 stores here by 2025.

Burger Drop co-founder gearing up to launch doner kebab business: The co-founder of north east craft burger concept Burger Drop is gearing up to launch a doner kebab business. Hasan Hamad founded Burger Drop with Amer Qayyum in 2020 and has grown it to two sites in Newcastle and one in Whitley Bay. It already has franchised locations lined up in Edinburgh, Manchester and Sunderland, which will double the size of its estate when opened. In the meantime, Hamad is also working on launching This is Doner and has been out in Germany and Turkey researching different forms of the meal. “It’s been a good week in Germany, doing market research for the long-anticipated launch of This is Doner,” he said. “Interesting to see the difference in doner here versus Istanbul. In Istanbul, it’s all about the quality of the meat, and it’s very commonly found on a plate with no sauce and salad, accompanied with a thin lavash bread. The quality of beef is unmatched in Istanbul and yaprak (sliced doner), is more common than minced. However, in Berlin, minced doner is more popular, as are durum (wraps), and everywhere serves with mixed salad and sauces. Chicken doner in Berlin, is incredible! Doner was introduced to Germany after Turkish immigrants moved after the Second World War, so they had to adapt the product to a more western palette. Hence, salad, sauces, wraps and bread, and after a number of disease outbreaks among cows, came the introduction of chicken doner.” Hamad said earlier this month that he has an ambition to grow Burger Drop “to be as big as Five Guys and KFC” and has more than 200 franchise inquiries in the pipeline. He previously told Propel he was targeting 150 stores for the concept in the next decade.

Azzurri Group to open debut UK site for Dave’s Hot Chicken next month: Azzurri Group, the hospitality investment platform that operates ASK Italian, Zizzi, Coco di Mama and Boojum, will open the UK debut site for Dave’s Hot Chicken, the fast-growing US quick service restaurant brand, next month. Propel revealed in September that Dave’s Hot Chicken had secured the former Fratelli La Bufala site in London’s Shaftesbury Avenue. Now Dave’s Hot Chicken has revealed the site will open on Saturday, 7 December. The menu will offer six spice levels with a decision yet to be made whether its infamous Reaper chicken – which is so spicy it requires people to sign a waiver to try it – will also be offered. Jim Attwood, managing director of Dave’s Hot Chicken UK, said: “After conducting taste tests here in the UK, we found the Reaper to be so hot that it left participants crying from the sheer heat of the spice mix. We are still in discussions as to whether the Reaper will make it on to UK plates.” Propel revealed in July that the US brand, which was founded in 2017 and has more than 200 sites, had signed a franchise agreement with Azzurri Group to open 60 locations across the UK and Ireland. Three childhood friends – chef Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan and Tommy Rubenyan – launched the business in a parking lot in Los Angeles in 2017 and opened an East Hollywood brick-and-mortar restaurant shortly after. In 2019, the team struck a deal with Wetzel’s Pretzels co-founder Bill Phelps to begin franchising the brand, with Canadian rapper Drake investing alongside other celebrities such as Samuel L Jackson and Usher. Phelps said: “From frying hot chicken in an LA parking lot with nothing but $900 and a dream to set up shop in one of the most iconic cities in the world, we’ve come a long way – and we’re only getting started. We’ve worked tirelessly with our UK team to deliver the bold flavours and tongue-tingling spice that have made us a cult sensation here in the USA.”

Groucho Club facing licence review, temporarily closes: London's Groucho Club has been served with notice of a licence review after allegations that the venue has been associated with “serious crime”. As a result, the club has now temporarily closed. A notice outside the club revealed an application has been served on Westminster City Council by the Metropolitan Police “on the grounds that the premises have failed to uphold the prevention of crime and disorder”. The Standard reported it has also seen Metropolitan Police documents that show Groucho Club has been noted for a licence review, though details as to the incident or incidents prompting the process are not shown. A statement from the Groucho Club said: “We have received an application to review our licence, which we take very seriously. As a consequence, the club’s licence has been suspended by agreement with Westminster City Council, and we have made the decision to close the club pending a full hearing before Christmas.” Responding to a request from the Standard, a council spokesperson said: “Following a request from the Metropolitan Police and with the agreement of the operator, the council’s licensing sub-committee has decided to suspend the Groucho Club’s licence with immediate effect on the basis that the premises is associated with serious crime. This decision follows reports that a serious crime may have taken place at the premises in circumstances linked to a breach in the premises licencing conditions. The allegations are subject to an ongoing police investigation and we cannot comment further at this stage.” An expedited review hearing on Tuesday (26 November) was told that police believed the private members’ club was “associated with serious crime or serious disorder or both”. Artfarm, the independent hospitality business, acquired the venue in a deal believed to be valued at circa £40m in August 2022 – adding it to a portfolio that includes other Mayfair venues such as Mount St Restaurant, and The Audley Public House.

JW Lees reopens former Marston’s pub in Lancashire: North west brewer and retailer JW Lees has reopened The Bellflower in Garstang, Lancashire, having acquired the pub from Marston’s in September. The pub, which is part of JW Lees managed division, had been closed for eight weeks following a refurbishment. The Bellflower was opened in 1930 as The XL Hotel by Blackpool brewer Catterall & Swarbrick. In the 1960s, the venue changed its name to The Chequered Flag and then to The Bellflower. The dilapidated conservatory has been replaced with a new feature veranda to reference the original XL Hotel, while internally a new feature bar sits centrally in a fully refurbished trade space with areas dedicated to drinking, dining and shuffleboard offering 166 internal covers. The new veranda area and beer garden can accommodate 150 covers. JW Lees managing director William Lees-Jones said: “We love The Bellflower already and it helps us to extend our reach in Lancashire and we think that it’s a pub that we can really add value to in terms of its offering.” JW Lees operates 140 pubs across the north west and North Wales including 48 in its managed estate.

Wingstop UK promotes Dirujan Sabesan to chief marketing officer: Wingstop, which is being rolled out here by Lemon Pepper Holdings and is currently seeking new investment, has promoted Dirujan Sabesan to chief marketing officer UK. Sabesan has been with the business for the last three years as its head of partnerships and social marketing, leading the development of “meaningful partnerships in music, culture, and with like-minded brands to provide unique experiences for our audience”. He is also the founder of the Creative Nerds agency. He said: “Over the last three years, we’ve worked tirelessly to transform Wingstop UK’s brand equity – building on the incredible foundation laid and adding our own spin. Together, we’ve positioned Wingstop UK not just as a quick service restaurant brand, but as a lifestyle destination, a community-first space, and a movement for more than just food. I’m proud to step into the role of chief marketing officer, leading Wingstop UK’s marketing team alongside one of the most dedicated and driven individuals I’ve ever met in my lifetime, Malachy O'Keeffe (head of marketing).” Earlier this week, Propel reported that Wingstop UK had added further sites to its 2025 opening pipeline, including sites in Aberdeen, Swansea and Norwich. Wingstop UK, which has a target of operating 200 sites within the next five years, currently operates 55, with openings in Bradford and London’s Walthamstow lined up for before the end of the year. Wingstop UK also recently signed up to open at the Brewery Quarter scheme in Cheltenham. The brand is also understood to be in talks on a site in Peterborough. In August, it was reported that Wingstop UK, which is majority-owned by the trio of entrepreneurs who brought it to Britain in 2018, had hired Goldman Sachs to find new investors for the business.

Subway CEO John Chidsey to retire: Subway has announced that John Chidsey, its global chief executive, will retire at the end of 2024, after five years in the role. Carrie Walsh, Subway's current president of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and former global chief marketing officer, will assume the role of interim chief executive, while a search is conducted to identify Chidsey’s permanent successor. Chidsey joined Subway in 2019 as the brand’s first chief executive outside of the founding family and led a multi-year transformation of the business. The company, which has circa 37,000 sites across 100 countries and territories, said: “Under his leadership, Subway strengthened its market position by refreshing its menu and guest experience and accelerating digital innovation. He also led Subway's global growth strategy, with a focus on attracting well-resourced, experienced multi-unit operators and master franchisees. As a result, the brand now has more than 10,000 future restaurant commitments and is on track to more than double the number of new restaurant openings in 2024, compared with 2019.” Chidsey added: “It has been a privilege to lead Subway through a period of exciting change, and I am so proud of what the team has achieved together. I've worked closely with Carrie over the past five years, and I've witnessed first-hand her deep understanding of what it takes for a global brand to grow and evolve. Combined with her steadfast commitment to Subway and its franchisees, I'm confident Carrie is the right leader to shepherd Subway through this transition as we continue to enhance our position as a leading global restaurant brand.” Walsh joined Subway in 2019 as a member of Subway's executive leadership team. The company said that she played a pivotal role in elevating the brand's US and global perception and driving the company's strategic direction. Most recently, she served as president of EMEA, Subway's second-largest region, where she oversaw operations, finance, marketing and development activity across 50 countries and territories. 

BrewDog to become of official beer partner at Lord’s, to open ‘biggest and best craft beer bar in UK sport’: Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog is to become the official beer partner to Lord’s Cricket Ground in a new partnership with Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which starts in January 2025. The new four-year deal, which sees BrewDog’s first entry into sports arenas, will see the ground become the first sports venue in the UK to hand over its taps to a craft beer brand, as well as being the only to pour 100% British beer. The deal incorporates a comprehensive range of BrewDog beer, and will see more than 450 draught taps pouring its brands. With a capacity of 31,000 and nearly 60 days of cricket, Lord’s serves around 750,000 pints, across the year. The new partnership will also feature a craft beer terrace takeover, which will be the “biggest and best craft beer bar in UK sport”. The bar, which is set to open next April, has the working title of the BrewDog Batter, with its official name is yet to be confirmed. James Arrow, chief executive of BrewDog, said: “This is one of the most monumental achievements we could ever hope for our business. With an ambition to make as many people as passionate about craft beer as we are, this partnership with Lord’s enables us to do just that, taking BrewDog to a premium mainstream audience with a full range of beer styles to suit everyone.” MCC commercial director, Andy Muggleton, said: “This collaboration not only brings a new level of quality to our bars at Lord's but also an enhanced matchday experience, with takeovers and pop-ups at the ground, as well as event benefits and discounts for members.” BrewDog, which is said it is exploring ways to build the brand “across the on-trade and different venues”, is taking over from Marston’s, which held the sponsorship and supply partnership with MCC, the owners of Lord’s, since 2008.

Flat Iron to strengthen London presence with Victoria opening next month: Flat Iron, the Piper-backed affordable steak concept, will strengthen its London presence with an opening in Victoria next month. Propel revealed in December last year that the Tom Byng-led business had secured the ex-Prezzo at 4-7 Victoria Buildings, Terminus Place. Flat Iron has confirmed the 140-cover restaurant that sits across two floors will open on Tuesday, 10 December for its 17th site. Last month, Flat Iron reported record sales as it confirmed the appointment of City advisors to review its strategic options. Turnover increased 38% to a record £49.6m in the 12 months to the end of August 2024, with underlying profits rising to £5.7m, from £3.8m in 2023. Propel revealed in October that Flat Iron has appointed Houlihan Lokey to assess its options, which are understood to include third-party investment or a possible sale of the business. Flat Iron, which was founded by entrepreneur Charlie Carroll, started life in 2012 as a pop-up above the Owl & Pussycat pub in Shoreditch, east London, and opened its first restaurant later that year in Beak Street in London’s Soho. The company is understood to have a well-developed pipeline for 2025, both in London and the regions where it has opened sites in Cambridge and Leeds.

Sticks‘n’Sushi gears up to open site in London’s Battersea: Japanese premium restaurant group Sticks‘n’Sushi, in which McWin, the backer of Gail’s and Big Mamma Group, acquired a majority stake earlier this year, will open its latest site in the UK on Saturday (30 November), in London’s Battersea. The company will open its 15th UK site at 6 Electric Boulevard, part of the Battersea Power Station development. This summer, Sticks‘n’Sushi opened on the former Neighbourhood site in Upper Street, Islington, which marked its first venture into north London and is part of its growth strategy to extend its reach into the capital’s residential neighbourhoods, following the opening of a site in Richmond in May. In February, Sticks‘n’Sushi secured a new £22m loan from OakNorth to support its growth plans. The new loan, alongside funding from McWin, will aid Sticks‘n’Sushi’s plans to accelerate its growth in its existing markets and also enter new markets over the next five years. 

Grace Land sells pub in London’s Bethnal Green: Grace Land, the London pub group, has sold the Kings Arms in Bethnal Green, leaving it with seven sites in the capital. The pub has been acquired by Jack Duignan, owner of the Sutton Arms in Clerkenwell. Duignan said: “We are excited for this new chapter of the pub. We will be closed until further notice while we get things set up.” Earlier this year, Grace Land, which was founded by Andreas Akerlund and Anselm Chatwin, acquired its latest site, the Duke of St Albans in Highgate Road. The company also operates the Bethnal Green Tavern, Red Hand, The Axe, Earl of Essex, and Black Heart in Camden. 

Cut & Craft to open flagship Manchester site next April: Yorkshire operator Oscar Akgul will open the third site under his steakhouse concept, Cut & Craft, in Manchester, next April. The new restaurant will join its sites in York and Leeds. Akgul also operates two Lucia wine bar and restaurants, in York and Beverley. Located on the corner of Mosley Street and York Street, the new Cut & Craft will be housed within the former Manchester and Salford Bank, a grade II-listed building dating to 1862, taking over the former banking room. With a focus on quality steak and sustainable seafood, the restaurant will also offer oysters, Exmoor caviar, hand-cut beef tartare, grilled monkfish, king scallops and grilled lamb cutlets. Akgul said: “We are committed to creating an exquisite and vibrant environment that not only sustainably redevelops the historic Bond building into the social heart of Manchester but also creates a unique legacy through first-class restaurant space and architecture. This ensures that Mosley Street's history and heritage are not only recognised but also honoured and protected.” The restoration project is in collaboration with ecosystem developer, Bruntwood SciTech. Adam Bowers, of onepoint2, acted on the deal.

Immersive experience based on BBC show The Traitors to open in London next year: An immersive experience based on BBC show The Traitors is set to launch in London’s West End in the spring. The Traitors: Live Experience will allow players to dive into the world of the TV series as they take a seat at “The Round Table”, participate in missions and work together to uncover the “Traitors” under the guide of a live host. The experience is being produced by Immersive Everywhere – which is behind projects such as Doctor Who: Time Fracture in London, with BBC Studios, and Peaky Blinders: The Rise in London and Riyadh – along with live music and event promoters Cuffe & Taylor and Global Creative under licence from All3Media International. Claudia Winkleman, host of the UK version of The Traitors, said: “I can’t wait for players to immerse themselves in their own drama, strategy and deception. They’ll love the game and should definitely expect twists.”

Chinese concept Noodle & Beer secures second site: Chinese concept Noodle & Beer has secured its second site. Having opened its debut site in Bell Lane in east London, founder Xiaoxiao Wang has agreed a deal with Shaftesbury Capital to bring Noodle & Beer to Chinatown. The venue will open at 27 Wardour Street in January. Noodle & Beer’s 950 square foot restaurant’s ground floor will be centred around a “modern bistro atmosphere”, with the lower ground floor “delivering a more intimate dining setting”. The menu will consist of richly seasoned noodle-based dishes, including spicy favourites such as Xian Jian Niu Rou Main, stir-fried beef slices with three types of fresh chilli, and Tian-shui Mian, handmade thick udon noodles served with a sweet and spicy sauce. Visitors will also have the choice of a selection of beer. Wang said: “Born from a desire to bring the simple pleasures that come from pairing noodles with beer to a new audience, the expansion of Noodle & Beer to Chinatown London is fundamental in achieving this.”