Tasty African Food plans 100 sites in five years’ time: Tasty African Food, the company that is run by founders Michael Olaleye and his wife Abi, have set a target of 100 sites in five years’ time. The business was founded 25 years ago in Woolwich, south east London, but now has 27 sites across the capital and Kent. Of its sites, 12 are franchises, and Olaleye plans to use the franchise model to expand outside London, which he said is becoming “saturated”, to Birmingham, other cities in the Midlands and Scotland. Tasty African Food also makes ready meals that are sold in Sainsbury’s and through its own site, does event catering for weddings and parties, and has an app where customers can order food as an alternative to apps such as Deliveroo and Uber Eats, where it is also listed. Tasty African Food’s revenue has reached £7m. The company has two divisions, one which runs the factory in Thamesmead, south east London, making the food and also managing the franchises, and the other running the company-owned restaurants. Between the two, Tasty African Food has around 250 employees. The best-selling dish is jollof, a mainstay of menus in west African countries including Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone, made from rice, tomatoes, chillis and other spices. “It’s very tasty, very spicy, and it’s simple, when you look at the ingredients,” Olaleye told The Times. “But you can have the same ingredients and come out with many varieties of jollof. We have a special way of cooking ours, and it’s always been excellent.”

Sponsored message – join a nation of food and drink innovators at Blas Cymru/Taste Wales 2025: The food and drink sector in Wales has undertaken multimillion-pound investment in innovation, infrastructure and production capabilities. Wales is the home to a vibrant, energetic and rapidly growing food and drink industry spanning small artisan producers to companies with major scale. The Welsh government is bringing together leading companies from the Welsh food and drink sector at its flagship event, Blas Cymru/Taste Wales 2025, held from 22-23 October at the International Convention Centre Wales, Celtic Manor, Newport. The event showcases suppliers with BRCGS and SALSA accreditation in a 3,000 product display designed for buyers to independently browse. More than 200 new product ranges are featured. The event is for professional buyers and range developers from foodservice and hospitality and is free of charge to attend for one or both days. The event is designed in a time efficient focused format to evaluate opportunities with a pre-event directory of suppliers featuring their products alongside a meeting booking system to arrange short introductory meetings (20 minutes). A networking event is held at the end of day one. For more details, click here and to apply email: foodanddrinkwales@mentera.cymru. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

Propel’s Culture, Talent & Training Conference open for bookings, Butcombe Group CEO Jonathan Lawson to speak: Propel’s Culture, Talent & Training Conference has opened for bookings. The conference takes place on Thursday, 9 October at One Moorgate Place in London. Among the speakers will be Jonathan Lawson, chief executive of Butcombe Group, which was named one of the Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For. Lawson will discuss how all of the group’s employees are treated as individuals at its pubs with no two being the same, how it continues to invest in training and development to underpin that ethos, and how he sees the employee/employer relationship developing. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Tickets are £295 plus VAT for operators and £345 plus VAT for suppliers. Premium Club subscribers get a 20% discount. Email: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to book places.

Premium Club subscribers to new UK Food & Beverage Franchisee Database this week: Premium Club subscribers will receive the latest Propel Food & Beverage Franchisee Database this week. The database will be sent on Wednesday (13 August), at 12pm. The database will feature ten new entries, plus updates to existing entries, to take the total number to 260 and more than 106,000 words. The new entries include McDonald’s franchisees C&T Restaurants, which operates 18 restaurants in Greater Manchester, and JPB Restaurants, which operates seven restaurants in London. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five other databases: the New Openings Database, the Multi-Site Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, the Turnover & Profits Blue Book and the Who’s Who of UK Hospitality. All Premium Club subscribers will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events and discounts on specialist sector reports. Operators that are Premium Club subscribers are also able to send up to four members of staff to each of our four Multi-Club Conferences for free. Premium Club subscribers 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 subscribers 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 subscribers 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.

 

Majority of public believes government must do more to help save pub industry: The majority of the public believes the government must do more to help save the pub industry. Research from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) shows more than six in ten people (61%) say the government should be doing more to protect the existence of community pubs. Just 17% believe it is doing enough, which CAMRA said is “a damning verdict on years of underinvestment, inconsistent support and a lack of long-term safeguarding for this cherished institution”. CAMRA chairman Ash Corbett-Collins added: “This polling shows that Brits understand the pressures pubs are under. It’s now or never for pubs. The Budget is the last chance to ease the pressure and give them a fighting chance. We are calling on the government to reverse the rise in employers’ national insurance contributions, cut duty on draught beer and make sure independent brewers can get their beers on the bar.”

Aberdeen to introduce visitor levy: Aberdeen will introduce a visitor levy after the plan was approved by the city council. The average price of a room in Aberdeen is currently £70, and following the introduction of the levy, visitors could expect to pay an extra £4.90 per night. A report to the finance and resources committee said the earliest date the city council could introduce a visitor levy is 1 April 2027. Cllr Alex McLellan, convener of finance and resources, said: “The income generated from the visitor levy, paid by those visiting the city, will provide a huge boost to our local economy and allow us to invest in bringing major events and conferences here on a more regular basis. Across Europe, we are paying similar amounts to stay per night, subsidising their thriving economies, and we should do the same to ensure we can compete in terms of attracting both business and leisure tourism to Aberdeen.” Stephen Gow, chair of VisitAberdeenshire, added: “Aberdeen welcomed 2.2 million overnight visits in 2024, contributing to an economic impact from tourism of more than £500m. The headroom for growth in the leisure and conference sectors will be fulfilled through effective investment in promotion, events, and development of the tourism sector.” Liverpool introduced a new £2 visitor levy in June, which is currently subject of a legal challenge from Premier Inn owner Whitbread. Wales is planning a tourism tax from 2027, while a similar scheme could be introduced in the Scottish Highlands in 2026. Earlier this year, Bristol City Council launched a feasibility study into a potential visitor levy for the city, while city authorities in Birmingham are re-investigating whether to introduce such as scheme. Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has said he wants to see the city centre’s optional city visitor charge replaced by a compulsory fee, while Edinburgh is set to introduce a “tourist tax” next summer. 

New York venue offers tiny meals for customers using weight-loss jabs: A New York restaurant is offering a “teeny-weeny mini meal” for its customers on weight-loss jabs. An increasing number of American establishments are shrinking their dishes to accommodate the dwindling appetites of people on weight-loss drugs, known as GLP-1s. Among them is Clinton Hall, a craft beer and burger joint in New York. The venue has introduced its “teeny-weeny mini meal”, a bite-sized burger and fries, alongside a small margarita, beer or wine. Aristotle Hatzigeorgiou, the restaurant’s owner, added the dish to his menu after seeing how many of his own friends’ appetites were shrinking owing to weight-loss drugs, and becoming worried about food waste. It is estimated that up to 10% of Americans are taking GLP-1s and more than 30% have expressed interest in taking them. Earlier this year, Bloomberg Intelligence surveyed 1,000 GLP-1 users and found 54% of respondents were dining out far less than before. Morgan Stanley found two-thirds of weight-loss drug users were eating out less.

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a multi-site hospitality group that is seeking a sales director. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The group is growing fast – with strong backing, multiple brands, and big plans across both London and regional locations. This is a new role for the business, so the sales director will be building from the ground up – setting the strategy, hiring the team, and delivering real commercial results. The main focus will be on driving proactive sales and overseeing the marketing function. The sales director will be working closely with the senior leadership team, shaping how the group grows and making sure every site cuts through in a competitive market.” The salary is up to £110,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email kate@corecruitment.com.

Spud Bros secures multiple franchise deals with a quarter of the UK already under offer: Gourmet jacket potato business Spud Bros, which is targeting UK-wide expansion through franchising, has secured multiple franchise deals, with a quarter of the UK already under offer. The business has its roots in 1950s Lancashire, having started out as a potato cart run by Ernie Rhodes in Preston’s Flag Market in 1955. The company has been a family-run business since, with Jacob and Harley Nelson taking it over in 2020 and rebranding it as Spud Bros, operating out of Archer Street in London’s Soho. Last month, Spud Bros secured a former Costa Coffee unit in Liverpool’s Queen Street development, and it is preparing to open in the former Philpotts sandwich store in the Manchester’s Marble Street. Franchise consultant Matteo Frigeri said: “Eighteen franchise deposits taken in the space of few weeks. A quarter of the UK already under offer. No other food franchise has the same white space.” In April, Spud Bros partnered with Taster, the delivery-only kitchen concept which has more than 30 franchise locations across the UK, to help with its expansion plans. At the start of the year, Spud Bros also launched an Express format, to aid its roll out.

JD Wetherspoon closes pub at NEC in Birmingham, to turn its second over to franchise: JD Wetherspoon closed its Atrium pub at the Birmingham NEC on Wednesday (6 August) and will reopen a second one the company closed at the complex under franchise. Recent reviews for the Atrium, which was located by hall six at the events complex, complained about the higher-than-average menu prices, the quality of customer service and long wait times for food. The second Wetherspoon in the NEC's Piazza has also closed, though plans have already been confirmed for its reopening under new ownership. Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said of the Piazza site: “We can confirm the pub has now closed and that it will reopen on Monday, 1 September, as a Levy franchised Wetherspoon pub, trading under the same name. There will not be any redundancies with staff being given the opportunity to transfer to the new owners or offered a job at a Wetherspoon pub in the region.” Meanwhile, the opening date for a new Wetherspoon pub in the former London Dungeon in Tooley Street has been delayed until September. The Sun Wharf will open inside the arches outside the main entrance to the station at 50 Tooley Street on Tuesday, 2 September. The pub had previously been expected to open on Thursday, 28 August. Work on the new pub began earlier this year inside the premises that were occupied by London Dungeon until 2013, when the attraction moved to County Hall on the South Bank. 

Six by Nico raises £1,530,000 through crowdfunding so far: Six By Nico has raised £1,530,000 from 3,385 early access subscribers taking part in its crowdfunding campaign. Six by Nico was founded by chef Nick Simeone in 2017. Six by Nico has grown from ten locations in 2023 to 17 restaurants across 11 cities in the UK and Ireland this year. The company has a £50m pre-money valuation. The company stated: “We’re growing with purpose. Revenue has risen from £28m to £43m in just two years – a 54% increase – with a further 47% projected growth between 2026 and 2028. We served more than 685,000 customers in the last 12 months. In our longer established locations, up to 47% of our diners are repeat visitors, which we believe is a powerful indicator of customer loyalty and long-term brand connection. Next up: our flagship opening in London’s Covent Garden (fourth quarter of 2025), international expansion, and the launch of Six by You – a new community app offering shareholders exclusive rewards, behind-the-scenes access, and real ownership in our journey.”

Loungers to open landmark 300th venue this week with launch in Hampshire: Café lounge bar operator Loungers will open its landmark 300th venue this week with a launch in Hampshire. Loungers will open an Antico Lounge at 37-39 High Street in Alton on Wednesday (13 August). The venue will be the company’s 300th in total across its Loungers, Cosy Club and Brightside brands. Executive chairman Alex Reilley said: “Last week, we were back in Bristol, where we have opened our eighth site in our home town and our 299th site overall! Rubino Lounge has opened in Church Road in Redfield. This week sees us hit 300!” In May, Loungers opened first new Cosy Club site with a reimagined look and branding, in Reading – with further launches under the brand planned for St Albans in October and Swansea early next year. The company opened its 250th Lounge branded site, and 290th venue overall, in Norwich in March.

PizzaExpress launches afternoon unlimited pizza offer for August: PizzaExpress has launched an unlimited afternoon pizza offer for August. The company’s Pizza O’Clock deal launches today (Monday, 11 August) and runs from 2pm-5pm every day until Friday, 29 August. Guests can enjoy 90 minutes of unlimited pizza for £17.50 per person, or £10 for children. PizzaExpress will also offer a selection of table-top games “designed to keep spirits high and encourage the most perfect 90 minutes of quality time”. The company is also encouraging diners to declare Pizza O’Clock a “phone free zone” – with anyone caught on their mobile having to face a forfeit of their fellow diners’ choice.

Scottish pub company Kingdom Taverns reports increase in profit and turnover: Scottish pub company Kingdom Taverns reported an increase in profit and turnover for the year to 31 July 2024. The company’s turnover rose from £3,807,857 in 2023 to £4,337,846. Pre-tax profit was up from £400,975 in 2023 to £753,240. Net assets increased from £6,680,833 to £9,394,498 at the year end. No dividends were paid (2023: nil). Founded in 1991 and located in Fife, Kingdom Taverns manages and leases an estate of 21 pubs across Scotland.

Sessions opens 17th SoBe Burger location: Sessions, the growth platform for original food brands, has opened its 17th SoBe Burger location. It has opened at 116-117 New George Street in Plymouth, in a former KFC unit. A Sessions spokesman said: “Franchise 17 opened with hundreds of customers queuing an hour before opening to get their hands on a SoBe Burger. Plymouth has consistently been one of the top five delivery locations for SoBe Burger, so a fully-fledged franchise felt like the natural next step for the franchisee to capitalise on this established customer base.” Launching in 2020, Sessions has scaled brands including Little Bao Boy, Chick ‘n’ Sours and Patty Guy through a partner network of more than 350 licensee kitchens. Sessions announced plans last year to bring over ramen brand Ivan Ramen from New York and roll it out to more than 50 UK locations. In June, Sessions partnered with Greek concept Mikos Gyros, immediately launching it into 11 dark kitchen locations before scaling across Sessions’ network of 300-plus delivery kitchens later in the year.

Doner Shack signs six-site deal in Mississippi: Doner Shack has signed a six-store deal for a franchisee to open sites in Mississippi. This deal was reached with the franchise group Helen28, led by multi-brand operator Mohamed Hamoud, who has previously signed for the Tennessee rights. Jason Steele, head of Doner Shack’s US expansion via Steele Advisory Group, said: “We’re proud to deepen our relationship with Helen28 as we continue expanding throughout the south east. Helen28’s deep operational experience, expansive network, and strategic vision make it the perfect partner.” Hamoud’s portfolio spans gas stations, travel centres, and foodservice brands like Dunkin’ Donuts, Buffalo Wild Wings GO, and Your Pie. “We see Mississippi as a huge opportunity,” said Hamoud. “Doner Shack delivers a product that fits incredibly well within the quick service restaurant space. Doner Shack’s operationally sound, fills a gap in the market, and is primed for explosive growth. Following the success of our Tennessee deal, this expansion into Mississippi makes good business sense, and we’re wasting no time.” Doner Shack is on track to have locations open in at least eight states by the end of 2026. More than 65 units have already been awarded in 2025.

Pan-Asian concept opens fifth site in Northern Ireland: Pan-Asian restaurant, Waka Asian Fusion, in Northern Ireland has opened a fifth site. Waka Asian Fusion offers Thai, Chinese, Latin American and bao bun cuisines. The new drive-thru in Lurgan is a new build in Portadown Road in the Centrepoint Complex grounds. Waka Asian Fusion already has outlets in Belfast, Bangor, Lisburn and Moira. The Lurgan drive-thru is expected to offer a similar menu. Waka Asian Fusion offer an online ordering system as well as delivery and pick up alongside its onsite restaurant.

Rowe’s Cornish Bakers reports 33% retail sales growth driven by new openings, funding in place for further expansion and concessions planned for new sectors: Rowe’s Cornish Bakers, which has 17 of its own bakery shops and 51 concessions within Asda and Tesco supermarkets, has reported 33% retail sales growth in the year to 29 June 2024, driven by new openings. The company also said funding is in place for further expansion and the roll out of concessions is planned in new sectors. Rowe’s opened 14 new retail outlets in the year and has more than doubled its estate size since 2022. This had led to the company more than doubling its turnover and increasing its Ebitda by 126% over the last four years. Turnover for the period was £46,287,683, with retail up 33% and wholesale up 24%. This was up from £36,498,891 in 2023 and more than double the 2021 figure of £22,095,603. Ebitda was down from £2,857,360 in 2023 to £2,283,944 but was affected by “exceptional inflationary wage and energy costs”. The company, which reported Ebitda of £1,961,822 in 2021, said its Ebitda growth has resumed in 2025. Pre-tax profit was down from £2,033,509 in 2023 to £1,135,198 as costs rose by more than £6m and administrative expenses by almost £4m. Dividends of £625,000 were paid (2023: £1,025,000). Director Kerry Lynch said: “Wholesale growth includes new customers and this trend continues. Retail growth reflects continuing expansion of stores in supermarket with our brand now established well beyond Cornwall and Devon. This retail expansion continues at pace and not solely in the supermarket sector. While production capacity increased, both labour and machine utilisation were also improved, resulting in the continuation of 37.81% gross profit margin. Our roll out of concessions continues and is planned for new sectors. The funding is in place for further targeted expansion.”

Burger business Flame & Ice opens eighth site: Burger business Flame & Ice, specialising in flaming smash burgers, has opened its eighth site, in Daventry Road in Cheylesmore, Coventry, replacing a former Burger Boi site. Flame & Ice offers a variety of burgers, shakes, loaded fries, and desserts. The restaurant focuses on fresh ingredients and unique flavour combinations, with a focus on customer customisation and a “flaming experience”, bosses said. The business currently has seven branches, with the original in Dudley, plus Birmingham, Kidderminster, Stourbridge, Redditch, and Acocks Green. Flame & Ice is set to launch in other locations with outlets in Leicester, Greater Manchester and Bromsgrove “coming soon”. 

Former JD Wetherspoon pub in Merseyside reopens: A former JD Wetherspoon pub in New Brighton, Merseyside, has reopened under new ownership. The former Master Mariner pub closed for redevelopment and expansion in 2022 but the plug was pulled on the project by Wetherspoon a year later. At the time the company said demolition work on one part of the building was due to fears it could collapse. The pub, still called the Master Mariner, has now been reopened by LSF Estates. In a post on social media, the owners announced: “Under new ownership, The Master Mariner returns with a fresh new look, a new vibe, and everything you love about your local bar only better.”

Three Welsh holiday parks put on the market after operator goes into administration: Three holiday parks in Wales have been put on the market after their operator went into administration. Celtic Holiday Parks slipped into administration in May, with Alistair Wardell and Richard Lewis, of Grant Thornton UK, appointed as joint administrators. Savills, working on behalf of the administrators, is now seeking offers for Meadow House, Noble Court, and Croft Court Country Park holiday parks in Pembrokeshire. Meadow House has 187 static holiday caravans or twin unit lodges, with 178 being privately owned and the remainder part of the hire fleet. Noble Court houses a diverse mix of 173 privately owned and luxury hire fleet holiday caravans, lodges and glamping units. Croft Country Park features 124 static holiday caravans, with 75 being privately owned, while planning consent has already been secured for an additional nine pitches.

East Midlands Indian tapas concept to open third site this month: Nottingham restauranteur Suraj Pathak is set to open a first Derbyshire location for his Indian tapas-style concept. Pathak, who already runs two Lagan Indian Tapas branches in Nottingham, is bringing his concept to the village of Findern alongside his son, Raman. The venue, located by the Trent and Merseyside Canal, was previously home to the Nadee restaurant but has undergone a full refurbishment to become the third Lagan Indian Tapas. The site – which opens on Sunday, 17 August – will have seating for 400 diners, including 150 outdoors. Plans are also in place to introduce an outdoor live cooking kitchen later this year. Raman Pathak told the Derbyshire Times: “We want to change the way people think about Indian food. The concept of tapas – ordering multiple small plates and sharing as a group – is deeply rooted in Indian culture. We’re bringing that spirit to life here, with everything from light nibbles to full meals and during the day the menu will be much more Mediterranean as well.”

 

Team behind Glasgow Turkish restaurant to launch new concept for third site: The team behind Glasgow Turkish restaurant Türkiye Efes is set to open its third site. Türkiye Efes offers dishes influenced by Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Balkan, central Asian and eastern European cultures. The concept has sites in the Merchant City and Uddingston. Now, a new concept restaurant called Meyhane is on the way, on the corner of West Regent Street and Hope Street. Announcing the venture on social media, the team stated: “Brace yourselves, Glasgow. We’re turning up the heat with a new concept – introducing Meyhane, a bold and vibrant Turkish meze bar and restaurant. Türkiye Efes is already a well-known favourite, and it’s safe to say we’ve built a huge buzz around the city. Now, we’re taking things to the next level with this exciting new meze experience. After the roaring success of our first two locations, we’re proud (and hyped!) to say branch number three is coming soon, and it’s going to blow you away.”

 

‘Hybrid hospitality’ hotel concept opens new rooftop bar at first UK site: Hotel business The Social Hub, which describes itself as a “hybrid hospitality” concept that “couples trendy design with quality accommodation”, has opened a new rooftop bar at its first UK site. The company, founded in 2012 by Edinburgh-born entrepreneur Charlie MacGregor, operates 21 The Social Hubs across Europe and has ambitions to reach 50 locations. The Social Hub made its UK debut last year with the launch of the £90m The Social Hub Glasgow, in the city’s Merchant City district. That venue has now opened SiSi Rooftop, offering 160 covers, split between an indoor dining area and an open-air terrace with panoramic views across Glasgow. The venue serves Mexican-American inspired sharing plates and a cocktails list as well as wine and draught beer. Sisi is part of The Social Hub’s wider concept, which combines hotel accommodation, student housing, co-working, meeting spaces and hospitality under one roof. Manager Darren Blackburn said: “SiSi has been a long time in the making, and we’re incredibly proud to see the passion we’ve poured into it come to life. Glasgow’s internationally renowned food and drink scene is already bursting with personality, and with SiSi, we’re adding something new to the mix to help elevate it even further. We’ve designed Sisi to feel effortless and inclusive.”