Exclusive – Tequila Mockingbird acquires Snug Bars: South London bar operator Tequila Mockingbird has acquired neighbourhood-style bar and kitchen concept Snug Bars for an undisclosed sum, Propel has learned. Tequila Mockingbird operates cocktail bars in Wimbledon, Putney and Charing Cross along with two dive bar concepts that it has launched this summer – Bad Habits Club in Clapham Junction and Sinners Social Club in Covent Garden. Snug Bars now operates sites in Hitchin, High Wycombe and St Albans but at its height had nine venues in its portfolio. Giles Fry, who is the original founder of The Snug, said of the deal: “Snug Bars is 21 years old this month. I started the business, with some amazing colleagues from TGI Fridays, having raised £38,000 from the bank, telling it the money was for a new car. We spent this on refurbishing our first site in Cambridge and from here, we opened sites in Hertford, St Albans, Hitchin, High Wycombe, Ware, Aylesbury, Bury St Edmunds and Bedford. The Snug team has been brilliant and supported me throughout this journey. We've successfully navigated our way through two recessions, Brexit, the covid pandemic and nine changes of government. Our guests and team members have also been very loyal and coloured the direction the bars have taken throughout this time. I know of many guests that met in a Snug, proposed in a Snug and bought their first born into the bar. The Snug has always been about our people and family and these stories only solidify this ethos. The Snug has come of age and the time is right for it to be moved on to another brilliant leadership team, with fresh ideas and a whole new and exciting experience.” The deal comes at a time when Tequila Mockingbird is solidifying their own business outside of London. Owner Jonathan Bas said: “I’m really pleased to have got this deal completed and my team are focused on integrating with Snug Bars on the run up to the busiest time of the year.” Earlier this week, Bas told Propel the launch of the dive bars marked a “significant step” in the group's strategy to build a “balanced portfolio of experience-driven, value-led late-night venues”. He said: “Bad Habits Club was our first step in evolving beyond the cocktail-first model, and the warm reception showed there's a real appetite for venues that combine nostalgia, affordability and interaction. With Sinners Social Club, we've doubled down on that strategy – creating a dive bar that's music-led, sociable, and unpretentious, with plenty of reasons to stay all night. As a group, these launches mark our commitment to broadening our demographic reach, diversifying revenue streams, and future-proofing our estate in a competitive market.” Tequila Mockingbird and Snug Bars feature in the Propel Multi-Site Database, the latest edition of which was sent to Premium Club subscribers today (Friday, 29 August). The database provides details of 3,451 multi-site operators and is searchable in seven main segments. The database features 1,003 (29%) operators from the casual dining sector, 801 (23%) pub and bar operators, 600 (17%) cafe bakery operators, 483 (14%) quick service restaurant operators, 283 (8%) hotel operators, 227 (7%) experiential leisure operators and 53 (2%) fine dining operators. The database is updated each month, and this edition includes 25 new companies. 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.

EasyJet founder loses legal battle against Premier Inn: The founder of EasyJet has been defeated in a legal battle against Whitbread-owned Premier Inn over its use of the branding “rest easy”. Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s EasyGroup filed a copyright claim against Premier Inn, arguing the use of the slogan on hotel signs risked confusing customers and eroding the value of its brand. In a judgment today (Friday, 29 August), High Court judge Lance Ashworth dismissed the claim, arguing there was no evidence of any actual confusion and accusing EasyGroup of “claiming exclusivity of the word ‘easy’ in the hotels sphere”, which he said was “contrary to the interests of consumers”. Sir Stelios founded EasyJet in 1995 and grew it into one of Europe’s largest low-cost airlines. He stepped down from the board in 2010 following a clash over the future direction of the company, but his family still retains a 15% stake. He continues to control EasyGroup, which licenses out the “easy” brand name to a range of other companies including EasyCar and EasyBus. Premier Inn, which operates more than 800 hotels across the UK, adopted the “rest easy” phrase on its signs in 2021. EasyGroup first raised concerns about the branding two years later before filing a lawsuit claiming infringement of three of its registered trademarks – EasyHotel, Easy and ResteasyApartments. Lawyers for Premier Inn argued that “easy” was an “ordinary English word” and that any distinctiveness must come from other parts of the branding, such as the colour or stylisation. They added that the budget hotel brand had never intended to imitate or copy EasyGroup’s branding. Lawyers for EasyGroup denied the company was attempting to monopolise the word “easy”. However, Mr Ashworth ruled “easy” and “rest easy” do not mean the same thing “and the average consumer would not understand them to mean the same thing, let alone in the context in which they were being used”. Sir Stelios branded the ruling “ridiculous” and pledged to appeal it. He added: “If the above decision stays unchallenged in the Court of Appeal, I will start a new business called Premier Hotels and get away with it.” A spokesman for Whitbread said: “We welcome today’s judgment – the judge has reached the right decision. We thank him for the detailed judgment he has handed down. Rest easy is a familiar and widely-used phrase in British culture, which encapsulates Premier Inn’s brand promise of consistency and reliability.”