Azzurri Group CEO – we can go faster if Dave’s Hot Chicken continues to do well, could open door for other brands to enter Europe: Steve Holmes, chief executive of Azzurri Group – the ASK Italian, Coco di Mama, Boojum and Zizzi owner – has told Propel that the business could look to open more than the 60 sites it has initially agreed to open in the UK under US brand Dave’s Hot Chicken – with the company set to have seven open by the end of this year. Propel revealed last July that the US brand had signed a franchise agreement with Azzurri Group to open 60 locations across the UK and Ireland. Dave’s Hot Chicken made its UK debut in late 2024 with a flagship site in Shaftesbury Avenue in London's West End – and the store is averaging more than 1,000 customers a day. The brand also recently also launched in both Birmingham New Street and Printworks Manchester, with both “already performing exceptionally”. It is preparing to further scale the concept, with openings planned shortly in Stevenage and Westfield White City, and Azzurri is thought to have eight sites in legals. Propel understands Azzurri has also secured another site in Resorts World Birmingham, which will open in November, and the former Pret in Leicester town centre, which will open in January. Holmes told Propel: “Our agreement is for a minimum of 60 sites, but we can do as many as we want. I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but it’s going very well, and we will have seven restaurants by Christmas. We can certainly go faster if it continues to do well.” Holmes said part of Dave’s success was that it is an “incredibly socially relevant brand”. He said: “Firstly, it’s an incredible product that is very craveable. Also, it’s spicy, which people love, and chicken, which is very popular for a number of well documented reasons. But it is an incredibly socially relevant brand with high engagement on social media, and therefore young people can really relate to it. They use the restaurants to meet friends and socialise over high quality, affordable chicken in a cool environment with cool music.” Earlier this week, Azzurri signed an exclusive agreement to roll out Dave’s Hot Chicken across Europe. As part of the new agreement, Azzurri will develop a minimum of 180 restaurants across ten European countries. Holmes said: “This turns the business from a UK investment platform into a European one and could lead to one of other brands – Boojum, for example – eventually also looking to make the move into Europe. It also highlights to other overseas brands that may be looking to follow Dave’s that Azzurri can be an excellent partner to make a similar move with.”

 

Premium Club subscribers to receive new searchable and segmented New Openings Database on Friday: The next Propel New Openings Database will be sent to Premium Club subscribers on Friday (5 September), at 12pm. The database will show the details of 174 site openings, including which company has opened a site or its plans to open one in the future. The database 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 subscribers will also receive a 11,126-word report on the 174 new additions to the database. It is 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 pubs and bars sector such as U9 Karaoke Bar opening in London’s West End, The Ship in Bishops Sutton, and The Chapel Tap, a beer shop and taproom in Somerset. Premium Club subscribers 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 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 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. 

Contract caterers’ sales jump 8% in second quarter of 2025: Britain’s top contract caterers sharply increased their sales and outlets in the second quarter of 2025, the new Contract Catering Tracker from CGA by NIQ, Bidfood and UKHospitality reveals. Sales from April to June rose 8.0% year-on-year, continuing a long run of growth in every quarter since mid-2021, when caterers started to recover from the covid-19 crisis. After 9.5% growth in the first quarter of the year, it completes a very strong first half of 2025 in which contract caterers have outperformed most other sectors of hospitality. The latest figure takes groups’ moving annual total growth – for sales over the last 12 months compared with the previous 12 months, including new contracts – to 7.9%. Businesses also continued their sharp upward movement in outlet numbers over the quarter, with units increasing by 9.3% and now standing well above pre-covid levels. Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at CGA by NIQ, said: “Contract catering has staged an outstanding comeback from the widespread closures of covid, and near-double digit growth in both sales and outlets is testament to its resilience and innovation. It is even more impressive in the context of challenging and high-cost trading conditions that have sapped the confidence of businesses and consumers alike. Inflationary pressures are unlikely to ease soon, but caterers are likely to continue to be among the standout performers of the sector for the rest of 2025 and beyond.” Kate Nicholls, chair of UKHospitality, said: “This quarter’s excellent growth in both sales and outlet numbers is clear proof of the demand for the high-quality service the sector provides.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a drinks business that is seeking a senior national account manager (grocery). A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “This role covers key accounts across the UK with a brand that is both established and instantly recognisable. The senior national account manager will take the lead on managing relationships with multiple large-scale grocery accounts, including Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, and Sainsbury’s. The senior national account manager will play a pivotal role in driving business growth within existing accounts while maximising sales strategies to deliver continued success. The ideal candidate will bring a genuine passion for the drinks industry, coupled with significant experience managing multiple national grocery partnerships.” The position is based one day per week in the company’s Midlands office and offers a salary of £70,000. For more information, email mark@corecruitment.com 

 

Market Place launches first-of-its-kind loyalty scheme: Food hall concept Market Place has begun the roll out of what it has described as “a first-of-its-kind loyalty scheme”, with all of its vendors unified under a single collection and redemption digital wallet card. The MP Munch Scheme officially launched in April, with all of Market Place’s vendors enrolling on the scheme from day one, starting with its St Paul’s location, and all of its five venues launching by 2026. The programme allows customers to collect and redeem points at any of Market Places vendors using a single card rather than an individual vendor-operated scheme – the first of its kind in the food hall sector. Membership numbers hit 10,000 within the first four months and more than 100,000 points have already been collected. In addition to the universal acceptance, the tiered structure is rewarding to even the least frequent visitors. Upon signing up, new members receive ten welcome points and a free welcome (cocktails, beer and wine). Birthday treats are also being dished out from select vendors, and customers will gain a point per pound they spend in the St Paul’s venue. Points can be redeemed in increments of 50 for £5 off, with no minimum spend. Holly Hilton, marketing director at Market Place Food Halls, said: “It was important for us to create a seamless loyalty rewards system that truly stands out. We genuinely value our customers and believe they should be rewarded for letting us get to know them better. The more details they share, the more we can tailor their experience, ensuring the rewards they receive are the ones they value most. Once customers reach 50 points, they can redeem a £5 voucher across any of our vendors or at the bar, not just where the points were collected. This gives them a great incentive to try something new. We’re very proud of this platform and are excited to expand it across our sites in the near future.” Launched in 2020, Market Place opened a new 6,834 square-foot flagship venue in St Paul’s in May. It will make its regional debut in Manchester in 2027 after signing a 15-year lease to operate out of the ground floor of AM Alpha’s former Debenhams in the city’s Market Street.

 

Whittard of Chelsea targets further openings after rollout of new concept stores drives fourth consecutive year of growth: Whittard of Chelsea has targeted further openings after reporting the rollout of its new concept stores helped drive a fourth consecutive year of growth. The company said it is well positioned for sustained growth across all regions and will expand its current 42-strong UK retail footprint with more new store openings in 2025 and 2026. The group also has ambitious plans to fuel international growth through targeted and extended distribution in Asia, the US, the Middle East and Europe. Chief executive Nathan Smith said: “We are excited about the future and are committed to build on our strong UK presence, while expanding to target markets globally. The first half of 2025 is following a similar pattern to 2024, with rising cost pressures being offset by stronger trading results, as both new and returning visitors continue to explore the brand and our products. The highlights so far this year include a strengthening of the loyalty community, continued product innovation, new UK stores, launching with Avolta at all major UK airports and continued growing demand in both China and the US. We are well set up for the second half and we remain optimistic that we can continue to drive global brand growth.” It comes after the company said 2024 saw “robust growth both domestically and internationally”, with net revenue of £49.8m up 9.1% versus the prior year, while gross revenue surpassed £50m for the first time. UK sales of £42m were up 6.5% year on year, while overseas revenue of £7.8m was up 26%. The company also reported like-for-like retail sales growth of 6% and an operating profit of £2.4m, a 12% year-on-year increase, with rising costs “more than offset by sales and margin growth”. Smith said: “A key success factor over the last few years has been our relentless focus on being a customer-led brand. Building a better understanding of our loyal customers was supported by the launch of our new Whittard rewards loyalty programme – with our annual membership target achieved in just six months. In the UK, our like-for-like revenue growth continued to outpace the sector. Growth was driven by continued investment in our retail footprint, with the opening of our new concept store in London’s Oxford Street, followed by further roll out in key locations including Gatwick’s North Terminal, Oxford’s Queen Street, Nottingham’s Victoria Centre and Sheffield’s Meadowhall. Globally, we continue to focus on Asia, the US, the Middle East and Europe. In 2024, we also opened our US office in New York and a warehouse facility in Dallas, partnered with new wholesale accounts in the US, served our first airline in the Middle East and grew sales into Europe via e-commerce.”

92 Degrees signs up Kent and Sussex franchisee: Independent coffee roaster 92 Degrees has signed up a franchisee for Kent and Sussex, Propel has learned. Propel revealed exclusively in January that the 20-strong business had launched a franchise programme after receiving more than 1,000 enquiries, and in May, the company signed a deal with Simon and Sue Hedaux to open multiple 92 Degrees locations across the Midlands. It has now signed a deal with Matt and Sarah Ebner to open multiple across Kent, initially, and then Sussex. The Ebners said: “We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve signed up to be franchisees of 92 Degrees Coffee, bringing their incredible coffee and community-first ethos to Kent. This marks an exciting new chapter for us. With over 22 years at Starbucks, Matt has held leadership roles including regional manager, operations manager and senior business manager, gaining deep expertise in operational excellence, people leadership and coffee. Sarah brings a wealth of experience as a contracts coordinator, marketing account manager and care worker, with outstanding organisational skills, a passion for people and a talent for building meaningful connections. After years of working for others, the time feels right to run our own business. When we discovered 92 Degrees, we instantly connected with their story, energy and community-driven values. We can’t wait to introduce Kent to the 92 Degrees experience. Our vision is to grow with 92 Degrees across Kent – not just opening stores, but creating lasting community hubs, local jobs and places where people come together. We’re just getting started, and we couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.”

Amber Taverns acquires Helensburgh pub for 13th site in Scotland, plans further expansion in the country: Wet-led, community pub operator Amber Taverns, which is backed by Epiris, has acquired a pub in Helensburgh for its 13th site in Scotland and said it plans further expansion in the country. Previous owners Cara and Milan Nikolic shut the pub, which was formerly a La Scala cinema, in 2022, and it has been on the market since April 2025. The sale of the James Street pub was brokered by Christie & Co. Sam Frankland, property director at Amber Taverns, said: “Helensburgh will be Amber Taverns’ 13th site in Scotland, and we plan to expand further over the next few years.  We trade from more than 180 pubs across the UK, and Scotland remains a key focus for us. We have a strong pipeline, and new openings have included Motherwell and Airdrie, with Bathgate due to open in September. We continue to seek new opportunities across the UK.” Tony Spence, associate director at Christie & Co, who managed the sale process, added: “The property will receive a full refurbishment before opening with a fantastic new offering for the community and visitors to Helensburgh.” In May, Amber Taverns hired Mark Brooke, former managing director of Admiral Taverns’ Proper Pubs division, as its new chief executive, with James Baer becoming its chair. Last October, Baer told Propel that Amber Taverns would look to expand its geographical reach after being acquired by Epiris, the private equity backer of Big Table Group, for an undisclosed sum.

Heartwood Collection launches new guest loyalty app: Heartwood Collection, the Alchemy Partners-backed business, has announced the launch of its new guest loyalty app, ‘Treats’, following a successful trial. The app is designed to thank and reward guests for their continued support, offering a range of exclusive benefits from complimentary drinks and dishes to VIP status with year-long discounts. Available now on both the Apple and Google Play app stores, the company’s guests earn a ‘Treat’ for every visit where they spend £25 or more in a day. As guests collect these Treats, they unlock a tiered system of rewards. The journey begins with a welcome offer of a complimentary drink just for downloading and registering when a full priced main is ordered. Subsequent visits unlock a variety of rewards including free starters, desserts, mains, glasses and bottles of wine and cocktails. After collecting five Treats, members achieve VIP status, which provides a wealth of benefits including 15% off food for up to six guests for an entire year and a birthday Lanson champagne upgrade. Richard Ferrier, chief executive of Heartwood Collection, which operates 32 Heartwood Inns pubs and 14 Brasserie Blanc restaurants across the UK, said: “We are incredibly excited to introduce Treats, our way of giving back to the loyal community that supports us. We wanted to create a loyalty program that is easy to use, generous and delivers the experience that our guests have come to expect when they visit a Heartwood Inn. It’s about making every visit a little more special and rewarding every visit they make with us.” As well as every qualifying visit earning a Treat, the app will deliver personalised offers and surprise rewards throughout the year, with rewards automatically added to the app after a qualifying visit. A limited number of Heartwood Inns participated in the initial rollout, with thousands signing up in the two-week trial period, and the remaining sites having now joined the scheme. Brasserie Blanc will be launching a parallel loyalty scheme on 1 October, replacing its previous loyalty programme, which closed in 2023.

 

Taco Bell further builds UK equity store estate with two more openings: Mexican restaurant brand Taco Bell has further built its UK equity store estate with two more openings. The company, which operates circa 135 franchise sites in the UK, opened its first equity-owned restaurant here in October 2024, at Anglia Retail Park in Anglia Parkway, Ipswich. Taco Bell has now opened two more, at Unit 3 Ehringhausen Way in Haverhill, Suffolk, and in the former Carpetright store at 114 High Street in Bromley, south east London, to take the total to eight. Ian Cranna, general manager of Taco Bell Europe, said: “Proud to announce the opening of two further company owned Taco Bell stores in Haverhill and Bromley, which brings us to eight – but lots more to go! We’re thrilled to expand Taco Bell into more areas across the UK, which demonstrates our confidence in the market and sets the stage for future growth opportunities. We’re seeing terrific sales growth and brand momentum, proving there is a real hunger for expansion.” Taco Bell will this month open its first store in Ireland, in partnership with Applegreen at the motorway services operator’s site in Dunshaughlin, in County Meath, near Dublin.

Ex-Bel and The Dragon owner opens first site under new concept: Gareth Lloyd-Jones, the former owner of Bel and The Dragon, has opened the first site under his new concept, called North Star Restaurant, in Cambridge. Propel revealed in May that the concept, billed as “the home of steak and seafood”, had secured its first two sites. The Small & Friendly Pub Company, of which Lloyd-Jones is a majority shareholder, acquired the former Loch Fyne Restaurants in Cambridge and Canford Cliffs in Poole, Dorset, to launch the concept. The company said the two sites will undergo a transformation to “embrace the North Star Restaurant concept”. The new focus will be on serving the “world’s finest steaks and exceptional seafood, bringing together the best of both worlds to create a modern dining destination that showcases the quality of the food and customer service”. The Cambridge site has now opened, with the Poole site set to follow later this year. Propel understands North Star Restaurant is targeting a net spend per head of circa £45, with starters ranging from £8-£15 and main courses starting at £17. The business said guests can expect an “informal yet comfortable dining experience”.

Popeyes to open in Swansea for fourth Welsh restaurant: Popeyes UK, the US fried chicken quick service restaurant brand backed here by TDR Capital, is to open its first restaurant in Swansea this autumn. The restaurant, which will launch in the city’s Oxford Street, will mark Popeyes’ fourth location in Wales. The opening follows its existing Welsh sites in Cardiff and Newport. Tom Crowley, Popeyes UK chief executive, said: “We’ve had a fantastic response to our openings in Cardiff and Newport, and we’re excited to bring Popeyes to Swansea. Opening in one of South Wales’ biggest cities marks another step in our growth journey and we can’t wait to welcome guests to try our famous chicken sandwich very soon.” Popeyes launched in the UK in November 2021 and has already grown to circa 70 sites. In 2024, the business opened 33 new sites and plans to open 45-plus new restaurants in 2025.

Matt Heather steps down as Old Spike Roastery MD: Matt Heather has stepped down as managing director of social enterprise Old Spike Roastery. Heather joined the business, which was founded in 2014 by Richard Robinson and Cemal Ezal, in the summer of 2021 as group operations director, before being promoted to managing director last spring. He was previously an operations director at both Mitchells & Butlers and Pho. He stepped down as Wahaca’s operations director at the end of 2020. Heather said: “Over four electric years, we grew into eight cafés across central London, built a specialty coffee brand that actually means something and impacted 400 people affected by homelessness through training and work. None of it was accidental – it came from an extraordinary team who showed up every day, rolled up their sleeves and laid the foundations for even greater success ahead. Huge thanks to Richard Robinson for the trust, support and the fun times – your belief made a huge difference.” Last year, the business told Propel it would need to look at investment in order to continue its growth trajectory. “For now, all new sites will be in London, with a focus and central London locations,” Robinson said. “This has all been self-funded to date, but we will need to look at investment to continue the growth trajectory.”

 

Cote launches new weekday dining offer: Cote, the French brasserie brand backed by the Partners Group, has launched a new weekday dining offer. From Monday to Friday, diners can have a set Côte dish for £10 – each one designed by executive chef Steve Allen. The limited time offer features a different dish each day of the week, including steak frites, salmon béarnaise, confit pork belly, beef bourguignon and moules frites. A vegan tagine will also be available every day. Côte said the initiative reflects its commitment to making French dining accessible. To unlock the offer, customers simply need to say to their server: “I’m an icon”. Allen said: “At Côte, we believe that great food should be for everyone. These dishes are French classics, beloved the world over, and we wanted to make them available at a price that makes them irresistible. Quality is always at the heart of what we do, but so is generosity. This menu is about celebrating the pleasure of eating well, together, every day of the week.” Last month, Propel revealed Cote was working with advisors on its funding options, to aid the next stage of its growth. The circa 70-strong business is understood to be working with advisors at Interpath in exploring its investment options, as it looks to carry out a transformation programme under new chief executive Emma Dinnis, the former managing director of the DFS-owned Sofology, who joined Cote earlier this year.

Multi-brand franchisee seeking to grow its Costa estate, reports profit and turnover boost: Optimum Group, the company that operates circa 30 franchise sites in Merseyside under Costa Coffee, Kaspa’s and I am Doner, has said it is seeking to grow its Costa estate. The company currently operates 27 Costa sites across the north west, along with two Kaspa’s and a single I Am Doner location. The company saw its pre-tax profit grow from £22,728 in 2023 to £646,135 in the year to 31 August 2024, following a £79,428 profit on disposal of fixed assets. Costs rose from £3,131,108 to £7,046,113 but administration expenses dropped from £7,240,877 to £4,111,583. The company’s turnover increased from £10,439,009 in 2023 to £11,872,331. Director David Connor, who founded the business in 2006, said: “The year to 31 August 2024 has seen the group continue to grow despite challenging conditions relating to rising costs and inflation. 95.7% of the sales were generated from the Costa franchises. The competitive nature of the coffee industry is increasing each year and has led us to actively source new sites or expanding our Costa franchises, using the popular brand name to our advantage. Tighter controls through the business have helped the business maintain a slight increase in gross profit margin of 40.65% (2023: £39.79%) while increasing net profit from 0.22% to 5.44%. We have continued to invest in new fixtures and fittings to keep all stores modern and up to date along with property purchases related to new Costa franchises. The continued investment has led to higher depreciation costs. The profit before depreciation is a strong indicator for how the business is operating, with an increase from £965,00 in 2023 to £1.3m in 2024. The strong performance of the business has led to increased net cash from operating activities of £1.2m (2023: £709,000), and despite the continued investments, the group still shows a healthy cash increase, from £945,736 in 2023 to £1,070,909 in 2024.” Dividends of £65,000 were paid (2023: £88,000).

Yotam Ottolenghi protege launches new deli shop, café and restaurant in Belfast: Chef Carlos Capparelli – who spent 12 years working in some of London’s top kitchens, including Ottolenghi and Gordon Ramsay – and his wife Lucy have opened a deli shop, café and restaurant in Belfast. The pair have opened Capparelli at The Mill after the renovation and restoration of the 250-year-old Dundonald Old Mill in the Northern Ireland capital. Capparelli at the Mill is made up of three parts, and will be employing 40 people in total, including part-timers. Its main restaurant includes just under 80 covers and will serve breakfast and lunch six days a week, closing on Mondays. Dinner will be served on Friday and Saturday evenings. Another part of the mill will offer private dining for 24 people, and there’s also a deli shop and cafe selling local produce and Ottolenghi-branded products. The project is supported by Ottolenghi and Paddy Bamford, the co-founder and chief financial officer of Lemon Pepper Holdings, which is rolling out the Wingstop brand in the UK. Capparelli spent nine years working with Ottolenghi across several of his London restaurants, including as head/executive chef of Nopi in London’s Soho. Ottolenghi said: “Carlos was one of the most gifted chefs that worked for me, and as soon as he found his own restaurant, I knew I wanted to be involved. As a regular visitor to Northern Ireland, I am really looking forward to mentoring him on his own journey, and of course, visiting when it opens!”

 

Domino’s franchisee that operates the brand’s first UK store sees profit more than double: A Domino’s franchisee that operates the brand’s first UK store saw its profit more than double in the year to 31 March 2024. AKM Group, which operates circa 25 Domino’s branches in several regions, reported a pre-tax profit of £3,371,070 for the year, up from £1,800,000 in 2023. This was helped by an investment property revaluation that saw a gain of £1,965,206 reported under exceptional items (2023: £387,858). The company’s turnover rose slightly from £28,062,018 in 2023 to £28,396,324 while dividends of £1.5m were paid (2023: £750,000). Among its portfolio is a restaurant in central Luton that was the first Domino’s in Britain, having opened in 1985. Brothers Mujahid and Arshad Yasin, who started their careers in the delivery and customer service teams in the late 1980s before going on to become Domino’s franchisees, took over the reins of the branch in 2001. AKM Group chalked up another milestone in 2019 when it opened the 1,100th Domino’s UK store, in Birmingham’s Star City.

Chickpea Group to open next site this winter, continuing to explore fundraising options: Chickpea Group, the hospitality business founded by siblings Ethan and Jordan Davids along with Tommy Tullis, has said it will open its next site this winter and that it continues to explore fundraising options. The company has just opened its first pub with rooms in Dorset, The Fleur de Lis in Cranborne – for its tenth pub overall and ninth pub with rooms. Ethan Davids told Propel: “We have one further site in the pipeline – open just after Christmas hopefully. Trade is steady and like for likes are okay, but generally we haven't seen the same sales growth this year as we have in recent years, especially when you factor in our price increases. We are struggling to control our costs and are working pretty hard to tighten our processes and utilise more technology. We are exploring a number of different fundraising options open to us, but for now nothing is decided.” The Fleur de Lis has been revamped, along with the creation of nine bedrooms, to offer around 80 covers for drinks and dining – including a private dining room for up to 12 guests, with a further 100 covers outside in a walled garden to the rear. The food offering includes double cheeseburgers, handmade pies and beer battered fish and chips, alongside Nole pizzas and an array of bar snacks and puddings. There is a wine list alongside beer, ale and cocktails. “We are excited to open our first pub with rooms in Dorset,” Davids added. “The Fleur de Lys is a lovely pub in a pretty and thriving village, and we’re very pleased to reopen it. The Fleur de Lis offers everything we look for in a Chickpea country pub, including quintessentially British charm.”

Better burger business to open in Watford next week for eighth site, seven more in pipeline: Better burger business Beef King will open in Watford next week for its eighth site, with seven more in the pipeline. Beef King will open in the former Kelley’s Caribbean Cuisine site at 167 St Albans Road next Friday (12 September). The company, led by Imran Khan, opened its first branch in Addlestone, Surrey, and has since opened further locations in Aylesbury, Chesterfield, Dunstable, Slough, Sheffield and Woking. According to Beef King’s website, further sites are “coming soon” in Blackburn, Brixton, Fleet, Guildford, High Wycombe, Luton and Stoke-on-Trent. Franchisee Mohammed Ansar, who also runs the Slough Beef King location, will operate the Watford site. Beef King said it focuses on offering fresh ground prime Angus beef and selected free range chicken, making all its burgers and wraps to order.

 

Whitbread gets go-ahead for new hotel at Edinburgh airport: Whitbread has been given the go-ahead for a new 218-bedroom hotel at Edinburgh airport. Whitbread worked with development company Riverstone Hotels to secure permission from the city council for the property in Eastfield Road, on the main entranceway to the airport. Currently, Premier Inn serves the 16 million passengers who use Edinburgh airport each year from two nearby hotels – with the new location less than ten minutes’ walk from the main terminal building. Jill Anderson, acquisition manager for Whitbread, said: “Edinburgh airport is in growth mode. Passenger numbers are increasing steadily, and the list of direct destinations is growing longer every year. As the airport continues to succeed and grow, so are we by investing in additional bedrooms for our customers to enjoy.” Whitbread and Riverstone announced their intention to develop the hotel in November 2024, with Riverstone submitting a planning application for the four-storey building in the spring. The hotel will feature a mixture of Premier Inn’s latest style bedrooms including its Premier Plus rooms, as well as the brand’s “The Social” space on the ground floor. The new Edinburgh airport Premier Inn is one of three new hotels Whitbread is investing in within the city – totalling more than 500 new rooms. Across the UK and Ireland, Premier Inn has more than 85,000 rooms in 850-plus locations, and Whitbread believes there is the potential for 125,000 rooms in its two key markets in time. 

 

Indian street food concept returns to London’s Uxbridge: Indian street food concept Tikka Nation has returned to Uxbridge in west London. The company, founded by Sumit Jain and Vikas Narula in 2020, previously operated a site in Uxbridge but closed it and opened an outlet in nearby Ruislip instead – at 86 Victoria Road. Tikka Nation has now opened a site in Uxbridge once more, at The Pavilions in Chequers Mall. Narula said: “This moment is deeply personal. Uxbridge was one of our very first branches – a place where our journey found its early roots and where we were met with incredible warmth and support from the community. Closing it was one of the hardest decisions we’ve had to make. Even though we opened a new branch in nearby Ruislip, Uxbridge was always something special. This isn’t just a new store – it’s our way of coming back to a place that always felt like home. We’ve heard your love, your messages and your memories, and now we’re bringing the flavours back – stronger, spicier and better than ever.” The opening means Tikka Nation now has 11 locations across the UK. In May, Propel revealed Tikka Nation is lining up its first sites in Central London and Scotland. Tikka Nation’s Central London debut will be in St Paul’s Market Place, at 150 Cheapside, while its first Scottish location will be at Glasgow Fort shopping centre in Glasgow.

  

Strathmore Hotels reports turnover exceeds pre-covid levels to hit record £19.2m: Strathmore Hotels, which operates eight sites across Scotland and the north of England, has reported turnover increased to a record £19,188,027 for the year ending 31 December 2023 compared with £17,613,576 the year before. Revenue also exceeded pre-covid levels, with turnover of £18,793,483 reported in 2019. The business saw its pre-tax profit more than halve to £368,376, from £751,132 the previous year (2019: £2,503,089). In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “2023 saw a continuation of increasing costs due to the war in Ukraine pushing energy costs upwards. Continued supply chain issues also saw significant inflationary pressures and extended interest rate increases. However, due to Strathmore Hotels historic strategy of only operating units within key tourist and conference locations the company was, and is, always placed well to recover swiftly from any forced restriction on trade. In turn, the company has always maintained prudence and risk aversion in terms of borrowing so low loan to value has always been maintained. This, coupled with shift away in relying on fossil fuels as its primary energy source, means that, although the company has experienced significant increases in costs, the company is as well placed as any other to cope, and absorb, such increasing cost pressures.” No dividend was paid (2022: nil).

 

Scottish hotel group launches second pizzeria: Scottish hotel group Black Sheep Hotels has launched its second pizzeria. Black Sheep Hotels operates The Whispering Pine Lodge, Rokeby Manor and The Cluanie Inn in the Scottish Highlands, as well as two self-catering accommodation locations in the region. Owners Sanjay and Rachna Narang are also behind The Pizzeria in Fort William and have now opened a second site under the concept, at the former US gas station-themed diner The Filling Station at 10 Academy Street in Inverness. Black Sheep Hotels chief operating officer Vidur Kapur told the Press & Journal the business has spent around £200,000 on the restaurant alone, with major repairs carried out since it was acquired in September 2024. “It was a bit of a shock,” he said. “The ceilings were halfway down the height of the unit and we could see there was a lot of work to do. But we saw the potential in this iconic building, its location and the kind of traffic it gets left, right and centre. We’ve seen the Pizzeria in Fort William do so well, and I’m convinced people are going to like this here as well. It is something similar to what we have in Fort William, but our chef here was trained by Marco Fuso, who is a well-known Italian pizza chef. We know it’s an iconic building, and we know people will have expectations. That’s why we’ve put so much into it.”

 

North London pan-Asian restaurant group Tootoomoo expands retail range with Sainsbury’s: North London pan-Asian restaurant group Tootoomoo has expanded its retail range with Sainsbury’s. Tootoomoo, which has three sites in the capital, launched its debut retail range in May, offering six chilled food-to-go products. This included shophouse noodles, sushi tacos and handheld rice rolls, all available as part of Sainsbury’s £5 premium meal deal. Tootoomoo has now added to the range a miso chicken sando, an extra-creamy egg and chive sando and a fiery sriracha pulled pork banh mi – retailing at £4.50 each. Philip McGuinness, founder of Tootoomoo, said: “The magic of street food is it’s accessible and has incredible flavour. You want to eat it on the move, right where the action is. Our flavours, you’d find in the streets of Vietnam or convenience stores in Japan. We’ve seen sandos in the UK, but perhaps they’ve been a bit out of touch? In Japan, sandos are loved for their soft bread and seriously satisfying fillings, and that’s the authentic experience Tootoomoo brings to Sainsbury’s. Our sandos and banh mi are the real deal, inspired by what millions grab for lunch every day across Asia. When our customers are looking to eat, they don’t want a novelty, they want authentic flavour done right.” McGuiness told Propel in May that trading had been “positive” this year and the business has “a number of sites in the pipeline.”