Manchester operators set to take secret bar concept international through franchising, interest from across Europe: Manchester operators Patrick Hall and Jon Charles are set to their take launderette-themed secret bar concept international through franchising and have had interest from across Europe. The duo opened The Washhouse in Manchester’s Shudehill in 2015 after coming across a similar hidden bar, PDT (Please Don’t Tell), accessed through a phone box at the back of a hot dog restaurant, on a trip to New York. They already ran a restaurant in a former washroom in Manchester, called The Laundrette, and so kept to the theme. Eight years on, and having partnered with Seeds Consulting, they are ready to grow the concept and will be focusing on international expansion. “We thought hard about where we want to go,” the duo told Propel. “We’re now a destination in Manchester, and we get tourists from every area of the UK, so we probably don’t want another UK one unless we go to London. We’re going to go worldwide, into big cities, Europe and the Middle East. It's very important we find the right individual as it’s not a cut and paste concept. It’s a very successful model when it’s run well, and I think that’s where we will find a partner and do a lot of work with it rather than find several partners and do smaller projects. We’ve had interest from individuals in Dublin, northern Europe, Germany and parts of the Netherlands, and Dubai is very high up our priority list. There’s a lot of secret bar concepts that are all good and all unique, but our experience of them is they’re all based on the secret entrance, and once you go through that it’s just a bar. We make sure you are wowed every step of the way. The number depends on the partners – but I’d rather have five, six or seven quality sites than have 20 and worry about a few of them ruining the concept.” Hall and Charles had originally considered franchising their restaurant but found that “everyone is doing pizza and burger concepts and you have to do something really unique to stand out in that area”. During lockdown, they invested in the building next door to The Washhouse and added more secret doors and hidden surprises, like slides and DJs in the bathroom. “We’ve been very clever almost by accident as people want to be entertained now, they don’t just wasn’t to go out and get drunk,” they said. “Now we’re quite big we’re very franchisable – we’ve got a niche where we can expand quite well. We got told a long time ago that if you’re going to do something secret, you’re only secret once, so hold on to it for as long as you can, and that’s been our mantra since. Going into any new market it will be the same – cloak and dagger advertising and marketing makes people want to find out more. As a result, we don’t want triple-fronted high street sites, we want obscure spaces that aren’t prime real estate.”

Next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality to be released on Friday, 24 May featuring 872 companies: The next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality will be released to Premium Club members on Friday, 24 May, at midday. Another 11 companies have been added to the database, which now features 872 companies. This month’s edition will also include 42 updated entries. The companies, listed in alphabetical order, will have their most recent results reported as well as broader information around Ebitda, plans and trading style available. The database merges Companies House information, interviews and other public information to provide an easy to reference and exhaustive guide to the sector. Premium Club members also receive access to five other databases: the Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate; the New Openings Database; the Turnover & Profits Blue Book; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database and the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database. All Premium Clubs members will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events including Social Media for Profit (18 July), the Talent and Training Conference (1 October) and Restaurant Marketer and Innovator (two days in January 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 – new powers to offer empty shop leases at bargain basement prices can ‘drive investment and regeneration’: New powers are being given to local authorities to secure empty high street properties and auction off their leases to local businesses – a move that UKHospitality said can “drive investment and regeneration”. Under the new High Street Rental Auctions scheme, from September, local authorities will have the power to combat high street vacancies by allowing local leaders “who know their area best” to take control of empty properties “blighting their high streets” and rent them out to local businesses that would use them. The government said the new powers will help councils level up their high streets and tackle wide-ranging issues stemming from prolonged high street emptiness exacerbated by the pandemic, such as low footfall that leads to struggling businesses, increased unemployment and anti-social behaviour. Where a high street shop has been empty for more than a year, High Street Rental Auctions will allow local leaders to step in and auction off a rental lease for up to five years. Auctions will take place with no reserve price, giving local businesses and community groups the opportunity to occupy space on the high street at a competitive market rate. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “The proposals to allow vacant properties to be brought into use via auction will create opportunities for hospitality businesses to move into high streets, generating local investment and creating places where people want to live. I’m pleased that protections for pub sites have been addressed and this will help protect the cultural and historic role pubs play in our society. For businesses to capitalise on the investment potential created by these plans, we need to see the cost burden for hospitality addressed. Financial headroom is essential for businesses to take advantage of these opportunities, alongside urgent improvements to the planning system.”

 

Sacha Lord – young people do not want to go out drinking anymore because they don't want to embarrass themselves on social media: Young people do not want to go out drinking anymore because they don't want to embarrass themselves on social media, Sacha Lord has claimed. The night life economy adviser for Greater Manchester said the decline in young Brits going on nights out can be attributed to their increasing desire to look good online. He claimed young people don’t want to be seen on social media with “ketchup down your chin when you’ve had a kebab at the end of the night”. Instead, he said, showing off new clothes online and going to the gym is the “new going out”. Speaking to the Loose Ends podcast, Lord said: “An interesting stat coming out now is that one out of five young people under the age of 25 don’t drink alcohol. When I think back to what I was doing at 17 on a park bench and a bottle of Diamond White...and look at it now. I think it’s a couple of things; I think people’s socialising has changed coming out of covid. Let’s not forget a lot of those poor young people were locked up for two years. But I also think social media plays a huge part of this. The days of going to nightclubs and then ending up with ketchup down your chin when you’ve had a kebab at the end of the night; no one wants those pictures on social media anymore. It’s about how you look, what you’re wearing, people are going to the gym more, they’re eating healthier. This is the new going out.” Lord added that while traditional nightclubs are struggling to survive, he sees events like festivals, which offer “bigger moments” thriving. “Those nightclubs that people go to every Friday and Saturday – you know what the DJ is going to play at 2am – they're falling away, they’re really, really struggling,” he said. “People are still going out but for those bigger moments, like the festivals or the concerts. They’re seeing record ticket sales.”

Contract caterers’ first-quarter sales rise despite drop in units served: Britain’s top contract caterers have begun 2024 strongly with like-for-like sales growth of 7% in the first quarter, the Contract Catering Tracker from CGA by NIQ and Bidfood reveals. It continues the sector’s recovery from the upheaval of the covid-19 pandemic and is the tracker’s 12th quarter of growth in a row. However, the rate of increase is well below the figure of 13% recorded in the last quarter of 2023. Growth in moving annual total sales, for the last 12 months compared with the previous 12 months, now stands at 13%. Contract caterers have achieved their sales increases despite a drop in the number of outlets they serve. The tracker shows that units open in the first quarter of 2024 were 3% fewer than in the first quarter of 2023. Karl Chessell, business unit director at CGA by NIQ, said: “Contract caterers have made a very impressive recovery from the seismic impacts of covid and it’s encouraging to see more above-inflation growth in the first quarter. However, a slowdown of growth and a contraction in venues show there is no room for complacency.” Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “Contract caterers continue to perform strongly, demonstrating the value held in the high-quality, consistent product the sector delivers day in, day out. The slight decrease in growth rate and units open in the first quarter shows the challenges that inflation and high costs continue to impose on the sector, reinforcing the need for hospitality’s cost burden to be rebalanced and reduced.” Debra Morrell, business development controller for business and industry at Bidfood, added: “Although like-for-like sales growth is still positive for the first quarter of 2024, we have seen a soft March figure compared with previous months this year, and a slowing in growth compared with the previous quarter. Undoubtedly this has been due to the pressure that public sector budgets have been put under, a slight shrinking of the number of sites year on year, and the cost-of-living crisis still affecting consumer confidence and spend.”

Wage growth raises doubts about early interest rate cut: Wages rose by more than expected during the first three months of the year while unemployment also increased, casting doubt over how soon the Bank of England will be able cut interest rates for the first time in four years. The Times reported figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that the annual rate of regular pay growth in Britain remained unchanged at 6% in the first quarter. City analysts had expected salaries to increase by 5.9%. When including bonuses, wages rose by 5.7% on an annual basis, the same rate as in the previous three months. Private sector pay growth, which is watched closely by the bank, fell to 5.9% from 6% in the previous quarter. The figure was also lower than the central bank had expected. Analysts at Pantheon Macroeconomics, a consultancy, said that businesses may have lifted pay before the near 10% increase in the minimum wage in April. Liz McKeown, director of economic statistics at the statistics office, said: “We continue to see tentative signs that the jobs market is cooling, with both employment from our household survey and the number of workers on payroll showing falls in the latest periods. Earnings growth in cash terms remains high, with the recent falls in the rate now levelling off, while, with inflation falling, real pay growth remains at its highest level in well over two years.”

 

Boojum becomes first JAM Card friendly hospitality partner: Mexican fast-casual brand Boojum has become the first hospitality partner of the Now Group, which supports individuals with learning difficulties and autism, with its JAM Card initiative. Launched through Boojum’s first site in England, in Leeds, the JAM Card is a discreet means for individuals with learning difficulties, autism or any other communication barrier to communicate their need for “Just A Minute” discreetly and easily while out and about. Paul McCullagh, head of marketing at Boojum, said: “We are proud to partner with the Now Group in this fantastic initiative, one that will make ordering and eating out easier and more comfortable for everyone. Restaurants can be overwhelming at times, and the JAM Card allows customers to signal to our staff in a discreet and dignified manner that they might need ‘Just A Minute’.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a company that combines adventure and leisure that is seeking someone to oversee its venues. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The role will be responsible for providing strong commercial and operational leadership to help deliver growth and development to the venues and team. You will develop a growth strategy looking at operational and commercial opportunities in relation to products, services, experiences and events across the sites, seek to promote innovative ways of increasing revenue to maximise profitability, oversee and manage all departments and work closely with department heads.” The salary is up to £100,000 and the position is based in Ireland. For more information, email david@corecruitment.com.

 

RedCat subsidiary owed £9.3m when it was placed into administration: RedCat Leased Pubs (RCLP), the ten-strong subsidiary of RedCat Pub Company that was placed into administration in March, had intercompany liabilities totalling £9.3m. Propel revealed Nick Holloway and Steve Absolom, of Interpath Advisory, had been appointed as joint administrators to RCLP after RedCat Pub Company, the investment vehicle founded and chaired by Rooney Anand, carried out a strategic review of its business. All other RedCat group entities continue to trade as normal. An update by the administrators said: “We contacted 31 trade parties and specialist investors generating 18 expressions of interest, which resulted in four unconditional offers for various parts of the business. To date, we have completed a number of transactions to connected and unconnected parties. On 19 April 2024, we completed a sale of the lease premium and assets of The Occasional Half to Café & Coffee, an unconnected entity. On 3 May 2024, we also completed the sale of property and certain assets with connected parties within the Redcat Group. According to the last statutory accounts for the year ending 2 April 2023, the company [RCLP] generated turnover of £5.3m and reported an operational loss of £4m. The management accounts for the 11-month period ending 29 February 2024 show turnover of £4.2m and an operating loss of £1.1m. The continued losses are attributable to the challenging environment, rising inflation, increasing costs and reduced margins. Management took several steps to mitigate losses across its property portfolio. However, despite these steps, losses continued to be incurred at the majority of the company’s sites. These losses have been funded by other entities in the wider Redcat group to the extent that the company currently owes intercompany liabilities totalling £9.3m. The group was unwilling to continue funding these losses indefinitely. The company’s losses were funded by loans from group entities. The group was funded through a combination of shareholder equity and loan notes. Under the facilities, the company is jointly and severally liable for the group’s indebtedness to the lenders, represented by HSBC as the facility agent, and granted debentures containing fixed and floating charges over all of its assets. At the date of our appointment, the group’s borrowing was in excess of £62.3m.” The administrators also sold the lease of The Garden Farm in Carlingford Road, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, to Redcat Pub Company for a premium of £50,000. RedCat Pub Company plans to exit more than a fifth of its 114-strong estate after a strategic review of its business. Alongside RCLP, a further group of five sites within RedCat’s managed division will also be marketed for sale in the coming weeks, taking the total potential number of managed sites for sale to 14. This takes the total number of sites the group plans to exit to 24.

 

Marston’s places five-strong free-of-tie package on the market: Marston’s has placed a five-strong, free-of-tie package of pubs on the market, with a combined asking price of just under £3m, Propel has learned. Marston’s has placed the Anchor in Burton-upon-Trent (asking price £600,000); the Malt Shovel in Shardlow, Derby (£700,000); The Stile in Whitmore Reans (£485,000); the Inn on the Furlong in Ringwood, Hampshire (£885,000); and the Mariner’s Arms, Liverpool (£265,000) on the market. The pubs are being marketed individually or as a portfolio by King Street Real Estate. Earlier this week, Marston’s reported a 7.3% increase in like-for-like sales in the 26 weeks ended 30 March 2024 compared with last year, “outperforming the broader market”, and said trading since the half year end has been “encouraging”. On disposals, the business said: “In FY2024 we expect to dispose of £50m of non-core and unlicensed properties. Disposal proceeds of £9.6m have been realised in the first half, which, overall, achieved net book value. Since the end of the period, circa £16m of additional disposals have either been sold or exchanged.”

 

Afrikana promotes Matthew Wood to managing director as it prepares for ten more openings in 2024: African restaurant concept Afrikana has promoted Matthew Wood to managing director as it prepares for ten more openings in 2024. Wood has spent the last four years as operations and finance director at Afrikana, following several operations director roles at brands including Quality Bites and Sweet Escape Desserts. Wasim Riley, Ismaeel Waseem and Hamza Waseem have also been added to the head office team. “As we continue to expand in the UK and look towards international growth, we’re thrilled to share some strategic updates at Afrikana that aim to bolster our support for franchise partners and align our team ready for the next stage in our growth,” a company spokesman said. “Matthew Wood will take on the role of managing director. Matt will oversee the day-to-day operations across the UK and play a pivotal role in steering the success of our operations across the board. We welcome Ismaeel, Wasim and Hamza to our head office team. With their proven track record in managing high-performing franchise stores, they bring invaluable experience and resources across store setup, operations, marketing, and business consultancy for our entire network. The strengthened head office team provide a strong support function for new and existing franchise partners. Looking Ahead, 2024 is set to be our biggest year yet, with a further ten restaurant openings planned across the UK. Our journey continues as we plan ahead for further expansion beyond this year. Here's to more exciting developments and delicious adventures ahead!” Afrikana opened its 16th store last month, in Hayes, west London. This will be followed by Ilford, east London, in June; Kingston, south west London, in July; Holloway, north London, in August; and Hounslow, west London, in September. Afrikana also had sites in Tooting (south London), Reading, Leeds, Sheffield, Southampton, Edinburgh and Wolverhampton in the pipeline.

 

Sides CEO – soft power of the brand is giving shopping centre operators something new to talk about: Robin Mehta, chief executive of Sides, the chicken concept from YouTube collective The Sidemen, has said the soft power of the brand is helping it get chosen by landlords over its competitors. Founded in 2021, Sides grew initially as a delivery-only brand but intends to expand across the country, with as many as 200 sites over the next decade. Sides currently operates five sites across England. Mehta said: “Since launching in bricks-and-mortar just seven months ago, we’ve entered some of the UK's biggest shopping centres – Bluewater, Lakeside, Arndale and Merry Hill – with loads more to come. Lakeside, for instance, we were going up against the main players in the fried chicken category. Venture capital and private equity-funded, they can afford to bid over the stated price and take an initial loss ¬– something we can’t afford to do. But still, the landlord chose Sides. Why? In short, the soft power of the brand, giving the shopping centre operators something new to talk about, while driving top of mind and footfall within the ever more coveted Generation Z demographic. It doesn’t matter that we can’t compete on hard cash. The takeaway? Not everything can be counted on a balance sheet. Sometimes, value can be delivered through other means – and usually, that’s a sign of a solid proposition.”

 

Clays eyes up former Park Row site: Clays, the Imbiba-backed, indoor interactive clay shooting experience concept, is eyeing an opening in London’s Soho. Propel understands that Clays has applied to open on the former Park Row site in Brewer Street. Immersive restaurant company Wonderland partnered with Warner Bros and DC to launch Park Row in Brewer Street in summer 2021 but the site closed earlier this year. The “premium immersive restaurant” experience inspired by the stories and DC characters including Batman, The Joker, Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman, Superman and The Penguin, occupied an 18,000 square-foot basement venue at The Crown Estate’s grade II-listed 77 Brewer Street. Clays launched in London’s Moorgate in November 2021 and opened a second site the next year in Canary Wharf’s West India Quay at the end of 2022. The business, which was founded by Tom Snellock, secured £3m of funding from family and friends to launch the concept. At the end of 2022, it secured new investment from serial sector investor Imbiba to aid its further growth.

 

Merlin Entertainments hires first CMO: Merlin Entertainments has hired Craig Inglis as its first chief marketing officer. The company said the addition to its executive team “signals a shift in our approach to global marketing for experiences and branded entertainment destinations”. With a career in leadership roles spanning marketing, digital and customer experience at brands such as TUI, Virgin, John Lewis, Sage and The Entertainer Group, Inglis brings a wealth of expertise to Merlin. He led an overhaul of John Lewis’ customer and marketing strategies. The campaigns launched during his tenure at John Lewis, particularly at Christmas, “became much anticipated cultural moments, delivering market-beating effectiveness and winning numerous awards”. Inglis, who joins Merlin on Monday, 17 June, will spearhead “transformative initiatives to elevate the company's global brand presence and drive guest engagement” across Merlin’s diverse portfolio of brands and attractions spanning four continents. Fiona Eastwood, chief operating officer for resort theme parks and gateway attractions, said: “Craig’s visionary leadership and strategic prowess will be instrumental in redefining how we connect and communicate with our guests worldwide, before, during and after their visit. The role will be integral as we redefine our own Merlin brand as well as the brands we bring to life in our attractions.” Inglis added: “Together, we will push boundaries, challenge conventions, and create experiences that captivate the hearts and minds of our guests and audiences around the world.”

 

Heartwood Inns adds further Whitbread site to growing rooms estate: Heartwood Collection, the Alchemy Partners-backed business, has acquired The Manor Inn, in Godalming, Surrey, from Whitbread, which will add a further 19 bedrooms to its growing estate. The acquisition will see the current 16-bedroom site renamed “The Ragged Robin” in a nod to the location and will undergo a multimillion-pound refurbishment to create a further three bedrooms, 150 internal covers and 100 external covers. The deal for The Ragged Robin follows the group's recent acquisition of The Old Crown in Great Bookham and will become its second pub with rooms in Surrey following the opening of The White Horse in Dorking earlier this year. The Ragged Robin will create 90 jobs when it opens in early 2025. In February, the business acquired the Royal Forest, in Epping Forest, Essex, from Whitbread. The former Brewers Fayre site will add a further 28 rooms to the already confirmed 150 rooms the business has secured. Heartwood plans to grow to more than 60 sites with a turnover of £133m by 2027. Richard Ferrier, chief executive of Heartwood Collection, said: “We’re delighted to have been able to acquire this fantastic pub in Godalming from Whitbread. Having looked for an opportunity to open in Godalming for a long time, we are delighted to have found such a beautiful location on the River Wey. We plan to transform both the pub and the rooms with the aim of creating something very special.” Heartwood Collection operates 23 Heartwood Inns pubs and 14 Brasserie Blanc restaurants across the UK.

 

Newcastle bar and nightclub operator adds two venues to portfolio: Newcastle bar and nightclub operator Market Shaker Group has added two city centre venues to its portfolio. The company, which is behind the Frate, Market Shaker and Pumphrey’s bars, has acquired the leases of The Mushroom in Grainger Street and Mimo in Pudding Chare. The Mushroom is a basement bar and nightclub in the city centre, while Mimo is a two-storey building that has a bar on the ground floor and a nightclub on the first floor. Robert Clarkson, co-founder of Market Shaker Group, said: “We first viewed Mimo more than ten years ago so it’s incredibly exciting to have finally been able to add it to our portfolio. Along with The Mushroom, it’s been part of Newcastle’s nightlife for a long time, and we plan to make sure it’s a place people enjoy visiting for many more years to come.” Clarkson said that the business has “big ambitions” for Mimo, which will be announced soon. “We’ve already successfully given Pumphreys a new lease of life, and most recently we've built Frate from the ground up, and Mimo will be the next on our list for a transformation. And The Mushroom will stay as it is, as a much-loved venue for so many people in Newcastle,” he added. Newcastle law firm Sintons managed the purchase of the lease of both sites on behalf of Market Shaker Group.

 

Wagamama to open new restaurant at Somerset shopping outlet: Wagamama, The Restaurant Group-owned brand, is to open a new site at the Clarks Village shopping outlet in Street, Somerset. Launching on Monday, 22 July, the venue will be Wagamama’s 167th restaurant to open in the UK. The 172-cover restaurant, which will include 40 external covers, will create 60 jobs. Sita Wood, head of regional marketing at Wagamama, said: “We are so excited to open the doors to our new restaurant in Clarks Village. Our benches will soon be welcoming the local community and visitors of the outlet shopping destination, and we can’t wait to serve up some of our newest dishes and fresh favourites! Our fantastic new team has been working hard to ensure we’ll bring our much-loved Wagamama experience to our guests and they’re so excited to land in their beautiful new restaurant once work is complete.” Wagamama has opened restaurants in Chatham, Epsom, Glasgow and Wolverhampton already this year, while a site at Woodside Leisure Park in Watford will open later this month. The brand has targeted ten new openings in 2024.

 

Big Table Group set to open new Las Iguanas restaurant in Bolton: The Big Table Group, the Café Rouge and Banana Tree operator, is set to open a new Las Iguanas restaurant in Bolton. It will open in Middlebrook, the UK’s biggest retail and leisure park, on Saturday, 18 May. Located in the shadow of Bolton Wanderers FC’s Toughsheet Community Stadium, the restaurant will take over the site that was formerly a Chiquito and has seating for 183 guests inside and 66 outside. Las Iguanas managing director Lisa Gibbons said: “South American cuisine and flavours are growing in popularity around the world and UK consumers are discovering these exciting new flavours. We’re passionate about sharing the distinctive energy, authentic flavour and spirit of South America. Our travels have taken us to some of the most exciting kitchens in the world from the beaches of Rio to the Amazon rainforest, from urban Buenos Aires to bustling Mexican markets where we’ve discovered delicious dishes cooked from amazing ingredients. We look forward to sharing the magic of Las Iguanas.”

Zambrero opens Battersea site: Zambrero, Australia’s largest Mexican quick-service franchise, which received £143m in equity financing to open more restaurants in Britain and Ireland last year, has further strengthened its presence in London with an opening in Battersea. The company, which operates circa 250 sites worldwide, opened a site in St John’s Road, its seventh site to open in the capital. Last month, Propel reported that Zambrero was lining up a second site in Manchester, after applying to open at the former Royal British Legion shop in Cross Street. Last year, Zambrero opened at a site formerly occupied by food-to-go retailer Greggs in Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester. Zambrero, which is led in the UK by chief executive Emily Teh, opened its debut UK site in Kentish Town in 2021. The brand currently operates 11 sites in the UK, including sites in Reading and Chelmsford. Zambrero has also been linked with an opening in Birmingham’s Bullring scheme. Sophie Street acted for Zambrero.

 

Burrito Picante secures Liverpool site: Mexican-themed, quick service restaurant concept Burrito Picante, which was acquired by Scotland-based investment firm Edison Capital in March, has secured a site in Liverpool, as it looks to have five sites operating by the end of August. Burrito Picante, which currently operates sites in Altrincham and Sheffield, will open a site in Liverpool’s St Johns shopping centre food court this summer. It is also set to open a dark kitchen site in Manchester. Propel revealed in March that Edison Capital is planning to expand Burrito Picante to 20 sites by the end of 2026 – including stores in Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2024. The business said: “With five locations operating by August 2024, we move to franchising Burrito Picante across the north of England, down to the Midlands and up to the central belt of Scotland. We believe there is significant growth potential through franchising to expand the concept UK wide and internationally through a franchising model.” Burrito Picante was originally founded in 2016 by Nick Dodman, who had looked to expand the business through franchising and introduced a programme offering full franchise and dark kitchen options, but sold the business to Philip Walker in October 2022. 

 

The Real Greek to launch first retail range: The Real Greek, operated by Fulham Shore, is set to launch its first retail range, with 15 products hitting the shelves in Tesco stores nationwide. These include a selection of hot meals based on classic Greek dishes such as pastitsio and moussaka, hot and cold meze and ingredients to create either chicken or pork Souvlaki at home. They can either be eaten alone or paired together to create a larger Greek feast. The products are The Real Greek Pastitsio (£5/350g), The Real Greek Moussaka (£5/350g), The Real Greek Chicken with Feta & Olives (£5/350g), The Real Greek Meatballs with Orzo (£5/350g), The Real Greek Halloumi Skewers (£7/225g), The Real Greek Seasoned Fries (£3.75/330g), The Real Greek Spiced Lamb Kofta (£7/300g), The Real Greek Gyros Style Pork (£7/350g), The Real Greek Gyros Style Chicken (£7/350g), The Real Greek Giant Beans (£3.35/210g), The Real Greek Dolmades (£3.35/210g), The Real Greek Houmous (£2.25/220g), The Real Greek Tzatziki (£2.25/200g), The Real Greek Olives (£3.35/150g) and The Real Greek Flatbreads (£2.25/4x80g). The Real Greek has 27 UK restaurants following recent openings in Sheffield and Liverpool. Marcel Khan, chief executive of The Real Greek, said: “We’re excited to be able to bring restaurant-quality dishes to the aisles of Tesco supermarkets across the country. The growth of Greek cuisine is only set to continue in the UK and we’re confident that this innovative new range will deliver the taste of the Aegean that consumers are looking for.”

 

Odeon to anchor new £60m Peterborough development: AMC-owned Odeon Cinemas Group, Europe's largest cinema operator, has confirmed it will anchor a new £60m development in Peterborough. A new eight-screen cinema will open in Queensgate Peterborough’s new leisure extension, marking its first site in Cambridgeshire. Occupying approximately 27,500 square feet on Queensgate’s third floor, the cinema will offer state-of-the-art technology powered by Dolby and more than 600 luxury seats, as well as an extensive food and beverage offer. Suzie Welch, managing director at Odeon UK & Ireland, said: “We are delighted to be making our regional debut in Peterborough and form a key part of Queensgate’s new leisure space. We are looking forward to delivering an unmatched cinema experience for visitors and creating memorable experiences, complemented by an array of retail and food and beverage on offer within the scheme.”

 

Michael Deane to open new concept in former site of Michelin-starred Eipic: Multi-site Northern Ireland restaurant operator MichaelDeane is preparing to open a new concept in the space formerly occupied by his Michelin-starred Eipic restaurant and Love Fish. The 90-cover Mr Deanes Bistro Bar and Social, named in tribute to his late father Ted, will open Friday, 31 May in Belfast’s Howard Street. Deane announced the closure of Eipic late last year, blaming the rising cost of living as customers opted for lower-priced options for eating out, while Love Fish also closed last month. “I’m very invigorated for the launch of Mr Deanes,” he told Belfast Live. “Our new concept harnesses much of what we’ve been well known for over the 27 years we’ve been in business in the city. There will be a nod to our legacy operations from Deanes Brasserie, Deanes Deli and Love Fish. I firmly believe it will excite our existing loyal customers as well as attract new diners to Deanes. In terms of the business my overall aim is to underpin sustainability and secure jobs going forward. The restaurant will consistently serve top quality ingredients, skilfully cooked as well as an extensive selection of drinks, in fresh, contemporary surroundings. That’s what we’ve set out to do.” Deane also said Deanes Meat Locker, also in Howard Street, will close for three weeks for a “refresh” and to extend customer capacity. He also operates Deane at Queens in College Gardens.

 

Sona raises $27.5m of new funding to aid growth: Sona, the next-generation workforce management platform for sectors including hospitality, has raised $27.5m (£22m) in new funding to expand its go-to-market function and build more advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. The new funding round was led by Felicis with participation from Northzone, Google’s AI-fund Gradient, SpeedInvest, Antler, BAG Ventures and several angels. Sona was founded by Steffen Wulff Petersen, Oli Johnson and Ben Dixon in 2021 and has raised $40m-plus to date. In 2023, it reported 400%-plus revenue growth and to date, more than 4.6 million shifts have been created on Sona. Wulff Petersen said: “With Sona, we’re building the ‘self-driving car’ of running a restaurant or a care home. The last 20 years of workforce management was dominated by legacy point solutions that digitized simple paper processes. Sona is building the next generation of workforce management with a truly intelligent platform that enables organisational leaders in complex, multi-location enterprises to put the right people, in the right place, at the right time; and to seamlessly manage their workforce end-to-end.”

 

Di Maggio’s Restaurant Group makes move into gelateria market as part of revamp of East Kilbride venue: Scottish restaurant operator Di Maggio’s Restaurant Group’s (DRG) has made the move into the gelateria market as part of a refurbishment of its venue in East Kilbride. The £1m revamp of the restaurant also includes the launch of the town’s first churro bar. The gelateria and churros bar offers an “array of treats” including 12 core ice cream flavours and churros. Churissimo features specially sourced churro equipment so the delicacy can be produced on site. Chefs have also been sent to Spain for specialist churro training. The project is the first major refurbishment of Di Maggio’s East Kilbride since the 200-seater, purpose-built venue opened in 1994. In the time since, the Italian American-style family restaurant has served more than a quarter of a million visitors. Tony Conetta, co-owner of DRG and son of Di Maggio’s co-founder Joe Conetta, said: “We’ve been serving the community of East Kilbride for more than 30 years and this is a huge moment in our history in the town. A tremendous amount of love and care has gone into the refurbishment, and we’re sure the introduction of East Kilbride’s first authentic churro bar will go down a treat. We love being a part of East Kilbride, we’ve welcomed thousands of families through our doors, and we look forward to thousands more. It’s also about playing a part in bringing new people to the town, and we hope the new-look Di Maggio’s East Kilbride and Churissimo will achieve that for the next 30 years.” The project is the first step in a refresh of the Di Maggio’s brand as it marks its 40th anniversary this year. 

Britvic GB delivers strong first-half revenue growth: Britvic reported revenue in its Great Britain division increased 8.8% to £592.2m for the six months to 24 March 2024. Turnover from hospitality was 5.6% during the period. It said that volume grew 2.6%, with 5% growth in the second quarter. It said that average realised price growth of 6.0% was driven through a combination of improved mix, price realisation and optimising promotional activity. Pepsi was a key driver of growth, with revenue increasing 8.5%, benefiting from the brand refresh investment in March and growth in cans, enabled by additional capacity to meet growing consumer demand. Other growth highlights include Tango, J2O, Fruit Shoot and Lipton. Robinsons performance was stable compared with last year, while Rockstar continued to be “challenging”. Group revenue in the period increased 11.2% to £880.3m, while pre-tax profit rose 10.1% to £59.9m. Chief executive Simon Litherland said: “I am delighted with our excellent first half performance. Revenue growth of 11.2%, underpinned by volume growth of 4.4%, has translated into adjusted Ebit growth of 17.7% and earnings per share growth of 18.5%. We are also announcing our third share buyback of £75m over the next 12 months, reflecting our strong earnings, free cash flow generation, and positive outlook. Looking forward, I am confident that we will deliver a strong full-year performance. In the medium term, I firmly believe the continued execution of our strategy and growth drivers will allow us to sustainably outperform both the market and our historical top-line growth rate, leaving the company poised to continue our long-standing track record of delivering outstanding returns for our shareholders.”

 

Freehold investment in Royal Vauxhall Tavern sold for £2.2m: RVT Enterprises UK has sold the freehold investment of London entertainment venue Royal Vauxhall Tavern for £2.2m, to a private buyer. The venue is let on a long-term internal repairing and insuring lease to Vauxhall Tavern London, which has operated the venue successfully for many years. The venue dates to 1860 and has hosted many acts including The Three Degrees, Gabrielle, Kim Wilde and Belinda Carlisle. The purchase price reflected a net initial yield of 6.32%. The purchaser acquired the property for long term income. Mark Sheehan, managing director of Coffer Corporate Leisure, who advised RVT Enterprises UK, said: “This is a renowned business that is not only revered but also run very well. We placed this freehold investment on the market in March and were very pleased to agree terms quickly with a strong purchaser. The market is not easy, but we have several good buyers for a range of investments across the leisure sector with strong fundamentals.” The buyer was advised by Michael Penfold, of AG&G.  

 

Domino’s appoints new independent non-executive director: Domino’s Pizza Group has announced the appointment of Mitesh Patel as an independent non-executive director, with effect from 1 June 2024. Patel will be a member of the board’s nomination and governance committee. He is the co-founder of Lenstore, an online contact lens business that in 2013 he sold to GrandVision, the world’s largest optical retail group at the time and owner of Vision Express. Following the sale, he remained with GrandVision in various roles, including as global e-commerce director, until 2023, gaining substantial experience of working at a senior level in a franchise-based business. Domino’s said Patel also has highly relevant non-executive experience as a director of Pizza Hut UK from 2018 to 2020, and he has also been a trustee of Oxfam since 2022, bringing significant retail and digital expertise to its board. Domino’s chairman Matt Shattock said: “I am delighted to welcome Mitesh to the board of Domino’s. We are a business built on a network of highly entrepreneurial franchise partners, and, as a brilliant entrepreneur himself with significant expertise of working in franchise businesses, I am sure Mitesh will be a great addition to our board.”