Exclusive – Toridoll takes full control of Marugame Udon Europe, Capdesia and Keith Bird exit: Toridoll Holdings Corporation has assumed full control of Marugame Udon Europe after the succesful exit of Capdesia Group, four years after they joined forces to launch the international udon noodles and tempura restaurant brand in the UK, Propel has learned. The transition will see Toridoll, the parent company of Marugame Udon, take full ownership of Marugame Udon (Europe) while continuing its collaboration with Capdesia, as co-investors in The Fulham Shore Group and its Franco Manca and The Real Greek restaurants. As part of the move, Marugame Udon Europe chief executive and Capdesia operating partner Keith Bird will hand over the running of the brand in the UK to finance director Sam McIntyre. The company said McIntyre will step up to lead the business in the interim and take Marguame Udon into its next chapter, “building on the strong groundwork laid by Capdesia and Bird”. It said: “Capdesia Group and Keith Bird leave behind a legacy of significant achievements for Marugame in the UK. From a standing start, the brand has grown to ten successful sites in and around London within three years, cementing its reputation in the competitive UK hospitality landscape. Under the leadership of Bird, the UK team has navigated the challenges of launching during the covid-19 pandemic and subsequent economic headwinds.” Takashi Sugiyama, executive vice president, and chief operating officer of Toridoll Holdings Corporation, said: “We are grateful to Capdesia, Keith, and their respective teams for their efforts in launching our flagship brand in the UK successfully. In this journey, several new best practices have been developed jointly for the benefit of Marugame Udon globally and have positioned us for future growth and to continue with our UK and European expansion ambitions.” Abe Matamoros, co-founder and managing director of Capdesia Group, said: “It has been an honour to collaborate with Awata-San and the Toridoll team in the establishment of the Marugame Udon brand in the UK. We look forward to our continued collaboration with the Franco Manca and The Real Greek brands, and potentially other brands in the future.” Bird, the founder of Natural Kitchen and former chief operating officer of Gourmet Burger Kitchen, told Propel: “It has been an incredible journey bringing Marugame Udon to the UK. The dedication and passion of our team have been instrumental in establishing the brand and creating a solid foundation for future growth. I am confident that under Sam McIntyre’s leadership, Marugame Udon will continue to thrive and expand and deliver on its mission to bring udon to all.” Marugame Udon made its UK and European debut in London in 2021 with a flagship site off Liverpool Street. At the start of 2022, it set out plans to reach 100 sites within five years. Marugame Udon features in the Propel UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, an exhaustive guide to the companies offering a food and beverage franchise in the UK available exclusively to Premium subscribers. The database is updated every two months, and the latest version features 260 businesses. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Propel Premium for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or a supplier. The single subscription rate is £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to upgrade your subscription.

 

Sponsored message – JD Wetherspoon, Loungers and Caravan confirmed for Casual Dining 2024: Casual Dining, the definitive restaurant, pub and bar event, has announced its first headline speakers for its tenth anniversary event, returning to ExCeL London on 18-19 September. From keynote interviews to data-driven insights and panel sessions, the three theatres (sponsored by Uber Eats) will be packed with inspiring content across the two days. Speakers confirmed so far include: Andrew Gallagher (marketing director, Greene King); Andrew Hazel (head of food, Boparan); Ben Hibbard (marketing director, Turtle Bay); Bledi Jahjaga (head of food, Pizza Pilgrims); Charlie Warren (head of operations, Pizza Pilgrims); David Campbell (chair, Rare Restaurants); Jo Fleet (managing director, Caravan); John Welsh (managing director, Hickory's Smokehouse); Justin Carter (group managing director, Loungers); Kate Wilton (managing director, Banana Tree); Laura Harper-Hinton (co-founder and chief executive, Caravan Restaurants); Mark Selby (co-founder and chief executive, Wahaca); Matthew Smith (head of operations, Red Engine); Sir Tim Martin (founder and chair, JD Wetherspoon); Tom Elliot (co-founder, Pizza Pilgrims); and Tom James (managing director, Bill's). Casual Dining will co-locate with lunch! and will feature more than 500 exhibitors. For more information and to register for a free trade ticket, click here. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

Fulham Shore chief executive Marcel Khan to speak at Propel summer conference and party, three free places per company for operators: Marcel Khan, chief executive of Fulham Shore, the Franco Manca and The Real Greek operator, will be among the speakers at the Propel Multi-Club Conference and summer party on Thursday, 5 September, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Oxford Belfry. The all-day conference will focus on "new ideas and directions in an era of strong headwinds" and will be followed in the evening by the summer party, with a barbecue and four hours of live music, including the UK's best Ed Sheeran Tribute Act, The Ed Sheeran Experience; the UK's top Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow tribute acts joining forces, Scott Borley and Daniel Hadfield; and the famous house band at Piano Works. Khan will talk about earning consumer loyalty "one meal at a time", why expansion for the two brands will be a "marathon and not a sprint" and looking to continue to create value for customers. For the full speaker schedule, click here. There are up to three free places per company for operators, but Premium subscribers can have up to four places. To book, email jo.charity@propelinfo.com. A room can also be booked for the evening. For more details, email jo.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

Premium Club members to receive two updated databases this week: Premium Club members are to receive two updated databases this week. The updated UK Food & Beverage Franchisee Database will be sent to Premium subscribers on Wednesday (10 July) at midday, featuring ten new entries. The database now has 150 entries and more than 66,000 words of content. Among the new entries are multi-brand franchisees Iceking (Pret, Burger King and KFC), IVI Holdings (Burger King, Itsu, German Doner Kebab, Sides and Ben & Jerry's) and Joup Group (Domino's and Pret). Premium Club members will also receive the next Turnover & Profits Blue Book on Friday (12 July), at midday. It will feature 44 updated accounts and 21 new companies for a total of 947. Of these, 591 are in profit and 349 have reported a loss. Premium Club members also receive access to four other databases: the Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database; the New Openings Database; and the Who's Who of UK Hospitality. Plus, all Premium Club 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.

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a foodservice business operating across various sectors that is seeking a trade marketing manager to join its team. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “You will be responsible for driving sales growth within the commercial function of the business. This role requires a creative and analytical thinker with a strong background in trade marketing and a passion for the foodservice industry.” The salary is up to £50,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email mikey@corecruitment.com.

 

PizzaExpress to trail new Pod format with Tesco: PizzaExpress is to trail a new Pod format with retailer Tesco, with the Paul MacKenzie-led business telling Propel it was working on early-stage concepts to get “our proper pizza to the planet, both here in the UK and around the world”. The first trial site under the new format – which is set to be smaller and more geared to the fast-casual market – will open later this summer at the Tesco Extra site in Bursledon, Southampton. It will be launching into a space the pizza chain knows well. Last year, PizzaExpress’ retail range was worth £110m in retail sales value. It comes four and a half years since PizzaExpress closed its spin-off concept, Za, after just nine months of trading. Za opened on London’s Fenchurch Street in March 2019, offering pizza by-the-slice as well as sandwiches, salads and desserts. PizzaExpress said at the time that it remained “committed” to the format and said it hoped relaunch it in a site “more suited to Za” in 2020. Earlier this year, the company made its airport debut with the opening of a site in partnership with Airport Retail Enterprises in London Gatwick’s South Terminal. It is the only PizzaExpress in the UK serving a breakfast menu, alongside its traditional pizzas and classic Italian dishes, opening from 3.30am to 11pm daily. A PizzaExpress spokesperson said: “While we have almost 360 restaurants across the UK & Ireland, we know there are many people in towns and cities across the country who want to enjoy their favourite PizzaExpress pizza and dough balls. As such, we are always looking at new and innovative ideas to make that happen – like our recent opening at Gatwick airport. We are also working on other early-stage concepts to get our proper pizza to the planet, both here in the UK and around the world, and we look forward to sharing more details later in 2024. Watch this space!” In April Propel revealed that PizzaExpress is looking to launch in the US and has begun the search for franchisees to aid its expansion there. It has set up a new company, PizzaExpress US, to oversee the and has partnered with consultants whichfranchise to explore rolling out in the country. 

 

Caring confirms plans to take The Ivy to the US: Serial sector investor Richard Caring is planning to take The Ivy to the US as an expected £1bn sale of the restaurant group looms. A document sent out to potential investors, seen by The Telegraph, details plans to export the restaurant brand across the Atlantic. Caring already has some experience in the American market, having launched an outpost of his Sexy Fish restaurant in Miami in 2022. As revealed by Propel earlier this month, Caring is targeting Miami for an initial launch after recently trademarking the name The Ivy Miami. The US city is already home to Caring’s Sexy Fish brand. The documents also detail plans to return to Dubai almost a decade after Caring closed a previous branch of The Ivy there. However, sources close to the situation said a planned return to Dubai was no longer on the cards. On top of its planned move into the US, the documents suggest scope to open around 25 more branches of The Ivy across the UK in the next few years. As previously reported by Propel, the business has openings lined up in Belfast, Canterbury and Liverpool. It was revealed last December that Caring had put his stake in the group, as well as a handful of his other restaurants, including the members’ club Harry’s, up for sale. “Richard Caring is open to retaining a minority stake and also remaining a part of future operations as required,” the document circulated to investors reads. A spokesman for Caring said: “We are opening new sites in the UK and Northern Ireland and are looking at sites in America for The Ivy in 2025.”

 

Hydes – managed estate drives strong FY performance, strong foundations laid for new financial year: North west brewer and retailer Hydes said it went into its current financial year with renewed determination to deliver on its strategy after reporting a “strong” set of number for the year ended 31 March 2024, driven by the performance of its managed estate. For the year to 31 March 2024, the company reported record turnover of £39.3m (2023: £34.1 m), with an operating profit before exceptional items of £2.8m and Ebitda before exceptional items of £4.8m. This was an increase from the prior year in operating profit of £0.6m and Ebitda of £0.9m. It posted a pre-tax profit of £1.94m (2023: £2.13m). Richard Lancaster, non-executive chairman, said: “Long term contracts with major suppliers and fixed energy costs were undoubtedly a significant help from a profitability perspective, but consumer spending proved resilient and was reflected in strong sales over Christmas, Easter and in the early part of the financial year, when the sun shone. National minimum wage increases were still a significant cost challenge but the company strategy to keep prices at a competitive level was rewarded with the loyalty of our existing customers and in welcoming plenty of new customers to our pubs. The pub estate was maintained to a high standard, quality refurbishments undertaken and the first freehold acquisition for a number of years began trading. Brewery volumes increased sharply, and the tenanted estate performed well. The majority of the sales and profit growth in the year was delivered through the performance of our managed estate. Overall, managed pubs sales were 14% higher than prior year. On a like for like basis and excluding refurbished sites, sales were 12% above the prior year. All pub categories performed well in the year, though our food sites were responsible for the largest proportion of the sales and profit growth. Occupancy levels of available rooms in the Abel Heywood and the Wilmslow lodge remained strong at 94% and 86% respectively for the year. A significant lift in the national minimum wage, higher interest rates and the end of our fixed price utility agreements mean significant cost headwinds remain for the new financial year, even while inflation softens somewhat. The labour market remains tight, and recruitment is still problematic in certain areas. However, actions taken and our performance in the last 12 months has laid a strong foundation for the new financial year. We have a good portfolio of sites which are in excellent condition and trading well and we go into the new financial year with renewed determination to deliver on our strategy.”

 

Tossed expects to be profitable this year for the first time since it went bust: Tossed, the healthy eating brand owned and led by Neil Sebba and Angelina Harrison, expects to be profitable this year for the first time since it was placed in to administration in 2020 after recording a £500,000 loss last year. In an interview with The Guardian, the 13-strong company said that revenues are expected to hit more than £9m up from £7.4m last year. Sebba also has his eyes on branching outside the central London lunch trade. He said: “Our initial plan was to capture the core central London market and get the best locations we could. We’re now looking at other opportunities and types of location, whether it is travel, tourism or food courts.” Earlier this spring, the business launched its first site outside its central London heartland, with an opening at Chiswick Business Park. Sebba told Propel: “This is something a little different for us – opening outside of our core central London heartland.  We have been working with the landlord and its site team on this for some time having reached out to us. We love its ethos, and the feedback we have had from the campus workers has been phenomenal.” The business now comprises 13 stores, with high-profile central London locations including Cheapside, Baker Street and Victoria. Sebba said: “Diversifying outside of central London is something that has interested us for some time. We believe there’s a clear demand for our freshly-made-to-order healthy and delicious food with a wider audience, and the local interest in this opening certainly suggests that’s true.” Neil Sebba, MD of Tossed, will be among the speakers at the Propel Multi-Club Conference and summer party on Thursday, 5 September. To book, email jo.charity@propelinfo.com. A room can also be booked for the evening. For more details, email jo.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

Bobo Social owner could reopen Fitzrovia site, four to five sites in London ‘would be great’: Mike Benson, owner of London modern European brand Bobo Social, has said he could reopen the brand’s former site in Fitzrovia later this year, and that four to five sites in the capital “would be great”. Benson, former operations director at Supperclub London, launched the first Bobo Social in Charlotte Street in 2014, closing it after the pandemic and launched in Elephant & Castle's Elephant Park. Having last month launched a new site in Ealing’s new Filmworks development, Benson took the decision to also close the Elephant Park site but told Propel he is open to launching further locations. “It wasn’t working at Elephant so we moved the whole team to Ealing, which has actually helped as everyone knows the concept already,” he said. “We still have the Charlotte Street venue, which we use for private hire, but we may relaunch it – it’s something we’re looking at. Four to five sites in London would be great, but Ealing is the current focus. We’re looking at organic growth and we’re watching what happens at Ealing closely. We get approaches every month or so, but the game is a lot harder now, to just roll out and franchise. We could do a site in somewhere like Windsor, but we need to keep control of it in London, and opening in Covent Garden would be a dream.”

 

Wingers looking expand into the north and Scotland as it targets 20 stores by the end of 2024, exploring further travel hub opportunities: Buttermilk fried chicken restaurant concept Wingers is looking to expand into the north and Scotland as it targets 20 stores by the end of 2024, and is also exploring further travel hub opportunities. The brand, set up during the pandemic by brothers Amran and Dylan Sunner and their dad Bill, has grown to 11 sites after opening five new franchise locations this year. As previously revealed by Propel, these include its first travel hub location – at Birmingham International train station, and first taproom – at the former Bun and Barrell pub in Harborne. Other launches this year have included Telford, Watford and West Bridgford, as the business also works towards a longer-term target of 50 sites by 2028. Amran Sunner, co-founder and operations director, said: “The demand for our fresh buttermilk fried chicken continues to grow and we have taken on new franchisees, plus all of our existing franchisees are now operating multi-unit sites offering eat-in, take away or delivery. Even our first franchisee who was with us before the brand became well known, is now looking at a second site. At the taproom, we have enabled an existing bar to offer their own in-house chicken, and our successful site at Birmingham International has opened up discussions with other major transport operators in the region. Since we initially set up from our dark kitchen in June 2020, it's been a huge learning curve, and we have now put all the infrastructure in place including the right team members plus our own in-house marination facility and national marketing. We are now ready to take Wingers to new heights, so we are now looking to work with more quick service restaurant professionals and experienced business people to manage our planned pipeline of stores on a franchised basis in key development areas including the north east and north west, on the M1 and M6 corridors and in cities like Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield. We are also looking into expanding in Scotland, in Edinburgh and Glasgow.”

 

Belgian indoor electric karting concept set to open first UK site: Belgian indoor electric karting concept BattleKart, which combines indoor karting and video games, is set to open its first UK site. Founded in 2015, BattleKarts has since grown to circa 30 sites in Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and the Middle East. The franchise is being brought to the UK by couple Paul Scriven and Carly Warner, who came across the idea on social media a few years ago, reports Insider Media. They will open BattleKart Sittingbourne in Kent, offering guests "the chance to step inside a life-size video game". The experience allows for between two and 12 drivers to bump, dodge and race without crashing, combining the physical thrill of karting with the strategy of video gaming. Ken Brennan, director of BattleKart Sittingbourne, said: “We’re very excited to bring BattleKart to the UK as it offers something new and original, whether it’s for small groups of friends and family, birthday parties, hen and stag parties, or corporate team building events. Above all else, it’s great fun! If you’re old enough to remember playing Snake on your phone, you’ll love being inside the game, gathering fruits, blocking your opponents and aiming to be the longest snake at the end of the session. BattleKart is at the heart of our new Battle Games Kent concept, which will also see the arrival of VR and arcade gaming later this year combining the latest technology and games, with arcade nostalgia that will allow visitors to take a trip down memory lane.”

Sandbox VR UK franchisee overfunding after reaching £500,000 target: VR Entertainment, the UK franchisee of Sandbox VR, is overfunding after reaching its crowdfunding target of £500,000. The business launched its campaign through Crowdcube last week, which it said would aid its growth ambition to operate 30 venues across the UK and Ireland by 2031. The brand currently operates circa 50 venues globally including two in the UK. VR Entertainment has so far raised £518,556 through the campaign from 124 investors. VR Entertainment has a pre-money valuation of £10m. Andy Scanlon co-founded VR Entertainment with university friend Jake Wilmot-Sitwell four years ago to take on the UK & Ireland master franchise for the brand, which was founded by Steve Zhao in 2016. The first UK Sandbox VR opened in London in 2022, followed by a second in Birmingham’s Grand Central, last summer. The company said: “We are now raising to accelerate Sandbox VR’s planned expansion to 30 venues across the UK & Ireland by 2031, with plans to open three venues (two in London and one in Birmingham) over the next 18 months.”

 

Michelin-starred Australian barbecue concept scraps plans to make UK debut in Harrods: Michelin-starred Australian barbecue concept Burnet Ends has scrapped plans to make its UK debut in Harrods. Burnt Ends was founded by Dave Pynt, who hails from Australian but opened his restaurant in Singapore, having operated an earlier version of it, Burnt Endz, at Climpson’s in London. Pynt announced on Instagram last year that he would be bringing Burnt Ends to the luxury London department store, but those hopes have now ended. “Despite our best efforts over the past year, we couldn’t overcome the challenges of installing our four-tonne wood burning ovens and grills in the historic grade II-listed building,” read a post on the restaurant's Instagram page. “As a result, we’ve mutually ended our partnership.” A statement from Harrods added: “For over a year, Harrods and Dave Pynt have been working closely to bring his celebrated Burnt Ends concept to London. Despite working tirelessly to bring Burnt Ends pioneering open fire and barbeque vision inside Harrods to fruition, it has ultimately proved too challenging within Harrods historic grade II-listed building. Being unable to overcome these physical challenges, it is regrettable that the partnership has come to an end. We wish Dave and the entire team at Burnt Ends the very best.”

 

SSP opens ‘UK’s busiest Starbucks site’, at Heathrow airport: SSP, the operator of food and beverage outlets in travel locations worldwide, has opened what it said it is the UK’s busiest Starbucks site, at Heathrow airport. At 252 square feet, the store, in the airside departures area of Terminal 5, has 50 seats and nine coffee machines. The store features two separate counters and offers Starbucks’ summer menu, which launched last week and includes the new iced white mocha with strawberry cream cold foam and the iced white chocolate pistachio oat shaken espresso. “This new store at Terminal 5 is our flagship Starbucks at the country's flagship airport,” said Kari Daniels, chief executive of SSP UK & Ireland. “The customer journey and efficiency are at the heart of our operations, and we’ve made sure that the design of this new store allows for quick and easy service for passengers on the go. We’ve also ensured the store is future proofed to manage growing customer numbers into the future.” Duncan Moir, Starbucks EMEA president, added: “The UK remains a key market for Starbucks and this opening marks another important step in our growth and investment plans, in partnership with our long-standing licensees, including SSP.” The store opening builds on SSP and Starbucks’ long-term partnership, which began 17 years ago. The first joint store opened at Heathrow in 2012, and SSP now operates four across the terminals. This summer, Heathrow expects to see more records broken, with an estimated 30 million passengers travelling through its terminals. The forecast comes after Heathrow served a record-breaking 81.5 million passengers in the 12 months to May.

 

Popeyes opens 50th UK site: Popeyes UK, the US fried chicken quick service restaurant brand backed here by TDR Capital, has opened its landmark 50th UK site since launching in the UK in November 2021. The location, in Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street, is also the brand’s 17th opening this year and is the first Popeyes in the UK to stay open until midnight every day from opening day. Tom Crowley, chief executive at Popeyes UK, said: “Scottish chicken lovers have continued show their support, and they certainly rose to the challenge to celebrate our 50th UK opening with incredible energy, queueing for an unbelievable 23 hours before we opened the doors.” Last month, Popeyes UK said it is set to open a further 15 outlets in Britain this year as it works towards its next half-century. It also launched a value box meal for under £10, available nationwide in its sites, and for delivery from Tuesday, 16 July.

 

Midlands better burger business set to open in Mansfield for 15th site: Midlands better burger business Phat Buns is set to open in Mansfield for its 15th site. Founded in 2019, Phat Buns is owned by Hussein Sacranie and Ahtesham Moosa, who have grown it to 13 locations – with sites in Liverpool and Wolverhampton also in the pipeline. “We’re thrilled to announce that our 15th store is currently under fit out in Mansfield and will be opening very soon,” Sacranie said. “This is a huge milestone for the Phat Buns family,and we can't wait to welcome you to our newest location. Thank you for your continued support, and here’s to many more delicious milestones together!” Sacranie said earlier this year that Phat Buns had a current pipeline to reach 20 sites in the UK and was working on deals for international locations in Canada and the UAE.

 

The Dusty Knuckle launches mobile cafe in north London: East London bakery and cafe The Dusty Knuckle has expanded into the north of the capital with the launch of a mobile cafe in Highbury Fields. Its bakery-in-a-van will be parked up next to the tennis courts for the next 12 to 18 months, joining its permanent locations in Dalston and Haringey, reports Hot Dinners. The bakery will have a selection of bread alongside pastries and cheese toasties, with a few new menu items planned too. There will also coffee from Origin coffee roasters available every day from 8am to 4.30pm.

London brewery Bohem opens second site: London brewery Bohem has opened its second venue. The company has acquired the lease of the Nicholas Nickleby pub in Finsbury Park and reopened after an extensive refurbishment, serving a range of beer brewed in authentic Czech style at the Bohem brewery in Tottenham. The Nicholas Nickleby joins the original Bohem Brewery Tap Room in Bowes Park as a brewery-owned and managed venue. The beer range includes an exclusive new Bohem beer, Nikolas, is named after the Czech variant of Nicholas and is a 4.2% Czech black lager. Alongside the Bohem range is a tap highlighting beer from its microbrewery neighbour, Gravity Well. There will also be a rotating choice of guest beer from other craft brewers alongside imported Czech wine and spirits. A range of bar food is also on offer. Bohem director and co-founder Petr Scocek said: “Our original Tap Room is a very popular local venue, but it’s small. The plan was always to expand, but it’s taken far longer than we hoped due to the impact of the lockdown and the ongoing challenges facing the hospitality sector. It was also important that we found the right venue, and we’re delighted to be up and running at the Nicholas Nickleby. We haven’t set out to recreate a Czech style beer hall. We’re a London brewer and we’re running a proper London pub, but with a Czech twist.”

 

Leeds bakery kiosk launches ‘biggest project to date’ with second site in Sheffield’s Meadowhall: Leeds bakery kiosk business Batch’d, which champions small-batch bakeries in the north, has launched its “biggest project to date” with a second site within Sheffield's Meadowhall. Located within the shopping centre's Oasis dining quarter, it is the 24 Batch’d site in total. Founded by Dave Richmond in 2021, the first Batch’d kiosk opened in 2022, serving a “huge selection of baked goods” including artisan brownies and cookies. The new site will also offer speciality coffees, iced drinks, milkshakes, coolers and its new range of Scoop’d ice cream, which launched earlier this year. “Introducing our brand-new flagship in the heart of Meadowhall's Oasis dining quarter,” said managing director Harry Clavane. “Our biggest project to date see's our second site launch at Meadowhall.”

 

Social Pantry secures two new partnerships including Old Bailey: Social Pantry, the London operator and events caterer backed by Edition Capital, has secured two new exclusive venue partnerships with the City of London corporation. From 1 September, Social Pantry will deliver its “socially and environmentally conscious catering” at The Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) and Mansion House. It comes after the business was appointed as the exclusive caterer for Tower Bridge earlier this year. The new partnerships will see Social Pantry manage all aspects of the catering within the prestigious venues, including a total of 13 unique catering concepts. Among these are Mansion House's The Egyptian Hall, which can host dinners for up to 350 guests, and The Central Criminal Court's Grand Hall and Judges Dining Room, which can accommodate up to 350 and 80 guests respectively. Social Pantry's menus focus on zero-waste initiatives and are globally inspired yet locally sourced, using local ingredients and sustainable suppliers. Alex Head, founder and chief executive of Social Pantry, said: “The team are really looking forward to putting these iconic venues on the map for events. As an independent caterer, we're extremely proud to win this contract with the City of London Corporation and bring our sustainable, ethical approach to the catering at these venues.” Social Pantry, founded in 2011, currently working with more than 70 iconic venues across London and the UK including Somerset House, The National Gallery and The Royal Academy of Arts.

 

Brighton Argentinian restaurant set to open second site: Brighton family-run Argentinian restaurant Malo is set to open a second site this summer. Malo, which already has a restaurant in Duke Street, will be opening a second venue in St James' Street, within the Kemptown area of the city. The original site opened in 2019, offering 15 different varieties of empanadas – crescent-shaped pastries made of dough and filled with a variety of ingredients including savoury and sweet. It also offers deli goods and sandwiches. A spokesman for Malo said: “We are so excited to share that we will be opening our second location this summer in Kemptown. Expanding our small family business has been a dream of ours for years, and we can't wait to share our new home with you. Thank you to all our wonderful customers and team for making this possible. See you soon, Kemptown.”

 

Doncaster cafe owner opens second site: Doncaster cafe owner John Smith has opened a second site in the town. Smith, who launched The Latte Lounge at 20 St Sepulchre Gate last year, has now opened Coffeespoons within the town’s Frenchgate shopping centre. The 770,000 square-foot shopping centre was last week acquired by Sports Direct owner, Frasers Group.

 

Property developer acquires Birmingham canalside development home to All Bar One, Wagamama, Cosy Club and Slug & Lettuce: Property developer Sterling Property Ventures has acquired a Birmingham canalside development that is home to Mitchells & Butlers’ (M&B) All Bar One brand, The Restaurant Group-owned Wagamama, Loungers brand Cosy Club and Stonegate Group's Slug & Lettuce brand. Sterling has snapped up Water's Edge in Brindleyplace from British Airways (BA) Pensions Trustees. The 62,000 square-foot scheme, which has 12 units fully let, has been owned by BA since it was developed in 1994. The acquisition is Sterling’s second since it set up its asset management and investment arm last autumn. The business acquired M&B’s Birmingham headquarters, at 27 Fleet Street and 65 Lionel Street, from Legal & General earlier this year in a £46m deal. James Howarth, Sterling’s managing director, said: “The Water’s Edge enjoys a prominent location at Brindleyplace and is one of the best performing regional restaurant/bar schemes in the UK.” The Water’s Edge is part of a mixed portfolio of seven commercial property assets acquired from BA for £236m.