Doner Shack looking to roll out own delivery network, pivoting away from shopping centres to focus on the high street: Fast casual kebab brand Doner Shack has told Propel it is looking to roll out its own delivery network following a successful trial, and is pivoting away from shopping centres to focus on the high street. “Our business model has changed significantly,” founder Sanjeev Sanghera said. “We always thought of Doner Shack as a premium fast-food brand but realised we were going to have to be a lot more open minded, and a big part of that was looking at the delivery partners we use. We set up our own delivery network in Glasgow to give us more brand presence, and kids are now pointing out our Doner Shack bikes to their parents. Sales are up 32% year on year in our Silverburn store, and 60% on delivery alone, which had been a very small part of our business. This was due to the fees charged by third party aggregators, but now we have our own rider network we’ve opened up a whole new sector that is growing week by week. We just relaunched at Manchester’s Arndale centre, and we will be doing delivery from there as well. Now we’ve given our UK franchise partners the green light to start to look for sites again, one of our partners in Scotland is looking specifically for delivery sites. It is a totally different route to market, and where we had a capex of £550,000, that’s now down to £250,000-£300,000 on these smaller stores. There is much more opportunity in 1,200 than 2,500 square feet.” As well as Glasgow and Manchester, Doner Shack, which relaunched its franchise programme earlier this year, also currently operates in Leeds but is in the process of relocating its Trinity Kitchen site there. “We realised we were struggling in shopping centres because we couldn’t operate the hours we wanted to,” Sanghera said. “Kebab shops do really well next to late-night clubs and pubs. We want to be in and among student areas and we want to very much be a high street brand. Will only look at shopping centres if it’s a really key location.” He added: “We’ve got franchisees right across the UK and we also need to establish ourselves as a major player in the regions we already operate in. We have a number of Glasgow stores in the pipeline and hope to have two open by the end of the year. We need to create that hub and then start to look further afield.”

 

Final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2024 open for bookings with free places for operators, Tesco Hospitality MD Adam Martin to speak: The final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2024 has opened for bookings. The full-day conference – titled “new directions, new ideas” – takes place on Wednesday, 30 October at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London Kensington. Among the speakers will be Adam Martin, managing director of Tesco Hospitality. He will talk about evolving the food and beverage offer across circa 500 in-store cafes at the UK’s leading supermarket business, how the company stays on top of consumer trends and its work with sector brands. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Operators can book up to three free places per company while Premium Club members who are operators can book up to four free places. To book, email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.

 

Premium Club members to receive new searchable and segmented New Openings Database today: The next Propel New Openings Database will be sent to Premium Club members today (Friday, 6 September). The database will show the details of 240 site openings, including which company has opened a site or its plans to open one in the future. It 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 members will also receive a 12,460-word report on the 240 new additions to the database. The database is now 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. New openings in the quick service restaurant sector include Popeyes, opening its first “park and serve” drive-thru; and Winging It and East Side Pizza, which are both opening at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London’s Stratford. Premium Club members also receive access to five other databases: the Multi-Site Database, the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who’s Who of UK Hospitality. All Premium Clubs members will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events including the Talent and Training Conference (1 October), Restaurant Marketer and Innovator (two days in January 2025) and Excellence in Pub Retail (May 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.

 

Chris Webb elected chair of All-Party Parliamentary Group for Hospitality and Tourism: Chris Webb, Labour MP for Blackpool South, has been elected chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Hospitality and Tourism. Damian Hinds (Conservative, East Hampshire), Caroline Voaden (Lib Dem, South Devon) and Daniel Aldridge (Labour, Weston-super-Mare) have also been voted in as vice chairs. The group acts as a vehicle for backbench parliamentarians, from both the Houses of Commons and Lords, to influence the government’s policy making on the issues key to hospitality and tourism. Webb said hospitality and tourism are sectors close to both his heart and his constituency. “They are the beating heart of coastal towns like Blackpool, supporting thousands of jobs, bringing in millions in revenue and helping to regenerate communities,” he added. “The cross-party support the group has reinforces this positive impact and demonstrate the commitment to the sector from across parliament. I’m looking forward to working with the APPG to champion causes critical to hospitality and tourism and being one their loudest advocates in parliament.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a retailer with an international presence that is seeking an IT service delivery manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “They will be leading a small team to ensure a seamless and effective service desk, working closely with other departments and building relationships with suppliers. As the business grows, they will have the opportunity to expand their skills into different areas, so an entrepreneurial approach and inquisitive mind would really suit this position/business.” The salary is up to £60,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email hayley@corecruitment.com.

 

Pizza Pilgrims strengthens London presence with King’s Road opening: Pizza Pilgrims, the pizzeria brand, is set to strengthen its presence in London with an opening in Chelsea, Propel has learned. Pizza Pilgrims has agreed a deal with The Sloane Stanley Estate for 219 King’s Road. Pizza Pilgrims will open the 2,200 square-foot space in mid-November, providing up to 80 covers both inside and out, as well as an intimate basement dining room that can transform into “Cinema Paradiso”, delivering an experiential element. Pizza Pilgrims co-founder Thom Elliot said: “We are excited to be opening in such an iconic street in London. We fell in love with the site when we first set eyes on it – and as always are excited to bring something a bit different to the Pizza Pilgrims experience with a unique, Capri-inspired design and fun cinema space downstairs. Our dad ran a pub off the King’s Road many moons ago – so it has always been a special place to us.” Pizza Pilgrims said it typically opens six new sites each year. A new restaurant is scheduled to open in London’s King’s Cross in November, while its debut Scottish restaurant, in Edinburgh, is set to launch by December. Miles Commercial and Levy Real Estate represented the Sloane Stanley Estate on the King’s Road deal.

 

Immersive museum brand to make UK debut: Museum of Illusions, the world’s largest and fastest-growing brand of private museums, is to make its UK debut. The attraction will arrive in Market Street, Manchester, on Friday, 27 September. Museum of Illusions Manchester will offer a “mind-bending, immersive experience” that combines entertainment with education, pioneering the innovative concept of “edutainment”. In addition to the brand’s signature exhibits such as the “walk-in kaleidoscope”, “vortex tunnel” and “infinity room”, visitors will be treated to custom-made installations that celebrate the city’s culture and heritage. Examples include “The Reversed Room” – an interactive tram-inspired illusion; and “The Building Illusion”, where visitors can appear to hang from an iconic Manchester building. Steven Buchan, general manager at Museum of Illusions, said: “We are delighted to have chosen Manchester as the first UK location for Museum of Illusions as it’s known for its vibrant cultural scene, rich history and reputation as a hub for innovation and creativity. The Manchester location will offer a unique experience that blends our globally recognised exhibits with specially curated installations inspired by the city’s iconic landmarks and cultural heritage, making it distinct from our other locations around the world.” Founded in Croatia in 2015, Museum of Illusions has more than 50 locations across 25 countries and in excess of 15 million visitors globally. A new report has been produced by Propel on the fast-growing experiential leisure sector. The report profiles the current shape of the experiential leisure market – including brands, estate size, trading type and geographical location and future trends. It provides a detailed list of UK experiential leisure companies including key staff and Companies House information. The report includes more than 180 companies, 3,500 sites and a 35,000-word report. The report is available for £595 plus VAT although Premium Club members can receive the report for £395 plus VAT. The report will be made available for free to existing Premium members on Tuesday (10 September) at 9am. Email: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to order a copy.

 

Columbo Group reports record turnover: The Columbo Group, led by Steve Ball and Riz Shaikh, has reported record turnover for the year ending 31 December 2023. The ten-strong group saw revenue grow 10% to £44,430,258 from £40,239,741. Of that, £26,662,794 came from drink sales (2022: £25,755,199), £7,468,299 from food sales (2022: £5,752,160), £6,732,059 from door sales (2022: £6,064,183) and £3,567,106 in sundry sales (2022: £2,715,077). Pre-tax profit increased 4% to £4,437,850 from £4,264,045 the previous year. Ball, who before partnering with Sheikh was behind iconic London nightclub Fabric, told Propel that trading in 2024 has been “steady” and “broadly in line with last year”. He added: “I’m genuinely proud of how the business is doing.” Ball said the group was looking at a couple of expansion opportunities, “but nothing is over the line yet”. A dividend of £1,000,000 was paid (2022: £582,333). The group, which employs circa 400 staff, has nine trading sites – six of which are freehold and three leasehold. The company also owns the freehold of The Salisbury Hotel in Green Lanes, which is leased by Remarkable Pubs. The Columbo Group also promotes and produces music shows and some music festivals. 

 

Bird & Blend Tea Co to launch in Sheffield today for 20th UK site: Independent tea business Bird & Blend Tea Co will launch a store in Sheffield today (Friday, 6 September) for its 20th in the UK. The opening, on the corner of Pinstone Street and Cross Burgess Street, follows recent launches in Canterbury and Newcastle. The Sheffield shop will showcase Bird & Blend’s range of tea, as well as a matcha tea range, alongside a range of tea tools and utensils and a takeaway bar. Tea flavours include Birthday Cake, MojiTEA and Chocolate Digestive, alongside favourites like Builders Breakfast Brew and Earl Grey Crème, reports Insider Media. Co-founder Mike Turner said: “Alongside the fast growth of the digital side of our business, we’re proudly continuing to invest in local high streets too. As a brand, we seek out locations where we believe we align. The regeneration in Sheffield city centre is remarkable, and we wanted to be a part of that. For us, there will always be a place for magical in-person experiences, and we’re delighted to be arriving in Sheffield.”

 

Kricket founders open second site for speakeasy concept: Rik Campbell and Will Bowlby, founders of Indian restaurant group Kricket, have opened a second site for their speakeasy concept, Soma, in London’s Canary Wharf. After making its debut in Denman Street in Soho in September 2021, Soma 2.0 has launched adjacent to the Kricket restaurant, in Frobisher Passage. Named after the Hindu moon god, the bar offers a menu of drinks inspired by the diverse flavours of the Indian subcontinent and surrounding regions. The central bar can seat up to 50 covers and is concealed from street view. An intimate lounge room adjacent to the bar can be closed off for private events. Campbell and Bowlby founded Kricket in 2015, offering Indian-inspired cuisine that “fuses British ingredients with the vibrant flavours of India”. Originating as a 20-seater in a shipping container at Pop Brixton, Kricket has expanded to four permanent locations, complemented by a delivery service. Last month, the company revealed plans for a fifth site, in Shoreditch, which will also feature a Soma 2.0. Campbell and Bowlby said they are looking to expand organically both in the UK and internationally having secured new funding last year from existing backer White Rabbit Projects, alongside additional funds from the founders.

 

London restaurant group Maginhawa to launch second site for its Filipino bakery concept today: London restaurant group Maginhawa will launch a second site for its Filipino bakery concept, Panadera, today (Friday, 6 September). Opening at 7 Picton Place in Marylebone, it adds to the company’s original Panadera site in Kentish Town, which opened in 2021. It is the latest launch for Omar Shah and Florence Mae Maglanoc, who are also behind Donia, Bintang, Mamasons, Ramo Ramen and Moi Moi Island.

 

PizzaExpress launches retail range of pasta recipe mixes: PizzaExpress has launched a retail range of pasta recipe mixes. The company has partnered with Schwartz to develop the trio of flavours – spicy beef and pepper pasta bake, garlic and basil and tomato and herb. The mixes serve four, can be ready to serve in a little as 20 minutes and cost £1.19 (RRP). The recipe mixes, which represent Schwartz’s biggest restaurant partnership to date, launched in more than 400 Morrisons stores this week and will be followed by other UK retailers. PizzaExpress retail director Richard Mills said: “As the original casual dining brand to launch into retail more than 20 years ago, we’re always looking for new and exciting ways to innovate and grow our retail range, from our chilled and frozen ranges to now our new seasoning mixes. Pasta remains a go-to midweek option for so many Brits, and alongside the option to buy our pasta ready-made via retail, these high-quality recipe mixes mean families can have fun enjoying making some of our most famous flavours in their own kitchens.”

 

Long Chim confirms UK debut: Long Chim, the Thai restaurant concept from David Thompson, has confirmed it will make its UK debut next month. Propel reported earlier this week that Long Chim was opening as part of the site currently housing Hovarda in Rupert Street in London’s Soho. Long Chim will take space on the ground floor of the site and has now confirmed it will open in October. The residency will run into early 2025, with a spokeswoman telling Propel there are plans to rotate leading chefs with a permanent location at Hovarda. Thompson left London for his adopted home in Bangkok more than ten years ago but is now making his return to the capital. Patipan Jipromma, currently head chef at Thompson’s Michelin-starred Aksorn restaurant in Bangkok, will lead the kitchen team throughout the residency. Thompson said: “Long Chim is intended to be fun, with food and drinks that everyone loves. Our menu has all the dishes that Thais miss the most when away from home.” Thompson was originally planning to open a Long Chim in London’s Chinatown but those plans were paused. Long Chim is backed by Aylmer Aaharn, which was co-founded by Simon Dewhurst and Thompson in 2011. It currently runs Long Chim restaurants in Australia, in Sydney and Perth, with a further site set to open on the Gold Coast. Pre-pandemic, Thompson was linked with opening a Long Chim site in Battersea. Dewhurst is also a backer of Marceline, the new brasserie which opened in Canary Wharf this summer, and is also backed by the team behind Hovarda. Mediterranean concept Hovarda is set to open a second site in the space under Marceline at Wood Wharf later this autumn.

 

Newcastle craft burger concept secures Manchester site: Newcastle craft burger concept Burger Drop has secured a site in Manchester for its north west debut. Burger Drop, founded in 2020 by Hasan Hamid and Amer Qayyum, has two sites in its home city and this summer opened its first franchise location, at 177 Whitley Road in Whitley Bay. A Sunderland site, at 12 Derwent Road, will open later this year, along with a first Scottish site, in central Edinburgh. It has now secured a site in Manchester’s Wilmslow Road, as it looks to expand across the UK through franchising. “North west, we’re coming,” Hamid said. “Excited to be partnering with another amazing franchisee team to bring burger drop to the famous Wilmslow Road in Manchester. What a story we’re building, and its only year one!” Hamid told Propel in January that he is targeting 150 stores over the next decade.

 

Swedish-influenced cafe concept Fika launches new concept for fourth location and London debut: Fika, the Lincolnshire-based Swedish-influenced café concept, has launched a new concept for its fourth location and London debut. It has secured £25,000 funding from First Enterprise, under the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme, to open a new location under a new name, Juni, at 230b Dalston Lane in north London. Ivo Nanev and Tia Naneva, former employees of Fika, bought the business during the first covid-19 lockdown. “The funding support has been crucial for our expansion plans,” they told The Business Desk. “This finance will allow us to bring our unique brunch experience to more customers with our new Juni café, furthering our mission to offer innovative, high-quality brunch options in a vibrant setting.” The company took over Fika in Mill Street, Oakham, Rutland, in 2020, and opened a second site in High Street, Stamford, the following year, and a third site, at the Woolfox country club in Stamford, in 2022. In December, Propel reported that the company was set to make its London debut after securing the Dalston Lane site.

 

Boojum confirms opening date for Nottingham site: Mexican fast-casual brand Boojum, which was acquired by the Azzurri Group last summer, has confirmed the opening date for its second UK mainland restaurant, in Nottingham. Following its launch on the mainland in Leeds in April, Boojum will open a 42-cover, 2,377 square-foot restaurant in Nottingham’s Lower Parliament Street on Friday, 20 September. Established in 2007 in Belfast, Boojum has 17 outlets across Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK mainland. Boojum head of operations Rob Powell said: “Following our huge Leeds opening earlier this year, we're excited to announce the launch date of our Nottingham restaurant. Our team has been working hard over the last few months to create our new space and we can’t wait to welcome our first customers. We will also be offering a multi-channel experience, with our loyalty scheme and order ahead on the Boojum app and delivery available on all the major delivery platforms.” Propel revealed at the end of January that Boojum plans to open 25 sites over the next five years in major UK student cities.

 

Hotel and leisure group falls to loss as UK leisure market remains ‘difficult’: Hotel and leisure group Calcot Health & Leisure has reported turnover increased to £13,610,858 for the year ending 31 December 2023 compared with £13,003,317 the year before. The group, which operates the Calcot Manor and Painswick hotels in the Cotswolds and The Lord Crewe Arms Hotel in Northumberland, posted a pre-tax loss of £30,587 compared with a profit of £376,649 the previous year. In his report accompanying the accounts, director Richard Ball stated: “The results reflect the continued difficult conditions in the UK leisure market, with upward pressure on staff and utilities costs. They are also impacted by the costs of a long-term refinancing, as part of a significant investment in the facilities at the company's main Calcot site. The company has reacted to reduce its cost base by combining the two restaurants at Calcot into one unit.” No dividend was paid (2022: nil). The company employs circa 225 staff.

 

Focus Hotels to operate first DoubleTree by Hilton in Derry: DoubleTree by Hilton is set to open its first site in Derry following a franchise agreement with the longstanding owners of the City Hotel. Set to open in 2025 following a £7m renovation, the 158-room hotel will feature a bar and restaurant, ballroom, meeting rooms and a wellness club with swimming pool. Adjacent to the Quayside Shopping Centre in Queens Quay, the hotel will be managed by Focus Hotels. Graham Dodd, managing director development UK & Ireland at Hilton, said: "Our debut in the city marks a significant step in Hilton’s further expansion across Northern Ireland. With rising tourism demand in the region, we’re excited to be working with Focus Hotels to introduce the warm hospitality that DoubleTree by Hilton is known for globally.” Current directors Patrick and Gay Durkan, Lawrence Duddy, Gregory McCartney and Eleanor McCartney Logue will continue to own the hotel locally.

 

Lancashire operator acquires second hotel: The owner of The Lawrence Hotel in Padiham, Lancashire, has acquired his second property as he looks to expand his portfolio in the north of England. Michael Huckerby, who opened The Lawrence Hotel in 2019 after previously developing Manchester's Simple Bar & Kitchen into a three-site business, has secured the 15-bedroom Whitehall Hotel & Restaurant in Darwen. The property, previously owned by Neil and Tracey Bullows since 2003, was put up for sale in February 2023, with an asking price of £1.25m. “We are thrilled to be taking over the Whitehall hotel and will be looking to start a rolling refurbishment, to bring the building back to its former Victorian glory,” Huckerby said. The Whitehall Hotel & Restaurant was originally built as a private residence in 1898 and has two function suites, a restaurant and a gin bar with a distillery.

 

McDonald’s set to move into former Leon unit in Oxford: McDonald’s is set to open a new store in a former branch of healthy fast food business Leon in Oxford. McDonald's is set to take over a unit in the city’s Cornmarket, which Leon occupied from 2016 until closing last year. As part of the move, McDonald’s will close its nearby restaurant in Carfax, reports the Oxford Mail. Last month, The Times reported McDonald’s plans to open more than 200 restaurants in the UK and the Republic of Ireland over the next four years, creating 24,000 jobs. The expansion, its biggest since 2002, is part of a £1bn investment by the brand and its franchisees and will see a renewed focus on opening high street restaurants by the company.

 

North east operator opens second site with wine bar launch: North east operator Craig Lappin-Smith has opened a second site with the launch of a new wine bar in the city. Lappin-Smith, who co-owns tasting menu concept Coarse in Reform Place with chef Ruari MacKay, has entered into a partnership with sommelier Daniel Jonberger for Crush Wine Bar, at 76 North Road. Jonberger has previously worked at Rockliffe Hall and the two Michelin-starred Raby Hunt – both in Darlington. “It’s great for me to have this partnership with Craig,” he said. “I can do the wine side and the front of house side and Craig can do the business side of things. I’ve had a great partnership with Craig after doing wine pairings for Coarse and Isla by Coarse, so it was the next step to do my own thing. I think there’s a real gap in the market for a place like this in Durham.” Crush’s offering includes a “wall of wine”, available by the bottle or by the glass, while future plans include winemaker events and food pop-ups.

 

Burger King to open in former The Chinese Buffet site in Liverpool: Burger King is set to open a new branch in a former The Chinese Buffet unit in Liverpool. Burger King will open in The Aerodrome, an old airport complex building opposite the new Mersey Shopping Centre in Speke, reports the Liverpool Echo. The Chinese Buffet opened its first branch at Speke in 2018 before expanding further afield but closed its debut location in January 2023. It now has sites in Bolton, Bury and St Helens. During the pandemic, the business used robots to deliver dishes to customers who ordered via a special app. Before The Chinese Buffet, the building housed a Damon's restaurant, which opened in 1992 and was known for its trademark ribs, before closing in 2017. Damon's began life in the US, in East Columbus, in 1979, before going international in 1988, with other UK restaurants in places such as Sheffield and Derby, but currently operates just one site here, in Lincoln.

 

Bristol Greek restaurant owner set to open wine bar in the city: The owner of a Greek restaurant in Bristol is set to open a new wine bar in the city. Christina Kremmyda, who owns Hat Bistro in Denmark Street, has applied to open a licenced premises at 35 King Street. The grade II-listed building is currently home to Indian restaurant The Raj, and the wine bar would take over former office space located at the property. The application states it would serve cold and hot food by way of meze and small plates, reports Bristol Live.

 

Roji chefs set to launch new ‘neo-izakaya’ concept: Tamas Naszai and Tomoko Hasegawa, chefs at Roji omakase restaurant in London’s Mayfair, are set to launch a new “neo-izakaya” concept in nearby Soho. The pair will this autumn temporarily close Roji to open Himi, taking over the former Ino site in Newburgh Street. Himi, which means “taste of Japan”, is modelled on Tokyo’s neo-izakaya restaurants, with modern interpretations of Japanese classics, letting the chefs work outside of a more traditional omakase setting. There will be a rotating à la carte offering, a weekday lunch set and a curated wine and sake list, reports Hot Dinners. “For our next challenge, we’ve created a restaurant that really gives that true homely izakaya atmosphere, which we always seek out when back in Japan,” the duo said.