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Tue 17th Sep 2024 - Propel Tuesday News Briefing |
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Story of the Day:Exclusive – Chopstix to make debut in Europe, in a ‘very strong position to explore opportunities in new markets’: Chopstix Group, the operator of the eponymous, fast-growing, quick service restaurant brand, is to open its first site in continental Europe this month and said it is in a “very strong position to explore opportunities in new markets”. The Jon Lake-led business will open in Romania’s busiest airport – Bucharest Henri Coandă International – which it said will be a landmark step in its long-term expansion plans. The airport serviced more than 14 million travellers last year and the new site will be located in the departure terminal, on the ground floor of the food court. Operating under the Chozen Noodle brand, the site will be managed by experienced airport service provider, Dnata, the first site the Chopstix Group has opened with the franchisee. Chopstix Group said the launch of its first site outside the UK and Ireland demonstrates the strong potential of the business to expand into new markets and follows significant effort developing the group’s supply chain in continental Europe. It said that by fostering strong relationships with international partners such as Dnata, the group aims to grow a global footprint and drive awareness for its brands among an international customer base. Lake said: “We are thrilled to be launching our first site outside of the UK and Ireland. This is a landmark moment for the business. We have worked hard to develop our supply chain in continental Europe, and we are now in a very strong position to explore opportunities in new markets. Dnata is a hugely experienced operator in the airport services space, so we see this as an ideal partnership to support our growth ambitions., and I have no doubt the Dnata team in Bucharest will have significant success with this unit. Our hope is the launch can act as a springboard for further growth across Europe and beyond for the Chopstix Group.” Last month, the company, which operates more than 150 sites across its Chopstix, Yangtze and Chozen Noodle brands, made its first move into the retail sector with the launch of its “Wok Pot” range into more than 500 Iceland & Food Warehouse stores across the UK.
Industry News:Sponsored message – Lincoln & York launches report into the changing habits of coffee consumers: Lincoln & York, one of the UK’s largest independent coffee roasters, blenders and packers, has released its latest consumer insight report, which explores everything operators need to know about consumers’ changing coffee habits. “The Coffee Culture Report” explores the latest trends in coffee, from ultra customisable and experimental coffee menus to changing roast preferences and the growth in dairy alternatives. Compiled by Lincoln & York’s team of coffee experts and category insight specialists, the report details how operators can stay ahead of the curve and take advantage of consumers’ changing tastes. Backed by 30 years of knowledge working with the biggest names in high street coffee, independent coffee shops and wider hospitality venues and retail, Lincoln & York’s free report can be downloaded here. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.
Final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2024 open for bookings with free places for operators, David Campbell 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. Speakers will include David Campbell, the former chief executive of PizzaExpress and Wagamama, and chair of Gaucho owner Rare Restaurants, and Ole & Steen. He will talk to Propel group editor Mark Wingett about the progress of both businesses and his take on the issues impacting the wider market. 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.
Next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality to be released on Friday featuring more than 237,000 words of content: The next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality will feature more than 237,000 words of content when it is released to Premium Club members on Friday (20 September), at midday. The database now features 878 companies, and this month’s edition includes seven new additions and 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, 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 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.
Burgerism co-founder – the dark kitchen is dead, VCs used to subsidise food delivery and now restaurants do: Mark Murphy, co-founder of Burgerism, the fast-growing, north west smash burger concept, has argued the food delivery landscape has changed dramatically since he launched the business seven years ago, and laid out his “seven biggest shifts” over that period. Murphy said: “1. Growth – in 2017, the average customer ordered 16 times per year, now marketplaces see customers ordering 80 times per year – or 1.5 times per week! 2. Venture capital funds used to subsidise food delivery – now restaurants do. Discounting is the bad habit that marketplaces have created. Marketplaces used to fund discounts (to win market share) but now they expect restaurants to fund discounts (30% restaurant funded discounts are now commonplace – and heavily loss-making). This is a huge issue that needs to be discussed. 3. Marketplaces have gone public. Deliveroo and Uber are public entities, which means profit now matters. This has changed the game – driver fees have been squeezed, customers are charged service fees on top of delivery fees (what is a service fee?) and restaurants are being crushed by commissions, sponsored post costs and discount-funding. 4. Restaurants have started to understand the importance of brand and packaging. Food delivery is e-commerce and the unboxing experience matters. 5. Tech has finally adapted. Fulfilling online and in-house orders at speed and with quality remains challenging but software has caught up and most restaurants have been able to cut the number of POS back down to one. 6. The dark kitchen is dead. The economics don’t work for anyone. Multi-brand real estate infrastructure is riddled with complexity and many of the operators have since folded. 7. Delivery drivers remain unaccountable. Nobody has control of the driver piece and so the customer experience is wildly volatile – food goes missing, orders never arrive, drivers use multiple accounts and delivery times are unpredictable. The customer almost expects slow and unreliable delivery – and too often the restaurant takes the brand damage/blame.”
Fast food restaurants in Bradford offering healthier food to combat obesity levels: Fast food restaurants in Bradford – a city where 70% of people are classed as being obese or overweight – are offering up healthier food to combat the problem. A joint project between Bradford Council and the NHS, and managed by charity Keighley Healthy Living, is working with takeaways from across the district – 120 of which have opened in the last six months – reports the BBC. Project development manager Helen Maguire said takeaways had become part of the daily diet for many and 82% of takeaway consumers her team spoke to would like the food they offer to be healthier. Waj Hussain, who is also part of the project, said takeaways want to be healthier but do not always have the resources to change their menu completely. “What’s working is instead of offering something completely separate, takeaways change the way they work,” he said. “Perhaps looking at some of the oil they use, offering smaller lower calorie alternatives and offering water for free.” The project has another two years to run, and takeaways that take part will be given 20 small steps that they can take to make their food healthier. Earlier this year, plans to ban new takeaways opening across most of Newcastle in an effort to combat obesity rates in the city were approved.
Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a gastropub operator that is looking to expand and redevelop its estate over the next two or three years and is looking for an operations manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The role will be directly responsible for up to ten to 12 general managers, accountable for setting and achieving financial targets set by the director and generating additional revenue through precise controls and the training of managers.” The salary is up to £80,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email stuart@corecruitment.com.
Promoted content – meet Eman, the founder of Bisan Bites who is proudly bringing Palestinian flavours to London’s streets: In 2022, Eman embarked on a journey to bring the authentic taste of Palestinian cuisine to the vibrant street food scene of London. Seeking guidance from the Streets Ahead programme, she transformed her passion into reality, creating Bisan Bites – a culinary venture celebrating the rich flavours of her heritage. To find out more, click here.
Company News:TGI Fridays lines up administrators, family office in takeover talks: Administrators are on standby at the UK arm of TGI Fridays as the restaurant brand reels from the collapse of ambitious plans to merge with its US counterpart. The Telegraph reported that Hostmore, the company that owns the UK franchise, is scrambling to sell its 87 restaurants, prevent the TGI Fridays brand from vanishing from the high street and save an estimated 3,000 jobs. The rescue effort comes after merger talks with TGI Fridays in the US fell apart last week. Restructuring experts at Teneo have been tasked with leading the hunt for potential buyers of the TGI sites in the UK as senior creditors attempt to recoup some of the money they lent the company. Hostmore had outstanding borrowings of £35m at the end of last year. A deadline has been set at the end of the month for any asset sales that will help to repay the company’s main lenders, NatWest and HSBC. However, even if all sites are sold, Hostmore has said the money raised is unlikely to be sufficient to repay its debts in full, meaning it will be delisted and wound down less than three years after floating on London’s junior stock market. A sale of its restaurants will not “recover any meaningful value”, Hostmore said, leaving Teneo poised to oversee any liquidation. Propel understands that as of last week, two unnamed family offices were running the rule over the UK arm of the brand, but that only one remains in the process – and even a successful deal could still see up to circa 20 sites close as part of any restructuring. Shares in Hostmore fell a further 19% during trading on Monday (16 September) to less than a quarter of a penny.
Lina Stores lfl sales up 12% in 2024, transaction growth of 35%, Clapham site opens up new opportunities: Lina Stores, the deli and restaurant brand backed by White Rabbit Projects, has seen like-for-like growth of 12% in the year to date versus 2023, on the back of a 35% increase in transactions. The seven-strong group, which will open in London’s Shoreditch later this year and make its regional debut in Manchester in February, experienced 65% year-on-year growth across its wholesale business. It is listed with the likes of Selfridges, Fenwicks and Zapp. Speaking at this month’s Propel Multi-Club Conference, Éadaoin McDonagh, Lina Stores managing director, said: “We’ve seen 38% revenue growth for Lina stores versus 2023 and 12% on a like-for-like basis. Our transaction growth is the one that’s most pleasing, at 35%, given that we’ve tried to maintain our pricing position, and that means the customers are happy and they’re coming back again and again. Our spend per cover has gone up, but again, not through price increases but adding different propositions to our offer. We added a snack section to the menu to drive the spend, we enhanced our delicate descent offer by adding salads to several of the locations, and we also added additional sides.” The company opened a site near Clapham Common last summer, its first Zone 2 site in the capital. McDonagh said: “This is quite interesting for us because it was perceived to be in a traditional A1 location, and in those sites, that extract is not fully possible. But here, we managed to test the Reco system for the first time, which enables us to go into locations we might not naturally be able to do. It also brings with it nice benefits, such as cheaper rents and better landlord propositions.” McDonagh said Lina Stores gives consumers multiple reasons to visit throughout the day, making the brand “an interesting proposition for landlords and for customers”. She said: “We introduced breakfast last year. It can sometimes be seen as a thorn in people’s sides, but it’s been highly successful for us.” McDonagh was among the speakers at this month’s Propel Multi-Club Conference. His video and the 12 others from the conference will be made available to Premium Club members on Friday, 27 September, at 9am. 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 a supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.
Gail’s secures St Pancras International site: Fast-growing Gail’s Bakery is to open a second transport hub site, in London. The circa 125-strong business has secured a site at St Pancras International train station for an opening later this year. Propel reported earlier this summer that Gail’s has set its sights on opening in multiple travel hub locations, with the first opening in London’s Liverpool Street station. Gail’s, which is backed by Bain Capital Credit and Ebitda Investments, a fund led by serial restaurant investor Henry McGovern, said the move would see Gail’s extend its high-volume, high-speed model. Last week, the brand made its debut in the Midlands after opening a site in Stratford-upon-Avon, and Propel understands that a site in Moseley is also on the group‘s radar. Stephen Fixman, of Forty Group, acted on the St Pancras deal.
JW Lees adds further Marston’s site to its managed estate: Manchester brewer and retailer JW Lees is to add a further site from Marston’s in Lancashire to its managed estate. JW Lees has agreed to acquire The Bellflower pub restaurant in the town of Garstang, north of Preston. William Lees-Jones, managing director of JW Lees, said: “We are delighted to be acquiring The Bellflower from Marston's and it will take our managed pub estate to 49 sites. We have grown our business in Lancashire in recent years with the Boot & Shoe in Lancaster that we bought off Daniel Thwaites and the Halfway House in Clayton-le-Woods that we also bought off Marston’s, and we are seeing our footprint grow in the north west so that we now operate pubs from Crewe to Lancaster and from Holyhead to Holmfirth. We will be closing the Bellflower on completion for a complete refurbishment before we re-open the site in good time for Christmas trading.”
Chaiiwala to make Birmingham its second airport location: Indian street food franchise Chaiiwala is set to make Birmingham its second airport location. The business opened its debut airport site this summer, at London Luton, which co-founder Sohail Ali said at the time would be “one of many” such locations. Ali has now confirmed that the next one will be at Birmingham International, posting on social media: “We cannot wait to start brewing at Birmingham airport. This one is so special and another great milestone for everyone involved.” Muhammed Ibrahim, who founded Chaiiwala with Ali, said this summer that its debut airport site is exceeding expectations and that is was now the brand’s earliest opening location, at 4am. He added Chaiiwala was the first dedicated Indian street food brand to open in an airport setting – having last year become the first such brand to open a drive-thru store. Since then, Chaiiwala has opened a second drive-thru, with plans for three more this year, and opened its first site on a university campus. Founded in Leicester in 2015, Chaiiwala has more than 100 locations globally and has a long-term target of 500 stores both here and abroad.
Park Holidays UK reports turnover boost as pre-tax profit jumps to £142m: Holiday park operator Park Holidays UK has reported turnover increased to £290,889,000 for the year ending 31 December 2023 compared with £286,642,000 the year before. The company, which is owned by US investment trust Sun Communities and operates 56 sites, saw Ebitda fall to £87,609,000 from £91,768,000 the previous year. The company said the performance was impacted by the acquisition of Park Leisure and asset acquisitions of other parks through the course of the prior year. Pre-tax profit was up to £141,994,000 from £64,903,000 the year before. Park Holidays, which employs 2,500 staff, has access to a £500m revolving credit facility jointly with Sun Communities, of which £144m was undrawn at the year end. In May 2024, Park Holidays transferred ownership of Littondale holiday park in Skipton, North Yorkshire, to sister company Park Leisure. In their report accompanying the accounts, the Park Holidays directors stated: “Trading conditions in 2023 were more challenging in recent years. Macro-economic factors such as the so-called cost-of-living crisis, inflation, bank base rate increases, and general economic uncertainty are among the most notable challenges. Furthermore, 2023 was considered the first year of non-covid impacted trading since 2019. The business performed robustly but caravan sales were down 18.9%. However, this was partially offset by a 20.6% increase in fees from owners, driven primarily by site fee increases as well as the impact of a full year's trading activity of Park Leisure, an acquisition completed part way through the prior year. Holiday sales revenue remained stable and other revenue increased 5.3%. The company is continually looking for opportunities to expend the business' footprint and increase market share.” No dividend was paid (2022: nil).
Pasta Evangelists opens second site for franchise restaurant business: Pasta Evangelists has opened the second site for its “Pasta Emporium” franchise, in London’s Greenwich. The opening, at 44-46 Greenwich Church Street, follows its first franchise site, which launched in Richmond in July. At the Greenwich site, customers can enjoy a complimentary self-pour wine machine, offering them a glass of Italian wine while they wait for their food to be served. Chief executive Alessandro Savelli said: “As Pasta Evangelists continue to expand, we’re constantly looking to innovate and elevate our pasta offering, and the new franchises will allow us to do exactly this. After seven years of operating as a digital business, we are so looking forward to welcoming customers into our new homes.” Following Pasta Evangelists’ rapid expansion, including the recent launch of its first pasta factory in 2023, the brand will roll out a further 20 premises over the next five years. The Richmond site was opened in partnership with Amsric, which was previously a KFC and Starbucks franchisee in the south of England. Pizza Evangelists also operates 47 takeaway units and a stand-alone restaurant in the Dining Hall at Harrod’s.
Rosa’s Thai to open in Kingston next month: Rosa’s Thai, the TriSpan-backed business, has confirmed its new site in Kingston, south west London, will open next month. It will open in the former Wildwood site at 2-6 High Street on Monday, 21 October, offering 110 covers over two floors. Dishes will include red, green and massaman curries, spring rolls, chicken satay and papaya salad, as well as Thai-inspired cocktails, bubble teas, wine, beers and Thai iced teas. Co-founder Saiphin Moore said “Kingston has always held a special place in my heart. When I first moved to London, one of my earliest gigs was a cooking demo at a department store in Kingston, where I made summer rolls and pad thai. Almost 20 years later, I’m thrilled to be opening a Rosa’s here and sharing all the Thai dishes I’ve perfected since that little demo!” As well as more than 40 Rosa’s Thai sites, Moore also operates three Slurp Noodles locations, and this month launched a new fried chicken concept called Dang’s.
Simon Allison returns to Caprice Holdings as marketing director: Simon Allison has returned to the Richard Caring-backed, high-end restaurant business Caprice Holdings as its new marketing director after leaving the business this spring. Venue Group Hospitality, which is headed by Ben Lovett of folk-rock band Mumford & Sons, hired Allison as its new group marketing and communications director in April after he stepped down from his role as head of marketing at Caprice Holdings. Allison spent nearly two years with Caprice Holdings and was previously head of marketing at Bill’s Restaurants for a year. He also spent seven and a half years at Inception Group as its head of marketing.
Scottish McDonald’s franchisee reports increase in profitability, turnover also up due to price rises and restaurant acquisition: Scottish McDonald’s franchisee AG Restaurants has reported an increase in profitability in the year to 31 December 2023, with turnover also up due to price rises and a new restaurant acquisition. The company – which operates 27 restaurants in central and greater Glasgow, employing more than 3,000 members of staff – saw its pre-tax profit rise from £1,879,963 in 2022 to £2,368,203. This was despite costs rising by more than £5m and administration expenses increasing by more than £9m. Turnover was up from £120,153,145 in 2022 to £135,247,574. “The growth in sales is predominantly due to price rises and the acquisition of a restaurant during the year,” director Andy Gibson said. “On a like-for-like basis for the 26 stores trading over the full financial year, sales have increased by 10.40%. As a result of the 2023 menu and marketing strategy, alongside the execution of incremental price rises, the company has seen increased sales growth as the company continues to operate against the backdrop of significant macroeconomic challenges. Given the direct link between our approach to pricing, the external environment and our success in relation to our customers, we will continue to remain close to understanding this relationship and look constantly to evaluate how our internal actions. The financial position of the company is healthy, with the balance sheet showing net assets of £11.22m compared with £11.44m in 2022. The gross profit margin is 64.33% compared with 64.45% in 2022 and is in line with expectations.” Dividends of £1,512,139 were paid (2022: £1,800,000).
Parogon Group to launch second Willow site today: Parogon Group, the award-winning premium gastropub operator led by Richard Colclough, will launch the second site for its Mediterranean all-day dining concept, Willow, today (Tuesday, 17 September). It will open at Telford Southwater for breakfast, lunch and dinner, offering a new chargrilled kebab skewer menu including the signature halloumi skewer with herby hot honey glaze and red pesto cream sauce. It will also feature a terrace for alfresco dining and host weekly acoustic sessions, each Friday from 7pm to 10pm. Although Willow was not the first of the group’s concepts to expand to a second site – it has Orange Tree locations in Congleton and Newcastle-under-Lyne – it is the one that Parogon has earmarked for further expansion. Last summer, the business said it is aiming to grow the concept to ten sites over the next three years, with a third planned to open before the end of the year. Last month, the business said Willow, which first launched at the Trentham shopping village in Staffordshire three years ago, is generating average weekly sales of £60,000. The group operates 11 sites in total over nine concepts.
Wendy’s franchisee opens tenth UK site: Wendy’s franchisee Square Burgers has opened its tenth site in the UK under the US brand – its sixth opening in six months. Square Burgers, which recently signed a development agreement to open restaurants under the US brand in Scotland, has opened a site at Tally’s End, Barlborough, near Chesterfield. Last month, it opened its second site in Sheffield, a drive-thru opposite the Utilita Arena, which includes a kids soft play and Sega arcade. Two years ago, the company became the first traditional franchise partner to open a Wendy’s restaurant in the UK on the brand’s return to these shores, in Sheffield. It has since focused on expanding Wendy’s into South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, although it plans to open a site in Newcastle later this year. Square Burgers is backed by Soteris Papacaoullas, who is also behind the Papa’s Fish and Chips business.
Crussh returns to the expansion trail: Crussh, the food-to-go and juice bar business, has returned to the expansion trail. The entire Crussh business, which included 12 sites across London and a manufacturing arm, went into administration at the end of 2022. Propel revealed in January 2023 that Jason Collins, the founder of Apogee, the UK office digital solutions provider, and Bob and Rohini Finch, founders of venture capital firm Talis Capital, were among the investors behind the rescue from administration of Crussh, which now operates seven sites across the capital, for a total consideration of £640,896. In January, Propel reported that the manufacturing arm of Crussh had been placed into administration, on the back of Sainsbury’s ending its purchasing contract with the business. Crussh has now opened a new site in Kensington Arcade, and will soon follow this with an opening at 220 Fulham Road.
Domino’s to hire additional 5,000 staff across UK and Ireland: Domino’s is set to hire an additional 5,000 staff across the UK and Ireland in the coming months. The pizza brand is seeking delivery drivers, in-store staff and pizza makers to join its 35,000-strong workforce ahead of its peak trading season. After experiencing a drop in orders during the first half of 2024, which Domino’s attributed to a “slow start” to the year, the company reported a recovery in customer confidence by August and hopes to boost sales with improved pricing. Now, the company expects to need more workers, known as “Dominoids”, as it prepares for its busiest time of the year. Chief operating officer Nicola Frampton said: “It’s been a positive first half of the year for Domino’s, with exciting growth through our store expansion strategy and our new loyalty trial. The success we’ve seen so far has only been possible with the help of our fantastic Dominoids, and we’re looking forward to expanding our amazing team.” The company opened around 60 sites last year and said it is expecting to surpass this with 70 new stores for the current financial year.
SSP hires new CEO for continental Europe division: SSP Group, the operator of food and beverage outlets in travel locations worldwide, has hired Satya-Christophe Menard as the new chief executive for its continental Europe business. Menard joins SSP with a 20-year track record in the service industry, including extensive experience in the food and coffee business across a number of European and North American countries. Most recently, he worked as president of the out-of-home division of coffee company JDE Peet’s, and prior to this, he was global chief executive of Sodexo’s schools and universities division. He also held leadership positions across various Sodexo’s divisions internationally. Menard will transition into his new role on Monday, 14 October following a handover period with current chief executive for continental Europe, Jeremy Fennell, who will move to the role of group chief operating officer. Patrick Coveney, group chief executive of SSP, said: “Satya’s outstanding business skills and deep, relevant international experience will help us continue to maintain our strong regional and in-market leadership, which is central to our strategy, business model and culture.” Menard added: “Continental Europe is SSP’s largest division by sales, operating around 1,200 units and employing nearly 15,000 colleagues, and I’m looking forward to working with a diverse team across 14 countries.”
Fatto a Mano confirms November launch for Bethnal Green site: Fatto a Mano, the independent pizza concept founded in Brighton in 2015 by Rupert Davidson and Dav Sahota, has confirmed its new site in London’s Bethnal Green will open in early November. The five-strong company’s new restaurant will open on the former Sager + Wilde site in Paradise Row – joining its central London locations in Covent Garden and King’s Cross, alongside three neighbourhood sites in Brighton. The menu will include the Carolina’s Meatballs, a limited-edition pizza topped with meatballs and a spicy tomato sauce made with vodka from East London Liquor Co. The pizza is named in honour of Carolina Braccio – the mother of Fatto a Mano’s head of food, Antonio Braccio – whose recipe has been used to create the meatballs. There will also be natural wine exclusive to the site and craft beer such as a lemon and basil pale ale, brewed in collaboration with UnBarred Brewery. The 65-cover restaurant will be split over two levels, with a mezzanine looking out over the dining room, plus a central open kitchen and a 40-cover terrace. Davidson said: “We’re excited to launch our first neighbourhood restaurant in London. We’ve loved our adventures in London so far, and Bethnal Green is like going back to the early days of our first Brighton openings, with neighbours and community being at the forefront of everything we do.”
Gunpowder founder launches new bakery concept: Harneet Baweja, the founder of Gunpowder Group and Empire Empire, has launched bakery concept Moi et Toi, in collaboration with chef and restaurateur Edward Delling Williams, founder of Le Grand Bain in Paris. Located in All Saints Road in London’s Notting Hill, Moi et Toi takes over the Empire Empire space each morning, transforming it into a bakery “that blends classic French patisserie with British flavours”. Available for takeaway and dine-in, the bakery menu features an array of sweet treats, including coconut and stewed pineapple buns, peanut butter pain au chocolat, Earl Grey custard tart and roasted peach and cardamom custard bun. Baweja and Williams’ friendship dates to the early 2000s, when they bonded over a shared love for Lisbon and surfing. After a successful collaboration in 2019 at Gunpowder Tower Bridge, the pair said they have been planning the perfect project to establish a longstanding partnership. The name Moi et Toi – meaning “you and me” in French – symbolises that partnership, the connection between the Empire Empire restaurant and bakery, and the fusion of culinary influences. Baweja said: “Edward and I have been searching for the ideal opportunity to collaborate, and I’m thrilled that we’ve finally found it with Moi et Toi. The bakery will draw upon Edward’s extensive experience in Paris, and we’re both excited to bring something unique to Notting Hill.”
Firm behind Karen’s Diner goes into liquidation: The firm behind controversial restaurant concept Karen’s Diner, which features “rude waiters” who insult guests, has plunged into liquidation. Liquidators for Viral Ventures, which first started in Australia before going into liquidation in the country last year, have now been appointed as a result of “mounting financial pressure”, which is said to have included the presentation of a winding up petition by a creditor. The Karen’s Diner website still lists five UK sites – in Barnet, Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester and London’s Angel – with the first four already confirmed as closed. The company also closed its Broadway Diner venue in Manchester, which saw servers break out into song as diners ate, in June. At the time, Viral Venues said it was closing the venues as part of a reshuffle of the brands into pop-up touring ventures, reports the Manchester Evening News. It has recently advertised Karen’s Diner on Tour events in various UK cities and liquidators said they are aware that more than 2,500 clients have paid for events that are “now very unlikely to take place”. Jeremy Frost and Patrick Wadsted, of Frost Group, have been appointed as liquidators for the company. Frost said: “It is always a challenging moment when a business, especially one with the reach of Viral Ventures, is forced into liquidation. We understand the disappointment and concern, particularly for those with deposits for upcoming shows. Our priority is to guide those affected through this process and ensure the necessary steps are taken.” Frost Group said it is working closely with all parties involved to facilitate the best possible outcome, and a dedicated website has been launched for customers, creditors and employees to submit enquiries. Viral Ventures launched in Sydney in 2021 and first came to the UK the following year.
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