Loungers CEO – decent like-for-like growth in Brightside, new menu saw virtually no price increase ‘for first time in some time’: Nick Collins, chief executive of café bar operator Loungers, has told Propel that its Brightside concept is seeing decent like-for-like growth, and that its new menu saw virtually no price increase “for first time in some time”. The company currently operates three sites under its roadside diner concept Brightside in the south west, having launched it in February 2023. “It had a really respectable summer,” Collins said. “We saw decent like-for-like growth and really positive, strong customer feedback, and that’s despite the fact that visitor numbers to Cornwall and Devon were down. We’re pleased with how it’s doing. As we’ve said before, we just need to really stick at it and really work on our marketing. We need to see how the concept evolves and see how the sales build in those sites. We’re opening on the A1 in Rutland, at the former Ram Jam location, later in November, and we’re excited to see how that site performs. Clearly, the challenge from a marketing point of view – of getting people to stop at something they’re not familiar with when they're driving at 60-70mph – is a very different challenge than we’re used to facing on the high street. But it’s one that we’re embracing and that we’re excited by. We do hear really consistently strong feedback, and that’s what gives us encouragement.” On price, Collins said: “The new Lounge menu, which launched last week, saw virtually no price increase. That’s the first time we’ve done that for some time.” This week, Loungers reported like-for-like sales increased by 4.7% in the 24 weeks ended 6 October 2024, compared with the previous year, and said it continues to make “good progress” towards its target of returning to a pre-covid Ebitda margin level of 13.5%. “I think one of the things I’m really pleased about is that our growth isn’t dominated by specific dayparts or specific categories, it’s pretty consistent across everything we do,” Collins said. “That’s really encouraging. Asian-inspired and hotter, spicier dishes continue to perform really well, and that’s something we’re focused on. But we’re equally as focused as making sure we continue to innovate and try to improve the breakfast, our best-selling dish. We are probably selling more no and low alcohol products – not massive, but definitely in growth.” It comes as the business added a site in the Merry Hill scheme, in the West Midlands, to its 2025 opening pipeline. The 3,200 square-foot Toledo Lounge will join anchor tenant Hollywood Bowl – as well as ASK Italian, Wagamama, Wingstop, and Bon Pan Asian – as one of the final additions to Merry Hill’s leisure quarter.

 

Tesco Hospitality MD Adam Martin to speak at final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2024, open for bookings with free places for operators: Adam Martin, managing director of Tesco Hospitality, will be among the speakers at the final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2024. The full-day conference – titled “new directions, new ideas” – takes place on Wednesday, 30 October at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London Kensington and is open for bookings. Martin 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 tomorrow: The next Propel New Openings Database will be sent to Premium Club members tomorrow (Friday, 11 October), at midday. The database will show the details of 216 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 11,941-word report on the 216 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. The database includes new openings in the experiential leisure sector such as Superbowl UK, planning a site in Hampshire, K1 Speed, the indoor karting concept, and GrandKidz, a new children’s soft play centre. Premium Club members will also be sent the videos from this month’s Talent & Training Conference on Friday, 18 October, at 9am. Premium Club members also receive access to five other databases: the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the Multi-Site Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who’s Who of UK Hospitality. All Premium Clubs members will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events including 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.

Meaningful Vision to host free webinar helping hospitality operators identify foodservice market trends and challenges: Market intelligence platform Meaningful Vision is to host a free webinar helping hospitality operators identify the key trends and challenges facing the UK foodservice market. According to data from the provider of pricing, promotion, location and traffic data to the UK foodservice industry, total consumer traffic year on year in the top 100 UK food service chains grew from -0.7% in July 2023 to 0.5% in July 2024. Meaningful Vision chief executive Maria Vanifatova will talk to Propel group editor Mark Wingett about how the food market has performed in the last seven months, identify the formats that are driving growth and look at regional performances across the UK. She will also discuss whether inflation is consistent across concepts and help operators learn about popular promotional techniques. The webinar will be sent out at 9am today (Thursday, 10 October).

 

Lord urges government to ‘wake up’ to economic damage of hospitality closures: Sacha Lord, night-time economy advisor and chair of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), has called on the Treasury to urgently wake up to the magnitude of the hospitality sector and the scale of economic damage that would be caused if business closures continue at their current rate. Speaking ahead of the autumn Budget on 30 October, Lord said: “I urge the chancellor to introduce an immediate extension to business rate relief for hospitality. Without this single measure alone, landlords will see untenable cost hikes, many in the region of more than £30,000, an increase which is simply not survivable. We are already losing hundreds of venues each quarter, and if pub, restaurant and nightclub closures continue at current rates, not only will we see unemployment skyrocket over the next 12 months, but the UK’s cultural tourism will be poached by other global cities who recognise this sector’s importance and who are investing accordingly.” Lord also called on the government to increase investment in the sector and adopt closer consultation with those in industry. He added: “For too long, policies have been made by those with little-to-no understanding of the sector, or without considering their impacts through proper consultation of those operating within it. If we are to recover from the economic bashing of the past decade, we must look at each individual industry in silo, whether that concerns the stark differences in business rates between physical and online retailers, or in hospitality – the VAT differences between supermarkets and pubs. This new government has the chance to work more closely with those who have skin-in-the-game, and to reassess how policies are developed and tailored to ensure they work for the benefit and growth of all industries.”

 

JW Lees director passes away: Simon Lees-Jones, director at north west brewer and retailer JW Lees, has passed away. “It is with deepest sadness we announce the death of Si Lees-Jones, who died peacefully in his sleep at home on 8 October 2024, aged 58, surrounded by his family,” a statement from his family said. “Much loved and loving husband of Chrissy, adored father of Lara and Tess, dear son of Richard and the late Di, and treasured brother and brother-in-law to William and Ariel, Anna and Rob and Alec and Katie, and son-in-law to Jo and the late John Pickering. Si was a dear friend to so many and he inspired and touched the hearts of us all. Si’s passion for life was unbridled and he channelled that into his love of family and friends who will forever treasure happy and hilarious memories of maverick fun. He will be greatly missed.” The funeral will be held on Friday, 1 November at St Boniface Church in Bunbury, Cheshire, with final details to be confirmed. Donations in lieu of flowers to The Ectodermal Dysplasia Society should be sent to funeral directors, AW Burrows & Son LLP.

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a food technology business that is looking to add a non-executive director to its board. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The company is looking for a senior level candidate, ideally in an executive role or developing their non-executive director portfolio, ideally with significant business-to-business experience within the hospitality sector (specifically pubs) with strong business relationships and contacts in the sector. They will also have strong commercial acumen and a detailed understanding of business-to-business sales, key account management and partnership development.” Based in London, the commitment would be on a one or two days per month. For more information, email emma@corecruitment.com.

 

Promoted content – introducing Maral, the visionary behind Ayal who is sharing Turkmenistan’s flavours with London’s streets: With the help of the McCain Streets Ahead programme, Maral turned her dream into a thriving business. Through Ayal, she offers Londoners a taste of Turkmen cuisine, from Manti dumplings to traditional palav, highlighting the rich heritage of her culture. To find out more, click here. 

 

McDonald’s franchisee returns to profit and adds almost £30m in turnover as delivery expands and high street restaurants recover, opens two new sites and acquires five more: McDonald’s franchisee Capital Arches returned to profit in the year to 31 December 2023 and added almost £30m in turnover as its delivery service expanded and high street restaurants recovered. The business, founded in 2016 by former McDonald’s crew member and trainee pilot Claude Abi-Gerges, also opened two new sites during the year and acquired five more. As previously reported by Propel, the new sites were acquired in September 2023 and are based in and around Harlow and Hertford. During the year, Capital Arches operated 37 restaurants, mostly across London. Turnover grew from £134,638,185 in 2022 to £162,888,802 while a pre-tax loss of £601,967 in 2022 turned into a profit of £4,935,582. This was despite a rise in costs of around £9m and an additional £13m in administration expenses. Staff numbers grew from 3,453 (including 3,337 crew members) to 3,702 (including 3,578 crew members). No dividends were paid (2022: nil). “The directors report that due to a significant increase in turnover and an improvement in gross profit margin, the company has achieved an operating profit result improvement of £5,680,123,” Abi-Gerges said. “The delivery service continues to see strong demand and the addition of Deliveroo and the McDonald’s app in 2022 has expanded the online offering to four platforms. High street restaurants have also seen a continued recovery in trade, as overall footfall has returned to something closer to pre-pandemic levels. Business rate relief was received at 50% up to 31 March 2023 and then at 75% (up to a maximum of £110,000) for the remainder of the year. In 2023, the company opened two new restaurants and purchased another five, as well as completing a major refurbishment at one other restaurant.” Born in Cambridge to immigrant parents from France, Abi-Gerges joined McDonald’s in 1995 as a part-time crew member while studying aviation at Kingston University. He graduated with a degree in aviation and commercial pilot training, but at the age of 23, decided to give up his dream of flying and continue his career with McDonald’s.

 

Barclays – JD Wetherspoon on course for market share gains: Analysts at Barclays have increased their share price target for JD Wetherspoon to 900p from 875p, citing factors including the company increasing its market share, gradual expansion of its estate and lower interest costs. Wetherspoon’s high level of freehold ownership, which now accounts for 72% of its estate, is also enhancing its financial stability, said Barclays. The bank highlighted a 14% compound annual growth rate in pre-tax profit from financial 2024 to financial 2027 and reiterated its overweight rating for the stock. It said: “We believe the path is clear for ongoing market share gains. The company’s long-term approach continues to deliver strong results, and we believe the investment case is often overlooked.” 

 

Simmons to make regional debut later this month: Simmons Bars, the London cocktail bar operator, will begin its national rollout with an opening in Manchester this month. Propel revealed in June that Simmons Bars, which is backed by Lonsdale Capital Partners, had secured the site previously occupied by New World Trading Company brand The Botanist at 78 Deansgate for its first regional site. The 23-strong business will open the 400-capacity site, which will also have two bookable karaoke rooms, on Thursday, 24 October. Simmons owner Nick Campbell said: “Manchester leads the way when it comes to nightlife, and we’re excited to be able to be a part of it. We are keen to launch as we mean to go on, with a series of high-energy parties, including our famous free bar, which is first-come, first-served.” The company added: “It’s undeniably been a tough year for the hospitality industry, yet Simmons continues to disrupt the scene and outperform the market by consistently delivering the best quality parties, without the late-night price rises, entry fees and service charges that have begun to plague the nightlife industry and leave consumers out of pocket.”

 

Taco Bell franchisee Campana returns to profit as turnover increases to record £21.2m: Taco Bell franchisee Campana has reported turnover increased to a record £21,245,498 for the year ending 31 December 2023 compared with £14,611,482 the previous year. Ebitda was up to £1,950,025 from £621,216 the year before. The company, which operates circa 20 stores across the south west of England and south Wales, posted a pre-tax profit of £680,837 compared with a loss of £76,883 the previous year. Gross profit margin increased to 58% from 55%. In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “The company opened its first Taco Bell store in December 2019 and the number of stores has increased annually since then, which is reflected in the continuing growth in turnover. With that growth in the number of locations comes increasing overhead costs relating specifically to the marketing of new stores, recruitment and training of staff and an initial trading period during which costs can be high relative to income. Sales price adjustments and some easing of direct input prices were reflected in the improvement in gross profit margin. Utilities costs (within administrative expenses) remained high relative to other recent years due to well-publicised factors beyond our control. The directors' strategy is to continue to grow the number of locations, supported by continuing capital investment.” The company, which employs around 530 staff, did not receive any government grants (2022: £32,000). No dividend was paid (2022: nil).

 

ETM Group hires Michael Farquhar as its new COO: ETM Group has hired Michael Farquhar as its new chief operating officer. Farquhar stepped down as chief operating officer of London restaurant and deli operator Ottolenghi Group this summer. Farquhar joined Ottolenghi Group last September after stepping down as operations director at D&D London after more than six and half years with the business. Farquhar joined D&D London at the start of 2017 as operations director, a new role within the business at the time, with the responsibility of managing all UK operations. He was previously global operations director at Cé La Vi Group in Singapore, where he led the operations team. ETM Group said: “Michael’s expertise in driving quality, optimising operations, implementing standards and driving growth will be invaluable as ETM continues to develop and strengthen its position in the market. Michael’s career journey – from his beginnings as a kitchen porter in Denmark to senior leadership roles at prestigious establishments around the world including Four Seasons Hotels, Oberoi Hotels, and Intercontinental Hotels – demonstrates his passion and drive for innovation and excellence.” Ed Martin, chief executive of ETM Group, added: “We are very confident that Michael’s strategic vision and operational leadership will play a key role in improving quality, implementing high operational standards and ensuring exceptional guest satisfaction. I look forward to the exciting opportunities that lie ahead with Michael as part of our leadership team.”

 

Yolk lines up ninth site, close to securing investment for a further two sites: Fast-growing “fine fast food” business Yolk, which is currently crowdfunding, has lined up its ninth opening in central London. The business, which opened its eighth site in the capital last month – at Cardinal Place in London’s Victoria – has begun work on its next site, in New Oxford Street, just outside Tottenham Court Road station. This new store will be open and trading by the end of this month. The company, which was founded in 2014 by Nick Philpott, is currently nearing the end of a £300,000 crowdfund, to help “deliver its next stage of expansion”. With a week left of the fundraise, it has raised almost £489,000 from nearly 250 investors. It said: “The funds raised already will enable us to open site number ten; and if we continue to overfund at the current rate, we may raise enough to also open site number 11.” The company’s target is to reach 25-plus sites by the end of 2026.

 

Thornbridge JV to make London debut with second site to be considered in 2026: Thornbridge & Co – a joint venture between Derbyshire’s Thornbridge Brewery and specialist beer importer Pivovar – is to open its debut London site and will consider a second venue in 2026. The company is launching The Wild Swan at 99 Fetter Lane in the City. The pub is being built to replace the nearby White Swan, which is making way for new office buildings. Director Jamie Hawksworth said: “Since the beginning of Thornbridge & Co, we have wanted to open a London site and bring our offer to the capital. I can still remember the excitement when I opened The Euston Tap 14 years ago and we are going to bring that level of excitement to London. We have worked with the developer YardNine and its great to be able to bring a new pub to Fetter Lane to replace the much-loved White Swan. Our aim will be to have a heavy cask beer offer, alongside some great keg beer and a fabulous wine list like our other sites. We will also be offering food throughout the day.” Director Simon Webster added: “We decided that as there was some artistic licence from where the old pub was and where it is now, we would do the same with the name and we have decided to call it The Wild Swan after one of our first beers.” The Wild Swan has a provisional opening date of Easter 2025 and work will commence on the fit out in January. A spokeswoman told Propel that Thornbridge & Co has continued to see good trading over the summer months and added: “In 2026, we will consider a second site in London.” Founded in 2018, Thornbridge & Co also operates The Market Cat in York, The Bankers Cat in Leeds and The Colmore in Birmingham and is set to open a site in Sheffield. The company will open The Fargate in Pinstone Street. 

 

Caviar House & Prunier’s UK airport business acquired out of administration: The UK airport business of seafood brand Caviar House & Prunier, which includes sites at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, has been acquired through a pre-pack administration process. Propel revealed in August that Caviar House & Prunier had placed its UK airport business on the market, with SIA Group marketing the opportunity. The airport business was subsequently placed into administration last month when no suitable offer came forward. Joint administrators Ken Touhey and Marco Piacquadio, of FTS Recovery, said they have secured the sale of Caviar House Airport Premium. The sale of the business and its assets to SBC Travel, which counts Caviar House & Prunier global chairman and chief executive Peter Rebeiz as a majority shareholder, has protected the employment of 67 staff at three sites, two at Heathrow and one at Gatwick. However, four restaurants at Heathrow could not be rescued from closure. Touhey said: “Caviar House Airport Premium’s unique position within the travel and luxury food industries has unfortunately resulted in multiple financial shocks over the past decade. The severe impact of covid on the global travel industry, particularly significantly reduced footfall at UK airports, and the post-Brexit trading environment have combined to make it impossible for the company to continue trading.” Piacquadio added: “Our goal was to find the best solution for Caviar House’s creditors, customers, and employees. SBC Travel is looking to diversify its product offering and widen its reach across the high street and other travel locations, making it ideal to take the company’s service offering forward and protect jobs.”

 

Rosslyn Coffee lines up sixth site: Award-winning coffee business Rosslyn Coffee has lined its sixth site in the City of London, with further openings in the pipeline. The concept, which was founded by former Caravan head of wholesale James Hennebry and Mat Russell, has secured a site in Cannon Street for an opening before the end of the year. Last month, Rosslyn Coffee opened its latest site, in Lime Street, Leadenhall Market. It is thought that the company plans to open up to three further sites in Central London over the next 12 months.

 

Black Bear Burger to open sixth site: Black Bear Burger, operated by husband-and-wife team Liz and Stew Down, is to open a sixth London site this month. The concept will open a site in Camden High Street with indoor and outdoor dining. The site will offer its signature burgers and hand-cut fries including its eponymous burger that features dry aged beef, cheese, bacon, onion jam and garlic mayo. Black Bear Burger operates sites in Boxpark Shoreditch, Market Halls in Canary Wharf and Market Halls Victoria and sit-down restaurants in Brixton Village and Exmouth Market.

 

Berkeley Inns falls to a loss in first year of expansion to London: Berkeley Inns, the award-winning Derbyshire gastropub operator, fell to a loss in the year to 31 December 2023 – the first year of its expansion to London. The company opened two London pubs during the year – The Last Judgement in Chancery Lane (May 2023) and The Rugby Tavern in Bloomsbury (July 2023), adding to its three pubs in Derbyshire. The company’s pre-tax profit of £3,137,442 in 2022 turned into a loss of £1,377,319, although the previous year’s figure was boosted by a £3,493,621 profit on sale of assets, and it spent £338,172 on exceptional/pre-opening expenses in 2023. The company’s turnover fell from £6,790,231 in 2022 to £5,559,781. No dividends were paid (2022: £499,362). The business was founded by Howard Thacker in 2015 and sold two pubs to RedCat Pub Company, founded and chaired by ex-Greene King chief executive Rooney Anand, in 2022.

 

Cyril Lignac opens cafe at Louis Vuitton store in Heathrow airport: French chef Cyril Lignac has opened a new cafe at the Louis Vuitton store in Heathrow airport. Lignac, who is also behind Mayfair restaurant Bar des Prés, has opened Le Café by Cyril Lignac in the shop at Terminal 2. The all-day menu includes eggs royale in the morning before moving to lighter dishes like curried crab salad, a croque monsieur or lobster roll later in the day, reports Hot Dinners. Lignac also operates a Bar des Prés in Paris alongside six other restaurants in the French capital, plus nine patisseries across Paris and St Tropez.

 

The Breakfast Group opens new wine bar in London’s Spitalfields for sixth site: The Breakfast Group, the Eric Yu-founded restaurant and bar company, has opened a new wine bar in London’s Spitalfields for its sixth site. It has opened 68 & Shanghai at 76 Commercial Street – just down the road from its Asian fusion restaurant Yuu Kitchen at 29 Commercial Street. The group also operates both 68 & Boston and Opium in Soho, The Last Talisman in London Bridge and Lucy Wong in Fitzrovia. Downstairs at 68 & Shanghai is the 68 wine bar, which takes its wine from across the globe and also has entry-level wines at £27 a bottle or £6.95 a glass, while the upstairs bar, Shanghai, will follow later. The food offer includes cheese and charcuterie boards and a range of Japanese katsu sandos, with pork, chicken and katsu options available, reports Hot Dinners. 

 

Padel-focused multi-sport and F&B concept overfunding after passing £250,000 target to expand current sites and develop new ones: Padel-focused multi-sport and food and beverage concept Social Sports Society is overfunding after passing its £250,000 fundraise target to expand its current sites and develop new ones. The start-up, founded in 2022, aims to “transform unloved land” across the country into multi-sport fitness hubs anchored by padel courts. Its first location was a three-court community hub in London’s Wembley – set to be extended with a further 20 courts – which will be followed this month by the opening of a ten-court venue in nearby Brent Cross. New sites in Stockport, Manchester and Birmingham are also due to open this autumn, with plans to also develop in Central London. Brent Cross will be its flagship location, with plans for an eventual 26 courts there, and the business aims to have 23 courts operational across four venues by the end of 2024. A crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube has raised almost £290,000 from circa 130 investors, with eight days left. They have been offered equity of 4.75%, giving the business a pre-money valuation of £5.4m. The funds will be used to expand the Wembley site, develop the next stages of its Brent Cross, Manchester and Birmingham venues and further develop its future pipeline.

 

Flight Club operator undergoes major menu shake-up: Red Engine, the hospitality group behind Flight Club and Electric Shuffle, is giving a major shake-up to its food and drink offer. From Monday (14 October), the menu will include ten new dishes as well as “upgrades to popular classics”. The drinks list is having a makeover too, including an expansion of its low and no alcohol offering and new cocktails. Red Engine said the overhaul delivers “cleaner, more cohesive menus that increase the speed of service, align with current food and beverage trends and reduce wastage”. It will consist of tapas-style small plates, pizza paddles and a selection of grills and salads. New mix-and-share dishes will include South Korean pork belly bites with chilli and honey glaze and Middle Eastern sliders with plant-based lamb, smoked Applewood cheese, gherkins and ‘slaw. The menu has been designed by Arnaud Kaziewicz, Red Engine’s head of food development and MasterChef: The Professionals finalist, in collaboration with kitchen managers across its venues nationally, as part of the group’s new chef academy programme. On the beverage side, updates to the menu are the collective effort of Red Engine’s “bar masters” – a group of mixologists at all levels of experience from venues across the UK. 

Mexican restaurant Santo Remedio to open third London site: Santo Remedio, the Mexican restaurant concept founded by Edson and Natalie Diaz-Fuentes, is to open its third site in London, in Marylebone. The business will make its West End debut at 13-14 Thayer Street. The couple already operate sites in London Bridge (Tooley Street) and Shoreditch (Great Eastern Street). After three years of pop-ups, supper clubs and a Street Feast residency, the first bricks-and-mortar Santo Remedio opened in Shoreditch. Following its closure, the concept opened its 100-cover restaurant in Tooley Street. Santo Remedio returned with a new opening in Shoreditch in 2021. Jake Bernstone, of Matta London, acted on the Thayer Street deal.

 

UK bubble tea brand Cupp set to launch first hot food menu: UK bubble tea brand Cupp is set to launch its first hot food menu. Available at selected nationwide stores from Tuesday, 23 October, the menu is influenced by Cupp’s Taiwanese roots with a selection of Asian-inspired dishes. These include Taiwanese style chicken, potato pops, pumpkin korokke, yakitori chicken skewers and yaki tsukune chicken meatball skewers, alongside healthy sides such as edamame beans and wakame salad. Cupp is also rolling out two combo meal options – £11.50 for one main dish, one boba tea and one snack or dessert, or £9.50 for one main dish and one boba tea. Angharad Jackson, Cupp’s brand director, said: “We are excited to introduce our first hot food menu. This launch represents a significant milestone for our brand as we continue to innovate and expand our offering. Each dish has been carefully selected and crafted to embody the authentic flavours of Asia, just like our boba tea.” Earlier this month, Propel reported that Cupp is aiming for 50 stores by the end of 2025 and an international debut next year. Founded in 2012 by Lee Peacock, it currently has 35 stores across the UK.

Deckhouse opens second site: Deckhouse, the new all-day dining cafe and bar concept chaired and backed by Mark McQuater, the former chief executive of Revolution and Barracuda, has opened its second site, in Kent. The concept, which secured new investment to aid its expansion earlier this summer, opened its debut site at the end of 2022, on the former Bill's site in Taunton, Somerset. Deckhouse has now opened on its second former Bill’s site, this time in Sevenoaks’ Lady Boswell House at Bligh’s Meadow shopping centre. Propel revealed in July that Deckhouse had raised £1.1m of equity from Maven Capital to develop another site and look for a third location. It also hired James Spragg, the former chief executive of Casual Dining Group, as its new managing director. Deckhouse plans to serve “affluent market towns and suburbs in the south of England”.