Wingstop UK co-founder – deal with Sixth Street marks a landmark moment for UK QSR sector: Tom Grogan, co-founder of Lemon Pepper Holdings, the UK franchisee for Wingstop, has said the sale of the business marks a “landmark moment for the UK quick service restaurant (QSR) sector”. Propel revealed on Sunday (22 December) that US private equity group Sixth Street had agreed to acquire Lemon Pepper Holdings for a price that is believed to be in excess of the previously reported £400m. Sixth Street will look to support the growth of the 57-strong UK Wingstop business, which has ambitions to reach 200 locations within the next five years. Grogan and fellow co-founders Saul Lewin and Herman Sahota will now step back from the business but retain a minority stake. Grogan said: “In September 2016, Saul, Herman and I sent a cold email to Wingstop Restaurants in Dallas, Texas, asking if it would consider bringing its concept to the UK. We had no sector experience, limited capital, and only one thing driving us: a strong vision. The idea? To blend QSR with youth culture. To make Wingstop UK more than just a restaurant, but a brand people connect with. Naivety was our gift. With no playbook to follow, we approached this journey without preconceptions and with the freedom to think differently. Fast forward eight years, and Wingstop UK has grown beyond anything we could have imagined. Thousands of jobs have been created (at the time of writing, 3,000-plus team members), we’ve become a top ten most-loved eating out brand, ranked the number one most popular dish on Deliveroo, been recognised as one of the Sunday Times Best Places to Work, and built the fastest-growing restaurant group in the UK. We’re proud to announce the sale of the business to Sixth Street, marking a landmark moment for the UK QSR sector. This milestone is bittersweet. While we’re stepping back from the business, we remain invested in Wingstop UK’s future and will continue to support its growth from the sidelines. This journey – fuelled by an incredible team, bold thinking, and a relentless focus on flavour – has been the adventure of a lifetime. There are too many people to call out individually, but a huge shoutout to Chris Sherriff (chief executive) and Paddy Bamford (chief financial officer), who will continue driving the business alongside an incredible C-suite and rockstar team.”

Sponsored message – 1,000 free pints of Fuller’s Black Cab stout up for grabs this Christmas: It’s London to the rescue. To support the on-trade during the season of stout, Asahi is giving away 20 barrels of its Fuller’s Black Cab stout to ten landlords who are concerned about maintaining availability this Christmas. Brewed at Fuller’s iconic Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London, Black Cab launched as a seasonal limited edition in 2011 but due to popular demand, it became part of the Fuller’s brand’s core range. It is a rich, dark beer made from five different malts and has an ABV of 4.2%. Rob Hobart, marketing director at Asahi UK, said: “Christmas is one of the most important times of the year for pubs and bars and after a challenging few years, availability issues are the last thing these venues need. We’re proud to support the nation’s pubs at this challenging time and demonstrate that a Black Cab will never let you down.” Pubs and bars can redeem their free keg by clicking here and entering their contact details. Terms and conditions apply. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

Discover how to use the customer voice to drive strategy and business improvements at Restaurant Marketer & Innovator, open for bookings: Discover how to use the customer voice to drive strategy and business improvements at the Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit. Olivia Fitzgerald, managing director at Feed It Back, talks to Tom James, managing director at Bill’s, Jonathan Arana-Morton, chief executive of The Breakfast Club, and Nicola Blackford, chief commercial officer at State of Play Hospitality, on how support teams stay connected to guest experiences and integrate feedback into boardroom decisions to drive meaningful change. Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit is returning for its seventh edition, and tickets are now on sale. The event is a partnership between Propel and Think Hospitality, aiming to build a community, promote the sharing of ideas, recognise talent and define the future of eating out. Bookings are now open for the two-day conference as the centrepiece of the January event series, taking place on 21 and 22 January at One Moorgate Place in London. The conference will focus on technology, marcomms strategies, proposition, brand building, the latest market insights, digital developments and diversification of revenue streams. It is designed for customer-focused chief executives, marketers, technology and innovation teams, as well as investors wanting to better understand the latest marketing, innovation and development opportunities to build market share and grow. For the full speaker schedule, click here. The pre-Christmas early-bird prices are as follows: a one-day ticket for operators is £295 plus VAT while a two-day ticket is £550 plus VAT. Supplier tickets are £395 plus VAT for one day and £700 plus VAT for two. Propel Premium Club members receive a 20% discount. To book, email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.

UKHospitality – ‘the looming £1bn Budget tax bombshell will bring a real new year high-street hangover’: Pubs and restaurants will have to pay an extra £1bn a year to cover national insurance rises, and the industry has warned it will lead to staff and hours being cut. The sector is now urging chancellor Rachel Reeves to perform a “Christmas miracle” and scrap the rise – from 13.8% to 15% – before it kicks in next April. Figures compiled by UKHospitality and given to The Sun on Sunday lay bare how each part of the UK will be hit by the tax increase. London will be hit hardest and pay £284.7m extra, according to the numbers. The south east is next at £152m, followed by the south west, north west, then Scotland. UKHospitality chief Kate Nicholls said: “The looming £1bn Budget tax bombshell will bring a real new year high-street hangover. Eight out of ten have said they will have to cut jobs and hours and nine out of ten said they will be freezing investment and putting up prices. It’s not too late for the chancellor to think again.” A Treasury spokesman said: “We took the difficult decisions to ensure stability in the public finances while ensuring there was no change to working people’s payslips.”

Sector embraces Christmas bookings boost ahead of ‘tough’ new year: Christmas bookings for UK pubs and bars have surged this year thanks to a jump in office parties and family gatherings ahead of what is set be a “tough” new year. Greene King said festive bookings had risen above 2019 levels, climbing 12% year on year and with significant growth on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Mitchells & Butlers said its own bookings were up 9% year on year, while Young’s reported a 30% jump in festive bookings this year. But high costs are already weighing on operators. Chris Jowsey, chief executive of Admiral Taverns, told the FT an increase in employers’ national insurance contributions and a rise in the minimum wage came as a “big shock” for the industry. The Budget also included cuts to previous rate relief for the hospitality and retail sectors, while the government’s flagship employment reforms, which include protection against unfair dismissal from day one of employment, will also kick in by 2026. “For many within our sector it’s not about whether they can grow or not [but] whether they can survive or not,” said Charlie Gilkes, chief executive of Inception Group. The group now plans to open just one site next year instead of three. Peter Wells, chief executive of brewer and retailer Wells & Co, which, as previously reported, cancelled a planned takeover deal in the UK as a result of the Budget, said: “We’re a pretty quick barometer to test the temperature of how the UK is feeling.” The rise of no and low-alcohol has also been a key trend this year, with office workers also opting for alcohol-free options at Christmas parties. Punch Pubs & Co, whose Christmas bookings “are well ahead of last year”, said the total number of serves of such drinks across its estate rose 55% this year compared with last year. In the short term, operators hope strong festive sales will add a boost. Justin Platt, chief executive of Marston’s, whose bookings for Christmas Day are up 12%, said: “We’re feeling very good.”

Marechale Capital – investment market continues to remain challenging, particularly in the hospitality sector: Corporate finance firm Marechale Capital has said the investment market continues to remain challenging, particularly in the hospitality sector, with deals not completing as expected. In an update to the City during its interim results, the company, in which Luke Johnson is a shareholder, said: “Following the announcement with Marechale’s full-year results in August 2024, the market continues to remain challenging, particularly in the hospitality sector. Marechale continues to see interesting corporate finance and advisory projects where it can take founders shares and warrants as part of its advisory fees. On a positive note, Marechale has completed transactions during the period for Weardale Lithium, Forest Road Brewery, Stubben Edge and Chestnut Group. However, the market remains a difficult environment in which to raise capital. This has resulted in some advisory projects that launched in the summer not being completed by the end of the period, which includes a major UK hotel group and a leading brewery and pub group. While the current economic climate is difficult, Marechale remains diligent and is convinced that there will be good advisory and investment opportunities in its core hospitality, renewable, clean energy and technology sectors over the short to medium term.”

Staff at top London restaurants consider legal action over cover charges: Workers are considering legal action against a swathe of upmarket London restaurant owners including Harrods, the Savoy Grill, the Ivy and the Wolseley that add a cover charge to diners’ bills that does not go to workers. Legislation that came into force in October requires business owners to hand over all tips and service charges to staff. However, a number of restaurants add a mandatory cover charge as well as a service charge and only pass on the latter to workers. Workers at Harrods said they would write to the conciliation service Acas as a first step towards an employment tribunal case backed by the United Voices of the World union over the handling of the £1 cover charge levied in its restaurants. Some staff went on strike this weekend in a dispute over pay and conditions that included the levy. Bryan Simpson, the lead organiser for the hospitality sector at the Unite union, told The Guardian the union was working with the Department for Business and Trade to close any potential loopholes as part of consultation on the new employment rights bill. The Wolseley in London’s Piccadilly levies a £2.50 cover charge on top of the 15% service charge it adds to bills. The hospitality entrepreneur Richard Caring’s empire adds a £2-a-person levy on top of service charges at his London flagship Ivy restaurant in West Street, Soho, as well as at Sexy Fish, Scott’s, J Sheekey and Bacchanalia. The restaurants said the charges had not been introduced recently. The Savoy Grill, run by Gordon Ramsay, also adds a £2-per-person cover charge on top of the 15% “gratuity”. It said a cover charge had been in place since it opened. The law changed in October so that all tips and service charges must now be passed on to the staff who earned them, rather than being retained by employers. The legislation says this applies to all tips, gratuities and service charges paid by customers, however they are described.

JW Lees MD calls on prime minister to intervene and to hold a formal consultation on business property relief: William Lees-Jones, managing director of north west brewer and retailer JW Lees, has called on prime minister Sir Keir Starmer to intervene and to hold a formal consultation on business property relief. Lees-Jones said: “Good government is all about trust and working for a common good to create a better society. The ‘family fax tax’ seems to have hit a nerve but the changes in business property relief are even worse. Both tax changes are now looking like nothing more than a short-sighted tax grab but it’s not too late to make some changes and for the government to hold a formal consultation with business since the changes were not based on anything more than a hunch. There were no economic projections apart from very basic ones. People like to work for a family business. I was reminded of this when I met with colleagues this week to talk about what changes we need to make at JW Lees. Family businesses are the bedrock of UK business and so much good has come out of the family business sector. According to figures compiled by the Sunday Times and the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), which tracks the philanthropic activity of more than a third of Britain’s 350 wealthiest people, the top 100 individuals and families gave away £3.2bn last year. Meanwhile, corporate giving from the FTSE 100 totalled £1.85bn during the same period. For family businesses, giving back and volunteering isn’t just a ‘nice to do’ it’s part of our culture but all family businesses in the UK are now having to dramatically think about our futures. I’m told [chancellor] Rachel Reeves is not for turning and has gone missing in Westminster, which is why I have called on the prime minister to intervene and to hold a formal consultation on business property relief to hear from family business owners and to give consideration to ideas that will raise additional funds for the Treasury while protecting family businesses.”

Diageo raiding Irish reserves of Guinness to keep up with UK demand: Diageo has resorted to raiding its Irish reserves of Guinness as the British thirst for the black stuff this Christmas has outstripped the St Patrick Day’s peak. Millions of pints typically held in reserve for Irish drinkers are being diverted to Britain on emergency shipments, but bosses at Diageo said they still cannot keep up with demand as Guinness goes viral on social media. “This week we will ship more Guinness to Britain than we did for this year’s March St Patrick’s Day – but we still can’t keep up with demand,” a spokeswoman for Diageo told The Sunday Times. It is understood that the patchwork nature of the shortages relates to the way Guinness is distributed to pubs across the UK. Larger groups such as JD Wetherspoon, Greene King or Stonegate buy directly from Diageo, meaning they have been better able to manage supply amid surging demand. Smaller groups and single-site operators buy Guinness from wholesalers, who have found it harder to get reliable supplies. Independent figures of pub sales from CGA showed although October beer sales volumes fell by 0.5%, Guinness volumes rose by 20% on the previous year. Diageo will roll out a “phased replenishment” of the UK supply chain in January so pubs are sufficiently stocked before the start of rugby’s Guinness Six Nations championship that kicks off at the end of the month. Sources close to the company highlighted that Guinness production would have been far higher had plans to build a new €200m (£166m) brewery in Kildare, 50 miles south of Dublin, not become subjected to a protracted planning row. Diageo will shift the brewing of its lager brands such as Hop House and Kaliber from its Dublin premises at St James’ Gate to the new facility in 2026. This will make way for greater production of Guinness at its Dublin brewery.

BBPA – revised costs around waste packaging ‘extremely worrying step in the wrong direction’: Revised estimates around the cost of waste packaging “are an extremely worrying step in the wrong direction”, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has warned. New figures published by the government on extended producer responsibility show the figure for glass is now £240 per tonne, up from the estimated £215 per tonne that was published in September. BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin said: “Government must be clear-eyed that these proposed higher additional costs on brewers would land an extra £160m or 5p per glass bottle on the sector. This could force some brewers to leave the glass bottle market. Given the incredibly narrow margins UK brewers operate to, as they make an average of 2p per bottle of beer, this means they’ll be forced to pass on extra painful costs to the consumer if they want to carry on making their product. The sector is, of course, committed to a more circular economy and sustainable packaging solutions, but it is critical that government properly considers the full impact of these fees and wider packaging reforms on our industry, which will severely diminish growth and risk jobs. We urge it to continue to review these fees and ensure they are fairer and more sustainable, so we can continue to play a critical role for the UK’s economy and employment.”

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a dynamic hospitality group that has expansion plans for 2025-26 and is seeking a group sales manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “This is a chance to join a fast-paced, innovative team in a pivotal head office role. The group sales manager will take the lead in driving sales across multiple venues, focusing on building a pipeline of business through private dining, large bookings, corporate events, and venue hire, collaborating with restaurant teams to capitalise on sales opportunities and maximise spend per head, developing pre-launch sales strategies for upcoming openings.” The salary is up to £70,000 and the position is based in Manchester. For more information, email kate@corecruitment.com.

Licensing update: John Gaunt & Partners licensing solicitors has published its last licensing update of the year. The entire team wishes all Propel readers a prosperous Christmas and a successful new year and looks forward to supporting them in a thriving 2025! Should they have any licensing issues over the Christmas period, John Gaunt & Partners’ 24-hour licensing helpline will be available throughout on 0114 266 3400. The full update can be accessed here. 

Soho House – we are looking at other ways that we can roll out Mews concept, appoints chief transformation officer: Soho House & Co, which last week revealed it had received a £1.4bn takeover offer from a new consortium, has said it is looking at other ways that it can roll out the Mews concept it launched in London earlier this year. Soho Mews House opened in London’s Mayfair, on the former Hush restaurant site in Lancashire Court, in September, “aimed at our long-term members”. Soho House & Co chief executive Andrew Carnie said: “We couldn't be happier with Soho Mews House, and I think our members couldn't be happier. It got off to a phenomenal start. We're providing a more elevated house than what we would normally do, both in the design aesthetic and both the menus, including the British Grill menu, and then the events that we put on. At the moment, we are looking at New York as a potential Mews House and also we have Ibiza coming as well in the summer next year, which will be in a similar vein. We are looking at other ways that we can roll our concept out.” Carnie said the business had seen a slowdown in both the US and UK in October, due to the election in the former and the lead up to the Budget in the latter. He said: “In November, both those regions bounced back. Europe was pretty consistent and Asia is actually doing okay. So, it was mainly in the UK and USA that we saw the change.” At the same time, Soho House has appointed Greg Russell as its new chief transformation officer. He joins the business from Keller, a global geotechnical engineering company, where he designed and delivered a pan-European transformation programme, having previously developed a global target operating model for McDonald’s. Carnie said: “We are making investments to try to replace our current finance enterprise resource planning or ERP software with a new industry-leading cloud-based system, led by our new chief transformation officer. The investment will overhaul how we manage finance, procurement, reporting and compliance, payments and staffing and more seamlessly connect to our membership and operations. It will allow us to scale more cost effectively, which is important for a company that is in more than 20 countries today with plans to enter more in the next few years.”

Bear – plans to open 22 more cafés over the next five years: Craig Bunting, co-founder of coffee house, kitchen and bar business Bear, has said the company is looking to reach the 30-site mark by the end of the decade. The business, which was founded by Bunting and Michael Thorley, and backed by Clark Group and founding investor Chris Price, opened its eighth site, in Wimborne, Dorset, in October. Bunting told The Times that Bear plans to open 22 more cafés over the next five years. He said the business makes £5.5m in revenue and employs more than 130 people. It follows a successful first crowdfunding campaign, which exceeded its initial £500,000 target to raise £964,000 to date, with a further £425,000 of confirmed equity funding expected later in the year. “Trading is good, with an increase in like-for-like sales this year, but 2025 will be a year of really seeing what we can do as a brand,” Bunting told Propel this autumn. “We’re discussing some more units in the north, and there’s loads on our radar in Birmingham and the West Midlands. There are a couple on the south coast we’re looking at too, so quite a few opportunities are at different stages of negotiations.”

Chestnut Group seeing site Ebitda tracking up 30% in current financial year as it reports turnover nears £30m: East Anglian pub company Chestnut Group is seeing site Ebitda tracking up 30% in the financial year ending 31 March 2025. It comes as the group reported revenue increased 33.6% to a record £29,079,198 for the year ending 31 March 2024 compared with £21,764,706 the previous year. Of the 2024 figure, £22,053,767 came from food and beverage (2023: £17,606,811), £5,080,223 from accommodation (2023: £4,114,122), £1,876,838 from wholesale (2023: nil) and £65,785 from sundry items (2023: £43,773). Like-for-like sales were up 12.9%. Site level Ebitda rose 88% to £6,100,000 from £3,300,000 the previous year as the 20-strong group focused on “tightening operational grip around an increasingly multi-faceted business”. Adjusted Ebitda grew to £2,690,000 from £325,000 the year before. Pre-tax losses narrowed to £2,104,573 from £3,629,824 the previous year. The group continued to acquire new businesses in the financial year, including The Old Bridge in Huntingdon and Peter Graham Wines to drive the growth of The Bottle Shops both in property and now online. Chestnut also invested in Barsham Brewery, taking a 20% stake in the company in July 2023. Following the year end, the group has expanded further with the acquisition of The Lifeboat Inn and The Chequers in Thornham, Le Strange Arms and The Mariner in Hunstanton and The Gin Trap in Ringstead. These acquisitions take the total rooms portfolio to 321. The refurbishment and expansion projects at The Malting in Weybourne and The Packhorse in Moulton have both completed such that all sites are at full operational capacity. The group has also sold The Northgate in Bury St Edmunds and The Rupert Brooke in Grantchester. Chief executive Philip Turner said: “The discipline employed throughout the business shows through the 2024 results, the integration of new technology, improved procurement and tighter labour management has been a worthwhile challenge providing a solid foundation for the integration of subsequent acquisitions in 2024-25, and supporting further profitability growth of 30%-plus for the year to March 2025. The launch of our loyalty programme, About Time, has attracted 15,000 followers.”

Liverpool Middle Eastern restaurant plans three Manchester sites and move into franchising: Liverpool Middle Eastern restaurant Gulf House, which opened earlier this year, has unveiled plans to launch three new locations in Manchester in the next few years and move into franchising after a “phenomenal” start. Since opening in September in Tradewind Square, Gulf House said it has continued to thrive. As a result, the restaurant – which is reminiscent of a traditional Gulf souk in Dubai during the 1970s – is looking to open three Manchester locations by 2025-26. The business is also welcoming franchise applications, and has already received a host of them. The first franchises are set to launch in 2025. A spokesperson said: “We expected a successful start, but it has surpassed anything we could have hoped for. To have had so many customers, especially English customers, wanting to experience our food and our culture has been amazing. Manchester was part of our business plan for 2026, but not this soon. We believe the success of Gulf House is due to a sense of nostalgia as many guests have either visited places like Dubai or worked in the Middle East and are eager to relive the warm memories of those experiences. Manchester has a vast Middle Eastern population and we feel this links in perfectly with what we have to offer.”

Burger & Lobster secures Kensington site: Burger & Lobster, which said it has “ambitious growth planned for the next few years”, which will see its presence more than double in the UK, has secured a new site in London, in Kensington. Propel has learned that Burger & Lobster, which currently operates nine UK restaurants and a further 11 international locations including New York, Singapore, Bangkok, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Qatar, has secured the Gordon Ramsay Street Burger site at 222 Kensington High Street, for an opening next year. Burger & Lobster will mark its return to the expansion trail in early 2025 with an opening in Brighton – its first new UK site in eight years. As revealed by Propel last month, Burger & Lobster has secured a site at 15 Market Street. The company, which previously operated sites in Cardiff and Manchester, is also understood to be in talks on a site that will see it return to the latter city. Seb Howard Property acted on behalf of Burger & Lobster to acquire the Kensington site, while Richard Negus, of AG&G, acted on behalf of the vendor.

Grind set to make regional debut in Manchester: Grind, the David Abrahamovitch-led business, is set to make its regional debut with the opening of a site in Manchester. Propel understands that Grind, which operates five cafés, six coffee shops, and three coffee trucks in London, has secured the remaining food and beverage space in Gary Neville’s Relentless Developments’ St Michael’s scheme in the city’s Jackson Row. It is thought that Grind will open a 3,000 square-foot cafe and cocktail bar at the scheme next spring. Earlier this year, the business partnered with supermarket Tesco to offer its products in stores across the UK. Grind, which attained B Corp status earlier this year, also has retail partnerships with companies including Waitrose, Co-op, Ocado and Selfridges. It is understood that Distrkt acted on the Grind deal in Manchester.

Eataly UK’s operation sees losses rise to £5m as turnover hits £26.7m: Italian food market and restaurant brand Eataly has reported UK turnover increased to £26,726,048 for the year ending 31 December 2023 compared with £25,040,214 the previous year. Pre-tax losses grew to £5,011,508 from £1,299,263 the year before. In his report accompanying the accounts, director Luca Sabadin said: “For the 2023 financial year, the company’s sales and margins increased and labour cost decreased from the previous year. However, energy prices had a negative impact on the company's financial result.” No dividend was paid (2022: nil). The company made its UK debut in April 2021 when it opened in London’s Bishopsgate, with the 42,000 square-foot space spanning two floors. Founded in 2007 by Oscar Farinetti, Eataly operates more than 40 food markets across 16 countries around the world.

Starbucks baristas launch strike in US: More than 11,000 Starbucks baristas in the US have begun a five-day strike in a dispute over pay and working conditions. The walk outs began on Friday (20 December) at stores in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle, Starbucks Workers United said. The union added the strike action would spread each day and reach hundreds of stores by Christmas Eve unless a deal is reached. It follows the union calling for the coffee shop brand to raise wages and staffing, as well as implement better schedules for its workers. “We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements – we need the union to return to the table,” a Starbucks spokesperson said in response to the strike announcement. The strike marks the biggest Workers United action since the organisation started trying to negotiate a contract with Starbucks more than two years ago. The union has been picking up members since the first store in the US voted to join in 2021. It now represents more than 500 shops across 45 US states. “It's a last resort, but Starbucks has broken its promise to thousands of baristas and left us with no choice,” said Fatemeh Alhadjaboodi, a Starbucks barista from Texas said in a statement sent to the BBC by the union. Workers United has highlighted what it sees as an unfair pay disparity between its members and senior Starbucks bosses, including chief executive Brian Niccol. His annual base pay is $1.6m. He could also get a performance-related bonus of as much as $7.2m and up to $23m a year of Starbucks shares. The company, which has more than 16,000 stores in the US, also highlighted that it offers average pay of more than $18 (£14.40) an hour, as well as “best-in-class benefits”. 

Wimpy opens new Brighton site after £500,000 investment: Wimpy has invested £500,000 on opening a new site in Brighton. The brand, which closed its previous site in Brighton in 2006, has opened the new 98-cover restaurant in the city’s West Street, after the £500,000 investment by incoming franchisee Charlie Bhangal, who already owns Wimpys in Worthing, Eastbourne and Basingstoke. He said: “Wimpy was the pioneer of the burger in the UK and I'm thrilled to have brought Wimpy back to Brighton just in time for Christmas. The city is such a thriving and lively community.” Chris Woolfenden, Wimpy general manager, added: “Brighton is such a heritage location for us. Our first Wimpy Brighton opened in York Place in 1964, so to be returning to the city in 2024 – our 70th anniversary year – seems very fitting indeed. Our franchisee Charlie and his area manager Nick Egan and the team have a huge amount of experience in the Wimpy family.” Wimpy operates 62 sites in the UK.

Warrens Bakery adds to travel hub presence with Cardiff Central station opening for second Welsh store: Warrens Bakery has added to its travel hub presence with an opening at Cardiff Central station for its second Welsh store. Located in the main concourse, the store is the group’s 42nd shop across the West Country, South Wales and the south east. Following recent openings at Bath Spa, Basingstoke and Slough train stations, Cardiff signals the continuation of plans for more Warrens Bakery stores in the travel sector. Katie Anderson, head of travel at Warrens Bakery, said: “We are thrilled to open our newest bakery at Cardiff railway station, marking our second store in Wales. Expanding into Cardiff is an exciting milestone in Warrens Bakery’s journey within the travel sector and marks our first travel store in Wales and the start of a partnership with Trafnidiaeth Cymru/Transport for Wales. We're committed to bringing our traditional yet innovative baked goods to new audiences and are confident that Cardiff will build on the outstanding performance we've experienced so far with our existing travel focused stores and hope this is the start of a long successful relationship with Trafnidiaeth Cymru/Transport for Wales.” Warrens Bakery was established in 1860.

Cornish Bakery reports new Milton Keynes opening is most successful ever: Fast-growing independent brand Cornish Bakery has reported its new opening in Milton Keynes is the group’s most successful ever. The bakery, the group’s 65th that opened earlier this month at centre:mk, has “surpassed all expectations”, taking a record-breaking £40,000 plus in its first week of trading. At 200 square metres, the Milton Keynes bakery is the largest opening for the independent company this year. An average score of 4.5 has already been achieved on TripAdvisor. Managing director Mat Finch said, “We all knew that Milton Keynes, with its significant scale of space, was going to be a successful opening for us but even we weren’t quite expecting the extreme runaway success of the first week alone. We immediately reacted to the positive challenge of too many customers, working swiftly with the centre:mk team to devise our first roped queueing system. Our first week sales were well in excess of £40,000 – yet another record breaking result in the record breaking year that has seen us surpass sales of more than £1m per week, and enter the top 100 of all fast-growth retail companies in the UK.” The Milton Keynes opening comes on the back of launches in Taunton, Chelmsford and Winchester, all of which the company said have also been exceeding expectations and significant sales targets. The company is in the final stages of the build and renovation work for the next Cornish Bakery, which will open in Cirencester in January. Finch has previously said the company has a strong pipeline of new locations and properties to open throughout 2025 as he adjusted the company’s ambition to triple in size in the near future. 

Staycity acquires lease of east London aparthotel operated by Edyn: Aparthotel operator Staycity Group, operator of the Staycity and Wilde brands, has taken on the lease of Kingsland Locke in Dalston, east London. The 124-room property, owned by real estate investment firm Aprirose, had been operated by Edyn, operator of the Locke, Cove and Saco brands of aparthotels. The property will transfer to Staycity’s operation on 27 January 2025, rebranding under the Staycity name. Staycity plans to extend the property to 181 studios and one-bed apartments by the end of 2028. Guest facilities currently include a gym, co-working area, café bar and event space as well as an on-site microbrewery and gin distillery. Edyn has operated Kingsland Locke for three and a half years. Andrew Fowler, Staycity Group’s chief development officer, said: “The availability of this lease was a fantastic opportunity for Staycity to strengthen its brand in the capital in an area that’s become one of London’s coolest destinations. The acquisition marks a renewed focus and expansion of the Staycity brand as it undergoes a repositioning over the next 18 months.” Staycity Group has recently accelerated its European expansion plans which will take it from its current 5,800 operational keys to 20,000 by 2032. In 2025, Staycity will open aparthotels in Amsterdam and Cambridge as well as moving into Portugal with its lifestyle Wilde brand opening in Lisbon and Porto. 

Flamingo Land submits appeal over £40m Scottish holiday resort after land deal extended: Theme park operator Flamingo Land has submitted an appeal to the Scottish government after its plans for a £40m holiday resort next to Loch Lomond were twice rejected. It comes after Scottish Enterprise was criticised for extending an exclusivity deal with Flamingo Land for a section of land at the loch – allowing the possibility of a further appeal. The company’s proposals for its Lomond Banks resort include a monorail, waterpark, hotel and restaurants. The application for planning permission was denied for a second time in September. The proposal previously sparked opposition over issues including flood risk, increased traffic and impact on local businesses – with more than 174,000 people signing a petition against it. Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park authority board unanimously voted against the development, ruling that it did not comply with environmental and nature conservation policies. But Scottish Enterprise has now announced the land deal extension to ensure “the full range of evidence and views are fully considered”. Citing commercial reasons, it declined to say when the deal is scheduled to run out. Jim Paterson, Flamingo Land's development director for Lomond Banks, said he hoped his company's appeal would see “the many benefits this development would bring” being “unlocked and brought to fruition”. He added the final proposals for the site were adapted to “reflect more than two years of ongoing community engagement”.