Exclusive – Professionals at Play to open at least six new venues across its brands this year to deliver more than £50m of revenue: Professionals at Play – the Foresight-backed, parent company of the Roxy Lanes, Roxy Ball Room and King Pins concepts – has told Propel it plans to open at least six new venues across its brands in 2025 to deliver more than £50m of revenue and further Ebitda growth. Founded by Matt and Ben Jones in 2013, the group has since grown to 11 Roxy Ball Rooms, eight Roxy Lanes, three King Pins and a Star Pins site in Coventry. It comes as the group posted turnover of £32,761,000 for the year to 31 December 2023 (2022: £23,499,000), with adjusted Ebitda up 15% to £7,973,000 (2022: £6,962,000). Matt Jones told Propel that revenue for 2024 stood at £41.2m, a 26% increase on 2023, with “likely Ebitda of £8.5m”, a 6.5% increase on the previous year. He said: “2024 saw the opening of four more venues, including a new concept, Star Pins, the extension of our Roxy Bristol site, and two major refurbishments, which helped deliver a further 26% in revenue. We invested significantly in our operating and sales team structure in the year and rebranded to Professionals At Play, to facilitate our growth plan going into 2025 and 2026, and still saw 6.5% Ebitda growth in the year. We continue to invest in new and existing sites and plan to open at least six new venues across our brands to deliver more than £50m of revenue and further Ebitda growth. We still love what we do and will continue our quest to become the largest competitive socialising company in the UK. We also have a confirmed pipeline of six sites for 2026.” Openings lined up include a Roxy Ball Room debut in London, King Pins Bristol, King Pins Leeds, King Pins Glasgow, King Pins Belfast and a Roxy Ball Room for Glasgow. On speculation that the company may look to review its funding options this year, Matt Jones added: “We have not appointed advisors yet. Foresight is still debating what it wants to do and whether it is going to realise its minority investment in the company soon. Ben and I, as majority shareholders, have no intention to sell any shares and are happy to keep growing with minimal debt for now.”

 

Propel’s Top 500 Report – 77 pub and bar operators representing 21,000 sites among UK’s leading 500 operators: Propel’s Top 500 report, set for release tomorrow (Friday, 10 January), showcases the leading companies in the UK hospitality sector ranked by turnover. It offers insights across seven key segments and includes site numbers with 77 pub and bar operators, collectively managing 20,916 sites, as well as 125 hotel operators with 2,309 sites, 123 quick service restaurant operators with 13,000 sites, 60 casual dining brands with 3,446 sites, 45 cafe and bakery businesses operating 9,902 sites, 65 experiential leisure companies with 2,209 sites, and five fine dining brands with 76 sites. With more than 90,000 words of analysis, the report delves into company histories, leadership structures and turnover figures, offering an essential resource for industry professionals. The guide will be sent out as two files – an introductory PDF featuring deep dives into the top 25 companies and including 6,500 words of insight from Propel’s writers, and a fully searchable excel sheet where all the data can be easily accessed. The analysis includes Mark Wingett examining the mergers and acquisitions shaping the future of the Top 500, while Tim Street dissects the UK’s rapidly developing franchise market. As the experiential leisure sector becomes a cornerstone of modern hospitality, Phil Pemberton assesses how innovative experiences are attracting customers, while Katherine Doggrell examines the key developments in UK hotels. Data expert Mark Bentley, business development director at HDI, looks at emerging growth sectors, and Meaningful Vision founder Maria Vanifatova analyses the latest trends in the quick service restaurant market. The Propel 500 report will be available from 9am on Friday, priced at £595 plus VAT, or £395 plus VAT for existing Premium Club members. Premium Club subscribers can access it for free on 28 February 2025. Pre-order your copy now by emailing: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.

 

Industry leaders to discuss their market outlook and innovation plans at Restaurant Marketer & Innovator, open for bookings: Industry leaders will discuss their market outlook and their plans for innovation and growth at the Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit. Propel group editor Mark Wingett will talk to Satnam Leihal, chief executive at Boporan Restaurant Group, Graham Hall, chief development officer at Drake & Morgan, Lisa Buckley, chief retail officer at BrewDog, and Tas Gaitanos, co-founder of Brother Marcus, about where they’ll be looking to innovate and evolve their brand. 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. A one-day ticket for operators is £320 plus VAT while a two-day ticket is £575 plus VAT. Supplier tickets are £420 plus VAT for one day and £725 plus VAT for two. Propel Premium Club members receive a 20% discount. To book, email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.

Restaurants’ at-home sales jump 6.2% in November as takeaway revival continues: Britain’s leading restaurant groups achieved like-for-like growth in delivery and takeaway sales for the 18th month in a row in November, CGA by NIQ’s latest Hospitality at Home Tracker reveals. Sales were 6.2% ahead of November 2023, the tracker’s highest figure since June. It continues a strong run of growth that was well above the rate of inflation throughout the first 11 months of 2024. Total delivery and takeaway sales, including from sites opened in the last 12 months, rose by 14.7%. Trading benefited from Halloween weekend celebrations and schools’ half-term holidays, both of which shifted some trading from October to November. The tracker indicates more growth for restaurants’ takeaway and click-and-collect sales, which were up by 5.5% on a like-for-like basis in November – a fourth consecutive positive month – while deliveries achieved slightly higher growth at 6.8%. At-home orders continue to increase their share of restaurants’ total sales, with deliveries and takeaways attracting around 16p in every pound that consumers spent with managed restaurants in November, 1p more than 12 months previously. Karl Chessell, CGA by NIQ’s director hospitality operators and food EMEA, said: “The long run of real-terms growth made at-home orders a vital part of restaurants’ success in a challenging 2024. The revival of takeaways after a long run of negative numbers is especially welcome, given the higher margins they can generate. Some of the recent growth may have come at the expense of eating out sales but we can be confident about more strong trading for deliveries and takeaways in 2025.”

UKHospitality – Edinburgh visitor levy rate must not be punitive: UKHospitality has warned that rate of the new visitor levy in Edinburgh must not punish businesses. Edinburgh is set to become the first Scottish city to introduce a “tourist tax” when it comes into effect next summer. Following a period of consultation, a report was made to the council's policy and sustainability committee, and the plans are set to be agreed by councillors next week. Leon Thompson, executive director of UKHospitality Scotland, said: “It’s crucial that the visitor levy was not raised above the proposed rate of 5% and it’s positive that the council has listened to strong feedback on this point. Ahead of the vote later this month, I would urge councillors to understand that the rate cannot be punitive and to be mindful of the impact any additional costs will have on businesses and visitors. Retaining a mechanism for business cost recovery was essential and I’m pleased that this remains within the revised scheme.” The report also suggested a “transition period” be established to help businesses adjust to the changes, which means that bookings made after 1 May this year, for stays after 24 July next year, will be eligible for the tax. Thompson added: “The proposal to apply the levy to eligible bookings from May this year is a quick turnaround for businesses, who will have to implement new systems and ways of working in just over three months. To make this achievable, the council will have to work at pace to urgently provide clear and detailed guidance for businesses tasked with collecting levy funds.”

 

Chantarasaks’ debut site in partnership with MJMK enters Michelin Guide just two months after opening: John and Desiree Chantarasak’s debut site in partnership with MJMK Restaurants has entered the Michelin Guide just two months after opening. The husband-and-wife team launched AngloThai in Seymour Place, in London’s Marylebone, in November 2024. It is now one of 32 new additions to the guide in January, ahead of next month’s ceremony. AngloThai is one of five additions this month located in the capital, the others being Fonda, Row on 5, Three Darlings and Wildflower. With this year’s ceremony being held in Glasgow, two new entries are from the Scottish city – Fallachan Kitchen and Margo. Elsewhere in Scotland, TimeSpirit in Aberlour and The Old Manse of Blair Restaurant have been added, while in Wales, Dishes in Prestatyn and The Fanny Talbot in Barmouth are new entries. The Somerset town of Bruton has two new entries – Briar and Da Costa – as do Brighton & Hove (Amari and Lucky Khao) and Birmingham (Baloci and Satori). Yorkshire has contributed three new additions – The Plough in Wombleton, The Old Deanery in Ripon and Fifty Two in Harrogate – while Devon has two, Circa Totnes in Totnes and Le Vin Perdu in Ashburton. The other new entries are Sonnet in Alnwick (Northumberland), Great Bustard in Great Durnford (Wiltshire), Hem in Warwick, Horse & Groom in Bourton on the Hill (Gloucestershire), Jericho in Plungar (Leicestershire), North Street Kitchen in Fowey (Cornwall), Starling in Esher (Surrey), The Braywood in Bray (Berkshire) and The Lamb Inn in Oxford.

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with an award-winning restaurant group that is seeking an experienced executive head chef to lead its new fine dining Italian seafood restaurant in Central London. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The venue offers a premium dining experience with an impressive seafood display and a menu featuring the finest ingredients. The executive head chef will develop innovative menus showcasing refined Italian seafood and pasta dishes and lead and manage a skilled team of 11 chefs, ensuring excellence in execution and service. They will maintain high standards of presentation with elegant, modern plating techniques, and interact with guests to enhance the dining experience, discussing dishes and daily specials.” The salary is up to £80,000. For more information, email olly@corecruitment.com. 

 

Exclusive – 92 Degrees to launch franchise opportunity after receiving more than 1,000 enquiries, plans further train station sites: Independent coffee roaster 92 Degrees is to launch its first franchise opportunities after receiving more than 1,000 enquiries, with plans to have ten franchisees onboard by the end of this year, Propel has learned. The 20-strong business, which is led by co-founder Jack Brewitt and is privately funded, will launch the new franchise opportunity today (Thursday, 9 January) to mark its tenth anniversary. Brewitt told Propel: “We actually did this as a soft launch about two to three months ago and we have had more than 1,000 enquiries already. We are hoping to have ten franchisees onboard by the end of this year, all with plans to build three stores each or more. Over the next two to three years, we plan to have franchised internationally. With my mum originally being from Manhattan, franchising 92 Degrees on the US east coast to start with would be something we are pushing for. We have been approached by a few individuals internationally already, but the main focus over the next 24 months is in the UK. Our long-term strategy is to have built such a strong network of entrepreneurs that the franchise store count far outweighs the company-owned stores. Over the next 18 months, my focus is to get it to a 50/50 split.” The company, which was established in Liverpool’s Georgian Quarter, made its transport debut last May when it launched at Liverpool Lime Street station. It followed this with openings in Glasgow Queen Street station and Liverpool Central station. Brewitt said: “Our focus on travel locations across the Network Rail estate and other travel hubs is still very much high on our agenda. After opening three train station locations in 2024, we hope to deliver on four to six train station locations this year. 92 Degrees features in the UK Food & Beverage Franchisor Database, the latest edition of which was sent to Premium Club members last month, featuring 50 new entries and now has a total of 330.

 

Deep Blue explores German expansion for Harry Ramsden’s: Deep Blue Restaurants – owner of the Deep Blue, Harry Ramsden’s and Fish & Chips @ 149 brands – is exploring expansion in Germany for its Harry Ramsden’s brand. The push is being led by Raimond Roßleben, franchise development manager for Franchise Focus. Roßleben has previously worked on introducing brands such as Heavenly Desserts, Slim Chickens and Japes to Germany. “We are very happy to be able to accompany the franchise expansion of my favourite fish restaurant in the UK in German-speaking countries,” he said. “The fast-food restaurant brand is the leading provider of fish and chips, with 35 branches in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company has now also achieved international success: in Malaysia, a master franchiser already operates one location and is planning five more. Now, the company is looking for motivated franchisees who want to take the expansion into Germany into their own hands.” Last month, Propel revealed that Deep Blue Restaurants has begun a strategic disposal programme as it focuses on the growth of Harry Ramsden’s. Deep Blue said the process has seen four of its eponymous sites sold so far, and that it had signed heads of terms on two licensing agreements. It came as the group reported like-for-like sales increased 2.6% for the year ending 26 September 2023. Turnover decreased 0.6% to £25,370,235 compared with £26,014,293 the year before, while pre-tax losses increased to £3,637,634 from £2,347,865.

 

German Doner Kebab planning 28 new UK restaurants and 45 internationally in 2025: German Doner Kebab (GDK), owned by Hero Brands, is planning to open 28 restaurants in the UK and 45 restaurants in international markets in 2025, Propel has learned. It comes as Hero Brands, which also operates Choppaluna and Dirty Bones, reported pre-tax profit of £3.8m for the year ending 31 December 2023 compared with a loss of £1.6m the year before, with dividends of £6m. Turnover was down to £26.9m from £37.9m “due to a change in the GDK supply chain”. The group said it expects to deliver £2.5m group Ebitda in 2024 and told Propel that trading in 2024 had “continued strongly”, driven by further growth in GDK. As well as operating more than 70 sites in London across its various brands and in excess of 200 restaurants globally, the group is also pioneering within the creator and talent IP space through the launch of Nashville hot fried-chicken brand, Sides, in collaboration with Europe’s largest YouTube collective The Sidemen. Sides has secured a development partner in the UK to roll out 200 stores over the next ten years, as well as in Singapore, where the brand plans to open 40 restaurants during the next decade. Hero Brands said with consistent growth delivered across the UK and Middle East, GDK has development plans in place to expand across other key locations globally. Now employing more than 4,500 people in its restaurants around the world, the group said it is well placed for significant growth over the next five years. Hero Brands chairman Athif Sarwar said: “We are entering an exciting period of growth for Hero Brands as we create category defining brands that respond to the modern consumer. Our talent platform is also giving our collaborators across music, fashion and culture the opportunity to develop authentic brand partnerships, as well as the ability to licence their own ideas and create high-value sustainable brands.”

 

JKS – 2024 was a successful year for our brands, festive trading up 12%, looking to identify growth opportunities in the US: JKS Hospitality, the new parent company of JKS Restaurants, has told Propel that 2024 was a successful year for its brands, and that it aims to identify growth opportunities internationally across the Middle East and the US over the next 12 months. It comes as the business reported turnover of £73,658,364 for the 65 weeks to 31 March 2024, with adjusted Ebitda for the period of £8,550,227. At 31 March 2024, the company operated 25 restaurants, including the likes of Gymkhana, Berenjak, Bao and Hoppers, across the UK and the Middle East. The business posted total turnover of £50,081,052 in the year to 1 January 2023 (2021: £27,834,900), with adjusted Ebitda of £5,537,367 (2021: £1,066,884). The new ultimate parent company, JKS Hospitality, was introduced effective from 5 May 2023, alongside completion of a fundraising round from an investor consortium comprising high net worth individuals and family offices from the UK, US, Middle East and Asia, believed to be in the region of £20m. The company said: “This involved the repayment of mezzanine and loan note instruments and purchase of equity from previous investor shareholders.” JKS Restaurants has opened a further six sites since the year end including Ambassadors Clubhouse, Bao City and Berenjak Dumbo House in New York, and has plans for further expansion in the UK and internationally in the next 12 months. Co-founder Jyotin Sethi told Propel: “2024 was a successful year for our brands, with continued demand for high quality, high value restaurants throughout the year. This trend followed into the festive season, where spend and covers hit significant milestones, and culminated in a 12% increase in trading year on year. Going forward into 2025, we aim to capitalise on such demand for our current brands in London, while also identifying growth opportunities internationally across the Middle East and the US.”

 

Lola’s Cupcakes set to open 25th store following record-breaking year in 2024: Lola’s Cupcakes is set to open in South Kensington for its 25th store following what the company said has been a record-breaking year of sales in 2024. In its most recent accounts filed with Companies House, the company’s turnover grew from £22,462,005 to £24,869,985 in the year to 31 December 2023, while its pre-tax profit was up from £337,546 to £774,848. Its latest location will launch at 10 South Kensington Station Arcade at the end of January 2025. Designed as a grab-and-go destination, it will also offer a small number of indoor seats. It will be “the first of many new locations planned for Lola’s Cupcakes in 2025”, the company said. Managing director Asher Budwig added: “We’re incredibly excited to bring Lola’s to South Kensington. This location in the South Kensington Station Arcade is a fantastic fit for us.” Budwig told Propel last October that he plans to add three to four sites each year, and that he wants to expand the “London-centric” business to northern cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle.

Mollie’s to focus on two-pronged expansion play: Budget motel concept Mollie’s is to focus on a two-pronged expansion play, targeting roadside and city centre locations. The concept – conceived by Soho House founder Nick Jones and initially launched under its umbrella before being spun-off as an independent entity in 2020 – currently has sites in Oxfordshire and Bristol. A third site – its first city centre opening and largest to date – will launch later this year in Manchester, at the former Granada Studios development. For the roadside sites, the company is seeking 40,000 square-foot sites for 125-150 rooms, and for city centre locations, 60,000 square-foot for 150-plus rooms. Target locations for the roadside format include Cheltenham and the Thames Valley, while city centre target locations include Leeds, Cardiff, Birmingham, Liverpool, Glasgow, Belfast and Dublin. Greater London, Cambridge, Brighton, York, Edinburgh and Bath are targets for both types of format. Comprising 128 rooms across five floors, the Manchester hotel is the company’s first extensive city-centre property – an evolution from the original roadside model. It will share a building with the first Soho House to open in the north of England. Last summer, Propel reported that Mollie’s had drawn down more than half of a £25m parent company loan to allow for expansion across new sites.

Olives & Mezze team to launch smash burger concept: The team behind Olives & Mezze is to launch a new smash burger concept in London’s Victoria, Propel has learned. The business, which operates two Olives & Mezze sites in London, has secured the former Neat Burger site at 36 Buckingham Palace Road. The lease was sold for a premium exceeding the asking price. The 1,545 square-foot site, located adjacent to Pizza Pilgrims and opposite the sought-after Nova development, attracted significant interest, receiving multiple strong offers. Olives & Mezze currently operates sites in Soho and Clapham. Last September, doubts were raised about the future of Neat Burger, the Lewis Hamilton and Leonardo DiCaprio-backed plant-based brand, which last year rebranded as Neat after the departure of its chief executive and the closure of two of its international sites. In then announced it was to close half of its eight-strong UK estate after seeing a “shift towards hybrid-work, leading to a natural decrease in footfall at some of our larger restaurants”. It subsequently closed its sites in Liverpool Street, Canary Wharf, Oxford Street and Westfield Stratford, leaving it with sites in Camden, Soho, Victoria and Wembley, and has also since shuttered the sites in Dubai and New York. Marc Rogers at MKR Property and Salvatore Di Natale, of CDG Leisure, acted on the Victoria deal.

 

Smoky Boys lines up Haymarket opening to expand London presence: Barbecue and grill restaurant concept Smoky Boys is to increase its presence in London, with an opening in Haymarket. Propel understands that Smoky Boys has secured the former Viet Café site at 23 Haymarket for an opening later this year. Founded in 2015 by Sharif Rahman and Hiron Miah, Smoky Boys offers guests a fully halal menu, serving barbecue and grill meat dishes. Last October, Propel revealed that the business has secured the ex-Dirty Martini site at 74 Upper Street, Islington, for an opening this year, and it is thought to have a further opening lined up in Shoreditch. It also operates eight delivery-only sites. Marc Rogers at MKR Property acted for Smoky Boys and Matt Paulson Ellis from Levy acted for the landlord on the Haymarket deal. 

 

The Salad Project to open eighth site next week: The Salad Project, the all-day dining concept that launched in London in 2021, will open its eighth site next week. It will open at 45-47 Duke Street, off London’s Bond Street, on Friday, 17 January. Co-founder Florian De Chezelles said: “There are still many Londoners who haven’t yet discovered The Salad Project, and based on the success of our current restaurants, we’re confident they would love what we have to offer. The opening of our Bond Street store is a significant milestone for us, and we can’t wait to bring our fresh salads to even more people.” Last month, De Chezelles told Propel that the business was aiming to double the size of its then seven-strong estate in 2025. De Chezelles also told Propel’s Multi-Club Conference last April that The Salad Project has a longer-term target of reaching 20 sites in London by 2027 before exploring expansion outside the capital and had raised £1m towards its expansion plans. He said: “We have a clear short-term path in front of us with the desire to keep growing in London by opening bricks-and-mortar stores. Once we’ve equipped ourselves with the right team, we’d love to be able to continue to grow in the UK, as we think it falls short in comparison with other countries in terms of healthy eating. We think there’s lots of room to grow.” De Chezelles’ presentation at the Propel Multi-Club Conference last April is one of 100 videos from eight conferences in 2024 that are available to Premium Club members. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com if you are a Premium member and would like this video. Premium Club members also get a 20% discount on tickets to all Propel events in 2025.

 

McDonald’s begins roll out of its new McValue platform in the US: McDonald’s has begun the roll out of its new McValue platform in the US. The new menu includes a buy one, add one for $1 offer (including at breakfast), a $5 meal deal, app exclusive offers and localised deals. The McValue platform is an evolution of McDonald’s $5 meal deal launched in June to win back lower-income consumers, reports NRN. That promotion helped McDonald’s gain traffic from that demographic for the first time in over a year, the company said, while consumer insights data showed it gained market share as well. It is McDonald’s biggest menu change since its $1, $2, $3 dollar menu launch in 2018.

 

Michelin-starred chef Paul Ainsworth acquires Cornish hotel: Michelin-starred chef Paul Ainsworth has acquired The St Enodoc Hotel in Rock, Cornwall. The boutique property, which overlooks the Camel Estuary, comprises 21 rooms, a restaurant and beauty rooms and is the only hotel in Rock. Ainsworth, who has acquired the site with wife Emma, said: “This landmark hotel is set in a stunning location right on our doorstep. We are excited to welcome this wonderful hotel to The Ainsworth Collection and further build on its legacy. We have no immediate plans to change the style of the hotel – our priority is ensuring a seamless employment transition for the St Enodoc team while welcoming them to the Ainsworth Collection family, to get to know our new business, and to create a warm welcome for guests.” Ainsworth is also behind the Michelin-starred Paul Ainsworth at No6, Caffè Rojano, Padstow Townhouse, Ci Ci’s Bar and The Mariners – all located on the north Cornwall coast.

 

Whitbread to open Premier Inn at Belfast airport: Whitbread has committed to opening an 81-bedroom Premier Inn hotel at Belfast International airport. The company, which currently operates seven Premier Inn hotels in Northern Ireland, has signed an agreement-for-lease with JHT Hotels, a subsidiary of Northern Ireland developer J H Turkington and Sons, paving the way for the delivery of the new hotel in 2026. The deal is the latest in a series of investments by Whitbread in UK airport locations. Since September 2024, the company has added more than 550 Premier Inn bedrooms at Manchester, Edinburgh, and Belfast airports as part of its strategic growth plan. Currently, in its main UK and Ireland market, the business operates more than 85,500 bedrooms from 855 locations and has an ambition to expand its offer to 125,000 rooms in the UK and Ireland. Jill Anderson, acquisition manager for Whitbread, said: “Securing such a prime location at Belfast International airport reinforces our commitment to growing our network in key travel hubs across the UK and Ireland. The Belfast acquisition is the third airport hotel Whitbread has signed in six months, reflecting the consistently strong and growing demand for travel and the excellent investment opportunities these locations offer.” The new hotel will be constructed at the junctions of Airport Road, Antrim Road and British Road – opposite the airport’s long-stay car park.

 

Investment group led by pop star turned hospitality entrepreneur Recardo Patrick acquires Greater Manchester restaurant: An investment group led by pop star turned hospitality entrepreneur Recardo Patrick has acquired a Greater Manchester restaurant. Dunham Massey Investment Group, of which Patrick is chairman and a shareholder, has bought Riva in Cecil Road, Hale, for an undisclosed sum. It was previously run for five years by a local team of private owners including operations director Simon Umpleby, the former landlord of The Church Inn in Mobberley. Riva will remain under the same name, with the same Michelin-star trained head chef, Daniel Kelly, but will now increase its opening to seven days a week (from five) and offer a new artisan breakfast. The 65-cover Riva will continue to offer its iconic roast dinners, and its live entertainment will be upgraded. Dunham Massey operates an expanding portfolio of hospitality and manufacturing businesses in the UK, managing more than £140m of assets. Patrick, who rose to fame in the 1970s as the lead singer of British soul group Sweet Sensation, told Propel: “The acquisition of Riva is the perfect way to begin 2025, as we’ve seen hospitality struggle throughout the past year, both regionally and nationally. With the foray of restaurant closures that have happened recently, this comes as good news for the hospitality industry in Greater Manchester. This next phase of Riva will be bigger and better than ever before. As a local to Hale, I’ve been a regular customer of Riva’s over the years, so this is an especially exciting project to take on.” Patrick’s other recent investments include the AMOK nightclub on the island of Palma De Mallorca, which had its first phase opening last summer. Also in his group’s pipeline for this year is acquiring Cheshire pub The Swan with Two Knicks and re-purchasing Wilmslow’s Cheshire Smokehouse, which was previously in its portfolio.

 

Chef Gary Usher closes Burnt Truffle site: Chef and restaurateur Gary Usher has closed his Burnt Truffle restaurant on the Wirral after ten years of trading after the lease on the site came to an end, and he admitted: “I’ve never been able to make it work here”. The award-winning Burnt Truffle in Heswall was Usher’s second venue and his first opened using crowdfunding, having raised £100,000 through a Kickstarter campaign. In November 2023, Usher made a “use us or lose us” plea for the restaurant and said it may have to close if it didn’t see an increase in diners. Usher’s Elite Bistros business also operates Sticky Walnut in Hoole, Chester; Hispi in Didsbury, south Manchester; Wreckfish in Liverpool; Pinion in Prescot; Kala in Manchester; and The White Horse in Churton, Cheshire. Usher said: “Thank you to all the team and all the guests over the last ten years. Our lease has come to an end, and we have decided to part ways. All our bills are paid, and all vouchers will be redeemed. I could have renewed that lease, but the honest truth is, I’ve never been able to make it work here. I’ve been quite vocal about how difficult the government has made it over the last few years, but ultimately, I’ve never been able to make it work here. So, the best business decision for us is to close.”

 

Travelodge secures Bromley hotel as it targets more than 100 locations across London: Travelodge, which operates more than 600 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain, has agreed to acquire the former Ibis hotel in Bromley, south east London, as it targets more than 100 locations across the capital. Travelodge has agreed a 25-year lease with the building owner and will begin refitting the 59-room hotel at The Bromley Mall this month, with a target of opening the hotel for business by Easter 2025. Travelodge already operates 82 hotels and more than 10,000 rooms in the London boroughs and the brand continues to expand across the capital. Travelodge recently acquired an office building in St Paul’s for conversion into a 95-room hotel subject to planning permission, in the group’s first freehold acquisition for conversion, and has also recently exchanged contracts to open a new hotel in Upminster, with construction having started to transform a town centre site into a new, 82-room hotel. In addition, there are a further three Travelodge hotels under construction in London – in Beckenham, Chiswick and Stratford. The group is actively seeking further development opportunities within the M25, ranging from office conversions and new build developments to going concerns and local authority deals. Steve Bennett, chief property and development officer, said: “While we already operate 82 Travelodge hotels in London, many of the boroughs have very few branded budget hotels. London remains a key focus for our UK development team, and we are actively seeking suitable hotel opportunities across the capital, with more than 100 locations on our London target requirement list.”

 

London’s Elephant Park’s retail and leisure space changes ownership: Evolve Estates, part of the commercial property and investment collective M Core, has acquired a 120,000 square-foot retail and leisure space from Lendlease at the Elephant Park development in London. Located in the Elephant & Castle area of Central London, Elephant Park is a flagship development delivered in partnership between Lendlease and Southwark Council. The project has already provided nearly 3,000 new homes and is centred around a new park. The retail and leisure space features a mix of independent and established operators such as The Gym Group and Heavenly Desserts. In the last three months, Lendlease added 12 brands to Elephant Park ahead of sale, committing to more than 40,500 square-foot of prime retail and leisure space. Sebastian Macdonald-Hall, partner at Evolve, said: “This is a significant acquisition for Evolve, demonstrating our ability to invest, manage and develop the retail and leisure proposition within one of London’s largest regeneration areas.” Guy Thomas, head of retail and place assets at Lendlease, added: “We look forward to seeing Elephant Park’s commercial ground floor flourish under Evolve’s ownership.” CBRE acted for Lendlease, and Hampson Wall acted for Evolve.

 

Interesting Hotels acquires former Hilton hotel in North Wales: Interesting Hotels, which is led by West Midlands businessman Roger Hancox, has acquired a former Hilton hotel in North Wales. It has taken on the Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Snowdonia for an undisclosed sum. The 106-bedrooms venue, which also features a restaurant, bar, fitness centre, luxury spa and four meeting/conference rooms, has now been renamed as IXORA Hotel & Spa. Former owners, the Ainscough family, were also behind the adjacent Surf Snowdonia lagoon at Adventure Park Snowdonia, which closed in the summer of 2023. The hotel site continued to operate under the Hilton branding but subsequently went into administration, with a pre-pack sale agreed and staff transferred to the new owner, reports Wales Online. It is a tenth location for Interesting Hotels, which also operates two other sites in Wales as well as others across Shropshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, The Lake District, Oxfordshire and Herefordshire. In November, Hancox said the business is seeking further acquisitions but finding a “shortage of suitable opportunities”. It came as Interesting Hotel reported its turnover rose from £18,487,000 to £19,031,000 during the year to 31 December 2023, while its pre-tax profit grew from £2,109,000 to £2,527,000.

 

ASM Global takes over management of two Sheffield venues: ASM Global, which operates the AO Arena in Manchester and SSE Wembley Arena as part of its global portfolio, is now operating two new venues in Sheffield. The group has taken over management of Utilita Arena Sheffield and Sheffield City Hall, which join ASM Global’s network of more than 350 venues, which collectively host 20,000 events and welcome 164 million guests every year. The new operator will oversee a fresh chapter for the Sheffield venues, with investment fuelling a series of improvement works, funded by Sheffield City Council and ASM Global. At Utilita Arena, the vision is to “reimagine the venue as a world-class touring destination”, while at Sheffield City Hall, the aim is to develop the venue experience “in line with its heritage identity”. Chris Bray, president of ASM Global Europe, said: “We’re looking forward to working with the teams to elevate the guest experience and future proof both venues for years to come. Our ambition is to reimagine the venues, delivering world-class live entertainment in Sheffield.”

 

Breadstall opens debut bricks-and-mortar site in London’s Soho: Breadstall, the London biga-style pizza business which is backed by Philip Eeles and Dorian Waite, two of the co-founders of Honest Burgers, has opened its debut bricks-and-mortar site, in London’s Soho. Propel revealed in August that Breadstall, which was launched by Sebastian Vince during lockdown, had secured a site at 92 Berwick Street. This came after Eeles and Waite raised circa £1.2m to back the expansion of Breadstall, which offers authentic biga-style 20-inch pizzas that can be ordered whole, in halves or quarters. The site has now opened, joining Breadstall's other location, which it operates out of a shipping container in Northcote Road in Clapham. Unlike the Clapham site, the Soho one has space to eat inside, with room for about 70 people. Downstairs is a “dough bar”, with more seating, and from where guests can watch the dough being prepared. The site will also have a street-facing open window where pizzas can be bought to take away.