Punch Pubs & Co CEO – Laine providing inspiration around growing talent, Fortress has made the business fitter: Andy Spencer, who took over as chief executive of the Fortress-backed, circa 1,350-strong Punch Pubs & Co in September, has told Propel that the company is taking the learnings from the “outstanding work” Laine Pub Co is doing around growing talent and training into the rest of the business. The company acquired the then 51-strong Laine business in May 2018. Spencer said: “With Laine, we are really understanding what makes that business special and why it stands out in the market. The relationships and the connectivity that the management partners have with the wider Laine team is really impressive, and we’re thinking about how we can replicate that within the Punch estate. A lot of work the Laine team does around growing talent and training is outstanding, and that’s giving us inspiration in Punch. We are also seeing that guests across the business are willing to spend money with us, but they want a reason to come, and a compelling reason at that. Laine has, for more than 20 years, been creating compelling reasons to visit, so we’re thinking about how we can take those learnings into the rest of the business.” Fortress acquired Punch at the end of 2021 in a deal valued at around £1bn. The investment firm has been keen to support Punch to not only up its freehold mix but also acquire packages when the right opportunity has presented itself. Spencer said: “Fortress has been enormously supportive and is making us fitter. Fortress has a great team and has challenged us to develop a deeper understanding of the data points in our business, and that’s making us better at investing and acquiring. We will always look at M&A opportunities, and if things come along that we’re excited about and they’re at the right price, then fantastic. We’re coming across individual entrepreneurs who’ve been running free houses for a long time, which are just a bit tired, and we think we can be a great owner and custodian of those pubs. We can move at pace and be the right home for those individual sites, offering more support to the future publican. Our ambition is to be the five-star pub company in the UK. We have lots of opportunities internally to invest, but we also think we can be a great acquirer, particularly of single sites.”

 

Sponsored message – Jacksons achieves gold status, commits to Neutral Carbon Zone’s Platinum Certification and releases new website: Jacksons – one of London's leading suppliers of glassware, crockery, catering equipment, bar equipment and cleaning products – is now pursuing Neutral Carbon Zone’s platinum certification in its continued commitment to sustainability. Managing director Phil Mitchell said: “The platinum certification will help us take proactive steps to measure and reduce our carbon footprint and reflects a dedication to responsible practices within our operations, as we work towards a greener future and achieving net zero. We are proud to be an employee-owned company, fostering a culture of pride and professionalism within the team, and we take our social responsibility seriously.” With 80 years of experience in the catering and hospitality sector, Jacksons said it has a longstanding reputation for business partnering, quality, reliability and exceptional service, and has redesigned its website allowing registration for a trade account that provides online ordering, visibility of stock holding and budget management. Jacksons also has a new glassware and back-of-house catalogue available where customers can begin to explore its vast range of brands and more than 11,000 products. Mitchell added: “As a distributor that is a one-stop shop for everything from glass and crockery to cleaning and hygiene products, we can offer consolidated deliveries, one point of contact and one invoice, ensuring maximum efficiency.” For more information, click here or email sales@jacksonscg.co.uk. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

Banana Tree MD Kate Wilton to speak at first Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2025, open for bookings: Kate Wilton, managing director of Banana Tree, will be among the speakers at the first Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2025, which is open for bookings. Wilton will discuss the evolution of the fast-casual pan-Asian brand, why it is the “shining light” in the Big Table Group portfolio and playing a key role in the growth of Asian cuisine across the UK’s eating-out market. The all-day conference takes place on Thursday, 20 March, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London’s Kensington. Operators can book up to three free places per company while Premium subscribers who are operators can book up to four free places. To book, email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.

 

Premium Club members to receive updated Multi-Site Database this week, videos from Restaurant Marketer & Innovator on Friday, 7 February: Premium Club members are to receive the updated Multi-Site Database on Friday (31 January). The next Propel Multi-Site Database provides details of 3,313 multi-site operators and is searchable in seven main segments. The database features 968 (29%) operators from the casual dining sector, 790 (23%) pub and bar operators, 566 (17%) cafe bakery operators, 460 (14%) quick service restaurant operators, 271 (8%) hotel operators, 209 (6%) experiential leisure operators and 55 (2%) fine dining operators. The database is updated each month, and this edition includes 33 new companies. New additions to the cafe bakery sector include speciality coffee concept Coffeeangel, London Japanese pancake concept CA Japanese Pancakes and London healthy juice bar concept Squeezed. Premium Club members are to be given access to the entire recording of the 2025 Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit Conference. Members will be sent 26 separate video presentations, featuring more than 60 speakers, on Friday, 7 February, at 9am. Premium Club members also receive access to five additional databases: the New Openings Database, the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who’s Who of UK Hospitality. All Premium Clubs members will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events including Excellence in Pub Retail (May 2025) and discounts on specialist sector reports such as the Propel 500. 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.

 

BII – planned pub tax rises already resulting in job losses, cancelled investment and business failure: The planned tax rises are already resulting in job losses, cancelled investment and business failure, the British Institute of Innkeeping has warned. Chief executive Steve Alton has written an open letter to chancellor Rachel Reeves, calling for the cancellation of the planned national insurance contributions changes, as well as the decreased level of relief on business rates bills for pubs until full and meaningful reform is implemented. The letter stated: “Our member survey prior to the Budget highlighted that only one-in-three pubs were profitable, with many at breakeven. Since then, the impact of the tax rises hitting employment and property, by far the largest overheads for pubs, will potentially render 80% unprofitable, and they are having to take drastic action to ensure their survival. Mark Robson, managing director of New Dawn Pubs, operates three large successful pubs in Surrey and Hampshire. The additional taxes in April will cost him £240,000, which is 5.5% of his turnover. He has already made redundancies, reduced opening hours and cancelled all investment, which would have been used to drive further growth. We are seeing first-hand the distress many pub businesses are in as they look toward to the devastating tax increases ahead. You have an opportunity to prevent further unnecessary business failure through reversing your planned tax increases.” Meanwhile, the Night Time Industries Association has said VAT relief “must be put back on the table” in the spring Budget “to prevent industry collapse”. Chief executive Michael Kill said: “Without VAT relief, tiered business rates and meaningful support for rising costs, April will mark the end for many businesses. We need action now, not later, and we can’t keep posturing around long-term reform as many won’t be here to benefit from it.”

 

Six Nations bookings already up by nearly 40% compared with last year: With the Guinness Men’s Six Nations rugby tournament set to kick off on Friday (31 January), new data from hospitality technology provider Zonal has revealed bookings in pubs and bars are up 38% for match times compared with the same period last year. Moreover, insight from previous years’ trends shows that most bookings for Six Nations games are made just a week ahead of fixtures, which suggests pubs can expect a further surge in fan bookings. Tim Chapman, Zonal’s chief commercial officer, said: “Technology is a crucial tool in making sure venues can handle the increased volume of bookings during major events like the Six Nations. Ensuring your booking platform is robust, and that staff are trained to manage busy match days efficiently, will be key to taking full advantage of this busy period. By leveraging tools that provide real-time table availability and streamline the booking process, operators can ensure they’re well-prepared to capitalise on these high-demand dates and drive revenue throughout the year.”

 

Red Engine CEO – the next question is how small can we go: Having grown Red Engine well beyond his initial expectations over the last decade, chief executive Steve Moore has told Propel the next question for the Flight Club and Electric Shuffle operator is how small it can go. Celebrating ten years this year since being founded by Moore and Paul Barham, Red Engine has since grown to operate 14 Flight Clubs in the UK and seven Electric Shuffles, three of which are in the US. The company’s franchise partners, meanwhile, have eight Flight Clubs in the US and four Australia. Having hit many of the biggest UK cities as well as some more regional locations – like its latest launch, in Oxford – Moore believes the next step is exploring whether the concepts can be taken into neighbourhood locations – or even on the road. “It’s been a great ten years, and we’ve got no targets as such for the next ten, but we want to keep pushing hospitality as much as we can,” he told Propel. “How small can we go? Can we go into villages? Into festivals? Wherever you have groups of friends really. We want to keep going into different parts of the UK too. Not a day goes by when I don’t have someone come up to me asking me when we’re coming to their city or town, and Oxford is going great guns. In the next five weeks, we’re opening in a franchise site in Dublin with Loyola, and with State of Play in Washington DC, St Louis and Philadelphia. Electric Shuffle is going to be a big play for us this year too, with openings in Chicago and London King’s Cross.” It was in Shoreditch that the Red Engine story began, with the launch of its first Flight Club in 2015, and Moore said his initial ambitions did not extend beyond that initial site in east London. “We were happy just to survive the first one really,” he added. “It was only ever about doing one back then, we had no real ambitions – that came later. We’ve got a universal project now and can look forward a bit easier – we’ve got two brands that we think can go big or small. The experiential leisure sector has changed a bit these last ten years – we were the only people doing it ten years ago, but it’s saturated now. We’re very busy, but there’s always paradigm shifts, which is why market insight is so important. We will only keep growing if people are happy with the experiences we put out.” Propel revealed earlier this week that Red Engine is inviting its guests to design its next Flight Club game, with the winning entry to be developed by the group’s in-house team and rolled out to all locations.

Gourmet wings concept sets 50-site target by 2030, with three more set to open in first half of this year: Gourmet wings concept Wing Kingz has set a target of 50 sites by 2030, with three more set to open in the first half of this year. The company, founded by Parm Bhangal, Harminder Singh Dhisna and Aaron Murrell in 2021, opened its first site, in Milton Keynes’ Xscape destination, that same year. Wing Kingz grew to four sites last year, opening its first franchise location, in Canterbury, followed by further launches in Coventry and Solihull. “With our four thriving locations in Milton Keynes, Canterbury, Coventry and Solihull, and three more stores set to open in the second quarter of 2025, we’re on a mission to spread our wings even further,” Bhangal said. “At Wing Kingz, we’ve meticulously crafted a robust supply chain, complete with our own suppliers’ website and our signature sauces that have our customers coming back for more. Our franchisees consistently praise our training and support structure, and we believe streamlined systems and processes are the backbone of any successful business. Our vision is bold: to open a minimum of 50 stores by 2030. We’re looking for passionate, driven individuals to join a business that’s committed to excellence and growth.”

 

Greene King sees 30% uplift in online bookings for Christmas Day following multimillion-pound digital investment: Greene King has revealed it saw a 30% increase in online Christmas Day bookings across its managed pubs versus last year, with a 13% increase in the month of December, on the back of a multimillion-pound investment. The company said: “Improving customer experience and creating a seamless booking process is central to Greene King’s digital investment, which has included the launch of a new award-winning web platform, data capability and a new app, which despite still being in its pilot phase, has been downloaded by 2.5 million users.” In December, Greene King also achieved its best ever customer ratings, with each of the company’s divisions scoring a 4.5 (out of five) or over. The company said it also increased its market share during the month. Clair Preston-Beer, chief operating officer of Greene King, said: “45 million people visit one of our websites every year, and so investment in our digital capability to address this customer base has been a key part of our strategic transformation. It’s therefore brilliant to see the tangible benefit of this investment in such an increase in online booking numbers during our important Christmas trading period. We are also delighted to have achieved our best ever customer experience scores in December, which is also encouraging more people to visit our pubs and is testament to the incredible work that our teams do up and down the country.”

 

Starbucks reveals new refills policy, CEO Brian Niccol earned $95m in four months: Starbucks has revealed a new refills policy in its US stores. While the company has been offering free refills of hot and iced coffee and tea for in-cafe Starbucks Rewards members for some time, it has now expanded that policy to non-rewards members. Customers drinking on-site will have their beverage served in a reusable ceramic mug or glass, or a receptacle brought from home, reports Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN). Customers can also take advantage of the newly returned condiment bar (with creamer, milk and sweeteners), which have been brought back by new chief executive Brian Niccol. Meanwhile, it has also been revealed that Niccol, who was appointed chief executive in September after being lured from the same role at Chipotle by a £113m compensation package, earned more than $95m in four months in 2024.“While Niccol’s $1.6m base salary and $10m signing bonus were already known, the extent of the new chief executive’s earnings in just four months in the 2024 fiscal year was revealed in the coffee brand’s annual report,” NRN reported. “As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, Niccol earned $61,538 in his first four months on the job, but the real bulk of his earnings came from the first of a two-part $5m signing bonus (with the second part coming in March) and $90m in stock awards.”

McMullen’s acquires third freehold site from Oakman Inns, to add further London venue: Brewer and retailer McMullen’s has acquired The Anchor in Hullbridge, Essex – the third freehold pub it has purchased from Oakman Inns in the space of three months. Last November, McMullen’s acquired The Rose in Wokingham, Berkshire, and The Polecat in Prestwood, Buckinghamshire, from Oakman. McMullen’s said it also expects to end this month by acquiring a separate London freehold site. Heydon Mizon, joint managing director at McMullen’s. said: “We enjoyed a record-breaking festive period thanks to recent investment in Brentwood at The Duchess & Dressmaker, and with the addition of 12 boutique rooms above The Spice of Life in Soho. We look forward to investing in The Duke of York, Fitzrovia, and the addition of further boutique rooms at the nearby Kings Arms.” The disposal of The Anchor follows a review of strategic options available to Oakman including a potential sale of the business and fresh investment. Last November, Oakman said it had been in discussions with a number of parties regarding the possibility of an offer being made for its entire issued share capital but said that “all such discussions have now been terminated”. Peter Borg-Neal, chief executive of Oakman, said: “Selling three fantastic pubs can never be a process that isn’t tinged with a degree of regret. But these disposals represent a first stage in our strategic plan and have enabled us to pay down a significant amount of debt.” Oakman was advised by Sapient Corporate Finance.

 

TGI Fridays £3.5m flagship site in London’s Leicester Square closed: The TGI Fridays flagship site in London’s Leicester Square has closed, with the keys returned to the landlord, Propel has learned. The site was one of 51 acquired out of administration last October by Breal Capital and Calveton. Propel understands the decision to hand the keys back is a mutual one between TGI Fridays and the landlord. TGI Fridays invested £3.5m in opening the site, which was located beneath Capital Radio, at the end of 2015. Described by the brand at the time as the “Fridays jewel in London’s crown”, the site underwent a multimillion-pound refit to create an open kitchen and large four-sided stand-alone bar. Propel revealed last October that Breal Capital and Calveton, which acquired D&D London in 2023, paid a total consideration of £9.55m to acquire the bulk of TGI Fridays UK out of administration through a new vehicle, the Liberty Bar and Restaurant Group. The deal saw 51 out of the 87 TGI Fridays across the country acquired, with circa 2,300 jobs saved.

 

Black Country Ales adds to Shropshire estate with Ludlow acquisition: Brewer and retailer Black Country Ales has acquired a further pub in Shropshire, The Unicorn Pub in Ludlow. The grade II-listed property in the town’s Corve Street becomes the company’s 53rd site and follows the acquisition last November of The Three Fishes pub in the Shropshire village of Bayston Hill. Black Country Ales, which was founded in 1999 by Angus McMeeking, said the Unicorn would undergo a minor refurbishment, focusing on restoring its original features to “create a welcoming space for real ale enthusiasts”.

 

Team behind L’Eto to open new restaurant concept in London’s Soho: The team behind L’Eto, the upscale international restaurant and cafe brand, is planning to open a new restaurant concept in London’s Soho this spring. It is understood that Alta Restaurant, which is thought will focus on Asian cuisine, will open on the former Rum Kitchen site in Kingly Court. The Rum Kitchen site closed last May. L’Eto’s global portfolio spans 40 restaurants in seven countries. The company, which launched in the UK in 2011, operates ten L’Eto sites in the capital, along with My & Sanne in Brompton Road, Knightsbridge.

 

Domino’s franchisee sees profit boost as turnover rises to record £33.3m, pays £2.5m in dividends: Domino’s franchisee Solent Pizza Delivery, which operates 21 stores across Hampshire and ten in Cardiff, has reported turnover increased 9% to a record £33,322,223 for the year ending 31 December 2023 compared with £30,640,056 the previous year. Pre-tax profit was up to £2,844,522 from £1,929,095 the year before. Dividends of £2,500,000 were paid (2022: nil). In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “The company achieved another strong year of turnover. Gross profit was stable, rising to 27% from 26%. The directors believe the company has invested sufficiently in capital expenditure, via refurbishments and additions to plant and equipment, to ensure continuing success in the industry. At the same time, net working capital has been maintained at a healthy level of £2.85m.” The company employs around 850 staff.

 

Dishoom secures London debut site for Permit Room concept: Indian restaurant group Dishoom has secured a debut site in London for its fledgling Permit Room concept, in Notting Hill. As flagged by Propel last year, the first Permit Room in London will open on the former The Distillery site in Portobello Road later this spring, following openings under the concept in Brighton, Oxford and Cambridge over the past 18 months. The company launched the all-day bar-café concept in Brighton in November 2023, with openings in Cambridge and Oxford following last year. The concept is named after the official term for all Bombay drinking establishments, in which, according to the Bombay Prohibition Act of 1949, only permit-holders may consume alcohol. Last November, Dishoom revealed it had appointed advisors to help it secure new investment to aid a launch in the US, which could happen as early as this year. Propel understands that the business, which was founded in 2010, is working with Goldman Sachs. Co-founders Shamil and Kavi Thakrar said the process could see the business bring in an investor or partner to fund the move, and to also provide expertise and strategic counsel as it looks to enter the US market and continue its growth in the UK. The company will look to open a debut site in New York, where it had success last year with a ten-day pop-up in partnership with the Pastis restaurant in the city. The company currently operates ten sites under its eponymous brand. Dishoom has also been linked to an opening in Glasgow’s former Stock Exchange building, and at The Hop Exchange in London’s Southwark.

 

Stock Exchange and Hotel Football management team launch new immersive experience at Chester Zoo: The management team behind Gary Neville’s Stock Exchange hotel and Hotel Football has launched a new immersive experience at Chester Zoo. Troo Hospitality has launched The Reserve, which will see guests offered evening ranger tours, giraffe feeding experiences and behind-the-scenes animal encounters – all while staying in one of 51 new luxury lodges. Guests will also have access to a restaurant and bar serving menus made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients, and exclusive extended access to the zoo via a private entrance. Chester Zoo chief executive Jamie Christon said: “This is a one-of-a-kind experience. Nowhere else offers the public such a unique chance to get up close and personal with their favourite African wildlife, while directly contributing to essential conservation work.” In October, Troo Hospitality was appointed to manage the four-star, grade II-listed Billesley Manor Hotel and Spa, where William Shakespeare was a guest in 1599. The company, founded in 2022 by Winston Zahra, in partnership with Millemont Capital Partners, also manages the Shakespeare Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon, Yotel Edinburgh, Corus on Hyde Park Hotel, the Eastgate Hotel in Oxford and the Caledonian Hotel in Aberdeen. The company will also later this year launch aparthotel Vivere Cornbrook in Greater Manchester.

 

Savoy Cinemas planning further expansion following 12% increase in box office takings, adds two new sites: Savoy Cinemas has said it is planning further expansion following a 12% increase in box office takings in the year to 31 December 2023. Post year-end, the company has added two sites – in Catterick-Garrison and Gainsborough – bringing its estate to eight cinemas across the Midlands and Yorkshire. The company’s turnover rose from £5,779,327 in 2022 to £6,728,927. Of this, £3,779,185 came from admissions (2022: £3,302,416), £2,281,023 from concessions (2022: £1,872,473) and £341,103 from screen advertising (2022: £276,250). Pre-tax profit was up from £1,476,395 to £1,555,434. No government or local authority grants were received (2022: £34,210). Dividends of £380,000 were paid (2022: £190,000). Director Dr James Collington said: “2023 saw an overall increase in box office across the Savoy estate of some 12% – a healthy result compared with the industry average of 8.4%. A comparison with our sites that were trading pre-pandemic demonstrated that those sites are trading at approximately 78% of pre-pandemic levels – again a superior statistic when compared nationally. These healthy results are, no doubt, largely a result of the heavy investment in new luxury seating that Savoy has undertaken over the last few years. First and foremost, for the 2023 box office result was the extraordinary response to the simultaneous release of Barbie and Oppenheimer, unquestionably demonstrating the power of the big screen experience. There still remains the lack of a broad range of consistent family films, leading to the holiday seasons not yet producing the returns previously expected, although Hollywood Studios has indicated this issue is likely to be addressed going forwards. On these bases, the company continues with its expansion drive. While it was unsuccessful with a larger acquisition following the collapse of the Empire Cinemas chain, Savoy has started on-site with the development of its new multiplex in Gainsborough and has completed the acquisition of the former Empire Cinema in Catterick-Garrison. The company is in early stages with a number of other locations. As in previous years, the company holds healthy cash reserves with no bank debt.”

 

Bootlegger Bars to open Bath site: Bootlegger Bars – the prohibition era-themed pub concept from former New York bar owner Lee Miller – is to open its seventh site this spring, in Bath. Propel understands that Bootlegger Bars, which is led by Karen Bosher, has secured a site in the city’s George Street. Last November, the business secured £2m in funding as it looks to add four sites over the next year and hired Bosher as its new chief executive. Having launched in 2014, Bootlegger Bars has venues in Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter and Leeds, and last year opened its sixth site and first in London, at 5 Hill Street in Richmond. The speakeasy-inspired concept offers an elevated food and cocktail menu and live music experiences from the 1920s through to the 1960s. The company also last year announced the successful closure of a £2m funding round led by SVN Capital, an investment firm based in Dubai, which it said would enable it to expand its footprint and enhance its offerings.

Caravan and leisure park operator sees drop in profit and turnover: Shorewood Leisure Group, which operates seven caravan and leisure parks, saw a drop in profit and turnover for the year ended 31 December 2023. Despite a first full year of trading for its latest acquisition, Hornsea Leisure Park, turnover dropped from £19,417,491 in 2022 to £16,221,068. This included £11,329,716 from park services and caravan sales (2022: £14,306,057) and £4,593,627 in site fees and insurance income (2022: £4,671,376). Pre-tax profit fell from £1,947,202 in 2022 to £504,824, while Ebitda was down from £3.8m to £3.1m. Government grants of £3,674 were received compared with £48,310 in 2022. No dividends were paid (2022: nil). “The group has continued with ongoing investment in the groups’ facilities, including the continued expansion of Witton Castle Country Park and newly acquired caravan park in Hornsea,” director David Allison said. “In line with many businesses in the UK, the greatest challenge facing the group has been the uncertainty in the UK economy as a result of the war in the Ukraine and the resultant impact to the group’s costs. The group has managed the business well so far and the holiday park industry still continues to thrive.”

 

Herefordshire hospitality group rebrands following ‘most successful year yet’, set to further expansion including Birmingham launch: The Herefordshire hospitality group formerly known as A Rule of Tum has rebranded as ART Hospitality Group, following its “most successful year yet”, and is set to expand into Birmingham. Founded in 2013, the group currently operates The Bookshop in Hereford, Burger Shop locations in Worcester and Hereford, Dr Foster in Gloucester, Leaven Pizza in Hereford, catering and events business DishByArt and Maneki Ramen in Worcester – with a second site for the latter concept set to open this year in Birmingham. The launch will add a further 30 team members to its already 120-strong workforce. Following this, the group said it has “many more exciting plans for regional expansion in the near future” with “additional new group openings in the pipeline”. The company said 2024 was a “year to remember”, with turnover growing 34% from £3,650,000 in 2023 to £4,900,000 and the group transforming Dr Foster from a local drinking spot into a new gastropub via a £375,000 refurbishment, which has seen the site go “from strength to strength”. Part of its success, alongside that of The Bookshop, has been the appearance of Callum McDonald, head chef at both sites, on MasterChef: The Professionals 2024. The group also invested £120,000 in getting DishByArt off the ground, as the latest “string to our bow”, while a QR code ordering system was implemented at its four Hereford restaurants. Group co-founder and operations director, Dorian Kirk, said: “2024 was a great success and we are all raring to go for another jam-packed year. Work is progressing really quickly with our newest venture, Maneki Ramen in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham. There’s lots of things in the pipeline and we can’t wait to continue to grow the business with our latest expansion.”

 

Arcade Food Hall linked to site in London’s Covent Garden: Food-hall operator and brand incubator Arcade has been linked with opening a site in London’s Covent Garden. The business, which operates the Arcade Food Hall sites in the Battersea Power Station development and Centre Point in Tottenham Court Road, is understood to be in line to take the circa 12,000 square-foot site at 6 Bedford Street which was formerly home to a TGI Fridays. Hostmore, the then parent company of TGI Fridays UK, confirmed in October 2021 that the site had closed permanently. The restaurant became the second UK opening for the brand in 1987 after its debut a year before in Birmingham. The Covent Garden property has also been the home for Friday’s alumni like Steve Wilkins, the former managing director of the brand and current owner of Little Gems Country Dining, who was its general manager, and ex-Tortilla chief executive Richard Morris, who started as a trainee manager at the site. At the time, there was speculation that JD Wetherspoon and Albert’s Schloss operator Mission Mars were two of the parties interested in taking on the site, with the former understood to have won the race before pulling out over planning issues. However, the site has remained closed.

 

The Rutland Pub Company opens third site: The Rutland Pub Company has opened its third site, the Dirty Duck in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire. Formally The Rutland Arms, the pub is situated beside the Grantham Canal and owned by The Belvoir Estate. The company is led by managing director Andy Hunt, chef director Leroy Allen and operations manager Simon Barnes, and also operates The White Horse in Ruddington and The Unicorn’s Head in Langar. 

Glasgow fresh bowl concept Sprigg opens third site: Sprigg, the fresh bowl concept based in Glasgow, has opened its third site in the city. The business has opened its latest site in Waterloo Street. Sprigg’s lunch focused concept offering of salad bowls debuted in Ingram Street in August 2018 before subsequently opening in Sauchiehall Street. Sprigg also operates a catering business. Tom McDermott, who launched Sprigg six years ago, said: “Our new Waterloo Street store provides another spot in the heart of the city to keep doing what we love – offer an easy lunch option of fresh, delicious, made-from-scratch meals using whole, single-ingredient foods. Lunch in the city centre is busy again, and there’s demand for our version of the ‘Glasgow salad’ – it’s a great term to hijack because our salad bowls were conceived in Glasgow, for Glasgow.” Graham + Sibbald acted on the Waterloo Street deal.