Azzurri Group-owned digital platform Openr secures investment from Imbiba: Serial sector investor Imbiba is to invest £3m into Openr, the digital platform owned by the Azzurri Group, which is designed for operators in the hospitality industry, to aid its growth. Imbiba will invest the £3m in the business, alongside majority shareholder Azzurri Group. At the same time, Octopus Ventures will provide part of this investment as an additional minority partner. The new funding will accelerate Openr’s expansion, product development, and market reach. Founded in 2022, Openr’s technology enables operators to centrally manage and optimise their pricing, products, menus and digital assets in real time, “ensuring seamless distribution across all platforms”. The business won its first external customer, Stonegate, in 2024. Openr said the new funding will accelerate product development and go to market, introducing two major new modules in the coming months: Order Manager – a central hub for managing all incoming orders and product availability across multiple channels; and Performance Optimiser – an artificial intelligence-driven engine that enables operators to optimise their pricing and menu strategy across all brands, locations and sales channels. Joel Robinson, founder of Openr, said: “This funding is a real game changer for Openr, which is built by operators, for operators, so Imbiba, and its extensive sector experience, really is the perfect partner. We’re excited to ramp up our product development and help more operators unleash growth, efficiency and innovation using our innovative technology.” Andrew Maxwell, operating partner at Imbiba, said: “The hospitality industry thrives on seamless operations, and Openr is revolutionising how data flows across systems. With this new investment it can accelerate product development, empowering operators with real-time insights, automation, and efficiency like never before. We believe this technology will redefine hospitality management and set a new industry standard.”

Chicken Shop founders set to open third site for their Chick’N’Sours concept: Carl Clarke and David Wolanski, the founders of Chicken Shop – the Sir Charles Dunstone-backed business which has six locations in London and is lining up openings in Hammersmith and Canary Wharf – are set to open a third location for their Chick’N’Sours concept. Clarke and Wolanski, who founded Chicken Shop as Chik’n in 2015, currently have two Chick’N’Sours sites, in Haggerston and Seven Dials, as well as an events and food truck. On Friday, 4 April, they will open its first site south of the River Thames, at the new Corner Corner food hall and live music venue in Canada Water. The offering at the 55,000 square-foot venue is being curated by Kerb and Broadwick. As well as Chick’N’Sours, it will offer Taiwanese rice bowls and bao buns courtesy from Jou Jou’s Bites, which currently operates from the Canada Water and Venn Street Markets, and Tacos from Masa Tacos, which is currently located at Beckenham Place Park Food Market. Also launching at Corner Corner is Armenian small plates and flatbread concept Sireli, fresh from residencies at The National Theatre and Filly Brook. From Thursday, 10 April, Corner Corner will also offer a 12-week live music programme, running from Thursday through to Sunday. It will also launch a new music initiative aimed at giving aspiring artists the chance to perform live, with slots before and after the headline sets on Friday and Saturday nights.