Burgerism begins franchise journey, foundations built to become a national brand: Mark Murphy, co-founder of Burgerism, the fast-growing, north west smash burger concept, has told Propel that the company is to begin exploring franchising after thousands of enquires, a strong 2024, and having built the foundations to become a national brand. The business currently trades from six sites, and Murphy said that on a per store basis, “only Wingstop and Popeyes do more delivery volume than us”. He told Propel: “2024 was another strong year at Burgerism. We won more industry recognition, broke new highs in delivery and won over lots of new fans. We delivered record sales volumes, growing by over 10% year-on-year, while our store and group profit levels were the highest ever achieved. We’re continuing to open new sites, with two in legals. On franchising, we’ve had thousands of enquiries since we smashed our first patty. It’s never something we engaged with, in part because we were too busy perfecting what we do. However, we’ve now built the foundations of a national brand, and there are two things that motivate us to franchise – the ability to serve more of our fans by expanding our reach, and the opportunity to help others become business owners. I’m passionate about entrepreneurship, and the rush of building a team and business is something I’d love for others to experience. Importantly, I’m also convinced we represent a brilliant business opportunity for the right partners. We enjoy industry leading cash on cash returns, with our latest openings both paying back in 15-18 months. Our operating system is well defined and highly replicable, complete with a leading people culture. We’ve also developed a business with low set-up costs; a new franchisee could get started with £150,000-£200,000 of capital, which represents a low entry point for a concept with proven volume (and profit margins). From a brand point of view, we enjoy one of the most engaged online audiences in UK hospitality, with a clear identity and personality in everything we do. We’re open-minded about our first franchisee; the non-negotiable, however, will be someone who aligns with our values and is truly committed to building a brilliant Burgerism store. We’d even be prepared to financially support a person of that profile. I’ve consumed all the guidance on franchising, and we know successful franchises are built on genuine partnership, where franchisees become part of the family. That is how we will build at Burgerism – continuing to prioritise doing things the right way rather than simply the fast way. We’re building the ‘Domino's for burgers’ and would love to chat with people excited by that vision. We’re not setting explicit targets; if we build the right way, our geography will become national. We have the ability to make the right decisions as we never took big investment.”

Sponsored message – HDI launches Site Universe Live, giving real-time access to site-level hospitality insights: Hospitality Data Insights (HDI) has launched Site Universe Live, giving users instant access to live insights on more than 140,000 hospitality venues across the UK. Powered by the site-by-site card spending of 10.2 million customers, this latest extension of the HDI online platform allows users to filter, analyse and download site-by-site data – updated weekly with trading and customer profile metrics up to the prior week. Site Universe Live is designed to support both suppliers and operators, providing actionable insight to help target brand activations, prioritise field sales efforts, benchmark performance or build acquisition shortlists based on real customer spending behaviours. Mark Bentley, business development director at HDI, said: “Making sense of the UK hospitality market can be challenging, but Site Universe Live brings clarity. By tracking actual customer spending at individual venues, we’re able to deliver truly actionable insights – whether that’s accurately scoring outlet quality, understanding where target customer profiles are spending or identifying the sites trading strongest at different times of the day or week. Having all this insight at your fingertips, refreshed weekly, means better targeting, smarter decisions and greater impact.” To find out more, email hello@hdinsights.com. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

Parogon Group co-founder Richard Colclough to speak at Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference, open for bookings with 20% discount on tickets for Premium Club subscribers: Richard Colclough, co-founder of Parogon Group, the award-winning premium gastropub operator, will be among the speakers at the Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference. The all-day conference takes place on Wednesday, 14 May at One Moorgate Place in London and is open for bookings. Colclough will talk about operating across multiple formats, and the development and potential of the company’s Mediterranean all-day dining concept, Willow. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Tickets are £295 plus VAT for operators and £345 plus VAT for suppliers. There is a 20% discount for operators and suppliers who are Premium Club subscribers. Email: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to book places.

 

Premium Club subscribers to receive updated segmented Multi-Site Database with 3,360 operators and 27 new companies on Friday: Premium Club subscribers are to receive the updated Multi-Site Database on Friday (28 March), at noon. The next Propel Multi-Site Database provides details of 3,360 multi-site operators and is searchable in seven main segments. The database features 981 (29%) operators from the casual dining sector, 792 (24%) pub and bar operators, 571 (17%) cafe bakery operators, 472 (14%) quick service restaurant (QSR) operators, 276 (8%) hotel operators, 214 (6%) experiential leisure operators and 54 (2%) fine dining operators. The database is updated each month, and this edition includes 27 new companies. The database includes new additions in the QSR sector such as Manchester Detroit pizza business Dough Club, meat patty concept Jamaica Patty Company, and The Rub BBQ, a barbecue food truck business. Premium Club subscribers 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 Club subscribers 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 International Brands report. Operators that are Premium Club subscribers are also able to send up to four members of staff to each of our four Multi-Club Conferences for free. Premium Club subscribers 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 subscribers 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 subscribers 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.

 

McDonald’s once again world’s most valuable restaurant brand, Greggs only UK operator in top 25: McDonald’s is once again the world’s most valuable restaurant brand, according to a new “Restaurants 25 2025” report from valuation consultancy Brand Finance. McDonald’s replaces Starbucks after experiencing a 7% increase in value to $40.5bn and returns to the top spot it last held in 2016. According to Brand Finance research, McDonald’s increase is driven by an improvement in its brand strength index score, which has climbed from 82.9 in 2024 to 90.5 out of 100, earning an AAA+ rating. McDonald’s excels in several brand strength metrics, including a ten out of ten score for “familiarity”, 9.5 for “consideration” and 9.4 for “preferred brand”. Overall, McDonald’s ranks 42nd among the world’s 500 most valuable brands. Meanwhile, Starbucks’ brand value declined 36% to $38.8bn, placing it second, having occupied the top spot for eight consecutive years. Brand Finance attributed Starbucks’ drop to declines in key brand strength metrics in the US and China, including “reputation” and “recommendation”. KFC is the world’s third most valuable restaurant brand, increasing its value by 8% to $15.4bn. Subway’s brand value jumped 12% last year to $8.1bn for fourth place, while Taco Bell fell by 3% to $6.9bn for fifth place. All three retained their positions from the prior year. Tim Horton’s climbed to sixth place following a 15% increase to $6.8bn, overtaking Domino’s Pizza, which is now at number seven with $6.7bn. Entering the top ten for the first time were Chick-fil-A and Wendy’s, climbing five and three positions, respectively, to claim the eighth and ninth spots. Chick-fil-A’s brand value jumped 43% to $5.7bn, becoming the sector’s fastest growing brand. Pizza Hut dropped one spot to tenth with a brand value of $4.8bn. Though US brands continue to dominate the restaurant rankings, accounting for 20 out of the top 25 most valuable brands, there was one British operator – Greggs. The food-to-go operator re-entered the ranking in its highest-ever position, at number 21, with a brand value of $1.3bn, after dropping out in 2024. Additionally, with a brand strength index score of 92.3 out of 100, Greggs now ranks as the world’s second strongest restaurant brand.

 

QVO Hospitality – ‘we’re holding out for that little glimmer of light that keeps us going’ ahead of spring statement: James Bates, the co-founder and managing director of QVO Hospitality, has said the business is “holding out for that little glimmer of light that keeps us going – a few crumbs to keep everybody motivated” ahead of chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spring statement today (Wednesday, 26 March). QVO Hospitality, which Bates co-founded with Thomas White, includes the Maray restaurants in Manchester and Liverpool alongside venues such as The One O’Clock Gun, Rose Street Falafel and Buyers Club. Bates told the Manchester Evening News: “There are some whispers of an olive branch, which could include a cancellation or delay of the lowering of the national insurance threshold. The lowering of the threshold felt like one step too far really. We’ve already looked at having to make some price increases this year, while still trying to keep things as low as possible. If the government did cancel or delay the lowering of the threshold, it just gives us a slight bit of manoeuvrability. We don’t have to look at putting our prices up just as much or giving out less hours to staff. If that comes to fruition, it’d be nice, but I know by now that the key to a happy life is to manage expectations. Obviously, reducing the VAT rate from 20% to something like 12% would be great, but some language to indicate change would be welcomed. We are just holding out for that little glimmer of light that keeps us going. Everyone is in the industry for the long haul, so a few crumbs to keep everybody motivated and confident about the future would be really beneficial.” Phil Rowland, finance director at fellow north west business Joseph Holt, added: “We’re all a little nervous about what is to come. The economic climate is not brilliant, and we were already hit pretty hard as an industry by the autumn Budget. Just something on the horizon to help us weather this storm and make us smile would certainly be welcomed.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a well-established leisure group that operates sites across the south of England that is looking to bring in an operations director to steer the business forward. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The operations director will be reporting to board level and take full accountability for 20 venues. The role will also oversee the business strategy for the group, working on financial, marketing and operations while ensuring that the management teams are properly supported to fulfil their roles.” The salary is up to £90,000 and the position is based in Kent. For more information, email stuart@corecruitment.com.

 

Portobello Pub Co completes options review, to continue with growth plans: Portobello Starboard, the acquisition platform backed by private equity firm Zetland Capital and trading as Portobello Pub Co, has told Propel it has completed a review of its options, and despite receiving multiple offers, will continue with its existing growth plans. Propel revealed at the start of last month that the company had appointed advisors at CBRE to review its options, which could have included a sale of the 26-strong business. Mark Crowther, chairman of Portobello Pub Company, said: “Over the past few weeks, we received multiple offers from both trade and financial buyers. The quality of our business and the management team were common feedbacks from these bidders. However, having reviewed the various offers, the board has concluded that it is in the best interests of the shareholders to continue with our existing growth plans. Our business continues to see trading ahead of the market, despite the current challenging macro environment. We also have a strong, mostly freehold business across London and Brighton. We will now continue with our strong growth plans for the business, with Zetland’s strong support.” The business operates 19 pubs, the majority of which are freehold, across London and the south east, including the Catford Bridge Tavern, King & Co in Clapham, the 22-bedroom Westow House in Crystal Palace, the 35-bedroom The Railway in Worthing, and The Walrus and Lion & Lobster in Brighton. Last year, it added the seven-strong Darwin & Wallace business, which includes sites in Battersea and Canary Wharf, to its portfolio for an undisclosed sum. Full-year revenues for the group are believed to be circa £40m and the business reported a 9.5% increase in like-for-like sales across its estate over the five-week Christmas trading period. The business is led by managing director Richard Stringer and chief financial officer Mayuri Vachhani.

Loungers to open 250th Lounge site: Loungers, the café bar operator backed by Fortress Investment Group, will open its 250th Lounge site, and 290th overall, today (Wednesday, 26 March), in Norwich. Rivolo Lounge will open in St Anne’s Quarter, near the city’s Riverside. The Cosy Club and Brightside operator opened its first ever site, Lounge, in North Street, Bedminster, in August 2002. Loungers was acquired by US private investment firm Fortress last month in a £354.4m deal. Alex Reilley, chairman of Loungers, confirmed that it would be “business as usual” for the company under new ownership, with no change to the strategy already in play, including targeting opening around 35 new sites a year. The group has consistently reiterated its belief that there is scope for at least 600 Lounges across the UK, and to double its current 36-strong Cosy Club estate.

 

Greene King Pub Partners opens debut franchise site in Scotland: Greene King Pub Partners – the leased, tenanted and franchise division of Greene King – has opened its first franchise pub in Scotland. The Tarbet in Edinburgh, formerly known as The Centurion, has reopened as a Nest Pub after a £285,000 investment by pub owner Belhaven Pub Partners. Earlier this year, Greene King Pub Partners, within which Belhaven Pub Partners sits, announced its plans to bring its franchise pub concepts – Nest and Hive – to Scotland for the first time. The company said that The Tarbet is the first in a pipeline of openings across Scotland that Belhaven Pub Partners has planned this year, as Greene King looks to continue the expansion of its franchise formats. The Tarbet is operated by franchisee Nola Enterprises, led by Pauline Huggins and Karen Robertson. The team previously operated the pub when it was known as The Centurion and brings extensive experience in pub operations. Penny Baldwin, operations director for Greene King Pub Partners, said: “We’re delighted to have our first franchise pub in Scotland up and running. This is the first in a pipeline of franchise pub openings we have planned for Scotland over the course of 2025. Our franchise pubs provide a cost-effective and straightforward way to run your own pub business with a full suite of support from Belhaven and Greene King. We are actively searching for franchise partners in Scotland and across England as well.”

 

Bill’s MD – with brands that have been around for years there’s no silver bullet to success: Tom James, managing director of Bill’s, the Richard Caring-backed restaurant group, has told Propel that there is no silver bullet when it comes to making significant change at a brand that has been around for years. Earlier this month, the 47-strong business said it had seen a “remarkable turnaround” in sales, guest metrics and Ebitda over the past 24 months, with group Ebitda doubling to £11.2m in FY24 from £5.5m in FY22 on a like-for-like basis. Talking on Propel’s new podcast series, In Conversation, James said: “Coming off the back of two really strong years of trade, the team has got the taste of winning. We’ve gone through a lot of change, and we are used to working at pace. There is no question that the market is softer than it has been over the past two years, but we have got used to coming up against these challenges. With brands that have been around for years, there’s no silver bullet. Once we established that and realised that any real change is going to be a whole host of one percents, it was building out that plan. We had this masterplan that ended up being 287 things that we wanted to do to improve the business. We had to start with the brand identity and make sure that we were really comfortable taking a long-term view of the brand. One of the biggest focuses has been getting the right people in the roles and focused on the right thing – guests. We have pared things back to an absolute focus on the guest.” On the use of data, James said he wants to get to a place where he can look at team engagement scores overlaid against site performance. He said: “We’re introducing something in September where when you clock in and clock out, it asks how happy your shift was. Those are the things that you don't normally pick up until two weeks later. It will be about capturing things before they become a problem. I am excited about being able to link that team sentiment with all the other metrics that we use.” In Conversation is a new series of fortnightly podcasts, exclusive for Propel Premium Club subscribers featuring industry leaders and sector players talking about their businesses and issues impacting the UK’s hospitality market. 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.

Nando’s secures Maidenhead location: Nando’s has secured a new location in Maidenhead, Berkshire. In a deal led by agent Lunson Mitchenall, it has taken a 15-year lease for a 3,450 square-foot site in Get Living’s One Maidenhead development, in the town. The new restaurant, set to open this spring 2025, marks the brand’s first Maidenhead location. Will Stone, who works on Lunson Mitchenal’s catering and leisure team, said: “We are delighted to have secured Nando’s latest restaurant as part of their continued growth strategy.” Rob Jones at Time Retail acted for Get Living.

 

Punch Pubs & Co confirms acquisition of Loughborough freehold site from Castle Rock: Punch Pubs & Co has confirmed it has acquired The Swan in the Rushes, in Loughborough. Propel revealed earlier this week that Punch Pubs & Co had acquired the wet-led pub, located in the centre of the Leicestershire town, which has been a part of Loughborough's pub scene for the last three decades. Acquired from Castle Rock Brewery, The Swan in the Rushes will join Punch’s leased and tenanted estate and will run under experienced multiple operators, Ami Sanobar and Darren Paul. Punch Pubs & Co’s head of estate development and acquisitions, Andrew Cannons, said: “We’re delighted to welcome The Swan in the Rushes into the Punch family. We’re delighted that its current manager, Edith, and the existing team will remain at the pub, and we’re looking forward to seeing it thrive under Ami and Darren’s experienced leadership for many years to come.” The pub is also known for its partnership with Merv’s Kitchen, which will continue to offer American cuisine including slow-cooked ribs, crispy chicken wings and German-inspired Bockwurst from within the site. Punch reiterated that it is continually on the lookout for more “quality acquisitions, including packages and single-site opportunities that fit well with its modern and progressive vision and growth plans”. Warren Drake, of Drake & Company, acted on the Loughborough deal. 

 

Costa franchisee Cuppacoff increases its profit: Costa franchisee Cuppacoff, which operates more than 20 sites, increased its profit in the year to 31 March 2024. The London-based company’s pre-tax profit grew from £484,759 in 2023 to £703,074. Turnover decreased slightly, from £13,332,568 to £13,251,908, while Ebitda grew from £814,066 to £971,413. No dividends were paid (2023: nil). Director Raja Adil said: “The group recorded a net cash outflow from operating activities of £500,126 (2023 inflow: £1,049,447) due to the impact of the tighter margins in the period and investment into store refreshers following the strong profits generated in the prior year. Net assets at the balance sheet date amounted to £5,249,590 (2023: £4,728,998). As a result of the impact of covid-19, the company has identified the importance and strength of both the offering of delivery and operating drive-thru stores. We continue to look for future store openings that will maximise these opportunities.” Founded in 2006, Cuppacoff is part of Adil Group, which is led by Mohammed Adil and operates 113 KFC restaurants. The group, which was founded in 1969 when Mohammed Adil opened his first Wimpy restaurant, also operates 28 Taco Bells and 18 Burger Kings, plus circa 30 more Costa sites listed under different companies.

 

Coffi Lab adds Thornbury site to opening pipeline: Coffi Lab, the dog-friendly coffee shop concept that was launched in 2021 by Coffee#1 founder James Shapland, has added a site in Thornbury, Gloucestershire, to its 2025 opening pipeline. The ten-strong company, which made its debut in Bristol earlier this month, will open on the former HSBC bank site in the town’s High Street. In December, Coffi Lab secured £1.7m investment from the Development Bank of Wales to support its growth. The business plans to open a number of new outlets in south Wales and the south west of England. Shapland, who previously founded Coffee#1 in 2000 before selling it 11 years later to SA Brain, told Propel last summer he has a long-term target of 50 Coffi Labs over the next five years. Owen Cahill, of EJ Hales, acts for Coffi Lab.

 

Sixes to open first county cricket ground site: Sixes, the cricket-based competitive socialising brand, is to open its first site at a country cricket ground next month, at Sussex County Cricket Club. The site, which will be owned by the county cricket club and located at its multi-purpose venue in Hove, will open to the public in April. Previously situated on Brighton beachfront, the popular party-cricket experience welcomed more than 33,000 guests during its 18 months at the Brighton i360. Sussex County Cricket Club chief executive Pete Fitzboydon said: “Opening our own Sixes venue is an exciting step towards our vision for the 1st Central County Ground. We want to welcome more of the community to our Hove home, to make it central to the local community as well as introduce new audiences to Sussex County Cricket Club. We have repurposed an under-utilised space at our ground into a high-quality community venue that will entertain tens of thousands of people all year round and will also provide a very welcome new income stream. Sixes could not have been a better fit for our goals: it attracts a younger audience, particularly families and young adults; has wide appeal to both men and women; and fundamentally, is cricket! We are immensely grateful to the Sixes team and Aramark for their support in making it happen.” Sixes co-founder and chief executive Calum Mackinnon added: “We’re incredibly excited to be opening at the home of Sussex County Cricket Club. We’ve felt a real connection with the Brighton and Hove community since launching in 2023, and this new chapter gives us an amazing opportunity to continue to bring year-round cricket and party to locals and visitors alike.” Earlier this year, Sixes teamed up with Boxpark to launch a site at the latter’s scheme in Wembley, north west London.

 

Ottolenghi co-founder to launch Taiwanese noodle bar concept: Noam Bar-Chang, co-founder of London restaurant and deli operator Ottolenghi, is to launch a Taiwanese noodle bar concept. Bar-Chang has partnered with Chris Hsu, who is behind Taiwanese noodle brand Kung Fu Mama Retail, to open the site in Covent Garden. Kung Fu Mama will open on Tuesday, 8 April in Long Acre and focus on the company’s sun-dried noodles. The venue – which will have nine covers inside and four outside – will offer dishes including chicken thighs in ginger and sesame sauce and mapo tofu with spicy minced pork. There will also be a selection of bao sandwiches. Bar-Chang said: “My husband, Garry, introduced me to the true brilliance of Taiwanese cooking 17 years ago, so when Chris and I met, we immediately bonded over the richness of the cuisine. We set out to develop quality, healthy food that we would happily give to our kids every day, and we think we’ve done just that — all while making it fun. I am incredibly proud of the work we have done with Ottolenghi in revolutionising the global perception of Middle Eastern food, and Chris and I can’t wait to do the same with Taiwanese food.” Hsu added: “Kung Fu Mama Retail is the first and only brand to bring sun-dried noodles to the UK. We’ve built a loyal fanbase through retailers including Selfridges, Whole Foods and Sainsbury’s, so now feels like the perfect time to show London’s adventurous foodies the true versatility of sun-dried noodles by putting our twist on the bold flavours of Taiwanese street food.” Ottolenghi operates seven sites under its eponymous brand and the Nopi and Rovi restaurants in London. Earlier this year, the group made its international debut with the opening of Ottolenghi Geneva at Mandarin Oriental in the Swiss city.

Sides to launch in Brent Cross next week for sixth site: Sides, the food business from YouTube collective Sidemen, is set to launch in Brent Cross, north west London, next week for its sixth site. Sides is one of the operators at District, the new food hall from Brent Cross shopping centre landlord Hammerson, which launches on Monday (31 March). Propel previously reported that Pasta Remoli founder Simone Remoli will launch his new Remoli kiosk concept at the foods hall, and that District will also host a sixth site for Cantonese roast meat concept Three Uncles. The rest of the line-up has now been revealed, and as well as Sides, it will include a 21st site for barbecue and grill restaurant business Smoky Boys. There will also be a fourth site for Uzbek and central Asian cuisine concept Oshpaz, plus second locations for Thai brand Yaay Yaay and superfood blended drinks business Smatcha. District will cover 20,000 square feet of space and offer a 130-cover food court-style seating area. Ashley Sill, asset manager at Hammerson, said:

“Based on strong customer demand, we are thrilled to be launching District at Brent Cross, featuring hand-picked street food operators in a completely new and attractive space. District will boost the vibrancy and range of experiences Brent Cross customers, giving them even more reasons to visit.”

Sandbox VR UK franchisee to make Irish debut this week: VR Entertainment, the UK and Ireland franchisee of virtual reality (VR) brand Sandbox VR, is set to make its Irish debut tomorrow (Thursday, 27 March). The venue will open at 5 Grafton Street, in Dublin city centre. The site will feature five “holodeck” environment simulators, a “360” bar and a robotic bartender called Toni. The company also operates three UK sites, launching its latest, at Gravity Max Wandsworth in south London, at the end of last year. Sandbox VR, which opened its first UK venue in London’s Holborn in July 2022 and has its largest VR venue in Birmingham’s Grand Central, operates circa 50 venues globally. Last summer, VR Entertainment closed a crowdfunding campaign, to aid its ambition to operate 30 venues across the UK and Ireland by 2031, after raising more than £1m. VR Entertainment had been aiming to raise £500,000 and was offering 9.71% equity in return for the investment, giving the company a pre-money valuation of £10m.

 

North east London and Essex McDonald’s franchisee returns to profit and boosts turnover after opening three new restaurants: McDonald’s franchisee Loizou Restaurants, which now operates 11 branches in north east London and Essex, returned to profit and boosted its turnover in the year to 31 March 2024 after opening three new restaurants. The company, owned by John Loizou, turned a pre-tax loss of £381,618 in 2023 into a profit of £394,257. The company achieved this despite administration expenses rising by almost £6m and a rise in costs of more than £2m. Turnover increased from £34,584,333 in 2023 to £43,787,459. Dividends of £389,238 were paid (2023: £385,486). Loizou said: “Sales growth was driven by the opening of three new stores alongside growth in revenue from digital channels. The net assets of the company were £1.5m (2023: £1.7m) at the balance sheet date, reflecting the solid position of the company from an overall solvency point of view. This strong balance sheet is the foundation on which the company can continue to grow and prosper.” Loizou opened his first site in 1999, in Barkingside and now employs almost 1,100 staff. 

Burger & Beyond to make regional debut: Burger & Beyond, the London concept founded by Tom Stock and Craig Povoas in 2015, is set to open its first location outside of London, Propel has learned. Burger & Beyond will launch in Manchester this summer at the city’s new food hall, House of Social. At the end of last year, Burger & Beyond, which operates sites in Soho, Shoreditch and Borough Yards, said it had begun looking for its first regional UK site, as it looks to open up to five new locations in 2025. Propel reported earlier this month that Burger & Beyond was seeking locations in major cities across the UK as it ramps up plans to expand outside of London. Burger & Beyond appointed property consultant Starka to find suitable locations in cities including Liverpool and Birmingham – as well as exploring expansion into Wales and Scotland. Stock said: “After years of dreaming about bringing Burger & Beyond to new cities, we’re thrilled to finally be making our Manchester debut at House of Social. The city has such a vibrant food scene, and we’re looking forward to sharing our burgers with a whole new audience. It’s going to be a fantastic summer.” This marks the second operator to be announced for the House of Social venue, which will bring together “some of the UK’s finest independent food offerings together under one roof”. Earlier this year, Mughli, the Leeds Indian soul food restaurant concept, was named as the first food and beverage occupier for the venue, which is owned by the Vita Group. Jake Atkinson, head of food and beverage at Vita Group and House of Social, said: “We are incredibly excited to have Burger & Beyond join us at House of Social. Burger & Beyond’s reputation for quality and consistency is second to none, and it’s been on my list for a very long time. We know it’ll be a huge hit with our community of students and food lovers in the city. This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to bring Burger & Beyond to Manchester this summer.”

 

Manorview makes loss after investing in sites with a view to long-term focus on boutique hotel and wedding/events business: Independent Scottish hospitality group Manorview said it made a loss in the year to 31 March 2024 after investing in several of its sites with a view to a long-term focus on its boutique hotel and wedding/events business. The company, which operates 12 hotels across Scotland, saw a pre-tax profit of £1,958,027 in 2023 turn into a loss of £259,579. Turnover increased from £23,539,137 to £24,220,031. During the year, the company completed the acquisition of the Tarbet Hotel in Loch Lomond and sold The Commercial Hotel in Wishaw. Manorview made a £1,020,513 profit on disposal of fixed assets (2023: loss of £23,666) and lost £291,169 in irrecoverable loans (2023: £358,958). Director Steve Graham said: “The net profit achieved during the year became an accounting loss, partly in view of increased borrowing costs, but largely as a result of the non-cash costs incurred in relation to the sale of The Commercial Hotel to a sister company, the costs involved in stripping out and disposing of the fixtures and plant at The Bothwell Bridge Hotel and the costs of integrating The Tarbet Hotel during the year. Non-core activities have been substantial in this period and the costs incurred will put the company in a strong position moving forward, with The Bothwell Bridge Hotel in particular set to have a significant impact on operating profits in future years. Long term, the company is looking to focus on its boutique hotel and wedding/events venue business. Recent investments for Tarbet Hotel, Bothwell Bridge and Brisbane House Hotel have all been connected to this.” No dividend was paid (2023: £1,263). Graham added: “It has been a very successful year of growth across many fronts where the team has shown great character and resilience navigating all the challenges of operating a hospitality business with significant headwinds.” 

 

Family-owned north east coffee house franchise seeking ‘experienced multi-unit operators and ambitious individuals’ ahead of UK expansion: Family-owned north east coffee house franchise Siesta Coffee has said it is seeking “experienced multi-unit operators and ambitious individuals” ahead of expansion across the UK. Siesta Coffee was established in 2016 in Newton Aycliffe and currently has six locations – in Newton Aycliffe, Peterlee, Skelmersdale, Thornaby, Jesmond and Catterick Garrison. The business is the retail arm of facilities management group EHL UK, led by father and son team Gary and Ryan Stainsby. Siesta Coffee has signed with consultants whichfranchise to find potential partners for its roll-out, offering various models and fit-out from £150,000, and a £15,000 franchise fee. These models include drive-thru (the company already has such a location at Newton Aycliffe), in-store and multi-purpose. A company spokesman said: “We have successfully paired our coffee shops with on-site gyms, beauty clinics and salons, allowing us to cater to health, wellness and lifestyle needs all under one roof. We are also innovating with modular pod models, designed to bring Siesta Coffee into unique and unconventional spaces. Siesta Coffee locations are carefully chosen to maximise visibility, accessibility, and customer engagement. In addition to high-traffic areas such as exclusive high streets, industrial parks, and prominent A-road locations, we also focus on affluent residential neighbourhoods.”

  

Adam Handling to open Central London boutique chocolate shop today: Chef Adam Handling will today (Wednesday, 26 March) open a Central London boutique chocolate shop. The Adam Handling Chocolate Shop is located at 17 Maiden Lane in Covent Garden, just around the corner from his Michelin-starred restaurant, Frog. Featuring 14 types of single variety chocolate, it aims to “showcase the best sustainable chocolate”. The offering includes luxury hand-painted chocolates, truffles, foraged caramel bars, freshly baked cookies and brownies, a dedicated hot chocolate corner, florentines, pastries, “proper” chocolate nut spreads, real chocolate buttons and dipped fruit and nuts. The team roasts and grinds cocoa beans from countries including India, Peru and Madagascar to produce its own chocolate in store. The hot chocolate, meanwhile, is available in 12 varieties, with optional marshmallow, whipped cream and spice add-ons, while seven varieties are available to enjoy at home. Last summer, Handling opened his second Cornish venture, The Tartan Fox. Located between Newquay and Truro, the pubjoined his restaurant and bar, Ugly Butterfly, in nearby St Ives. The launch also marked Handling’s second pub, following the opening of award-winning The Loch & the Tyne in Old Windsor, Berkshire, in 2021.

 

Former executive chef at Pasture to open new neighbourhood bistro in Cardiff: Nick Saunders, the founder of Depot Cardiff, and Jake Lewis, former executive chef at Pasture Restaurant – one of the city’s most popular dining destinations, are to open Sonder—a new neighbourhood bistro. The new venture will open on the Saunders-owned Outpost site, on the city’s Llandaff Road, next month. Saunders said: “Some places take time to become what they were meant to be. Outpost was one of those places— it has become a well-loved spot for coffee, breakfast and brunch, and we’re proud of what we built on a simple vision. But I knew it was always capable of more. Now, with Jake at the helm of Sonder, that potential is about to be fully realised.” Lewis led on menu development at Pasture and helped open sites in Cardiff, Bristol and Birmingham. His CV also includes the role of youngest head chef at Jamie’s Italian. He said: “At Sonder, I want to create a restaurant where food is exciting and approachable – but most importantly, delicious. A place where people can come for dinner without overthinking it. It will be about great ingredients, great atmosphere and a sense of belonging for the community to enjoy, from day to night.”