Dishoom co-founder – I think we can open two or three sites a year in the UK: Shamil Thakrar, co-founder of award-winning Indian restaurant group Dishoom, has said he believes the company can one two or three sites a year, “while still maintaining the integrity and the beauty of what we do”. The company currently operates ten Dishoom sites in the UK and three under its fledgling Permit Room concept. Talking at last week’s Propel Multi-Club Conference, Thakrar said the company would open one Dishoom this year, in Glasgow. The company is also set to open its first Permit Room in London, on the former The Distillery site in Portobello Road, later this spring. He said: “With Dishoom, we’ve opened about one a year, but now we can do more, and I think we can do two or three a year. I don’t want to do more than that. Consistent with our philosophy of ‘deepen and not dilute’, the bottleneck for growth is not opportunity or funding. It’s how can we open better restaurants every year? And that’s been our growth philosophy. We also write a story for every restaurant, and that’s also held us back in terms of growth, and yet we’ve grown at a really decent clip, if you look at the numbers. So, we will keep opening Dishooms, but I don’t want to open lots of them. We are opening one this year in Glasgow. We’ve got a story. We’ve invented a female spy from India whose story it is, and we’re doing a sort of mid-century Festival of Britain, Man from Uncle vibe. We’re also doing a Permit Room opposite the Electric Cinema in Portobello Road. It’s an old pub, and again, we’ve invented a story for that one.” In terms of current trading, Thakrar said it had been “generally good” but that it’s a “pretty tough operating environment out there, and we’re having to work harder than ever”. He said: “We really obsess over all the quality metrics. So, whether our guests are happy, whether our team is happy, whether our food tastes good, all of that is trending in the right way. I’m happy with that, but, we’re all working hard to make it work.” Thakrar was among the speakers at last week’s Propel Multi-Club Conference. His video and the 13 others from the conference will be made available to Premium Club members on Wednesday, 9 April, at 9am. 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.

 

New speakers join Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference line-up, open for bookings with 20% discount on tickets for Premium Club subscribers: New speakers have joined the line-up for 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. The new speakers include Chris Hill, managing director of Urban Pubs & Bars, who will join Propel group editor Mark Wingett to discuss the ethos that has driven the award-winning business to become London’s largest independent pub operator, producing record-breaking Ebitda and turnover performance. Meanwhile, Dominic Jacobs, managing director of JKS Pubs, has joined a panel that will feature Jonathon Swaine, managing director of Shepherd Neame, Charlie McVeigh, non-executive director at the Revel Collective, Oisin Rogers, co-founder of The Devonshire, and Joycelyn Neve, founder and managing director Seafood Pub Company, to talk about the challenge the sector faces in attracting new customers, ways in which the sector can go about evolving to do just that, and whether loyalty schemes can play a part. 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 today: Premium Club subscribers are to receive the updated Multi-Site Database today (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 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 experiential leisure sector such as music, arts and space management company Broadwick Group, inflatable leisure attraction company Inflata Nation, and Australian gym franchise Jetts Fitness. 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.

 

Coffee sector has industry’s highest labour costs: The highest labour costs in hospitality are in the coffee sector – at 36.3% of turnover – according to the industry’s first “people metrics” benchmarking report. This.Is.Pineapple is the brainchild of Philip Eeles, co-founder of Honest Burger, Will Fraser, former Saracens player and founder of 100 & First, Charlotte Kemp, former people director of Mission Mars and now managing director of Sixty Eight People, and Abi Dunn, founder of Sixty Eight People. Following six months of research, the report also showed competitive socialising has the lowest labour costs – at 20.1% of turnover. The findings also showed almost 60% of the industry’s workforce are Generation Z, while less than 1% are “boomers”. Other headlines include overall staff turnover peaking in the third quarter at 79.8%; 90-day turnover peaking in the first quarter yet remaining static at 30% of new starters; turnover of general managers ending 2024 at 36%; and only 52% of general managers were promoted internally. Eeles and Dunn will share more of the findings as part of Propel Friday Opinion, which will be sent today (Friday, 28 March), at 11am.

 

NTIA calls for cultural shift in safeguarding: The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) is urging the safeguarding minister and local authorities to move beyond “outdated, performative approaches to safety and commit to real cultural change in safeguarding within the night-time economy”. The trade body said regulatory strategies that rely on “enforcement-led, box-ticking measures” fail to address the root causes of harassment, spiking and other serious crimes, leaving venues and patrons vulnerable. While initiatives like Ask for Angela provide a valuable tool for individuals in distress, they should not be treated as a licensing requirement, the NTIA said. “For too long, safeguarding has been treated as an afterthought – something to be patched up with superficial training or virtue-signalling campaigns,” said Silvana Kill, director of operations/safeguarding lead NTIA. “We need a fundamental shift in how we approach safeguarding, embedding it as a core part of our industry’s culture rather than an enforcement-led obligation.” The NTIA said while public awareness campaigns have their place, they are not a substitute for genuine engagement and responsibility within the sector. The trade body added by prioritising education, accountability and industry-led initiatives, “we can create a night-time sector where safeguarding is embedded, not enforced, and where safety is a shared responsibility, not a licensing condition”.

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a global wine brand that is seeking a senior national account manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The role will be the driving force behind the brand’s convenience and wholesale strategy. The position involves leading the end-to-end management of key accounts, developing partnerships with national retailers and implementing strategies to grow market share for the company’s diverse spirits portfolio. The senior national account manager will directly manage accounts such as Parfitts, Bestway and Dhamecha.” The salary is up to £70,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email mark@corecruitment.com.

 

Wagamama CEO – US business had become quite neglected, debut India site to open in May: Thomas Heier, chief executive of Wagamama, The Restaurant Group-owned brand, has said the brand’s US operation had been become neglected before the company brought it back under its full control last summer, and that the business is currently doing some work on its positioning in the States. Last year, Propel revealed Wagamama had bought out its US joint venture, which operated eight sites there. Updating on the situation, Heier told last week’s Propel Multi-Club Conference: “Part of the reason we bought the business back was we were a minority joint venture partner, so it’s quite difficult to influence some of the actions being taken. We felt the business was quite neglected and under-invested in. We could see that from various metrics. We knew we were picking up cherished sites that were ours and that had our brand name over it – but with the knowledge that we were going to be getting the marketing switch back on again, getting food innovation running again, updating the IT infrastructure – and things that haven’t been looked at for a long time. Since June last year, it’s been about levelling things up again. Let’s re-engage the team and lget a pipeline up and running again. We’re also doing quite an interesting piece of work on our brand positioning. We are looking to particularly grow in Florida, Texas and Virginia, having first started our US business in New York and Boston, where there was probably a bit more familiarity around Wagamama. We have far more of a bar proposition in our US business, which is quite an important thing – so how do we leverage that even more, and how do we make sure that we are connecting with the consumer in the way that we do here?” Last year, the company signed a deal with Travel Food Services, a partner of SSP Group, to open its first restaurant at Mumbai airport’s International Terminal. Heier said the first site under the joint venture will open in the middle of May, and the business, which has 60 international franchise sites, has “a couple of other things internationally that are brewing”. Heier was among the speakers at last week’s Propel Multi-Club Conference. His video and the 13 others from the conference will be made available to Premium Club members on Wednesday, 9 April, at 9am. 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.

 

Côte – refurbishments proving ‘massive hit’, leading to further consolidation of estate: Côte, the French brasserie brand backed by the Partners Group, has told Propel that the refurbishments it has carried out in the last 12 months have proved a “massive hit with our guests” and led to it making some strategic decisions on some of its other sites. The circa 70-strong company has refurbished eight sites over the past 12 months and will look to build on this over the next 12 months and beyond. At the same time, it has closed “a small number” of sites that are “no longer in the right location for our growth plan”. Recent closures include the brand’s restaurants in Haywards Heath, Sevenoaks and Gloucester Quays. A Côte spokesperson told Propel: “We are committed to an investment programme to update our restaurants and find new spaces that are modern, light and perfectly showcase the French art of bringing people together around a table. So far, we have refurbished a total of eight restaurants in the last 12 months, which have proved a massive hit with our guests, and we will be building on this success with more significant upgrades this year and the next. As part of this continued improvement to make our restaurants more contemporary and appealing, we have looked at the best options for every site. As a result, a very small number are no longer in the right location for our growth plan, and we have made the extremely tough decision to exit these sites. As a group, we are sorry to lose these restaurants, and we would like to thank our teams for their hard work and dedication, as well as our guests who have supported us over many years.” Earlier this month, Propel revealed that Côte had hired Emma Dinnis, former managing director of Sofology, as its new chief executive. Her appointment saw Jane Holbrook move back to chair of Cote. 

 

Amigos Burgers & Shakes seeking franchisees in major cities as it looks to expand further out of London after making regional debut: Better burger brand Amigos Burgers & Shakes is seeking franchisees in major cities as it looks to expand further out of London after making its regional debut. The business, which was launched in Acton, west London, in 2011 by Waqas Siddique and Kasim Akhter, currently has circa 20 locations – the majority of which are based within Greater London. The company’s first regional site has now opened – at 326-328 Ladypool Road in Sparkbrook, Birmingham – and the company is now looking to ramp up its growth outside the capital. “After successfully opening two more stores (Hounslow West and Birmingham), Amigos Burgers & Shakes is hungry for more growth,” said franchise consultant Anish Naik. “Milton Keynes is currently in build. We are looking for operators to expand across the UK. To name a few areas: Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham, Sheffield and Bristol. Having been around the business, team and food, it is certainly an opportunity not to miss out on.” The company has plans for an eventual estate here of 100-plus locations and has also said it is exploring overseas expansion.

 

Erpingham House founder set to open ‘UK’s first alcohol-free wellness hotel and members club’ after raising more than £4m: Loui Blake, founder of vegan restaurant concept Erpingham House, is set to open “the UK’s first alcohol-free wellness hotel and members club”, Propel has learned. Long Lane will open in April 2026 in Midhurst in West Sussex, situated across 55 acres of South Downs National Park, offering “a space for those seeking a social environment without compromising their health”. Blake has partnered with former Wall Street trader Harrison Hide for the venture, “conceived as an antidote to traditional hospitality spaces that revolve around alcohol” where “well-being and socialising could coexist harmoniously”. The duo have gained more than 30 million views on social media over the past two years as they have shared the project’s development online, while in excess of £4m has been raised towards bringing it to life. Long Lane will offer a natural swimming pool, a state-of-the-art gym, a longevity clinic, a contrast therapy suite, an organic farm and learning space and multiple food and beverage concepts including a forest kitchen and a greenhouse dining experience. There will also be padel courts, woodland cabins and meditation pods, co-working spaces, woodland trails and a stargazing platform. The team will include former Soho House chief marketing officer Jamie Caring, Farmacy restaurant founder Camilla Fayed and Dr Mohammed Enayat, founder of HUM2N Longevity Clinic in Chelsea. Blake said: “Long Lane’s mission is to foster a profound connection between self, others, and nature. By blending personalised health optimisation with a strong sense of community, it represents a radical departure from conventional hospitality, offering a blueprint for the future of wellness-led social spaces.” Erpingham House’s original site, in Norwich, remains temporarily closed, while its second location, in Brighton, has shut permanently.

 

Sandbox VR UK & Ireland franchisee to double its estate this year, 2025 sales up 12% year-on-year: VR Entertainment, the UK and Ireland franchisee of virtual reality brand Sandbox VR, has told Propel the business will double its estate this year and that its 2025 sales are up 12% year-on-year. VR Entertainment this week made its debut in Ireland, launching at 5 Grafton Street, in Dublin city centre. This added to its two London locations – in Holborn and Gravity Max Wandsworth – and one in Birmingham Grand Central. VR Entertainment co-founder Andy Scanlon told Propel: “We expect our Dublin flagship to be our top performing asset in the UK and Ireland by the end of the year. This adds to a successful start to 2025, with like-for-like sales in the UK for January and February increasing 12% year-on-year, group profitability ahead of budget and the release of our second collaboration with Netflix, Rebel Moon: The Descent Experience. We will be looking to deploy three venues in total this year, doubling our number of sites across the UK and Ireland.” Sandbox VR operates more than 50 sites globally and first launched here in 2022.

Immersive Gamebox links up with Center Parcs: Immersive Gamebox, which operates the Electric Gamebox brand, has opened its first site in the leisure resort sector, in partnership with Center Parcs. The company, which was acquired out of administration earlier this year by Harlan Capital Partners, launched its first installation this week, at Center Parcs’ Woburn Forest, with more locations to follow. The business said: “This exciting collaboration marks Immersive Gamebox’s expansion into the resort leisure sector, meeting the growing demand for interactive, technology-driven entertainment in holiday destinations.” Last month, Immersive Gamebox confirmed its acquisition and recapitalisation by funds controlled by Harlan Capital Partners, which it said marked “a pivotal new chapter in the company’s growth story”. Launched in 2019, Immersive Gamebox was co-founded by Will Dean, its chief executive, and David Spindler, who serves as the company’s chief financial officer. Dean was the founder and former chief executive of endurance event Tough Mudder. The gaming platform expanded to 32 locations across Europe and the US, including London, New York and Berlin. The company operates eight sites in the UK – four with Gravity Max, plus stand-alone sites in Lakeside in Essex, the Arndale Centre in Manchester, and in London’s Southbank and Shoreditch. The company said its acquisition by Harlan seeks to secure Immersive Gamebox’s “position as a leader in the global social gaming industry”. 

Abu Dhabi government looking to bring private club experience to the Gulf: The Abu Dhabi government is in advanced talks with leading Mayfair-style private members club operators about creating a first venue in the Gulf emirate, as it looks to lure “disillusioned wealthy London based investors”. The Standard reports that the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) believes that private members’ clubs such as Soho House, 5 Hertford Street or George are a key element of London’s lifestyle attraction, and that it needs to replicate the experience in the fast-growing capital city of the UAE. His Excellency Hareb Al Mheiri, executive director of the investor growth sector at ADIO, told the Standard he was in talks with seven brands from Europe and three from China, with an initial location identified as a car park site close to its Al Maryah Island headquarters. The longer-term plan is to have a collection of clubs spread around different districts of the city.

Former TRG duo’s Scottish hospitality group sets sights on further growth after acquiring sixth site: Lomond Leisure Group, led by former The Restaurant Group (TRG) duo Derek Mallon and Chris Thynne, has set its sights on further growth after acquiring its sixth site. Lomond Leisure Group is embarking on a joint £275,000 revamp of the Van Winkle bar in Sandyford Place in Glasgow with Star Pubs. The site will close after last orders on Sunday (30 March) ahead of being transformed into Gael & Grain, a pub celebrating Scottish food, drink and music. Gael & Grain will open in mid-May, with the 64-seater ground floor catering for drinkers and diners, and the basement acting as an events space. Gael & Grain will build on Lomond Leisure Group’s other sites that specialise in Scottish fare, like its Glasgow restaurant, Mharsanta, and its Edinburgh pub, The Tolbooth Tavern, which is also leased from Star Pubs. Lomond Leisure Group is also set to open a new restaurant, Kirk O’The Lochs, in Tarbet, and refurbish the beer garden at its flagship bourbon bar, Van Winkle, in Glasgow. Looking longer term, the company is keen to find another venue in Edinburgh and to expand its estate further across Scotland’s central belt, should the right outlets become available. Mallon said: “For a small country, Scotland punches above its weight when it comes to the food and drink it produces, and is widely recognised as having some of the best meat and seafood in the world. There’s growing demand for great Scottish food and drink, and Gael & Grain will aim to meet this in a relaxed, welcoming pub setting.” Mallon spent 14 years with TRG, from 2001 to 2015, in roles including operations manager, operations director, deputy manager director and managing director for brands such as Frankie & Benny’s, Coast to Coast, Filling Station and Joe’s Kitchen. Thynne spent 16 years with TRG, from 2004 to 2020, in roles including operations manager and director of operations small brands.

 

Mitchells & Butlers hires Nick Pinney as new group property director: Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), the All Bar One, Toby Carvery and Harvester operator, has hired Nick Pinney as its new group property director, Propel has learned. Pinney joins the circa 1,700-strong M&B after more than eight years at builders’ merchant Travis Perkins, including the last three years as its group property director. Pinney takes over from Gary John, who has retired after more than 14 years as group property director for M&B. He joined M&B after six and a half years as senior vice-president for worldwide development at Burger King. M&B chief executive Phil Urban told Propel: “Gary told me he wished to retire about a year ago, and helped recruit his successor, Nick. Gary and Nick had about a three-week crossover, and now Gary has stepped down. Gary did a great job for me over the last ten years, and true to form, was superb right up until his last day. Both Gary and I were impressed with Nick in his interview, and culturally, we think he is a great fit. He is already making a strong impression across the business.”

 

Coffee#1 opens 125th site: Coffee#1, the Nero Group-owned business, has opened its 125th site. The outlet has opened in East Grinstead, West Sussex, at Unit B in Queen’s Walk. A Coffee#1 spokesperson said: “As we continue to expand and grow, we are thrilled to bring our coffee experience to even more communities.”

 

Professionals at Play eyes second London site, confirms King Pins Leeds opening: Professionals at Play – the Foresight-backed, parent company of the Roxy Lanes, Roxy Ball Room and King Pins concepts which will open its first Roxy Ball Room in London next month – is working on a second opening in the capital, Propel has learned. Roxy Ball Room will make its debut in London with an opening at St Mary Axe, opposite the Gherkin, on Thursday, 10 April – offering American pool, basketball, beer pong, crazy pool, duckpin bowling, ice-free curling, ping pong, karaoke, tech darts and tech shuffle. Propel understands that Professionals at Play hopes to follow that with a Roxy Ball Room opening at 246 High Holborn, on the former Coach Gyms site. Professionals at Play operates King Pins and Star Pins under its Pins Leisure portfolio, and Roxy Lanes and Roxy Ball Room under its Roxy Leisure portfolio. 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. Professionals at Play will open a King Pins site in Scotland later this year, at Silverburn in Glasgow this June. This is set to be followed by a site in Leeds’ White Rose Shopping Centre later this year, while a further King Pins opening is planned for Belfast. 

 

Ossett Brewing Group reports increase in sales and Ebitda in 2024 following ‘extremely strong’ performance by its pubs, sells ‘underperforming’ site in Dewsbury: Yorkshire brewer and retailer Ossett Brewing Group has reported an increase in sales and Ebitda in 2024 following an “extremely strong” performance by its pubs in the previous financial year. In the company's accounts for the year to 31 March 2024, director Jamie Merrill said post year end, the first six months of its 2025 financial year “show increases in both sales and Ebitda for the group”. He said the brewing business in particular has seen a “huge turnaround in profitability”, with Ebitda for the first six months of £375,000 compared with a loss of £58,000 the previous year. In terms of its pubs, The Shepherds Boy in Dewsbury was sold in August 2024 as it was “no longer profitable and in need of significant investment”. The sale leaves the group with 22 pubs and bars, including ten freeholds. The proceeds of the sale were invested in the refurbishment of The Brewers 1841 pub (formerly Brewers Pride), which since reopening in November, has seen revenue increase 297%. A similar refurbishment project at the Riverhead Brewery Tap Marsden – creating a Riverhead/Ossett & Salt collaboration site with a working brewhouse – has seen a 25.5% increase in turnover post refurbishment. The group’s latest addition, The Bingley Arms in Horbury, which it acquired in June 2023, “continues to be a great success, with Ebitda for the site projected to be £370,000 in FY25”. It comes after the group returned to profit in the year to 31 March 2024. A loss of £3,809 in 2023 (including a loss of £540,693 from discontinued operations) turned into a profit of £769,623. Turnover was £19,968,522 compared with £22,232,746 in 2023, with the latter figure including £5,038,482 from discontinued operations. Ebitda grew from £911,156 to £1,852,993. Of the 2024 turnover, £11,935,592 came from its pubs and bars (2023: £14,610,871) and £8,968,930 from brewing (2023: £7,621,875). Dividends of £197,496 were paid (2023: £163,334). Merrill added: “The financial performance of the 23 pubs operated by the group has been extremely strong throughout the financial year, with Ebitda increasing 27.2%. The financial performance of the brewing business has been impacted during the financial year as the group completed its significant investment programme to increase capacity, integrate the production requirements for the Salt Group and continue to make efficiency improvements at the Kings Yard brewery.”

 

Marine & Lawn Hotels to open Italian restaurant as its newest hotel: Marine & Lawn Hotels, the AJ Capital Partners-owned collection of six hotels and resorts set alongside some of the UK’s most prestigious golf courses, is to open Italian restaurant as its newest hotel. Red Sail Room is set to launch at Portrush Adelphi in Portrush, Northern Ireland, which will open next month after being acquired in 2022. The restaurant will “blend authentic Italian traditions with contemporary elegance”, pairing locally sourced ingredients with Italian delicacies. Dishes will include branzino al cartoccio, crab linguine, pappardelle ragu and fillet steak pizzaiola. Marine & Lawn Hotels also operates Rusacks at St Andrews, Marine at North Berwick, Dornich Station at Royal Dornoch, Marine at Troon and Slieve at Donard.

 

Ham Restaurants set to open fifth London site: Dominic Hamdy – founder of Crispin in Spitalfields, Bistro Freddie in Shoreditch, Bar Crispin in Soho and Crispin at Studio Voltaire – is set to open a fifth London site. His Ham Restaurants group will this June launch Canal – a ground-floor, all-day restaurant as part of the Mason & Fifth hotel in Westbourne Grove. Leading the kitchen will be chef Adrian Hernandez Farina, who has most recently been at Humo in Mayfair, but before that was at Aska in New York and head chef of the Coal Rooms in Peckham too, while also counting Chiltern Firehouse and French Laundry on his CV. There will be long communal tables, a central bar overlooking the Grand Union Canal and two big south-facing terraces. “I’m excited to be partnering with Mason & Fifth for Canal,” Hamdy told Hot Dinners. “From breakfast through the dinner and drinks, Canal will be underpinned by generous hospitality, hopefully bringing some bright European sunshine to west London. A kind of gritty, urban riviera.”

 

Neil Morrissey’s pub company hands back keys to Punch site as it transitions to being property landlords from operators: MSW Pub Company – led by actor Neil Morrissey, Richard Slingsby and John Sykes – has handed back the keys to The Plume of Feathers in Barlaston, Staffordshire, as it transitions to being property landlords from operators. MSW has decided not to renew the lease of the Punch Pubs & Co site that it began operating ten years ago and will instead focus on acquiring its own freehold premises. An MSW spokesperson said: “Neil and the directors would like to thank Punch for its support over the past decade and offer their best wishes to the management and staff at The Plume of Feathers for continued success in the future.” Punch Pubs & Co chief executive Andy Spencer said: “We would like to thank Neil, Richard, and John for their hard work and dedication over the past ten years in making The Plume of Feathers an exceptional pub business. Their passion and commitment have been instrumental in its success, and we wish them all the very best in their new venture. As we look to the future, our priority remains ensuring that The Plume of Feathers continues to thrive at the heart of the community for many years to come.” Morrissey launched MSW in 2015, a year after setting up Neil Morrissey Real Ale Company in partnership with Slingsby.

 

West London McDonald’s franchisee acquires fourth site: West London McDonald’s franchisee Rocket Restaurants has acquired a fourth site. The company, founded in 2022 by Anisha Sharma, has added the McDonald’s restaurant in the Arcadia Centre in Ealing Broadway to its portfolio. Sharma gave up a high-flying corporate career in banking to partner with McDonald’s, having spent almost seven years in wealth management with Goldman Sachs and more than three years as head of compliance with Jordan International Bank. She acquired her first McDonald’s at the Iron Bridge in Uxbridge Road, Hanwell, and in March 2024 took on further restaurants in Southall Broadway and Hayes town centre. Her sister, Shafali Shown-Keen, is also a McDonald’s franchisee who owns restaurants in Brentford, Heathrow and Watford. It is believed that they are the first two sisters in the UK to both franchise with McDonald’s. “I am thrilled to welcome Ealing Broadway McDonald’s to the Rocket Restaurants family,” Sharma said. “This expansion marks a huge milestone, taking us to four locations, and we couldn’t be more excited. Having driven past this store for years, it’s an absolute dream come true!”

 

Independent American-Italian restaurant Smoke and Dough lines up second site: Independent American-Italian restaurant Smoke and Dough is to open its second venue after securing a former TGI Fridays site in Essex. Propel understands that the business, which was founded by chef Deepak Bahuguna and Sachin Bajpai, has acquired the ex-TGI Fridays site in Chelmsford’s Springfield Road. The TGI Fridays site closed last October as part of the restructuring of the business. Smoke and Dough opened its debut site – a 7,000 square-foot unit at Liverpool ONE – in 2019. The concept focuses on an interactive restaurant centred around an open kitchen smokehouse. Every table has a lava coal pit so customers can grill their own meat and fish. The restaurant also serves sourdough pizza, including crispy duck and chicken tikka, alongside burgers and flatbread. David Muslin, of Ecliptic, acted on the Chelmsford deal.