Caprinos looking to make motorway services and airport debuts and seeking to grow company-owned estate: Fast-growing pizza franchise Caprinos has told Propel it is looking for its first motorway services and airport locations this year and is seeking to grow its company-owned estate. The company, which has 100 UK sites and four overseas locations, last month revealed plans to open 20 new stores in 2025 as part of plans to double in size by 2030. Co-founder Khalil Rehman then told Propel that Caprinos is targeting London for its next phase of expansion and is also set to launch in the Middle East this year. Expanding on these expansion plans, Rehman told Propel: “We can set up anywhere, but the high street hasn’t been our first choice, as our business thrives on delivery, and other locations offer more convenience for parking. We do have a handful of high street branches, and you do get more walk-in customers, but it’s always a challenge with delivery. We are planning to get into motorway services and airport locations. We've had opportunities at a few airport locations, but at 3,000 square feet, they didn’t quite fit our initial vision. We’re looking to start with a smaller takeaway unit to test the waters before expanding in that area, and we hope to have the first one open this year.” He added: “We only have one equity store at the moment. We had quite a few until 2021, but after covid it became challenging to manage equity stores alongside franchise expansion as we were opening a store almost every two weeks. We also got to the point where franchisees were waiting months to get planning permission to open a branch due to the covid backlog, so we eventually offered them an equity store rather than keep them waiting. We then offered more equity stores to franchisees. However, this year we aim to open two to three more equity stores – in Buckingham, and Milton Keynes. The aim going forwards is to have 10%-15% equity branches and the rest franchised. We’re still looking for new franchisees too, but our existing franchisees are expanding as well. Currently the split is 40% existing franchisees and 60% new ones.” Rehman said Caprinos saw 5.6% growth in 2024 over the previous year, but the first quarter of this year has seen around 13.8% growth over last year. “We still have challenges from our competitors, who can afford to be very aggressive in their discounting,” he said. “We never used to do things like 50% offers – the biggest one we did was offering buy one get one free for one day – but these last few years we had to come up with better and more effective offers. We have also overhauled our IT system to make delivery more effective and introduced new flavours and items, such as pasta coming into our summer range.”

Sponsored message – Blendsmiths launches new product format crafted for use in automated drink machines: Leading innovators of the beverage industry, Blendsmiths, has launched FLOW, an innovative new product format, crafted for use in automated drink machines. Co-founder Ryan Moore said: “Made for modern convenience and helping ensure quality with every sip, FLOW has been created in order to transform the way consumers enjoy hot drinks across the retail, quick service and casual dining scene. Built on the belief that exceptional taste and innovative drinks should be available to everyone, anywhere, anytime, the FLOW range includes four blends: Energising Matcha – a subtly sweet, umami flavour to provide a boost without the caffeine crash; Vegan Chocolate – uniquely cocoa-rich, luxuriously smooth vegan hot chocolate; Irresistible Chocolate – a perfectly balanced and moreish hot chocolate made with real Ivory Coast cocoa; and Vibrant Chai – a blend of real spice for a sweet and enlivening drink experience. Made with responsibly sourced ingredients, perfectly formulated, and rigorously tested for automated machines. FLOW delivers a consistently excellent drinking experience, and the products have also been approved by many of the top bean to cup machines.” For pricing and more information, email hello@drink-flow.com. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

Laine Pub Company founder Gavin George to speak at Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference, open for bookings with 20% discount on tickets for Premium Club subscribers: Gavin George, founder and former chief executive of Laine Pub Company, 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. George looks back on his near 30 years in the sector, what he learnt, his achievements and mistakes, and how he hopes to see the industry evolve. 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.

Next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality to be released to Premium Club subscribers on Thursday featuring more than 243,000 words of content: The next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality will feature more than 243,000 words of content when it is released to Premium Club subscribers on Thursday (17 April), at midday. The database now features 907 companies, and this month’s edition includes 24 new additions and 63 updated entries. The companies, listed in alphabetical order, will have their most recent results reported as well as broader information around Ebitda, plans and trading style available. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five other databases: the Multi-Site Database, the New Openings Database, the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database and the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database. 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.

UKHospitality – new legislation to enable overhaul of ‘broken’ business rates system is ‘landmark moment’: New legislation to enable the overhaul of the “broken” business rates system has been heralded as a “landmark moment” by UKHospitality. The government’s commitment to reform the system and provide a permanently lower level of business rates for the sector has become law, as the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Act received Royal Assent. UKHospitality is asking for the maximum discount to be applied to hospitality properties with a rateable value of less than £500,000. The trade body is also calling for hospitality properties with a rateable value above £500,000 to be exempt from the surcharge, in line with the government’s intention to level the playing field for the sector. UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “After UKHospitality campaigned for substantial business rates reform for years, legislation making this a reality is a landmark moment. With the finer details set to be unveiled in the autumn, the government now needs to ensure this is meaningful by offering the maximum discount for hospitality businesses, after decades of paying significantly more than their fair share. The government should also exempt hospitality businesses from the surcharge. While we remain optimistic about business rates reform and its ability to give operators some of the financial respite they desperately need, this unfortunately won’t scratch the surface of the £3.4bn annual cost increases hitting the hospitality sector this month. We are urging the government to work with us to enable hospitality businesses to unlock growth and jobs.”

Pubs call last orders at 9pm after chancellor’s tax raid: Pubs are shutting their doors early as they scramble to cut costs following the government’s tax raid on employers. The Telegraph reported that landlords say they have begun calling last orders earlier in the evening to offset extra costs heaped on them by chancellor Rachel Reeves in her October Budget. Brian Whiting, the owner of the four-strong WH Pubs in Kent, said he had started to close up at 9pm instead of 11pm during the week after his company was hit with £190,000 in extra annual costs. His pubs have also begun closing their kitchens at 8pm instead of 9pm some nights. He said the tax situation was “worse than covid” for the pub sector. “I’ve been going on my own for 25 years, and I think this has become the hardest now for hospitality it’s ever been,” he said. Phil Thorley, the owner of Kent pub group Thorley Taverns, said he was considering ending dining times early and reducing staff hours in a bid to offset the tax rises. He said the impact of the national insurance increase alone would be £400,000 extra per year for his business. “That’s eight grand a week in perpetuity. So, we’re going to have to make changes,” he said. Whiting said: “I’m very proud that we’re often the first job for a lot of youngsters. But is it a false economy now? Once upon a time it was good value. We weighed up that they’re not going to be as good as older people because they need to learn, and they might not have the confidence. Now, when their wages have gone dramatically up, you’re getting much more value for money as an employer with employees who are a bit older.” UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “Pubs are being forced to tighten their belts to weather this tax storm and many are choosing to close on quieter days, or to operate on shorter hours to make ends meet. Not being able to trade at full capacity hits a pub’s bottom line but it also makes it more difficult for communities to pop in for a drink or to eat out with friends and family. That is the custom our pubs desperately need.”

Shelley Sandzer – the growth of US restaurants in the UK isn’t a food revolution, it’s a real estate war: Nick Weir, managing partner at Shelley Sandzer, has said the growing number of US brands entering the UK eating-out market “isn't a food revolution – it's a real estate war” and the “victors won't be determined by chicken recipes or marketing budgets”. Weir said: “The American restaurant cavalry has arrived on British shores with dreams of conquering our high streets. But they're about to discover what every property developer already knows: location isn't just the most important thing – it's the only thing that matters. Wingstop didn't just enter the UK market – it methodically secured transport hubs and urban hotspots while competitors were still printing pitch decks. Dave's Hot Chicken came armed with Instagram-ready interiors and delivery radius maps. Meanwhile, Carl's Jr UK brilliantly sidestepped London's ferocious property competition by planting its flag in Cardiff. This isn't a food revolution – it's a real estate war. The UK restaurant landscape is littered with the corpses of brands who thought their sauce recipe or marketing budget would save them from poor site selection. The brutal truth? Most of these American contenders will fail not because Brits don't want their food, but because they'll be stuck in B-tier locations where neither foot traffic nor delivery economics make sense. Every day, the available A3 units with actual potential are vanishing. Legacy brands collapsed leaving behind their shells, but the prime spots are being snapped up at alarming speed by operators who understand the brutal calculus of British high streets. For would-be franchisees: if the site doesn't give you immediate visibility and viable delivery economics from day one – walk away. Your American dream will quickly become a British nightmare. For property owners: the desperate scramble for your sites has begun. But choose wisely – the brands that understand delivery radius optimisation and digital-first operations are the ones who'll still be paying rent in 24 months. The American invasion is real. But in this game, the victors won't be determined by chicken recipes or marketing budgets. They'll be the ones who secured the right street corner first.”

Exclusive – Imbiba to consolidate a number of historic EIS investments under new umbrella vehicle, makes offer on London bar/restaurant group: Serial sector investor Imbiba is to consolidate a number of its more established investments – including Albion & East and Whyte & Brown – under a new vehicle with the working title Edition Hospitality, to which it plans to add a London bar/restaurant group that it has made an offer on, Propel has learned. In a letter to shareholders, seen by Propel, John Connell, chairman of the new vehicle, said: “In response to the wider market and to streamline operations, we are now undertaking changes to the following businesses: Whyte and Brown (namely the Paradiso restaurants in Soho and Southbank); Green Room (namely the Green Room site in Southbank; Albion & East (namely the Botanica Hall site in Clapham, Teatro Hall in Ealing, Serata Hall in Shoreditch and Canova Hall in Brixton); and Elevare (namely the Temper Restaurants in Covent Garden, The City of London and Soho). These companies will be operated by a management services company, eliminating individual head offices, delivering significant central cost reductions in the combined overhead. The management services company will be operated by an experienced group of people fully in tune with current industry markets. In addition, we have made an offer for a London bar/restaurant group that has existed for some years and proven its long-term viability, with current management remaining in place, to add to the group structure. This combination of businesses helps us to target the key consumer segments present in the London market, bringing a well distributed mix under one consolidated holding company.” At the end of last month, Propel revealed Sarah Weir, founder and managing director of Albion & East, had left the four-strong business to set up her own marketing and design agency, Every Small Story. Weir, a former marketing director at Mitchells & Butlers and operations director at Davy’s of London, founded Albion & East in 2016 with the backing of Imbiba, to grow an estate of urban bars located in London “villages”.

Topgolf founder – Poolhouse is the most ambitious and scalable concept we have created, representing the pinnacle of our lifelong work: The Jolliffe brothers, who founded Topgolf and also co-founded Puttshack with Adam Breeden, have said their new competitive socialising concept, Poolhouse, which will launch in London later this year, is the “most ambitious and scalable concept we have created, representing the pinnacle of our lifelong work”. TopGolf was founded in 2000 in Watford. Two years ago, Puttshack raised $150m in growth capital from BlackRock to expand the concept across the US. The concept currently operates four sites in the UK, circa 90 sites in the US, and has sites in Australia, Germany, Mexico, Thailand and the UAE. Since opening its first location in 2018, Puttshack now has four sites in the UK, and 16 in the US, with another four openings in the pipeline Stateside. As revealed by Propel last September, the first Poolhouse will open across the ground and first floor of 90 Liverpool Street. The concept blends familiar traditions of pool with “cutting-edge game patented technology, against a vibrant, exciting and immersive backdrop”. Steve Jolliffe said: “Poolhouse is the most ambitious and scalable concept my brother and I have created, representing the pinnacle of our lifelong work. Today, more people play at Topgolf than on traditional golf courses in the US and we aim to make an even greater impact on the world of pool. Whilst we have a strong track record, this project has been our most challenging endeavour yet.” Andrew O’Brien, chief executive and co-founder of Poolhouse, said: “The Poolhouse experience heralds the most significant transformation in the history of a near 700-year-old sport. The Jolliffe brothers changed the landscape of golf with Topgolf, and they are set to do the same to pool.” Earlier this week, the company secured $34m (£25.9m) of funding to launch the new competitive socialising concept. 

Wingers targeting 50-strong estate by 2027 as it reports like-for-like net sales up 40% in first quarter: Buttermilk fried chicken restaurant concept Wingers is targeting a 50-strong estate by 2027 as it reported like-for-like net sales in the first quarter of 2025 were up 40% compared with last year. Wingers also smashed its monthly sales record during March 2025, more than doubling net sales taken during March last year. Amran Sunner, co-founder and operations director of Wingers, said: “Our efforts to grow awareness, support customer retention locally, backed up with targeted promotional campaigns have all had a big impact. For stores open and trading for 12 months, we have achieved incredible results based on an average of like-for-like net sales for the first quarter, traditionally not our busiest time of year. However, there is much more to come. We have ambitious plans in the pipeline to achieve our goal to double the size of our network again within the next 12 months. Our recently launched customer loyalty scheme designed to support franchisees’ revenue and reward customers visiting and ordering directly from our stores, is now one of the ‘quickest to reward’ loyalty schemes for customers in the sector. We have also made further investments in our head office infrastructure and facilities all with the strategic aim to support franchisees and grow to 50 UK locations by the end of 2027.” To boost the company’s continued expansion, Wingers is inviting applications for experienced quick service restaurant operators in all parts of the country, including Northern Ireland, to run their own Wingers restaurant. The franchise package includes full turn-key opening, and training and support. The business, founded during covid by Amran, his brother Dylan and dad Bill, has grown to 14 locations.

PizzaExpress hires Adrian Twyning as chief transformation officer: PizzaExpress, which earlier this month agreed a refinancing deal, has hired Adrian Twyning as its new chief transformation officer. Twyning joins the Paula MacKenzie-led pizza business after more than three years as chief of operations at Arqiva, the national infrastructure business that provides data, network, next generation media processing and communication services to broadcasters and utility companies. Prior to that he spent a brief spell as chief of staff and transformation director at McCarthy Stone. He also spent two and a half years as UK and Ireland transformation director at Dixons Carphone. At PizzaExpress, Twyning is tasked with oversight of the brand’s value creation and change plan working with the leadership team to “lead and support transformation of business and address market challenges”. Earlier this month, PizzaExpress agreed a refinancing deal with more than 97% of its existing bondholders. The company said the refinancing agreement followed a good opening quarter for the brand with like-for-like sales up 1.3% for the first two months, compared with last year. The company said it has received strong support to extend the maturity of its senior secured notes from July 2026 to September 2029. As part of the refinancing, there will be £55m par debt paydown, reducing the group’s debt position to £280m. The company’s shareholders will inject £20m equity to partially fund the debt paydown, demonstrating “their continued support for the business”.

Black Bear Burger targeting 15-strong estate in London as it prepares to open eighth and largest site to date: Black Bear Burger, the London concept operated by husband-and-wife team Liz and Stew Down, has told Propel it is targeting a 15-strong estate in London as it prepares to open its largest site to date next week. The 100-cover flagship restaurant will launch next Monday (21 April) at Westfield London – marking its eighth in total. Black Bear Burger has grown from a single street food stall to a multi-site operation in under a decade, maintaining full independence throughout its expansion. The business said the Westfield signals a step change in scale for the concept, and an opportunity to reach a broader customer base in one of London’s busiest retail and leisure destinations. In terms of expansion, Stew Down told Propel: “While we don’t have any additional openings scheduled for the remainder of the year, we are continuing to explore opportunities on an ad-hoc and opportunistic basis. If the right site comes along and aligns with our vision, we’re absolutely open to pursuing it. For now, our focus remains firmly on London, though we do have aspirations to expand beyond the capital in the future. We think we can 15 sites in London.” He added: “Opening at Westfield is a real pinch yourself moment. We have spent the last eight years building this business from the ground up and we are still fully independent. This new restaurant is a huge step forward.” Asked whether the company might look at outside investment to support its expansion, he said: “We’re always open to exploring new opportunities, but to date, our growth has been entirely organic and self-funded – something we’re proud of as it’s allowed us to grow at our own pace.” Down said he was “really pleased” with how trading has gone so far in 2025 and added: “Naturally, some sites are trading better than others, but we are happy with where we are at when looking at the wider hospitality landscape.” Black Bear Burger’s current portfolio includes a mix of full-service restaurants and food hall concepts, located across London in sites such as Boxpark Shoreditch, Brixton Village, and Exmouth Market. The business was named Best Burger in the UK at the National Burger Awards 2025.

Travelodge to acquire 11 hotels across UK: Travelodge, which operates more than 600 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain, has agreed to acquire 11 hotels across the UK. The acquisition of the hotels form part of the company's focus on targeting rebranding opportunities as it seeks further growth across the UK and Spanish. Nine of the hotels Travelodge intends to acquire are former Hotel Campanile hotels, totalling 951 rooms. Five are being acquired on a freehold basis and four on long-leasehold. The company said the acquisition builds on Travelodge's strategy to enhance value by diversifying its freehold/leasehold split. The hotels are located in Birmingham, Bradford, Dartford, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Northampton, Milton Keynes and Swindon. The other two UK hotels for which Travelodge has recently exchanged contracts are in Bromsgrove and Wakefield. Bromsgrove is a former Ibis hotel, where Travelodge has taken a new, 25-year lease. Featuring 43-rooms, the hotel is currently being refitted by Travelodge and is due to open in May. The newly acquired hotel in Wakefield is a former independent hotel (CitiLodge), with 74 rooms, and is being converted to the Travelodge brand by the owner, with the hotel expected to open in August. Steve Bennett, chief property and development officer at Travelodge, said: "The acquisition of these hotels marks another positive step in our UK development strategy, as we seek to grow and optimise our estate of hotels and enhance value by diversifying our freehold and leasehold split. There are still many locations throughout the UK and Spain where we can open a new Travelodge hotel, to provide great value and quality accommodation. Acquisitions of properties which can be rebranded to Travelodge are a key part of our development strategy, as we look to continue to grow our footprint. We have a requirement to open in excess of a further 300 hotels across the UK, and are seeking prime opportunities when they become available.”

Britannia Hotels sees profit fall to £31m: Britannia Hotels, the UK’s largest private hotel group with 65 locations offering more than 10,000 bedrooms, has reported a fall in profit to £31,320,000 for the year ending 30 March 2024 from £39,371,000 the previous year. Turnover for the year rose to £162,462,000 compared with £154,790,000 the previous year. The company – whose portfolio includes Liverpool’s Adelphi, the Roundhouse in Bournemouth, Grand Hotel Llandudno and Bromsgrove Hotel & Spa – said the increase represented a “credible performance” during a period of difficult trading. The group said: “The hotels have managed to maintain their competitive edge through the economic downturn and continue to take steps designed to attract new business and improve market share going forward. The directors remain confident that the company is in a good position to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future.” Last year, Britannia Hotels was named the worst brand in the UK for the 11th year in a row. The business received just two stars for cleanliness and one star for the quality of its bedrooms and bathrooms. Britannia said at the time it had “investigated and addressed” the issues.

Wingstop UK makes Liverpool debut: Wingstop UK, which is backed by US private equity firm Sixth Street, has opened its debut site in Liverpool. The restaurant, spanning 2,906 square foot and hosts 59 covers has launched at the Liverpool ONE scheme. Since launching in the UK in 2018, Wingstop UK has expanded to 62 sites, employing more than 2,700 people. The Liverpool ONE restaurant is one of more than 20 new locations set to launch by the end of this year. Wingstop UK chief executive Chris Sherriff said: “Our fans in Liverpool have been calling for a Wingstop to land, and we’re excited to finally make it happen. Located alongside a mix of leading food and beverage operators, retailers and leisure venues, Liverpool ONE is the perfect place for us to make our debut in the city.” In December, Propel revealed Sixth Street was to acquire Wingstop UK’s parent company Lemon Pepper Holdings for a price that is believed to be in excess of £400m. Sherriff was among the speakers at last month’s Propel Multi-Club Conference. His video and the 13 others from the conference are available to Premium Club subscribers. 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.

Broadwick Group and Freight island founder acquires London pub: Gareth Cooper, founder of Broadwick Group – the music, arts and space management company – and food, drink and entertainment venue Freight Island, has acquired a pub in London. Cooper has teamed up with Jon Drape and Alex Payne to acquire The Salusbury in Queen’s Park. The pub will reopen in June following a refurbishment but will “retain its fundamental essence as a local hub”. The new vision stays true to the venue’s history as a business of two halves – “a local’s pub” on the left and a “proper dining room” to the right. There will also be a new private space seating ten-12 guests. Payne began his career in the music industry and has since gone on to launch The Rectory hotel in the Cotswolds, which features the Michelin Guide-recognised pub The Potting Shed. The kitchen at The Salusbury will be led by Tarryn Bingle, who reunites with Payne following a period as head chef at The Rectory. “We’re committed to preserving everything that makes The Salusbury special – a proper local with an impetus on warmth, character, and a great pint,” said Cooper. “At the same time, with Tarryn in the kitchen, we see an incredible opportunity to offer something truly exceptional when it comes to food.” Payne added: “The Salusbury has long been my local, and it’s always had a fun air of mischief about it – we fully intend to keep that element of playfulness alive.”

Rudy’s confirms plans to open in West Bridgford: Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana, the Mission Mars-owned brand, has confirmed it will open a site in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, this summer. The brand is transforming the former Black Pearl Pub building in Bridgford Road, which has stood vacant since January 2023. The venue will offer 105 covers inside, plus a 70-seat outdoor seating area. The venue will become the brand’s 32nd site. Neal Bates, managing director of Rudy’s, said: “We're buzzing to bring Rudy's authentic Neapolitan pizza to more people in Nottinghamshire as we open in West Bridgford.” Rudy’s recently opened a site in Leamington Spa, on the former Bodega Cantina site at 108 Parade in the Warwickshire town. Last month, Propel revealed Rudy’s was lining up a debut site in the south west, with plans to open in the former Royal Bank of Scotland site in Baldwin Street. The business has further openings in the pipeline – in Cambridge and Brighton. 

Flat Iron eyes Bristol opening: Flat Iron, the Piper-backed affordable steak concept, is planning to further enhance its regional presence, with an opening in Bristol. The Tom Byng-led business has applied to open on the Four Wise Monkeys restaurant site in the city’s Clare Street. The company recently added to its London estate with an opening on the ex-Canteen site at Royal Festival Hall, on the Southbank. The 220-cover became the business’ 15th site in the capital – and 18th overall. Propel revealed last October that Flat Iron has appointed Houlihan Lokey to assess its options, which are understood to include third-party investment or a possible sale of the business. Flat Iron, which was founded by entrepreneur Charlie Carroll, started life in 2012 as a pop-up above the Owl & Pussycat pub in Shoreditch, east London, and opened its first restaurant later that year in Beak Street in London’s Soho. The company is understood to have a well-developed pipeline for 2025, both in London and the regions, where it has opened sites in Cambridge, Leeds and Manchester. Flat Iron has also been linked with an opening in Brighton.

Historic Chinese noodle restaurant makes international debut with London opening: Songhelou, an historic Chinese noodle restaurant dating to the 18th century, has made its international debut with an opening in London. Songhelou, which was first founded in Suzhou in 1757, has opened at 22 Wardour Street, in Chinatown, having agreed a deal with landlord Shaftesbury Capital. Spanning 3,600 square foot across three floors and with 144 covers, the brand showcases the food of Jiangnan, a region immediately south of the Yangtze River in the south east of China. Songhelou offers Suzhou-style noodles in a dark broth with toppings such as sweet and sour squirrel-shaped bass, Suzhou-style braised pork, stir-fried crab meat and roe, eel slices in oil and flavoured crayfish. As per Suzhou tradition, guests are able to pair their food with a variety of tea.

Corinthia Hotels secures £205m loan to support further growth of London property: Corinthia Hotels has secured Barclays UK Corporate Bank's largest loan to the hotel sector in 20 years, with £192m of financing agreed to support the future growth of its luxury five-star location in London – as part of an overall syndicated term loan of £205m. Founded six decades ago in Malta by the Pisani family, Corinthia Hotels has evolved into a global luxury brand with properties in some of the world's most prestigious destinations – including Corinthia London, located in the heart of Westminster. Michael Izzo, chief strategy officer, Corinthia London, said: “We're excited about our plans for Corinthia London and look forward to working together to deliver these in the years ahead.”

M&B opens first Pesto site under its ownership: Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), the Toby Carvery, Harvester and All Bar One operator, has opened the site under the Italian restaurant concept Pesto, since it acquired the business last May. M&B has transformed the White Swan in Wythall, which borders Solihull and Birmingham, into the 11th location for Pesto. The site previously operated under M&B’s Stonehouse Pizza and Carvery format, Sara Gatt, co-founder of Pesto Restaurants, said: “The White Swan is the perfect location to expand our Pesto family. We’re thrilled to bring our Italian-inspired dining to this wonderful community and create a space where people can celebrate, relax, and enjoy great food together.” At the time of the acquisition, M&B chief executive Phil Urban told Propel that he saw the then ten-strong Pesto growing to up to 80 sites. Earlier this year, he said he was “very pleased” with its performance and added: “Pesto will do one to three sites [this year], but the real programme will start at the end of 2025.” 

Former Fish Club owners see possibility for six-strong pub estate after acquiring third site: Former restaurateurs turned pub operators, Steve Orme and James Thomson, have told Propel they see the possibility of having a six-strong estate after adding a third site to their portfolio. The duo have acquired the lease of The Rose & Lion in Twickenham, south west London, which is part of the Heineken-owned Star Pubs estate. The Rose & Lion, formerly known as Roxie Steak & Tap, has been closed for six years. The pub will reopen in early June following a £570,000 joint investment offering pizza and smash burgers alongside experiential activities including shuffleboard and augmented reality darts. This latest venture marks Orme and Thomson’s tenth anniversary in the pub industry. They had previously run the Fish Club restaurants in London. Orme told Propel: “We would like to grow the estate and sees six as a possibility – dependent on the economic climate. We are open to the right opportunity should it present itself.” He added: “We realised ten years ago that the best opportunities for us lay in pubs, which were more flexible than restaurants, and in locations a little bit further out of Central London. It was a good call. Our expansion strategy is based on identifying the right venue in the right location – with a customer base for whom we can add value. Although we have experience running gastropubs, there are plenty already in Twickenham. We needed to offer something different, which we’re doing with The Rose & Lion. Speed of expansion and the number of pubs in our portfolio is less important to us than ensuring we are doing well with the pubs we have, sweating the assets. There’s no point in having assets for the sake of it and operating these at 50% of their potential.” Orme and Thomson also operate two sites across the county boundary in Surrey – the Red Lion in Shepperton and Golden Grove in Chertsey, which are also owned by Star Pubs.

Knead Bakery lines up first retail outlet location: Knead Bakery, the patisserie and café concept, is to open its first retail outlet location this summer, at the Cotswolds Designer Outlet. The concept, which is the brainchild of Kris Biggs and John Hawes, will join Wagamama, Five Guys, Zizzi, Pret A Manger, 200 Degrees and Caffe Nero, in opening in the new scheme. Knead Bakery, which was founded at the end of 2020, specialising in bakery as patisserie as well as food to go, currently operates sites Cirencester, Tetbury and Elkstone. The concept will open a fourth site, in Oxford, at the end of next month. Knead Bakery, will open at 115 High Street, in a site previously occupied by womenswear clothing brand Hobbs. 

Steak of the Art parent company placed in administration, Cardiff site closed: The parent company of the Steak of Art restaurant concept has been placed into administration, Propel understands. Rob Coad and Sam Talby, of Undebt, have been appointed joint administrators of GroupCo. The appointment follows the recent closure of the company’s site in Churchill Way, Cardiff. The company’s original site in Cathedral Walk, Bristol, continues to trade. Former City worker turned chef Steve Bowen founded the concept based on food served in a gallery that showcases quality affordable art. The first restaurant opened in Bristol, in 2013 with a second following in Cardiff two years later. A Southampton site opened at Admiral’s Quay in Ocean Village in February 2016, but a restructure of the business in spring 2019 led to its closure.

Padel concept Padium to make regional debut in Cardiff: Padium, the high-end padel concept backed by Spotify co-founder Martin Lorentzon, is to open in Cardiff, which will mark its first expansion outside London. The business, which was founded by Houman Ashrafzadeh, one of the founders of London fresh salad concept Urban Greens, has secured a new 35,000 square-foot venue in Cardiff Bay Retail Park. The padel venue will feature eight indoor courts, making it the largest padel venue in Wales when it opens in late summer. Ashrafzadeh said: “The demand for high-quality padel facilities in Wales is at an all-time high, and we’re excited to introduce our premium offering to this vibrant sporting city. Cardiff Bay’s transformation makes it the perfect location for our next club, bringing together high-performance sport and lifestyle in a way that has resonated with London’s growing padel community.” The debut Padium site opened in Canary Wharf in summer 2023. Ashrafzadeh said he plans to replicate its premium facilities in Cardiff, with coaching, a cafe/bar, pro shop, co-working space, players’ lounge, luxury changing facilities and a spa with sauna. The company said: “Padium’s expansion into another UK capital city solidifies its position as the leader in premium padel experiences. With padel seeing rapid growth in the UK, Padium’s purpose-built, high-end facilities will cater to both seasoned players and newcomers, creating a hub for Cardiff’s emerging padel community.” Tom Richards, of ARC, acted on behalf of Padium on the Cardiff deal. 

Chef Stevie Parle – my new restaurant in London’s West End will be the biggest, most ambitious project I’ve done: Chef Stevie Parle has described Town, his new restaurant, which will open in London’s West End next month, as “the biggest, most ambitious project I’ve ever done”. Parle first announced plans for the new venue at the end of 2023. He will open Town on Monday, 12 May opposite the Gillian Lynne Theatre in Drury Lane. Parle told The Standard: “Town is the biggest, most ambitious project I’ve done. We are helping to pioneer a genuinely new approach to restaurant supply chains, built on knowing every farmer who grows what we cook. A team of some of London’s most skilled cooks, great drinks, and slick and friendly service in a fun space, all designed to help you forget the day-to-day — and to remember how good things can be when food, music and good people come together in the right room.” The team behind the new restaurant includes executive chef Olly Pierrepont, previously head chef of Luca and La Trompette, executive chef Andy Bright, formerly of Kerridge’s Bar & Grill, and Zinzan Riess-Hollier, who also worked at Luca. The restaurant will open daily from noon till midnight for both lunch and supper, aside from Sunday when closing time will be 6pm and only lunch will be served. Town will be Parle’s first launch since well before the pandemic, which saw the closure of his restaurants Sardine, Palatino and Craft London.