YO! parent company considering options for more than a third of its UK restaurant estate, continues to explore growth opportunities: Wonderfield Group, formerly Snowfox Group, the multi-channel and international Japanese food business that owns brands including Panku, Bento and Taiko, is considering options for more than a third of its 53-strong UK restaurant estate, Propel has learned. Propel understands that Wonderfield – which was acquired by Zensho, the leading Japanese food group, in summer 2023, in a deal valued at $621m (£494.5m) – is assessing the future of up to 20 YO! restaurant sites across England and Scotland, including sites in Brighton, Guildford, Leeds, Edinburgh, Cheltenham and Manchester. All the sites continue to trade. It comes as Wonderfield told Propel it is planning to open new sites at Heathrow next month (in T4 and T2B) and its “significant multimillion-pound refurbishment programme” is ongoing. Wonderfield said on the back of successful refurbishments at Bluewater, Meadowhall and Heathrow T2 and T3 last year, YO! will refurbish at least five more restaurants this year. At the same time, the company is making a £16m investment in its UK pre-pack business. Propel understands Wonderfield’s new west London factory is on track to open this summer, following the opening of its new factory in Ireland earlier this year. The company’s in-store kiosk footprint now stands at 520 – with another 30 added over the past 12 months. It said that the group’s brands are now in more than 7,000 retail locations. A spokesperson for Wonderfield told Propel: “Wonderfield and YO! continues to grow its footprint across the UK. The group does on occasion consider options for certain sites, but at the same time is actively in the market for new locations. YO! will be opening two new sites at Heathrow airport this summer, with an extensive multimillion-pound refurbishment programme ongoing. The group expects to open its new west London factory shortly and continues to roll out its kiosk business and retail offer.” It comes as the group reported revenue increased 70.2% to $637.9m in the 16-month period ended 31 March 2024 (12-months to 27 November 2022: $374.7m), while pre-tax loss increased from $29.5m to $87.5m, which included significant costs relating to the sale of the business to Zensho. Ebitda increased 19.8% to $60.4m. Turnover in the group’s corporate kiosks increased 44.6% from $119m to $172m, driven by increased kiosk count in the group’s core markets, as well as from the extended accounting period. It said: “The group has seen a continuation in consumer trends to accelerate the consumption of grocery sushi, which has significantly increased in popularity. This step-change represents a ‘new normal’ from which the group’s franchise kiosks turnover can continue to grow supported by the group’s strategic direction to convert the retail portfolio from corporate to franchise kiosks.” Revenue in the period for YO! rose from £84.7m to £138.3m, while its pre-tax loss stood at £22.6m (2023: loss of £4.7m).

 

Sponsored message – Deliverect launches Deliverect Kiosk solution in UK: Deliverect, a global food technology company, has launched its Deliverect Kiosk solution in the UK, marking a strategic expansion following its acquisition of European kiosk company Tabesto in late 2024. The cloud-based self-service ordering system is designed to help restaurants streamline operations and enhance customer experience amid rising operational pressures. Deliverect regional general manager Joe Heather said: “Early results show impressive performance gains: restaurants experienced a 32% increase in ticket sizes, 17% reduction in average order time, and eliminated peak-hour queues within weeks of installation. The system drives revenue through built-in upselling, with 50% of kiosk orders including upsells and 38% containing paid add-ons. The timing addresses critical industry challenges, as UK restaurants face pressure from recent national minimum wage increases and national insurance contribution hikes that took effect in April. Key features include a 22-inch touchscreen with flexible mounting options, multilingual support, real-time menu synchronisation with POS systems, contactless NFC payments and digital QR code receipts. The plug-and-play system enables restaurants to go live within four weeks with minimal IT involvement.” Deliverect Kiosk will be offered as part of a bundled product suite with Deliverect Restaurants, “ensuring operators benefit from an end-to-end, fully integrated system that connects in-store and digital ordering workflows”. The solution is already operational across France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Belgium, with further international expansion planned for later in 2025. For more information, click here. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

Former Marugame Udon CEO and Gourmet Burger Kitchen COO Keith Bird to speak at Operational Excellence Conference, open for bookings with 20% discount on tickets for Premium Club subscribers: Keith Bird, former chief executive of Marugame Udon and chief operating officer of Gourmet Burger Kitchen, will be among the speakers at Propel’s Operational Excellence Conference, which is being held in partnership with Purple Story. The conference – which takes place on Wednesday, 9 July at One Moorgate Place in London and is open for bookings – is designed for operations directors, managers, area managers, site managers and chief executives who want to maximise performance. Bird will reflect on the operations constants that apply within every kind of operation. 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.

 

Premium Club subscribers to receive new searchable and segmented New Openings Database on Friday: The next Propel New Openings Database will be sent to Premium Club subscribers on Friday (6 June), at noon. The database will show the details of 181 site openings, including which company has opened a site or its plans to open one in the future. The database will have details on what type of site it is and its location, and there will also be a website link to the businesses. The database is published on a monthly basis and Premium Club subscribers will also receive a 11,152-word report on the 181 new additions to the database. It is segmented into seven categories – cafe bakery, casual dining, experiential leisure, fine dining, hotels, pubs and bars and quick service restaurants – making it even easier for users to search. The database includes new openings in the pub and bar sector such as bar concept Labombe by Trivet in London’s Mayfair, Heartwood Collection’s new pub, The White Hart in Lymington in Hampshire, and Sinners, the new cabaret bar and restaurant in Shoreditch in the capital. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five other databases: the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the Multi-Site Database, 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 the Operational Excellence Conference in July and discounts on specialist sector reports. 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.

 

Restaurant delivery and takeaway sales down 0.6% in April, sharp increase in venues providing such a service: Delivery and takeaway sales at Britain’s leading restaurant groups slipped by 0.6% year-on-year in April, CGA by NIQ’s latest Hospitality at Home Tracker has revealed. It is the second negative number of 2025 and the fifth consecutive month of below-inflation growth. Trading was subdued by good weather and the long Easter weekend, which led to some consumers either going out rather than ordering food for delivery or takeaway or having barbecues. The marginal decline is in line with the separate CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker, which recorded a year-on-year drop of 0.9% in managed restaurant groups’ total sales in April, but 9.1% growth for pubs. CGA’s Hospitality at Home Tracker shows slightly better trading for deliveries than takeaways in April. Delivery revenue was exactly level year-on-year, while sales from takeaways and click-and-collect orders fell 1.9% on a like-for-like basis. Total combined sales were 10.0% ahead of April 2024, reflecting a sharp increase in venues providing deliveries and takeaways in the last 12 months. Karl Chessell, CGA by NIQ’s director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said: “Warm weather is usually better news for pubs than restaurants, and it’s clear that drinking-out was the priority in April. Disposable incomes remain limited for many consumers, and with various other options for their money, a softening in delivery and takeaway sales isn’t surprising. While sales have now been flat or below inflation for five months, it’s important to note that this follows a period of significant growth in the channel.”

 

Private sector gloom amid rising wage costs and trade fears: The outlook for Britain’s private sector has deteriorated to its weakest level in nearly three years as companies struggle with rising wage costs and global trade uncertainty. The Times reported that a weighted balance of minus 30% of private sector businesses expect activity to fall in the three months to August, according to the CBI’s latest “growth indicator”. That marks the lowest reading since September 2022 and a further decline from the minus 26% recorded in the three months to May. “There is little sign of summer cheer in our surveys, with private sector activity expected to remain subdued over the next three months,” Alpesh Paleja, deputy chief economist at the CBI, said. “Our surveys were already pointing to weaker momentum than official data at the start of this year and this sluggishness looks to have continued since.” The negative sentiment spans all main areas of the economy. Business volumes in the services sector are expected to decline, with a survey reading of minus 32% and expectations at their weakest since November 2022. The anticipated fall is driven by predictions of a decline in both business and professional services (minus 29%) and in consumer services volumes (minus 43%).

 

Restaurants remove ‘king of fish’ from menus as prices soar: Chefs are being forced to take the so-called “king of fish” off their menus, as the soaring price of seafood makes it virtually impossible to turn a profit. Turbot has long been considered among the finest fish on restaurant menus but is becoming a rare option for diners following steep increases in the cost of fish and seafood. Tommy Banks, chef patron of Michelin-starred restaurants The Black Swan and Roots, both in North Yorkshire, told The Telegraph: “It’s the king of the sea, a beautiful fish. Pre-pandemic, I paid £18 per kilo. Now, it can be as much as £65. You can’t afford to put it on the menu. There really isn’t cheap fish anymore but turbot in particular is just outrageous.” Banks recently hosted a tasting night at Roots, where one of the dishes included turbot. However, he said: “I was giving a 60g sliver [to diners]. We were like ‘we need to make turbot the smallest [dish] because it’s so expensive’. It was costing £9 for 60g of fillet.” Adrian Nunn, director of The Upper Scale, which sells fish to consumers and restaurants in London, said many restaurants had stopped ordering turbot altogether, and were using more affordable alternatives – like Dover sole. Seafood prices have soared across in recent years, with produce such as langoustines also becoming unsustainable to serve in restaurants. Banks said: “Some of these really luxury ingredients – like turbot, langoustine, lobster, caviar and truffle – you’ll only really find in Mayfair now.” According to the Office for National Statistics, the price of a kilogram of white fish fillets has risen by more than 28% in the three years to January 2025 to hit £20.59.

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a facilities services provider that is looking for a sales director to lead the UK sales team. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “This role offers the chance to shape and drive business development efforts and directly influence company growth. The company is looking for a candidate with at least five years of senior sales leadership experience – ideally within business-to-business or facilities management – who has a strong track record of exceeding revenue targets, is proficient in CRM systems, reporting, and Microsoft Office, and demonstrates excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.” The salary is up to £100,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email joe@corecruitment.com.

 

Company behind Park Chinois set to appoint administrators: The future of Park Chinois, the Chinese restaurant in London’s Mayfair designed and originated by Wagamama founder Alan Yau, has been placed in doubt as the company behind it has filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator, Propel has learned. Park Chinois, which continues to trade, opened in Berkeley Street in November 2015. Yau, who is no longer involved in the business, previously described the venue as “not really a restaurant, more like an entertainment project”. In 2016, he revealed he spent more than £30m on the venue. The restaurant occupies 15,200 square feet and seats 300 for dinner, with room for 50 at the venue’s two bars. Propel understands that an accelerated sales process was launched for Park Chinois this spring due to “cash flow pressures and difficulty in securing further investment, resulting in an immediate working capital requirement”. Last year, the company behind Park Chinois said it was looking at opportunities to expand overseas. This spring, it was reported Park Chinois was set to make its international debut, with an opening in the Middle East, in partnership with Island Hospitality, at the Gran Meliá Jumeirah hotel, in Dubai. Park Chinois would take over the rooftop of Gran Meliá Jumeirah. Speaking in the company’s latest accounts, director Imtiaz Haque said: “The focus of the business is now on consolidating the UK business as well as looking at a number of opportunities internationally, and there are plans for growth to further take the Park Chinois concept to prominent cities globally.” Latest available accounts show in the year to 25 March 2023, the company saw a £1,397,700 pre-tax loss turn into a profit of £53,389 as turnover rose from £10,620,754 to £14,560,532. The company owed £3,646,071 in Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme payments (2022: £4,640,433), due in full by December 2025. During the year, the company extended the lease on its 17 Berkeley Street principal place of business by 20 years to June 2044, subject to a rent review every five years.

 

Powerleague acquired by Broadsword Investment Management: Powerleague, Europe’s largest five-a-side football provider, has been acquired for an undisclosed sum by Broadsword Investment Management, a UK-based private equity firm focused on real estate-backed growth opportunities. Under the new ownership, Powerleague’s existing management team, which is led by former All Star Lanes and Chicago Leisure chief executive Christian Rose, will remain in place, supported by Broadsword to deliver an “ambitious growth strategy”. Powerleague currently operates 43 clubs across the UK, welcoming more than nine million customers annually. In addition to its core football offering, the business manages more than 250 third-party venues that provide both football and netball. As part of its evolution, the company announced plans earlier this year to introduce padel to nearly half of its clubs nationwide. Within the next 24 months, Broadswords Investment will create 18 padel clubs within existing Powerleague sites, delivering 76 courts by 2026 and making the sport accessible to more than 200,000 players annually. Powerleague, which was backed by Patron Capital, said it continues to invest in its football clubs, with pitch regeneration and new site development central to its 2025 strategy. Rose said: “This is a hugely exciting moment for Powerleague. Partnering with Broadsword gives us the platform to accelerate our growth, invest in our clubs and bring new sports like padel to communities across the UK. While football remains at the heart of everything we do, we’re proud to be evolving into a true multi-sport operator. Our mission remains clear; to make sport more accessible, inclusive and enjoyable for everyone.” Daniel Sennett, co-founder and chief executive of Broadsword, said: “We look forward to supporting the excellent management team in its efforts to build on the success of this world-class small-sided football business, as well as assisting it as it capitalises on the significant opportunity to grow into padel. The opportunity for Powerleague to become a multi-sports operator is exciting and we are looking forward to going on that journey with Christian and his team.”

 

Itsu set to reopen two ex-Heart With Smart sites, franchising focused on European travels hubs: Itsu, the healthy Asian food brand, is set to reopen two sites previous operated by franchisee Heart With Smart, Propel has learned. Earlier this year, the three Itsu sites operated under franchise by Heart With Smart in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Reading were closed, after Heart With Smart was placed into administration. Itsu will relaunch the 2,000 square-foot restaurant in the Scottish capital’s St James Quarter, in Register Square, next month. This will be followed by the reopening of the Itsu site in Aberdeen’s Union Square. The vast majority of the staff from both sites are set to return to the reopened Itsus. On its future franchising plans, Itsu chief executive Clive Schlee told Propel: “We continue to partner our other UK franchisees in Exeter, Leicester, Nottingham, Wembley and Windsor. As far as new openings are concerned, our franchising is focused on securing more top-class travel hubs in Europe.” Last month, Itsu founder Julian Metcalfe told Propel that the business always knew franchising “would take time”. Itsu is one of three new arrivals at St James Quarter in Edinburgh, with speciality coffee operator Black Sheep Coffee also signing for a second location, on level one of the destination. Completing the trio is a 3,000 square-foot flagship Pret A Manger location, on level three, overlooking Multrees Walk. Culverwell and BGP handle food and beverage lettings at St James Quarter. RAB Retail acted for Itsu, while CBRE acted for Pret A Manger and Black Sheep Coffee dealt direct.

 

Hollywood Bowl CEO – we co-locate very well next to competitive socialising, ability to expand the offer if we see less spend: Hollywood Bowl chief executive Stephen Burns has said the company “co-locates very well next to competitive socialising”, and while it has no current plans to add more concepts to its existing centres, it has “the ability to expand the offer if we see less spend”. Hollywood Bowl currently has a ‘putt and play’ offering in a handful of its circa 75 UK locations – an estate that is set to grow to 80 by the end of its 2025 financial year. Speaking to investors following the company’s results for the six months ended 31 March 2025, in which it reported record half-year revenue of £129.2m, Burns said: “We co-locate very well next to competitive socialising. Sites that trade just on their own or with a cinema don’t trade as well as centres that are co-located with escape rooms, mini golf and other amusement type offerings. You create your own destination, and we pick up the extra business from people who are doing more competitive socialising than they were before. We do have a couple of centres where we have more than just bowling, but we don’t have dead space in our businesses. Every single one of our centres is profitable and we don’t have a tail; the average Ebitda is more than £1.2m. We have got a really high-quality estate with a high-quality offering, and no real underutilised space we could stick an additional offering into. If we start to see things trending down and less spending in bowling or amusements, we’re still in fabulous locations and have the ability to expand or change the offer, but it’s not something we need to do right now.” Hollywood Bowl also has 15 Canadian locations, which Burns said makes it the single largest bowling centre operator out there. “The other 204 are run by two and three-centre operators, so it’s an incredibly fragmented market and quite under-invested in comparison with being operated by chains,” Burns said. “We have real confidence that the UK operations and ways of working translate very well into the Canadian market.” Burns added the company’s refurbished centres are seeing longer dwell time, higher spend and more returning customers, and while there has been a softening compared with double-digit growth in the early post covid years, there has been an overall growth in the market.

 

Black Sheep Coffee franchisee signs new nine-store deal for locations across London: Black Sheep Coffee franchisee Namrata Pandya has signed a new nine-store deal for locations across London. The new stores will be spread across the north, north west and south of the capital. Black Sheep Coffee managing director Isobel Childs said: “Namrata Pandya, one of our existing Black Sheep Coffee partners, is expanding her footprint with a commitment to exclusively open nine more sites across four key London boroughs: Barnet, Harrow, Camdenand Southwark.” Pandya has also worked in wealth management for two decades and is currently an independent financial advisor for AFH Wealth Management. Since 2019, she has been a director of Pandya & Sons, a business registered as operating unlicensed restaurants and cafes. In March 2024, she also became a director of Khushi’s Coffee House, which is also registered as operating unlicensed restaurants and cafes. Last month, Black Sheep Coffee completed its franchise coverage in Scotland after signing new ten-plus store deal with MDM Group Enterprises, led by David Moore, and also secured an 11-store franchise deal for Lancashire with an unnamed franchisee. In April, franchisees Satar Wahid and Mgdad Alim signed a nine-site deal to expand the brand further across London – in Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Wandsworth and Kingston-upon-Thames.

 

Boparan Restaurant Group begins building UK pipeline for Carl’s Jr: Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG) has begun building an openings pipeline for California-born restaurant brand Carl’s Jr, which it launched in the UK at the start of April, with new sites lined up in Swansea and Southampton, Propel has learned. Propel revealed last year that BRG had signed a master licence agreement to launch Carl’s Jr here with CKE Restaurants Holdings, and that it had secured a site at the St David’s shopping scheme in Cardiff for the first location. Propel now understands BRG is set to open a Carl’s Jr on the former TGI Fridays site within The City Gates leisure scheme in Swansea. At the same time, BRG is understood to have lined up an opening in the Westquay scheme in Southampton. At the end of April, Rodrigo de la Torre, interim president of CKE International, said the brand’s debut UK site was “one of our most successful openings in Europe to-date”. CKE said the UK debut location saw more than 200 transactions within the first hour of opening. “We’re very excited about the expansion of Carl’s Jr into the UK and Republic of Ireland,” said De la Torre. “This was one of our most successful openings in Europe to date and we look forward to seeing Boparan’s continued success.” Carl’s Jr currently operates more than 1,100 international restaurants in more than 35 countries around the world, including circa 100 sites across Europe.

 

Soho Coffee hires new FD: Soho Coffee has hired Rishi Ruparelia as its new finance director, Propel has learned. Ruparelia, who replaces Ijaz Malik, has joined from esurv chartered surveyors, one of the UK’s largest providers of residential property risk expertise and residential surveying services. Prior to that, he worked at Westbury Street Holdings – the owner of Benugo, Notes Coffee and Searcys – and before that, at Starbucks, as senior manager for Europe, the Middle East and Asia. A Soho Coffee spokeswoman said: “Rishi brings a proven track record in financial leadership, strategic planning, and operational excellence, making him a valuable addition to our leadership team. His appointment marks an important step in Soho Coffee’s ongoing growth journey, reinforcing our commitment to strong, forward-thinking leadership. Rishi’s expertise will be instrumental as we continue to invest in the brand, evolve our customer offering, and drive long-term, sustainable value across the business.” Ruparelia said: “Joining Soho Coffee is an exciting opportunity to bring together my experience in coffee, foodservice, hospitality and finance within a business that is deeply committed to quality and sustainable growth. I’m excited to support the team as we drive forward the company’s strategic goals, enhance its market presence, and continue to deliver exceptional experiences for our customers.” Earlier this week, Propel revealed Sam Shutt had stepped down as Soho Coffee chief executive after just over two years in the role, while Thomas Bloor, formerly of Paul UK and Pret a Manger, has joined Soho Coffee’s parent company, BTC Hospitality, as its new chief operating officer. Soho Coffee operates across 44 locations – 30 in the UK and 14 overseas – and is set to make its debut in the north west of England with an opening at Liverpool John Lennon airport.

Burger & Lobster co-founders to launch new concept in the City: George Bukhov-Weinstein and Ilya Demichev, the co-founders of surf and turf restaurant group Burger & Lobster and Mediterranean restaurant Wild Tavern, are to open a new concept in the City of London. Propel has learned that the pair have secured the ex-Brown’s site at Old Jewry, which closed earlier this spring. The pair are set to open a new concept in the 12,000 square-foot restaurant and bar space. In February, the long-time partners and co-founders of Burger & Lobster, Goodman Steakhouses, and Beast Restaurant – Misha Zelman, Roman Zelman, Demichev, and Bukhov-Weinstein – announced a formal split of their business interests to focus on different ventures. Demichev and Bukhov-Weinstein took full ownership of the operations and future development of Goodman Steakhouses and Beast Restaurant. Earlier this year, Bukhov-Weinstein and Demichev announced they are to launch a new Japanese concept in London’s Mayfair. The duo will open Haki at 30 Old Burlington Street. Last December, the duo opened Greek restaurant Krokodilos with friend and business partner Elmira Amdiy, in Kensington Church Street. That opening came just days after the trio opened Sardinian-focused restaurant Pinna in Curzon Street, in Mayfair. Bukhov-Weinstein and Demichev opened the first Wild Tavern, in Chelsea’s Elystan Street, in December 2019. They followed that up with the opening of Wild in Notting Hill, at 202 Westbourne Grove, last year. The pair also teamed up with London chef Chris Denney to open neighbourhood restaurant Fantômas at 300 King’s Road, in Chelsea, last year. Seb Howard Property and Callum Mortimer at Four & Co acted on the Old Jewry deal. 

 

EL&N opens ‘elevated dining’ concept, begins deli and bakery format roll out: Cafe and lifestyle brand EL&N has launched a new “elevated dining” concept, House of EL&N, in Lebanon, begun the roll out of its new Bakery & Deli format and teased a new cookies concept. The circa 40-strong business launched the first House of EL&N site in Downtown Beirut. It said: “A bold new chapter for EL&N, House of EL&N, is where elegance meets indulgence, an elevated dining experience designed for those who savour great food, luxurious ingredients and unforgettable moments shared in great company. Our journey began with a vision – to create a destination where taste, texture and creativity come together in harmony. Inspired by the finest ingredients from the earth, land and sea, our menu is a celebration of culinary artistry, offering reimagined classics and daring new creations to surprise and delight. At House of EL&N, dining is more than just a meal – it’s an experience.” The company opened the first Deli & Bakery site in London’s Covent Garden last summer. Launched in the pedestrianised Piazza area, the 650 square-foot site offers seating for 14 diners inside as well as over 50 covers on the al fresco terrace. It recently opened a second site under the concept in Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz scheme. It is thought that a further opening under the concept is being explored in Dubai. At the same time, the business has teased another brand spin off in the form of a cookie-focused concept called Crumbs by EL&N, with a launch expected later this summer. 

 

Dave’s Hot Chicken CEO – London restaurant is our best performing site: Bill Phelps, chief executive of Dave’s Hot Chicken, has said that the company’s site in London, which opened last December, is the US brand’s best performing site in the world. Propel revealed last July that the US brand had signed a franchise agreement with Azzurri Group to open 60 locations across the UK and Ireland. The Steve Holmes-led business opened in the former Fratelli La Bufala site in London’s Shaftesbury Avenue for the UK debut of Dave’s Hot Chicken. The opening in London marked the 250th location for Dave’s Hot Chicken. Three childhood friends – chef Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan and Tommy Rubenyan – launched the business in a parking lot in Los Angeles in 2017 and opened an East Hollywood brick-and-mortar restaurant shortly after. In 2019, the team struck a deal with Wetzel’s Pretzels co-founder Phelps to begin franchising the brand, with Drake investing alongside other celebrities such as Samuel L Jackson and Usher. It currently operates circa 270 sites across the US, Canada, the UK and the Middle East. Phelps told CNBC: “We have a killer store in London that’s kind of crazy. I think the store in London is the best performing store. And the great story there was the guy that wanted to be the franchisee told his son about it. And his son goes, ‘I love Dave’s Hot Chicken’. He goes ‘there’s not one within 6,000 miles. How do you love it?’ And his son goes, ‘it’s online, it’s on Instagram and TikTok’. And that’s what the young kids are looking at.” Last month, Propel revealed that Azzurri Group, the ASK Italian, Coco di Mama, Boojum and Zizzi owner, had lined up the next two openings for Dave’s Hot Chicken, in Birmingham and Manchester. Azzurri is set to convert its ASK Italian in Birmingham’s New Street for the second Dave’s Hot Chicken in the UK. This will be followed by an opening in Manchester’s The Printworks scheme.

 

Trejo’s Tacos UK overfunding after breaking through £625,000 fundraising target: Trejo’s Tacos UK, which holds the licence here for the US taco brand from actor Danny Trejo, is overfunding after already breaking through its £625,000 fundraising target. The UK company, which is led by Jerome Armit and Sean O’Kelly, opened the debut site here for the brand last year, in London’s Notting Hill. Last week, it announced it was aiming to raise the funds to support its expansion. The company already secured £600,000 from prominent investors including Tom Gordon, chief executive and founder of US brand Slim Chickens, and Julian Mylchreest, executive vice-chairman of Bank of America. It has currently raised £635,096 from 121 investors. Trejo’s Tacos UK is offering 13.8% equity in return for the investment, giving the company a pre-money valuation of £3.9m. The pitch states: “Based on our own restaurant in Notting Hill and Danny Trejo’s celebrity support, we aim to establish franchise restaurants after opening a second location, focusing on ethnic cuisine. Leveraging the brand, the Notting Hill site has had more than £1m turnover in the last 12 months, with the unique ‘Cal-Mex’ twist setting us apart, increasing our appeal in a competitive market. Funds will be used for new sites, design, fit-out costs, franchise support, tech systems and strengthening head office operations to boost expansion.” Armit is former chief operating officer of food and beverage consultancy firm Truffle Hunting and advisor to Shiva Hotels, Bourne Capital and InterContinental Hotels Group, while O’Kelly is a film producer and financier. Trejo’s Tacos operates seven restaurants in the US, including Trejo’s Coffee and Donuts. Trejo’s Tacos UK holds exclusive UK rights to the brand, recipes, marketing and ambassador involvement. The ten-year licence includes renewable terms, with 7.5% royalty on gross sales.

  

Ennismore set for further growth across the Americas: Gleneagles and Hoxton hotels owner Ennismore is set for further growth across the Americas. The company has secured four new hotels in Mexico and the joining of Balfour Miami Beach to its Morgans Originals collection. In Mexico, Ennismore will open Delano East Cape in Los Cabos, Hyde Mexico City, The Hoxton Mexico City and Mama Shelter Mexico City. Opening in 2029, the 100-metre Delano East Cape beachfront property will also feature five restaurants and bars, event spaces, a wellness centre and spa. In Mexico City, Hyde will feature 215 bedrooms, two restaurants and bars, a wellness area and meeting and event spaces when it opens later this year in the Avenue Paseo de La Reforma. The Hoxton will open in 2028, featuring 80 bedrooms, while the 100-key Mama Shelter will launch later this year. Meanwhile, Balfour Miami Beach has joined Ennismore’s Morgans Originals. The 82-bedroom property features Cleo, a Mediterranean-meets-Middle Eastern restaurant, along with neighbourhood cafe SoFi Coffee and a rooftop pool. These latest additions bring its regional operational and pipeline network to more than 70 properties and follows a series of major developments – including the first Ennismore signing in Jamaica. In partnership with LCH Development, Ennismore will debut two brands across three buildings. Two will offer luxury residences and private villas, while the third will be home to a 240-key branded luxury hotel. Phil Zrihen, head of Americas for Ennismore, said: “From hotels and resorts to branded residences, restaurants and bars, the Americas represent a strong growth market for Ennismore. These new signings represent a significant acceleration of our presence in the region.” Ennismore operates 180-plus hotels, with 140 in the pipeline, plus in excess of 500 restaurants and bars and 45 branded residences.

 

Langham Hospitality Group hires new COO: Langham Hospitality Group, which takes its name from its eponymous site in London, has hired Kevin Robinson as chief operating officer. Robinson returns to the group after previously leading The Langham, Chicago, during its pre-opening phase in 2011. Robinson brings more than 30 years of hospitality leadership to the role, including with Westin and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. He later founded and led Aparium Hotel Group, developing and managing a portfolio of independent properties, and after exiting the venture, he went on to provide advisory services to the owners of independent luxury hotels in the US. “Kevin’s industry expertise and proven ability to build relationships with hotel owners and create and implement new guest offerings make him the ideal leader to guide our operations,” said chief executive Bob van den Oord said. “His blend of corporate discipline and entrepreneurial agility aligns perfectly with our global growth strategy, which centres on increasing our managed property count to 100 hotels by 2040, while continuing to strengthen our ties with clients and deliver elevated hospitality experiences.” Robinson will report directly to van den Oord and lead day-to-day operations across the group. He will also oversee future hotel openings. The group has more than 40 hotels and residences in operation or development across the globe.

 

Atis to open 11th London site this month: London healthy bowl concept Atis is to open its 11th site in the capital this month, in Battersea. The company, which was launched by husband-and-wife team Phil Honer and Eleanor Warder with operations director Connor Arnette, in 2019, is to open at Unit A, 57 Nine Elms Lane, on Monday, 30 June. The outlet will sit on the ground floor of the Bloom luxury apartment complex on the River Thames and marks Atis’ fourth opening this year following sites in Covent Garden, Mayfair and Regent Street. Ther company, which is backed by property developer Graham Hedger, who has funded the business from the start, also has openings lined up this year in Monument, Moorgate and another in Mayfair – in North Audley Street. Last month, Honer told Propel the business has seen a “strong” start to 2025 and is closing in on a regional launch. Honer said Atis is exploring opportunities in Bristol, Brighton and Manchester, with initial offers submitted. The company secured £8m of new funding at the start of the year to support its growth.

 

The Salad Project prepares to open new four stores over the next four months: The Salad Project, the all-day dining concept that launched in London in 2021, is preparing to open new four stores over the next four months. The business, co-founded by Florian De Chezelles and James Dare, opened its eighth location in January, at 45-47 Duke Street, off London’s Bond Street. It has a longer-term target of reaching 20 sites in London by 2027 before exploring expansion outside the capital. De Chezelles posted to social media: “Four years ago to the day, my best pal James and I opened the doors to our very first The Salad Project store in Spitalfields. Today, we’re announcing the opening of four new restaurants over the next four months. 1. Victoria – in the stunning Nova development. 2. Southwark – right next to The Tate. 3. Notting Hill – on Westbourne Grove. 4. Battersea Power Station. Here's to the next four years; four stores? 40 stores? 400 stores?”