Big Licks aiming to open first franchise stores this year as it targets 100 UK sites and overseas expansion: Smash burger and dessert concept Big Licks has told Propel it is aiming to open its first franchise stores this year, as it targets 100 UK sites and overseas expansion. Founded in 2008 by Anees Ahmed, Big Licks currently has two sites in Glasgow and one in Manchester. Last year, the company raised £135,000 through a campaign on Crowdcube, with 155 investors offered equity of 1.33%, giving Big Licks a pre-money valuation of £10m. Ahmed said at the time that the funds would be used to prepare the business for franchising, as it looks to expand across the UK through a network of partners. “We have three corporate-owned stores at present and we are just finalising a number of franchise agreements that will see us cover the Midlands, central belt and the north,” he told Propel. “We are aiming for a minimum of three franchise stores to open in 2025, and we are looking at first franchise stores to be opening by the third quarter. We are aiming to bring Big Licks to all major towns and cities across the UK, comfortably aiming for 100 stores across the UK. We are seeking both multi and single unit operators, as well as international, and we are in talk with operators in the UAE and GCC at present. We are actively seeking franchise partners in London, as this is our next key move before international expansion.” Ahmed said the brand’s point of difference is a focus on high quality ingredients, using only free-range, grass-fed beef for its burgers and Scottish organic milk for its ice cream and shakes. “No other quick service restaurant has the unique combination of a sweet and savoury menu, which gives us extremely strong trading figures of more than seven figures per annum per site,” he added. “With a launch cost from just £200,000 for an express site, we believe it is a fantastic opportunity.” Big Licks will be among the exhibitors at the International Franchise Show London, which takes place at ExCel today (Friday, 11 April) and tomorrow (Saturday, 12 April). Big Licks features in the UK Food & Beverage Franchisor Database, which now features a total of 340 companies, and which is exclusive 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.

 

Urban Pubs & Bars MD Chris Hill to speak at Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference, open for bookings with 20% discount on tickets for Premium Club subscribers: Chris Hill, managing director of Urban Pubs & Bars, 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. Hill 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. 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 next Turnover & Profits Blue Book today featuring 1,108 companies: Premium Club subscribers will receive the next Turnover & Profits Blue Book today (Friday, 11 April), at 12pm. The database will feature 78 updated accounts and 20 new companies, taking the total to 1,108. A total of 697 companies are making a profit while 411 are making a loss. The Blue Book is updated each month and ranks companies by turnover, profit and profit conversion, listing directors’ earnings for the past five years. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five other databases: the Multi-Site Database, the New Openings 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 Clubs 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. In this week’s Propel Premium, Wingett takes a look back at the return of Piper Private Equity to the sector’s investment market with its backing of Yard Sale Pizza, what it sees in the company, who also cast an eye over the business, and where it goes from here. 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.

 

London councils urged by mayor’s office to support alfresco dining and late-night openings: London councils are being encouraged by the mayor’s office to support alfresco dining and late-night openings this spring and summer to boost the economy and tourism. It comes following the government’s announcement that London has been selected to take forward a landmark pilot scheme to support hospitality, leisure and tourism in the capital through new strategic licensing powers for the mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan. A letter from Justine Simons, deputy mayor for culture and the creative industries, and Howard Dawber, deputy mayor for business, said: “This is an exciting moment for London and an opportunity to work together. We are keen to learn from the expertise and experience of licensing officers from across London, so that our approach as a city to licensing reflects the broader economic, social and cultural value of a thriving night-time economy, while maintaining community safety and well-being. We will shortly be consulting on the design of the pilot that we hope will help us assess how new powers can be used effectively and fairly, and to better understand the types of decisions that may benefit from mayoral intervention. Your feedback and ideas are important, and we will be inviting your designated cabinet lead for licensing to a roundtable alongside your borough colleagues in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we know we all want to see our city’s hospitality, leisure and tourism sectors have a successful spring and summer period. We encourage you all to do what you can to support popular and exciting ideas like alfresco dining and late-night openings to boost our economy and tourism offer in our capital this year ahead of the pilot coming in. City Hall will continue to champion and promote the best of what our capital has to offer this spring and summer, and we encourage boroughs to consider what more we can do now, together, to support these sectors over the coming months.”

London operators look at staffing options to combat impact of tax rises: London operators, including Bocca di Lupo in Soho and Carousel in Fitzrovia, have said they are looking at options around staffing hours and training staff to “an even higher level” to combat the recent range of new costs that have hit the sector. Jacob Kenedy, chef-owner of Italian restaurant Bocca di Lupo, told Bloomberg that he estimates the rise in the national living wage and the change in the national insurance contributions threshold will cost his business about £160,000 a year. His long-term strategy is to retain and train staff to an even higher level, so the restaurant will eventually have “an ever-more-expert team” that will know their jobs so well that “I might eventually need a few less”. The owners of Carousel estimate the measures will add at least £100,000 in annual costs to their business. Measures they’re planning include altering employee work schedules by starting shifts later and ending them sooner, and cutting back on the time spent on administrative tasks. Prices will increase “a pound or two” more on bottle prices for wine, said Ed Templeton, Carousel’s director. The restaurant has started charging for side dishes at lunch, starting at £5, which were once included in the cost. It is also streamlining menus to cut costs. “We have a fixed-price lunch menu that we vary every few weeks,” Templeton said. “Now we’re looking to vary it monthly rather than every two weeks, so we’re really hot on ingredient cost and wastage. It’s a question of how much can the consumer bear, and the consumer’s ability to absorb another £1.50 on a burger has basically maxed out.”

 

Riviera Drinks acquires Soho Street Cocktails: Independent drinks manufacturer and distributor Riviera Drinks has acquired cocktail producer Soho Street Cocktails. Soho Street Cocktails provides “pour, shake and serve” bar-quality cocktails in flavours such as passion star martini, espresso martini, strawberry daiquiri, tropical rum punch and margarita. Riviera Drinks, located in Colchester in Essex, is owned and operated by Andrew Howe and Stuart Davis and supplies a customer base ranging from community pubs to national nightclub groups, casual dining restaurant brands, fast-food restaurants and holiday parks. Howe said: “We are thrilled to bring Soho Street Cocktails into the Riviera Drinks family. This acquisition allows us to continue to diversify our product offerings while entering the business-to-consumer market.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a global live music events group that is seeking an experienced head of partnerships and events in London. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The role will drive strategic collaborations, secure high-value deals and expand the group’s presence worldwide. Duties will range from developing and executing global event partnerships with venues, brands and promoters to building and nurturing key relationships to drive long-term growth, identifying and capitalising on new partnership opportunities and more.” The salary is up to £60,000 per year. For more information, email marlene@corecruitment.com. 

New World Trading Company reports 9% improvement in like-for-like sales as it unveils brand refresh: Graphite Capital-backed pub restaurant group New World Trading Company (NWTC) has reported a 9% improvement in like-for-like sales across the last four quarters as it unveiled a brand refresh. The company, which operates 27 bars and restaurants, said the improvement follows the appointment of a new leadership team and a renewed focus on The Botanist brand. Managing director Amber Wood said: “We’ve spent the last year consolidating our brand offering to focus on The Botanist. Our guests have told us they are passionate about our botanical interiors, and we are using this as an opportunity to double down and amp up botany across our whole offering, including food and drink. We’re obsessive about listening to our guests – whether it be our extensive data gathering or traditional research. As a result, we’re step-changing the amount of innovation we are introducing in 2025 and are excited about our upcoming brand refresh. We’ve built a solid foundation of operational stability that has culminated in a 9% like-for-like sales swing across the last four financial quarters. It’s really encouraging to see the hard work of all our teams starting to pay off and we’re now in a strong position to continue the growth in our existing sites, along with new site openings, including Bournemouth next month.” NWTC has also hired a new creative agency Natural Selection,to implement a brand refresh. Kate Lister-Clancy, marketing director of NWTC, said: “Our new menu is our biggest ever change. We’re putting botany at the heart of our offering with fresh, vibrant dishes and an update to our famous hanging kebabs, giving guests more choice and customisation. The brand refresh has been an energising journey and the whole business is really excited for the launch.” The Botanist launches its new spring/summer menu on Wednesday, 23 April. As well as 24 The Botanist, locations, NWTC operates three single-site brands – The Oast House in Manchester, The Florist in Watford and The Trading House in London. Propel revealed last October that NWTC intended to restructure its business to focus on its large Botanist-branded sites, and as part of the restructuring, it launched a company voluntary arrangement that saw the closure of three loss-making sites.

Carl’s Jr – UK debut site one of our most successful openings in Europe to date: Rodrigo de la Torre, interim president of CKE International, the parent company of California-born restaurant chain Carl’s Jr, has said the brand’s debut UK site, which opened last week in Cardiff, was “one of our most successful openings in Europe to-date”.  Propel revealed last year that Boparan Restaurant Group (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. 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.” Satnam Leihal, chief executive of BRG, added: “We are thrilled to bring Carl’s Jr to Cardiff. We’ve seen incredible excitement from fans eager to try our food, and we’re confident our range of juicy 100% Angus beef burgers, hand-breaded chicken burgers and tenders, and irresistible ice cream shakes will become customer favourites.” Carl’s Jr is hoping to open a second site before the summer in the south of England. The company currently operates more than 1,100 international restaurants in more than 35 countries around the world, including circa 100 sites across Europe.

Lisa Buckley steps down as BrewDog’s chief retail officer: Lisa Buckley, former chief executive of Leisure TV Rights (LTR) and ex-managing director of Cote, has stepped down as chief retail officer at Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog, to pursue new opportunities, Propel has learned. Buckley took up the global role overseeing the company’s retail offering, which includes more than 120 bars and hotels across the world, at the start of this year. Buckley was hired by BrewDog after stepping down as chief executive of Ninja Warrior operator LTR after two and a half years in the role last October. The former Wagamama UK operations director and Côte Brasserie managing director, was appointed LTR’s chief executive in February 2022 and joined the Imbiba-backed business in January 2021, when it had one Ninja Warrior UK adventure park. During her tenure, the company built its portfolio to five Ninja Warrior sites throughout the UK, including its latest Teesside opening in July, which has been LTR’s most successful opening to date, with record opening sales. Earlier in her career, Buckley held several roles within Tragus Group and Casual Dining Group. Last month, BrewDog promoted chief financial officer James Taylor to chief executive and chief marketing officer Lauren Carrol to chief operating officer. Taylor replaced James Arrow, who stepped down for personal reasons having taken over from BrewDog co-founder James Watt in May last year.

Team behind two-Michelin-starred Atomix to make UK debut: The team behind New York’s two-Michelin-starred Atomix are set to launch their first UK restaurant, in London’s Mayfair, in 2026. Chef Junghyun Park and his wife Ellia launched Atomix, the contemporary Korean fine dining restaurant in Manhattan, in 2018, two years after they opened the more casual Atoboy in New York’s NoMad neighbourhood. Park also co-authored Phaidon’s The Korean Cookbook (2023) with food historian Jungyoon Choi. They are now set to make their UK debut with Kiji, their take on “elevated Korean barbecue”, at the former site of Mirabelle, which was at one stage owned by chef Marco Pierre White. Kiji will occupy an 8,000 square-foot space within 60 Curzon. The restaurant will also feature a bar, lounge and private chef room. Charles Leigh, director at 60 Curzon, said: “This is another exciting chapter in the history of the icon that is 60 Curzon, and we are honoured to be involved in this moment: this team’s first foray into the UK after their outstanding successes globally. Not only are we welcoming a world-renowned restaurant into the development, but we are also paying tribute to the extraordinary legacy that came before. Kiji’s opening will play a pivotal role in the rebirth of Mayfair and positioning 60 Curzon as a must-visit destination in London.” Distrkt and Matta London acted on the Kiji deal.

 

Brakspear CEO – ‘Honeycomb Houses managed estate continues to deliver year-on-year growth, driven by encouraging performances in rooms and food’: Tom Davies, chief executive of pub operator Brakspear, has told Propel that its Honeycomb Houses managed estate has continued to deliver year-on-year growth, “driven by encouraging performances in rooms and food”. Brakspear has this month added two sites in the Cotswolds to its Honeycomb Houses estate – The Kings Head hotel in Cirencester and The Redesdale Arms in Moreton-in-Marsh – taking the total to 12 sites. In terms of trading, Davies said: “We’re pleased with the performance of the Brakspear business so far in 2025 against the backdrop of challenging market conditions and government policy interventions. Our Honeycomb Houses managed estate has continued to deliver year-on-year growth, driven by encouraging performances in rooms and food, and we head into the spring and summer with full confidence that our teams will deliver.” Davies said the group was keen to grow both its leased and tenanted and managed divisions, but that “it’s always about finding the right opportunities”. He added: “There is no overall strategy to focus on one side of the business or the other. If there are pubs that we feel fit well within either part of the Brakspear business, we are always acquisitive. Over the last 18 months, we have also purchased five pubs for the leased and tenanted division. We will continue to look at the right opportunities that fit into our family of pubs, whether that be the Cotswolds, which is a fantastic part of the country that attracts guests from at home and abroad, or elsewhere across the south, London and south west.” The company operates more than 120 sites.

State of Play Hospitality secures Cincinnati site for Flight Club: State of Play Hospitality, the international experiential leisure operator, has secured a site in Cincinnati for darts brand Flight Club. The Toby Harris-led State of Play Hospitality, which operates Flight Club in North America under licence, said that the new venue, its 12th in the US, will open in the city’s Fountain District. Set to open in late 2025, the venue will feature nine private and semi-private playing areas and span 6,052 square feet. New Flight Clubs are scheduled to open in Philadelphia and New York in 2025 and Seattle in 2026. Last month, Red Engine said the Flight Club and Electric Shuffle operator and its franchise partners are aiming to open 45 venues over the next five years as it targets an estate of 84 sites by 2030. Since the beginning of 2025, Red Engine’s franchise partners have opened Flight Club venues in Dublin, Washington DC and St Louis, taking the total number of Flight Club and Electric Shuffle sites to 34 worldwide. Flight Club Philadelphia and a second Sydney venue are slated to open later in the year.

 

Burger King gears up to make London return: Burger King UK will open its new flagship restaurant in London’s Strand on Monday (14 April), which will mark the brand’s first opening in the capital’s city centre for more than a decade. Propel revealed last November that Burger King is to open a 4,500 square-foot site at 60 The Strand. The restaurant is taking over a former Top Shop site and will be spread over two floors with room for more than 100 customers. In a UK first for the brand, the site will feature a “family experience” area on the first floor with interactive tables. The initiative will also be launched in other new openings this year. The new site will also feature a kitchen in the basement and a travelator that will bring food to the ground floor kitchen for customers. Arlene Pallares, operations manager at Burger King UK, said: “It’s no secret that the Strand restaurant is one of our biggest and boldest across the whole country, and it’s an amazing feeling to finally open in such an iconic part of the city. We really believe that this restaurant will become a go to for hungry customers, whether they work nearby or they’re just visiting for the day.”

 

Richard Caring to bring Harry’s to London’s King’s Cross: Serial sector investor Richard Caring is to open a site in London’s King’s Cross under his Harry’s bar and restaurant brand. Caring acquired the former Vinoteca site in King’s Boulevard last year and is gearing up to replace it with what will become the fourth Harry’s site in the capital. The site was running at a pop-up called the Champagne Chalet – by Perrier-Jouët over the festive season. Vinoteca was acquired by investment firm Breal Group out of administration in summer 2023. Vinoteca currently operates sites in Borough Yards, Chiswick, Farringdon and Bloomberg Arcade. Vinoteca sold its site in King’s Cross in June for an undisclosed sum. Caring opened the latest Harry’s site last July, at Terminal House in Grosvenor Gardens, opposite Victoria station. The venue comprises 184 covers, a private dining room seating 16 – the largest in the Harry’s collection – and two summer terraces seating 36 in total. Harry’s Bar Restaurants also comprises eponymous restaurants in Knightsbridge (Basil Street) and Marylebone, plus private members’ club Harry’s in South Audley Street, Mayfair. Last autumn, Caring opened the first international site for the Harry’s bar and restaurant brand, in Qatar. He partnered with the Alfardan Group Hospitality to open the venue at the Marsa Malaz Hotel Kempinski, The Pearl, in Doha. 

 

Whitbread reveals target list of 14 locations in Ireland for Premier Inn as it unveils site for newest Dublin hotel: Whitbread-owned Premier Inn has revealed it has a target list of 14 locations in Ireland as it unveiled the site for its newest Dublin hotel. Plans have been submitted to the city council to redevelop a site in Parkgate Street into a new 155-bedroom Premier Inn. Development partners Greenleaf Group and Warren Private plan to demolish the vacant Westbrook Motors building and build a new latest format Premier Inn hotel. Whitbread previously partnered with Greenleaf Group and Warren Private on its first Premier Inn hotel in Ireland – in Lower Stephen’s Street in Dublin – and its Cork hotel, which opened in 2024. Furthermore, Warren Private and Greenleaf Group sold the site at 29-30 Ushers Quay, Dublin, where Whitbread shortly intends to commence construction on a new 100-bedroom hotel. Parkgate Street is the latest commitment by Whitbread in Ireland as it targets a network of 5,000 Premier Inn rooms across the country. The company currently has six hotels across Dublin and Cork and has more than 1,000 new hotel rooms in its secure development pipeline across both cities. Matt Gent, development manager for Whitbread in Ireland, said: “Premier Inn is growing from strength to strength in Ireland. With significant additional bedroom requirements yet to fulfil in Dublin and elsewhere, we’re actively seeking additional freehold and leasehold opportunities for Premier Inn across Ireland as we work to establish a national network of budget hotels for our domestic and international customers.” Premier Inn’s list of 14 locations in Ireland include Dublin, Galway, Killarney, Limerick and Waterford.

 

Travelodge opens 85th London hotel: Travelodge has opened its 85th hotel in London. The company – which operates more than 600 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain – has launched the 113-room property in Chiswick. The hotel, adjacent to Chiswick Roundabout, features Travelodge’s new premium look, which includes a newly designed reception area, next generation rooms and its new restaurant concept, 85 Bar Café. The opening is part of Travelodge’s wider growth plans, as the brand continues to expand in London and more-widely across the UK and Spain. The company currently has a further seven hotels under construction, located in Skegness, Harwich, Bromsgrove and Banbury, and across London in Beckenham, Stratford and Upminster. Travelodge is continuing to develop its UK pipeline and, as previously reported, has more than 300 target locations for sites across the UK, including in excess of 100 in London. Steve Bennett, chief property and development officer at Travelodge, said: “Chiswick is a thriving area with key attractions and transport links into the city on its doorstep. We are continuing to focus on growing our hotel portfolio to provide further choice and great value to business and leisure travellers visiting London and the UK.” Travelodge has hotels in 31 of the 33 London boroughs and employs around 4,000 people across the city. Last month, Travelodge reported revenue remained above £1bn for the year ending 31 December 2024, rising slightly by 0.1% over the year. Underlying earnings stood at £224.1m.

 

The Coffee House opens in Wrexham for Welsh debut: North west independent coffee shop The Coffee House has opened in Wrexham for its first site in Wales. The business has opened in a former Carphone Warehouse unit in the town’s Island Green Retail Park for its 32nd site overall. The opening is a fourth of 2025 for the brand following its launches in Ellesmere Port, Farnworth and Preston. Also opening later this month will be The Coffee House’s first store in Manchester city centre – within the City Tower in New York Street. Founded in 2011 by brothers Chris and Stephen Shelmerdine, the business told Propel last May that it is eyeing an estate of more than 80 sites after securing a £4m cash injection from the founder of investment platform AJ Bell, Andy Bell.

 

Junk Group reveals more details of UK debut site for cookie concept Puffy: Junk Group, the French-based business that operates four concepts across France, has revealed more details about the first UK site for its cookie concept, Puffy. Propel revealed in February that Junk Group had secured the former Orée Boulangerie site in Old Compton Street, in London’s Soho – building on its four existing sites in France and Junk Burger’s London launch last year. Puffy, which will open in June, will offer seven different cookie varieties including milk chocolate, chocolate trio, dark chocolate, chocolate duo and peanut butter, chocolate duo and hazelnut, white chocolate and macadamia and white chocolate and matcha. Complementing the cookies will be a curated selection of freshly ground coffee. Founders Majed Mansour and Wissem Ben Ammar said: “We’re excited to bring the Puffy experience to London. We believe our unique blend of Parisian craftsmanship and premium ingredients will resonate with Londoners seeking a truly exceptional cookie and coffee experience.” Junk Group made its UK debut at the end of last year when it launched Junk Burger in the former Wonderland site in Old Compton Street, next door to Puffy. Junk Group has since also secured the ex-Marugame Udon site in St Christopher’s Place for a further Junk Burger opening. The group told Propel at the time of launching here that it is planning regional expansion in the UK and could also bring more of its concepts here. Marc Rogers, of MKR Property, and Ben Symes, of Symes Retail Property, acted on the Old Compton Street deal.

 

Greene King to invest £10m in streamlining its HR and payroll system: Brewer and retailer Greene King is to invest £10m in streamlining its HR and payroll system platform, Workday, over the next five years. Designed to digitalise the processes, it is hoped that the new cloud-based system will provide a user-friendly experience for the company’s 40,000 team members, as well as streamlining processes for line managers. Greene King hopes it will be especially beneficial for pub managers, enabling them to make faster decisions. The new platform will also ensure that the business is able to adapt quickly to upcoming changes in employment law, such as the Employment Rights Bill. Andrew Bush, chief experience officer at Greene King, said: “We want Greene King to continue to be a great place to work, and our £10m investment in the Workday system will make navigating some of our HR systems much easier for our teams, helping them to be more efficient so they can help to deliver a brilliant experience for our customers.”

 

Spud Bros lines up Manchester opening, partners with Taster: London gourmet jacket potato business Spud Bros, which is targeting UK-wide expansion through franchising, is set to make its debut in the north west with an opening in Manchester. The business has its roots in 1950s Lancashire, having started out as a potato cart run by Ernie Rhodes in Preston’s Flag Market in 1955. The company has been a family-run business since, with Jacob and Harley Nelson taking it over in 2020 and rebranding it as Spud Bros, operating out of Archer Street in London’s Soho. At the start of this year, Propel revealed that the company had developed a Spud Bros Express format to help it grow and partnered with Seeds Consulting to find the right partners to expand with. The Manchester Evening News reports that part of that expansion will be a new site situated in the former Philpotts sandwich store in the city’s Marble Street. Spud Bros has also partnered with Taster, the delivery-only kitchen concept which has more than 30 franchise locations across the UK. Jacob Nelson said: “With SpudBros Express, we’re bringing the legacy of the Preston Flag Market jacket potato, something that’s been iconic to our town since 1955, to the world. We’re buzzing to partner with the country’s most ambitious and community-minded franchisees to bring the greatest spuds on earth to high streets across the UK.” Bertrand Peyrat, chief executive of Taster, added: “SpudBros Express is not just about food, it’s about redefining the British takeaway. Their story is an example of how social media is transforming our industry, attracting a new generation hungry for entertainment, connection and food with heart.”

New group launches looking to create ‘collection of unique and charming pubs across the Cotswolds’: A new company called The Cotswold Hospitality Group has launched with the acquisition of a freehold pub in Oxfordshire, and a plan of creating a “collection of unique and charming pubs across the Cotswolds”. The Cotswold Hospitality Group, which brings “a wide range of experience from across the hospitality sector”, has acquired The Lamb Inn in the village of Crawley. The pub had previously been owned by experienced operators Sebastian and Lana Snow. Scott Leadbetter, who will be leading the operational side of the new business, said: “We are thrilled to take over The Lamb Inn, a pub with such a rich history and strong reputation. Our vision is to create a collection of unique and charming pubs across the Cotswolds, each offering exceptional food, drink, and hospitality. We look forward to preserving the traditional charm of The Lamb Inn while introducing new and exciting elements to enhance the experience for our guests.” Tim Widdows, associate director at Christie & Co, who managed the sale process, added: “We are delighted to have facilitated the sale of The Lamb Inn to such passionate and experienced new owners. The pub has a rich history and a fantastic reputation, and we are confident that it will continue to thrive under their stewardship.” The pub was sold off an asking price of £695,000 for the freehold.

 

South London operators set to open first restaurant next month: South London operators Jo Lavender and Rob Newlan are set to open their first restaurant together. Lavender previously worked in marketing and product development, while Newlan has worked in advertising but, as the son of a chef, always had aspirations of entering the hospitality industry. The partners will launch hello JoJo at 31 Camberwell Church Street on Saturday, 10 May, featuring a menu of seasonal dishes from head chef Will Faris (ex-The Dairy, The Ritz and Naughty Piglets) and baked goods from head baker Jo Garner (ex-Mountain, Toad and e5 Bakehouse). The all-day restaurant will serve dishes such as Tamworth pork chop with a buttery spring garlic sauce, and smoked potato dumplings with spring greens. The bakery, meanwhile, will offer freshly baked bread alongside sweet and savoury pastries, including honey buns, bacon sandwiches, and overnight oats. Head barista Florian Cross, formerly of Grove Lane Deli, will use specialty coffee from south London roasters, and there will be a list of old world, low-intervention wine plus local beer. Newlan and Lavender said: “Our ambition is to create a space that encapsulates the spirit of our neighbourhood and to be a place where everyone feels welcome.”

Roadchef opens new McDonald’s at Worcestershire services: Motorway services operator Roadchef has opened a new McDonald’s drive-thru in Worcestershire. The McDonald’s has opened at the company’s Strensham southbound services on the M5 – also featuring in-store counter service, self-order kiosks and mobile app ordering – and creating 45 jobs. This opening marks Roadchef’s seventh McDonald’s drive-thru and 30th McDonalds overall across its estate. Dan Sutton, operations excellence director at Roadchef, said: “The new McDonald’s drive-thru at Strensham southbound offers unparalleled convenience for our customers, with multiple ways to order and a smoother, faster experience from arrival to departure.” Roadchef has 31 locations across the UK, including 17 hotels in partnership with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Roadchef also has partnerships with brands such as Costa Coffee, natural fast food brand Leon, Chozen Noodle and Azzurri Group-owned Coco di Mama. In January, Mark Fox stepped down after seven years as chief executive at Roadchef, with Tim Gittins, formerly of Moto Hospitality, succeeding him.