D&D London will close its Angelica and Crafthouse restaurant at the top of the Trinity Leeds shopping centre this month, bringing an end to the group’s presence in the city. David Loewi, D&D London’s outgoing CEO, told the BBC that the decision to close the restaurant, which launched back in 2013, had been made ‘after thorough deliberation’, with the group also citing ‘economic challenges’. Angelica and Crafthouse’s final service will be on 15 December.
US restaurant group Chuck E. Cheese is looking to expand into the UK market, targeting locations in cities including Glasgow, Manchester and Bristol. The Texas-based group, which combines family entertainment with an F&B offering, says it is looking to capitalise on the ‘expanding redemption game market’ in the UK. Wright Property has been appointed to oversee the UK expansion with Leeds, Birmingham and Milton Keynes also singled out as target locations.
Italian kitchen and pasta workshop Officina OO is dipping its toe into the world of pizza with its new restaurant. Set to open in Covent Garden in February next year, the new restaurant will join the group’s London sites in Fitzrovia and Old Street and will serve a pizza menu for the first time. Available exclusively at the Covent Garden restaurant, the ‘pizza in rutiello’ menu will honour the homestyle cooking of Napoli nonnas with pizzas made with flour milled in England in partnership with Wildfarmed flour that are ‘light, fluffy and crisp whilst remaining authentic to the region of Naples’, the restaurant says.
Pizza group Homeslice entered administration earlier this month, filings have shown The group appointed Begbies Traynor as administrators on 2 December, according to its filings on Companies House. The group’s 70-cover Marylebone restaurant has been put on the market with leisure property specialists AG&G at a guide price of £150,000.
‘Fine fast food’ brand Yolk is to become the latest brand to launch a hot drink subscription to customers. The nine-strong group will in the new year launch Yolk BrewClub, a coffee and barista-made drink subscription that can be redeemed across its hot drinks menu, including its seasonal offerings such as a Salted Popcorn Hot Chocolate; Terry’s Chocolate Orange Latte; White Choc & Ginger Matcha; and Cinnamon Roll Latte. The subscription is tiered into three levels – BasicBrew, ClassicBrew and PremierBrew – rising from a free subscription to one that costs £40 a month.
