Soho House evaluates acquisition offer
Soho House & Co has formed an independent special committee to evaluate an offer from a new third-party consortium.
Business & Legislation
Wingstop sees ‘strong growth prospects’ as UK revenue rockets
Fried chicken brand Wingstop is back in the black having reported a pre-tax profit of £3.5m in its latest financial results, up from a £2m loss the year before.
CGL ‘continuing to assess viability’ of D&D London’s estate amid mounting losses
D&D London operator CGL Restaurant Holdings has said it is continuing to assess ‘the performance and viability’ of its estate after losses rose in its latest financial results.
Azzurri Group toasts ‘transformational year’
Azzurri Group has delivered an 18% increase in revenue to £303.1m for the year ended 30 June 2024.
UKHospitality: Rising inflation ‘making day-to-day life harder for businesses’
UKHospitality has reiterated its call for the Government to rethink its planned hike in employer National Insurance contributions amid ‘a troubling economic picture’ caused by rising inflation and ‘lacklustre growth’.
Carlsberg cleared to acquire Britvic
Carlsberg has been cleared by Britain’s competition watchdog to buy soft drinks manufacturer Britvic.
Cost pressures ‘remain a challenge’ as Nando’s cuts losses
Nando’s is plotting further expansion in the UK following a ‘strong sales performance’ in its latest financial results, which saw sales rise and losses reduce.
Ibérica sold out of administration to Camino with three sites closed
Ibérica has shuttered three of its five sites as part of an administration process with the group’s other two restaurants acquired by rival London-based Spanish operator Camino.
Bababoom to open central London site under new owner Brand Bae
Kebab restaurant brand Bababoom has been bought by hospitality operator Brand Bae for an undisclosed sum.
Simon Rimmer’s restaurant group owed more than £500,000 when it collapsed
Chef Simon Rimmer’s restaurant business was more than £500,000 in debt when the business closed, documents have shown.
Homeslice enters administration
Pizza group Homeslice entered administration earlier this month, filings have shown
UKHospitality welcomes ‘permanently lower level of business rates’
UKHospitality has expressed its support for the Government’s stance on business rates.
McWin Capital in talks to acquire Gail’s
Sticks’n’Sushi and Big Mamma investor McWin is reportedly in talks to acquire rapidly expanding upscale bakery chain Gail’s.
Scottish Budget: Major operators ‘left unsupported’ as industry slams ‘headline-grabbing rates relief’
Industry trade bodies have warned the measures announced to support hospitality businesses in the Scottish Budget will ‘do little to stop closures and significant job losses in the sector’.
Whitbread hires former Boparan CEO as restaurant division MD
Whitbread has appointed former Boparan CEO Joe Texeira as managing director for its restaurants division.
Ibérica on brink of administration
Spanish restaurant group Ibérica has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators.
Ottolenghi plans further expansion outside central London as group falls to loss
The Ottolenghi group says it is continuing to explore expansion outside of Zone 1 and 2 in London, with a new site in Richmond set to open next year.
Doner Shack blames Budget as it relocates headquarters to US
German street food concept Doner Shack is relocating its headquarters to the US, with the group’s founders saying it provides ‘a much better environment’ for hospitality businesses than the UK.
Itsu expands its diversification through catering partnership with Emirates Stadium
Itsu has secured a partnership deal with catering business Delaware North that will see it deliver its sushi to the hospitality boxes at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in London.
Gail’s planning up to 40 new openings in 2025
Gail’s is aiming to open between 30 and 40 new sites in 2025, according to CEO Tom Molnar.
More shareholders voice opposition to Loungers sale
More shareholders have said they will vote against Fortress Investment Group’s acquisition of Loungers, with one saying they are ‘furious’ about the proposed deal.
Loungers sale faces shareholder resistance
Two of Loungers’s biggest shareholders are to vote against Fortress Investment Group’s acquisition of the all-day café and restaurant group.
London’s Smithfield and Billingsgate markets to cease trading
London’s historic Smithfield meat market and Billingsgate fish market are set to close.
Loungers to be acquired by US firm Fortress in £338m deal
Loungers is to be acquired by US-based investment firm Fortress in a deal that values the all-day café and restaurant group at approximately £338.3m.
Just Eat files intention to delist from London Stock Exchange
Just Eat Takeaway.com has filed a notice of intention to delist from the London Stock Exchange (LSE) next month.
Temper shutters half its estate as operating company enters administration - updated
Temper has closed its restaurants in Shoreditch and Paddington, as well as its smash burger offshoot in White City, with its operating company understood to have entered administration.
More than one in 10 restaurants facing ‘imminent risk of closure’
More than 6,000 restaurants in the UK face closure in the next 12 months, according to an assessment of financial data by Price Bailey
Glynn Purnell promises ‘mutually agreeable’ solutions for customers seeking voucher refunds following restaurant closure
Glynn Purnell has promised he has ‘a number of solutions and proposals in mind’ to support customers seeking refunds for vouchers to his flagship Birmingham restaurant, which closed last month.
Mr Bao founders formalise business as 6 of 1 group
The founders of London restaurants Mr Bao, Daddy Bao and Master Bao have formalised their group under the name 6 of 1 ahead of plans to develop new concepts.
Wendy’s to expand into the South West following new franchise deal
US fast food chain Wendy’s will soon make its debut in the South West of England following a deal with franchise organisation Khidmat Limited.
Cornwall restaurant Appleton's announces sudden closure
Husband and wife team Andy and Lyndsey Appleton have closed their Cornwall restaurant ‘with immediate effect’.
Pizza Hut Restaurants brings in advisers to find buyer or new investors
Pizza Hut’s biggest UK franchisee has brought in advisers from Interpath Advisory to find new investors or a buyer amid warnings about the impact of the Budget on the business.
Government sets out legislation to permanently cut business rates for the high street
Draft legislation to permanently cut business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties from 2026 has been published.
Blacklock sells minority stake to BGF
Business Growth Fund (BGF) has acquired a minority stake in London-based chophouse group Blacklock.
Just Eat offloads Grubhub at steep discount
Just Eat Takeaway.com is to sell its US food delivery platform Grubhub to Wonder Group for $650m (£510m), little more than three years after acquiring the business for $7.3bn (£5.75bn).
Haché shutters four sites as it prepares to appoint administrators
London-based burger and brassiere brand Haché has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators having closed nearly all of its London sites.
Big Table considers cutting hours in response to Budget
The Big Table Group is considering plans to cut opening hours in response to the Chancellor’s decision to raise National Insurance contributions (NICs) for employers.
The Nero Group acquires FCB Coffee
Caffè Nero and Coffee#1 owner The Nero Group has added London-based coffee business FCB Coffee to its growing portfolio.
UKHospitality: Interest rate cut ‘significantly overshadowed’ by Budget increases
UKHospitality has described the cut to interest rates announced today (7 November) as a ‘short term benefit’ that will be ‘significantly overshadowed’ by the impact of the recent Autumn Budget.
The Chilli Pickle launches crowdfund to help support its relocation
Highly-rated Brighton Indian restaurant The Chilli Pickle has launched a crowdfund to aid its upcoming relocation from Jubilee Square to a new site in The Lanes.
Government confirms hospitality settings to be exempt from smoking ban extension
The Government has confirmed that hospitality settings will not be included in its plans to extend the indoor smoking ban to a number of open-air spaces.
Dishoom seeks investment partner as it plots US expansion
Dishoom has appointed advisors as its seeks an investor to help fund a move into the US.
RMT union calls off tube strikes planned for November
Members of the RMT union have called off plans to strike across the London Underground over the coming week following discussions over pay.
Restaurant publishes its Power List
A report outlining the most influential people in the UK restaurant sector has been published by Restaurant.
UKHospitality: Budget to increase cost of employing full-time staff member ‘by at least £2,500’
The employment tax measures outlined in this week’s Budget will increase the cost of employing a full-time staff member ‘by at least £2,500’, according to new analysis by UKHospitality.
Tortilla to target more travel hubs as it expands SSP partnership
Tortilla is aiming to triple its number of travel hub locations under an expansion of its partnership with SSP.
Autumn Budget: ‘Latest blow for hospitality businesses’ as NI rise confirmed and rates support slashed
Hospitality businesses face a double whammy of tax rises with employers facing a rise in National Insurance contributions (NICs) and a cut in business rates support.
Poon’s London secures retail listings at Ocado and Booths
Chinese restaurant brand Poon’s London has secured listings at Ocado and Booths for its growing range of sauces and dressings.
Wage rises to ‘cost hospitality £1.9bn’
UKHospitality has warned that businesses are approaching today’s (30 October) Budget with ‘even more trepidation’ after the Government confirmed plans to rise the National Living Wage.
Has Chipotle’s time in the UK finally come?
Having taken a decade to find its feet in the UK, the US burrito brand is at last starting to establish itself as a major QSR player on these shores.