Business & Legislation

Busaba Eathai to open flagship site in Shoreditch

Busaba Eathai to open flagship site in Shoreditch

By Helen Gilbert

Alan Yau’s casual dining chain Busaba Eathai is to celebrate its 15th birthday with a new flagship venue in Shoreditch that combines a restaurant and cooking academy. 

A large number of hotels were sold to new owners and investors in 2014 with prices up 17 per cent on the previous year

Hunger for hotels leads to 17% property price rise

By Emma Eversham

Interest from US investors and a return of confidence in the market helped drive up the average property price in the hotel sector by 17 per cent last year, according to a report by Christie & Co. 

Chefs' Choice Awards 2015: Winners revealed

Chefs' Choice Awards 2015: Winners revealed

By Stefan Chomka

Restaurant magazine's annual Chefs’ Choice Awards reveal the best commercial products, suppliers, brands and equipment, as voted for by professional chefs from across the country.

Goldsborough Hall is opening The Dining Room as a restaurant for residents and non-residents

Goldsborough Hall opens dining room as restaurant

By Emma Eversham

The owners of Yorkshire stately home Goldsborough Hall are planning to open its dining room up as a restaurant to allow more people to enjoy the building and help showcase resident chef Paul Richardson-Mackie's skills.

Southern Joe's second branch will open in Kentish Town in March

Joe's Southern Kitchen to open in Kentish Town

By Helen Gilbert

Joe’s Southern Kitchen & Bar is to launch a second restaurant in London this spring as it forges ahead with plans to open up to four restaurants by 2018. 

The outcome of the next general election is unpredictable, but parties have laid out some policies that will affect the hospitality sector

General election 2015: what it could mean for hospitality

By Melodie Michel & Noli Dinkovski

The outcome of the general election on 7 May is the most unpredictable in decades, but the main political parties are starting to set out policies that could affect the hospitality sector. 

The Queen Hotel in Chester is one of eight hotels to be acquired by Topland through its deal with The Feathers Group

Topland to acquire The Feathers Hotel Group

By Emma Eversham

Property investment firm Topland has exchanged contracts to acquire The Feathers Hotel Group, adding another eight hotels to its UK hotel portfolio. 

Henry Harris closed his restaurant Racine in Knightsbridge on Friday after 12 years of business

Henry Harris closes French restaurant Racine

By Emma Eversham

Chef Henry Harris has closed his French restaurant Racine in Knightsbridge, citing increasing running costs and a shifting demographic in the area for the move. 

Franco Manca shook up the pizza market when it launched in 2008

Business Profile: Franco Manca

By Stefan Chomka

Franco Manca shook up the pizza market when it launched in 2008, and it’s not finished yet, says its protagonists Giuseppe Mascoli and David Page.

Josh Wyatt, partner at Patron Capital, Generator's primary investor

VIEWPOINT

Josh Wyatt on Generator and the transformation of hostels

By Melodie Michel

Josh Wyatt is a partner at Patron Capital, Generator’s primary investor. He talks about innovations within the hostel world and how the sector is now the 'next major asset class in hospitality'.

The new Spa Garden at Rockliffe Hall aims to give the hotel's award-winning spa a USP

£1m Spa Garden part of ‘exciting plans’ for Rockliffe Hall

By Emma Eversham

Rockliffe Hall chief executive Eamonn Elliot has said a new £1m Spa Garden is part of ‘exciting plans’ for the hotel over the next year as it welcomes Richard Allen as executive chef and introduces a host of new events to its offering.

Skyline Worldwide will open new serviced apartments in the City, the Docklands and Kensington this year as part of plans to double its London portfolio

Skyline Worldwide to double London portfolio in 2015

By Patrick McGuigan

Corporate serviced apartment provider Skyline Worldwide will open four new developments in London this month as part of a plan to double its portfolio in the capital during 2015.

Align your business volume and energy consumption to avoid a mismatch between need and consumption says Dhillon

ASK THE EXPERTS

Optimising energy efficiency in the restaurant industry

By Har Amrit Pal Singh Dhillon

Energy usage is one of the largest outgoing costs for a restaurant operator. However, this can be reduced without any equipment upgrades or overhauls. Har Amrit Pal Singh (HAPS) Dhillon of Wipro EcoEnergy explains.

Wahaca's spoon amnesty is one of the more innovative promotions being run by restaurants this January in a bid to drive sales

Restaurants get innovative to drive January sales

By Patrick McGuigan

Restaurants across the country are launching increasingly innovative promotions to beat the post-Christmas slump and attract customers during the traditionally quiet month of January.

Cut Tourism VAT is putting renewed pressure on the Government to lower VAT to 5 per cent for the tourism industry

Refreshed calls to cut VAT now tourism is 'important export industry'

By Emma Eversham

Cut Tourism VAT, the campaign set up to put pressure on the Government to lower the VAT rate for tourism and hospitality businesses in the UK to 5 per cent, is calling for politicians to think again about changing the rate now tourism has been dubbed...

Porcelain is predicted to make a come-back this year as chefs do away with novelty tableware

Restaurant trends for 2015

By Stefan Chomka & Joe Lutrario

Fast fine food, shawarma with drama, rotisseried vegetables and the return of the plate: Restaurant magazine predicts what’s on the menu for 2015.

Lobster Kitchen is part of a new breed of lobster shacks

Lobster to feature on more menus in 2015

By Stefan Chomka

Lobster will become much more commonplace, and be available at a lower price in 2015 as the premium seafood becomes increasingly popular across London and the UK.

Shack Shake is one of the gourmet burger businesses with ambitious growth plans

Gourmet burger market steps up a gear

By Stefan Chomka

Reports of the death of the burger trend have been greatly exaggerated it would appear, with the market set to boom in the coming years as its main protagonists continue to expand.