Story of the Day - 4 December 2024
Coco Di Mama MD – London estate has had best 12 months since covid, trialling pizza slices
Jim Attwood, managing director of Coco di Mama, owned by ASK Italian, Zizzi and Boojum operator Azzurri Group, has told Propel that the Italian brand’s London estate has had its best 12 months since covid. Coco di Mama has also lined up a second train station site and is currently trialling pizza slices at selected outlets. Attwood said the brand, which operates 14 sites in London 11 roadside units, more than 100 delivery kitchens, and recently launched a retail range into Sainsbury’s, is in a constant flux of change because of its multiple channels to market.
January 21-22
Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit is returning for its seventh edition, and tickets are now on sale for the two-day conference as the centrepiece of the January event series. The event is a partnership between Propel and Think Hospitality, aiming to build a community, promote the sharing of ideas, recognise talent and define the future of eating out.
Pre-Christmas early-bird prices are: a one-day ticket for operators is £295 plus VAT while a two-day ticket is £550 plus VAT. Supplier tickets are £395 plus VAT for one day and £700 plus VAT for two. Propel Premium Club members receive a 20% discount.
To book, email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com
4 December 2024
Tom Kerridge warns Budget tax hike will have ‘catastrophic’ effect on hospitality firms
Tom Kerridge (pictured) has warned that the government’s tax hikes will have a “catastrophic” impact on many hospitality firms in the new year. The chef, who was among 120 business leaders to sign a letter in support of Labour ahead of the general election, said there was a lot of “business frustration” at the government after the Budget.
4 December 2024
Ottolenghi reports like-for-likes up 7% as turnover increases to record £30.9m, set up for international expansion
London restaurant and deli operator Ottolenghi has reported like-for-like sales increased 7% for the year ending 31 March 2024 as turnover rose to a record £30,881,763 compared with £27,793,486 the previous year. The company saw Ebitda before pre-opening costs drop from £2.8m to £1.7m.
4 December 2024
Marston’s to invest between 7% and 8% of annual revenue to enhance estate
Marston’s, the Justin Platt-led business, has said it will invest between 7% and 8% of its annual revenue in the near-to-medium term to enhance its estate, to support its strategy of creating a “pure-play hospitality business wholly focused on running and operating pubs”. It comes after the company reported revenue was up 3.0% to £898.6m (2023: £872.3m).
4 December 2024
XP Factory – plans in place to offset impact of Budget without need for significant price increases
XP Factory, which operates the Escape Hunt and Boom Battle Bar brands, has said plans are in place in to offset the impact of Budget without need for significant price increases, and that its balance sheet is being restructured to allow future share buy-backs and dividends. The company secured a new £10m revolving credit facility with Barclays to aid the speed of its expansion in October.
4 December 2024
Chop Wok Express set to open seven UK stores next year and secures 75-plus site master franchise deal in India
Chop Wok Express, the wrap and noodle brand, is set to open seven UK stores next year and has secured a 75-plus site master franchise deal in India. Founded in Birmingham 2009 as Chop & Wok, the business has since grown to 11 sites.
4 December 2024
Rob Pitcher re-elected as Revel Collective CEO
Rob Pitcher (pictured) has been re-elected as chief executive of Revel Collective, the operator of 65 venues trading predominantly under the Revolution, Revolución de Cuba and Peach Pubs brands and formerly known as Revolution Bars Group. Pitcher won 99.89% on the votes in the resolution for his re-election at the company’s AGM.
4 December 2024
Whitbread hires Joe Teixeira as MD for restaurants division
Whitbread, the owner of the Premier Inn hotel brand, and Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurant brands, has hired Joe Teixeira, the former chief executive of Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), as the new managing director of its restaurants division. Teixeira was most recently managing director of Majid Al Futtaim, the shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure operator.
4 December 2024
Caprice Holdings to make UAE debut today
Caprice Holdings, the Richard Caring-backed (pictured), high-end restaurant business, will make its debut in the UAE today (Wednesday, 4 December) with the opening of Sexy Fish Dubai, located on the rooftop of Dubai International Financial Centre’s (DIFC) Innovation One. This Follows in the footsteps of its sister sites in Manchester, Miami and Mayfair.
4 December 2024
US burger, shake and craft beer concept Black Tap to add four more UK locations in the coming year
US burger, shake and craft beer concept Black Tap is set to add four more UK locations in the coming year, Propel has learned. It comes after the brand last month confirmed the location of its second UK site, having signed a deal with Landsec to open a 5,000 square-foot flagship restaurant at Piccadilly Lights.
3 December 2024
Marston’s reports positive current trading with six-week lfl sales up 3.9%, Christmas bookings tracking ahead of last year as effects of Budget considered ‘manageable’
Marston’s has reported positive current trading, with like-for-like sales up 3.9% in the first six weeks of its new financial year. The company said its Christmas bookings are also tracking ahead of last year and, while October’s Budget will increase cost pressures, the effects are considered to be “manageable”.
3 December 2024
Doner Shack set to relocate to US for ‘more supportive business environment’ following Budget
Doner Shack, the Berlin fast casual kebab concept, is set to relocate to the US, to operate in what it said is a “more supportive business environment” following October’s UK Budget. Founded in Glasgow in 2018 by Sanjeev Sanghera and Laura Bruce, Doner Shack grew to five stores before last year buying back three restaurants and several territories from its franchisees due to cost pressures.
3 December 2024
Sixes team launches new baseball-inspired concept
The team behind Sixes, the cricket-based competitive socialising brand, has launched a baseball-inspired concept called Moonshot. Launched at the company’s previous Sixes site in Westfield London, Moonshot combines batting cages with a live sports bar and restaurant.
December 2024 ~ Premium Club
Each year, Premium Club members receive videos from Propel conferences, totalling around 100. The latest batch of 11 videos are from Propel’s Multi Club Conference – New ideas, new directions, and are now available to Premium Club members. This collection features Andy Hornby, chief executive of The Restaurant Group, talking about the company’s plans for Wagamama and Brunning & Price, the role the group’s Concessions business plays, and his thoughts on the wider sector. Plus, Adam Martin, managing director of Tesco Hospitality, discussing how the F&B offer is evolving across circa 500 in-store cafes. These videos are an excellent resource to keep your team updated on the latest trends, innovations, and strategies shaping the hospitality sector.
By joining Propel Premium Club members get access to essential insight through Propel Opinion pieces from leading industry commentators, plus our industry-leading databases, receive hospitality’s foremost newsletter first, watch vital video content and get event discounts.
December 2024 ~ Premium Club
The next Propel New Openings Database will be sent to Premium Club members on Friday, 6 December. It will show the details of 193 site openings, including which company has opened a site or its plans to open one in the future. It will have details on what type of site it is and its location. The database is published on a monthly basis and Premium Club members will also receive a 10,943-word report on the 193 new additions to the database. The database is now segmented into seven categories – cafe bakery, casual dining, experiential leisure, fine dining, hotels, pubs and bars, and quick service restaurants. Premium Club members also receive access to five other databases: the Multi-site Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database, Who’s Who of UK Hospitality and the Turnover & Profits Blue Book.
By joining Propel Premium Club members get access to essential insight through Propel Opinion pieces from leading industry commentators, plus our industry-leading databases, receive hospitality’s foremost newsletter first, watch vital video content and get event discounts.
December 2024 ~ Premium Club
Premium Club Opinion provides weekly insights from industry leaders. In this current edition, Propel group editor Mark Wingett examines the £350m deal to take Loungers private, revealing frustrations over undervaluation and the competitive bidding process that saw Fortress Investment Group secure the business. Wingett also explores shareholder resistance to the move, with major stakeholders questioning the timing and offer. Paul Langston, partner at CACI, unpacks the fallout from Pret’s changes to its Club Pret scheme, including an 81% drop in online spend and a decline in key customer groups such as Prosperous Professionals. Jeremy Simmonds, co-founder of Swingers, charts the brand’s decade-long journey, from a Shoreditch pop-up to global expansion, and its key role in establishing competitive socialising as a recognised sector.
By joining Propel Premium Club members get access to essential insight through Propel Opinion pieces from leading industry commentators, plus our industry-leading databases, receive hospitality’s foremost newsletter first, watch vital video content and get event discounts.
December 2024 ~ Premium Club
Mark Wingett’s Premium Club Diary delivers insider sector gossip every week to Premium Club members. In this current edition, Wingstop’s UK business is attracting interest as the fast-growing chicken brand explores new investment opportunities, with private equity suitors circling. Meanwhile, Nightcap, owner of The Cocktail Club and Barrio Familia, has gone private, but whispers of a potential fundraise have Diary asking questions — but is Nightcap providing the answers? Oakman Group has sold two iconic pubs, sparking speculation about what’s next for the business. And over at Mitchells & Butlers, the Orleans Smokehouse concept is still seeking its next big site, while its Browns brand makes strides with new suburban openings.
By joining Propel Premium Club members get access to essential insight through Propel Opinion pieces from leading industry commentators, plus our industry-leading databases, receive hospitality’s foremost newsletter first, watch vital video content and get event discounts.
3 December 2024
UKHospitality outlines concerns with Employers Rights Bill
UKHospitality has outlined several concerns with the government’s Employers Rights Bill. Published in October, the Bill introduced 28 reforms, the majority of which are anticipated to take effect from 2026, with most consultations expected to begin in 2025. UKHospitality, in its responses to initial consultations, said proposed changes to statutory sick pay will have the unintended consequence of incentivising absenteeism.
3 December 2024
Doughnut Time UK brand rights transfer to new ownership, seeks new partners for expansion
Doughnut Time Germany, the franchise operator of the dessert brand, has reclaimed the UK brand rights and is seeking new partners to help drive growth in Britain. The acquisition, led by a syndicate spearheaded by Damian Griffiths, chief executive of Doughnut Time Germany, takes effect at midnight on 31 December 2024.
3 December 2024
Afrikana lining up its first restaurant outside the UK, secures new flagship London location
African restaurant concept Afrikana is lining up its first restaurant outside of the UK and has also secured a new flagship London location. Afrikana has signed with Dublin-based property consultant Robert Colleran to find a suitable premises in the Irish capital in which to make its international debut.
3 December 2024
Tokyo Industries launches third site for gentleman’s club concept, in Newcastle
Bar and nightclub operator Tokyo Industries has launched a third site for its gentleman’s club, Whisky Down, in Newcastle. The venue has opened in the city’s Bigg Market, on the first floor above Stein Bier Keller, following a two-year, £1m project.
3 December 2024
WatchHouse hires Sasha Seymour-Williams as new brand and marketing director
Specialty coffee business WatchHouse has hired Sasha Seymour-Williams as its new brand and marketing director, Propel has learned. Seymour-Williams joins the 21-strong WatchHouse after three years at Sunset Hospitality Group, including just under two years as its head of marketing.
3 December 2024
Dutch smash burger brand Fat Phill’s makes UK debut
Dutch smash burger brand Fat Phill’s has opened its first UK site. Propel revealed in January that Fat Phill’s, which has 19 locations in the Netherlands, had signed a master franchisee deal for the UK with Freshly Baked, which also holds the UK master franchise for US pretzel brand Auntie Anne’s.
3 December 2024
Burger & Lobster co-founders to launch Greek venture in London’s West Kensington
George Bukhov-Weinstein and Ilya Demichev, the co-founders of surf and turf restaurant group Burger & Lobster and Mediterranean restaurant Wild Tavern, are launching a new venture in London’s West Kensington.
2 December 2024
Fortress offer for Loungers resisted by big shareholders
Two of the biggest shareholders in Loungers are rebelling against Fortress Investment Group’s proposed takeover of the café-bar group. Fortress, the US private equity firm majority-owned by Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala, has made an offer of 310p a share, representing a 30% premium to Loungers’ closing price on Wednesday, valuing the company at about £338m.
Watch highlights from this year’s Propel summer conference and party.
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7 October 2024
Meet Maral, the visionary behind Ayal: Sharing Turkmenistan’s Flavours with London’s Streets
With the help of the McCain Streets Ahead programme, Maral turned her dream into a thriving business. Through Ayal, she offers Londoners a taste of Turkmen cuisine, from Manti dumplings to traditional palav, highlighting the rich heritage of her culture.
9 September 2024
Meet Eman and Bisan Bites: Bringing Palestinian Flavours to London's Streets
In 2022, Eman embarked on a journey to bring the authentic taste of Palestinian cuisine to the street food scene of London. Seeking guidance from the Streets Ahead programme, she transformed her passion into a reality, creating Bisan Bites a business that celebrates her heritage.
17 July 2024
Taste Uzbekistan: The Street Food Duo sharing the traditions and flavours of Central Asia
In 2022, Akbar and Sanobar joined the Streets Ahead program with a clear vision: to become the ultimate destination for food enthusiasts seeking an authentic and immersive experience.
20 June 2024
UTOPIA: The Syrian Street Food Concept making London taste better
Hind Danoun is one of the many successful refugee entrepreneurs to come out of the McCain Streets Ahead Programme. From joining the programme in 2022 to turning over £21,000 in revenue since launching late 2023.
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Upcoming Events
January 21-22 2025
Restaurant Marketer
& Innovator European Summit
Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit is returning for its seventh edition, and tickets are now on sale for the two-day conference as the centrepiece of the January event series. The event is a partnership between Propel and Think Hospitality, aiming to build a community, promote the sharing of ideas, recognise talent and define the future of eating out.
November 13th 2025
The Propel Bangkok
Study Tour
Bangkok is a culinary hot bed of talent and has no less than 34 Michelin starred restaurants including a street vendor who has one star, it is a truly world class ‘Foodie Destination’. The city also boasts some of the highest rooftop bars and restaurants in the world and is a hospitality bucket list in Asia.