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Story of the Day - 12 February 2025

Strongarm Hospitality Group – we want to be a global, 360-degree operator in the next ten years

London luxury upmarket company Strongarm Hospitality Group has told Propel it has ambitions to be a global, 360-degree operator in the next ten years. The group, owned by Garry Caprani and Asher Grant, was launched in 2017 with the opening of The London Reign show club in Mayfair, and subsequently added nightlife venues Tabu London, featuring upstairs cocktail bar Clubhouse, and Tabu Mykonos, which is currently in its fifth year of operation on the Greek island. Having launched their first restaurant, Piraña, a Nikkei-inspired concept in Mayfair in July last year, the duo plan to expand the concept globally. 

The first Propel Multi Club conference of the year takes place on Thursday, 20 March, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London’s Kensington, and is open for bookings.

Operators can book up to two free places per company while Premium subscribers who are operators can book up to four free places.

Click the button below to see the full line up and book places.

Propel Exclusive Report

Propel's guide to the UK’s 500 largest hospitality companies is avialble now

500 Report – Available Now

Propel’s Top 500 report showcases the UK’s leading hospitality operators ranked by turnover. Together, these companies generate more than £30bn in turnover across 51,000 sites, spanning seven key segments: pubs and bars, hotels, quick service restaurants (QSR), casual dining, cafe and bakery, experiential leisure and fine dining. 

This comprehensive report provides more than 90,000 words of analysis, delving into company histories, leadership structures, site numbers, and financial performance, making it an essential resource for industry professionals. The guide is delivered in two parts: an introductory PDF, featuring deep dives into the top 25 companies and 6,500 words of insight from Propel’s expert writers, and a fully searchable Excel sheet, offering easy access to all the data. 

Find out what companies are on the list.

Key highlights include Mark Wingett’s exploration of mergers and acquisitions shaping the Top 500’s future, Tim Street’s view of the UK’s franchise market, and Phil Pemberton’s insights into experiential leisure as a hospitality cornerstone. Katherine Doggrell examines developments in UK hotels, while Mark Bentley, business development director at HDI, identifies emerging growth sectors, and Maria Vanifatova, founder of Meaningful Vision, analyses trends in QSRs.

Propel 500 is available now for £595 plus VAT. Existing Premium Club members can purchase it for £395 plus VAT. Premium Club members will receive the report for free on Friday, 28 February at 9am. Order Propel 500 today by emailing: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com

Find out more about Propel’s Premium Club

12 February 2025

Deliveroo

Deliveroo plots route to naming successor to founding CEO Shu

Will Shu, who masterminded Deliveroo’s evolution into one of Britain’s biggest consumer technology businesses, is preparing to hand over the reins to a new chief executive.

12 February 2025

Bagel Factory see new store openings drive 57% turnover boost as company on track for 40 locations by end of 2025

Bagel Factory, which is owned by Cremonini Group, one of the largest European food operators, has said it is in a “much stronger position” after completing its “reset programme”.

12 February 2025

Chicken & Blues

Aviary Hospitality Group reports full-year sales exceeding £7m, 2025 ‘starts strongly’

Aviary Hospitality Group, owners of the Chicken & Blues and Flamingo Café Bar concepts and led by Joshua Simons and Steve Crawford, saw sales for the year ending 31 January 2025 exceed £7m.

12 February 2025

Mollies Motel

Mollie’s MD – we can prove that purposeful, lifestyle brands can operate successfully at scale

Matt Bell, the new managing director of budget motel concept Mollie’s, has told Propel the business can prove that “purposeful, lifestyle brands can operate successfully at scale”. Bell recently joined Mollie’s, which currently operates roadside sites in Oxfordshire and near Bristol, from CitizenM, where he was chief hotel operating officer.

12 February 2025

Market Halls

Market Halls reveals trader line-up for opening in London’s Paddington including Farm Girl and Breddos Tacos

Market Halls, the London food market hall operator, has revealed the trader line-up for its forthcoming opening in Paddington.

12 February 2025

Dumbo

French smash burger concept set for London debut ahead of planned further expansion here

French smash burger concept Dumbo is set to make its London debut ahead of planned further expansion here, Propel has learned.

12 February 2025

Poke House

Poke House hires Martin Brok as new chairman

Poke House, Europe’s largest poké restaurant brand, has hired Martin Brok as its new chairman, as it looks to further strengthen its international growth plans. Brok was previously president EMEA at Starbucks.

12 February 2025

Costa Express to start serving tea nationwide following trial

Costa Coffee is to start serving tea nationwide through its Costa Express machines following a pilot. Propel revealed last April that Costa Express had begun trialling serving tea in ten Shell forecourt sites.

12 February 2025

Loungers

Fortress completes £354.4m acquisition of Loungers

US private equity firm Fortress Investment Group has completed its acquisition of Loungers, the café bar operator of the Lounge, Cosy Club and Brightside brands, for £354.4m.

11 February 2025

Mollies Motel

Mollie’s MD – ambition is to acquire two sites per year, Manchester opening will showcase the brand’s versatility

Managing director Matt Bell, recently joined Mollie’s, which currently operates roadside sites in Oxfordshire and near Bristol, from CitizenM, where he was chief hotel operating officer as the group grew to more than 30 hotels across Europe, the US and Asia during his tenure.

11 February 2025

Plates of London

Plates in London makes history by becoming the first UK vegan restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star

Executive chef Kirk Haworth opened Plates in the capital’s Old Street in July 2024, which he runs with his sister, Keeley Haworth. Blackburn-born Kirk, who was the first plant-based chef to ever compete on the Great British Menu.

11 February 2025

Neapolitan pizza concept Santa Maria secures new shareholders, plans four to six openings per year

Neapolitan pizza concept Santa Maria has told Propel it has “teamed up with some strong operators, among the best players in the game” as it looks to open four to six restaurants a year.

February 2025 ~ Premium Club

Propel Premium Club members can access more than 100 videos from Propel’s market-leading conferences. These include the 2025 Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit Conference featuring speakers such as Shona Campbell, chief marketing and growth officer at Ottolenghi. Further examples include David Campbell, the former chief executive of PizzaExpress and Wagamama, and chair of Gaucho owner Rare Restaurants, and Ole & Steen, plus Des Gunewardena, founder of the D3 Collective and co-founder of D&D London speaking at Propel’s Multi-Club conference in October 2024. Premium members can also access presentations from Marcel Khan, chief executive of Fulham Shore, Nisha Katona, founder of Indian street food concept Mowgli and Sir Tim Martin, founder and chairman of JD Wetherspoon. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to gain essential knowledge and inspiration—join Propel’s Premium Club today.

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.

february 2025 ~ Premium Club

500 Report – Available Now

Propel will launch four ground-breaking reports in 2025 that will be available free to Premium subscribers. The Propel 500 report is an ambitious new project that will bring together the top 500 companies within the sector, offering not only comprehensive listings but also insights into the forces driving growth, innovation, and transformation across the industry. The report will be available at the end of February free for Premium subscribers. The International Report, released in spring, will examine the 100 biggest international brands expanding in the UK with analysis of turnover, market size, estate numbers and strategy. The Experiential Leisure Report will be the second edition of the report launched this year and will track the growth of the UK experiential market. The report will be available early summer. The Brands Report, launched in the autumn, will be a guide to the 500 largest foodservice brands in the UK listed by estate size.

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.

february 2025 ~ Premium Club

Premium Club Opinion provides weekly insights from industry leaders. In this current edition, Mark Wingett speaks to Valiant Pub Company founders Mark McGinty and Gerry Carroll about the company’s expansion strategy, its approach to revitalising underperforming pubs, and how it plans to grow beyond 100 sites while others consolidate. Phil Pemberton sits down with Burhill Group chief executive Simon Thompson to explore the evolution of the company’s golf, adventure, and leisure brands and how it balances tradition with innovation. Mark Wingett also examines leadership changes at Honest Burgers, Comptoir Group, and Turtle Bay, analysing how these shifts will impact each company’s future. Jemima Bird discusses the role of controversy in brand strategy, examining how audience engagement and digital dynamics are influencing modern branding and communication approaches.

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.

february 2025 ~ Premium Club

READ PREMIUM CLUB'S DIARY FOR INSIDER SECTOR GOSSIP

Mark Wingett’s Premium Club Diary delivers insider sector gossip every week to Premium Club members. In this current edition, Yum! Brands is making bold moves, with KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut seeing mixed performance in the UK and Europe. The big reveal? A cutting-edge AI-powered digital platform, already live in the UK, driving record digital transaction growth. Meanwhile, Big Table Group is turning dreams into reality, launching a nationwide partnership with Dreams Come True, a charity dedicated to supporting seriously ill children. Expect major fundraising campaigns and community-driven initiatives throughout 2025. Elsewhere, Incipio Group is gearing up for its most ambitious project yet—40,000 square feet of new venues at Olympia. What will they be called? We’ve got the inside track. Finally, Tim Bacon Foundation’s Dream the Impossible charity dinner returns, with a stellar restaurant lineup and a record-breaking goal.

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.

11 February 2025

Coppa Club

Various Eateries – some of the well-publicised inflationary pressures are easing

Various Eateries, the Hugh Osmond-backed business that operates the Coppa Club and Noci concepts, has told Propel that although it has been a tough few years for UK hospitality “there’s a sense that some of the well-publicised inflationary pressures are easing.

11 February 2025

Schnitzel

New schnitzel concept secures debut site, plans expansion of ‘express format’

Von Crumb, a new schnitzel concept, has secured its debut site in London’s Belsize Park, with plans to open further sites across the capital under an “express” format. The new concept, which is the brainchild of David Ben Meir and Or Yerushalmi, has secured a site in Haverstock Hill for an opening this spring.

11 February 2025

Vagabond announces series of senior appointments as it gears up for growth

Vagabond Wines, which was acquired out of administration by Majestic last year, has announced four senior hires as it bolsters its leadership team to position the nine-strong business for future growth.

11 February 2025

Social Sports Society

Padel-focused multi-sport and food and beverage concept Social Sports Society hires Tom Rooney as CEO

Tom Rooney, formerly of Lane7, Tomahawk Steakhouse and BabaBoom, has joined padel-focused multi-sport and food and beverage concept Social Sports Society as its new chief executive, Propel has learned.

11 February 2025

Junk Group

Junk Group lines up UK debut site for cookie concept Puffy and second smash burger location

Junk Group, the French-based business that operates four concepts across France, has lined up a UK debut site for its cookie concept Puffy, Propel has learned.

11 February 2025

Whistle Punks

Axe-throwing operator Whistle Punks set to appoint administrators

Axe-throwing operator Whistle Punks has filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator, as it looks to explore a rescue deal for the business, Propel has learned.

10 February 2025

McDonald’s reports global like-for-likes down 0.1% in 2024

McDonald’s has reported global like-for-likes were up 0.4% year-on-year in its fourth quarter ending 31 December 2024 but the UK saw a sales drop. Global like-for-like sales for the full year were down 0.1% year-on-year.

10 February 2025

David Roberts, head of leisure at global law firm CMS

Sector lawyer David Roberts – landlord contributions for new sites will need to increase

David Roberts (pictured), head of leisure at global law firm CMS, believes that landlord contributions for new sites will need to increase because employing new staff and funding new openings is now riskier than ever.

Watch highlights from this year’s Propel summer conference and party.

Video presentations of all the speakers are available to Premium Club members, join to unlock exclusive access to 100 insightful videos each year.

To view pictures from the event click here

Promotional Content

Maral Serving Food

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.

Eman - Bisan Bites

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.

Kerb at Cowcross yards Samarkand Palav

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.

Mccain Streets Ahead - Utopia

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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March 20th 2025

Propel Multi Club

The conference takes place on Thursday, 20 March, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London’s Kensington, and is open for bookings. Operators can book up to two free places per company while Premium subscribers who are operators can book up to four free places.

Propel Multi Club – Prospering in the new reality ~ 20th March 2025

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