Multi-site - Hospitality

Honest Burgers to convert V Honest site back to core concept after just six months

23-Jun-2022 By James McAllister

Honest Burgers is to convert its all-vegan V Honest site close to London's Leicester Square back to its core concept in July, just six months after launching the spin-off brand.

Megan’s to hand out £5m bonus to staff

20-Jun-2022 By Restaurant

Restaurant group Megan’s is to share a £5m bonus between its staff members as recognition of the business’ progress.

Group sales stand still in May as cost crisis deepens

17-Jun-2022 By James McAllister

Like-for-like sales at Britain’s leading managed restaurant, pub and bar groups in May were just 0.1% ahead of the pre-Covid levels of 2019, the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker reveals.

How I Got Here Jeremy Ford-Young

15-Jun-2022 By James McAllister

The co-founder of plant-based fast-food brand BVRGER, which launched in 2020 and now has two sites in the capital, on building his business in the midst of the pandemic.

Popeyes looks north and south as it announces next tranche of openings

15-Jun-2022 By James McAllister

Popeyes has confirmed plans to open sites in Brighton, Nottingham and Oxford as it looks to begin accelerating its UK roll out.

Pret to launch in Spain and Portugal

14-Jun-2022 By Georgi Gyton

Pret A Manger has reached an agreement with Ibersol Group to launch Pret in Spain and Portugal as it looks to grow its international reach.

Losses grow to £800m for top 100 restaurants

13-Jun-2022 By Restaurant

Leading restaurant groups have seen their losses swell to more than £800m in the past six months.

Machine learning: Bella Italia trials use of robot waiters

10-Jun-2022 By Restaurant

The group behind restaurant brands Las Iguanas, Bella Italia and Café Rouge is trialling the use of robots at one of its venues.

Poke House to open five more 'Instagrammable' restaurants in London this year

10-Jun-2022 By Restaurant

Poke House will open five more restaurants in London this year.

Fulham Shore targeting prime locations for expansion as new openings see strong trading

08-Jun-2022 By James McAllister

Fulham Shore has announced an expansion programme targeting prime new locations benefitting from 'historically low' rental levels.

How I Got Here: Phil Peters

07-Jun-2022 By James McAllister

The MD of Neapolitan pizza group Happy Face Pizza, which recently launched its third London restaurant, on his best and worst business decisions, and how he would change the industry.

Mezcalito doubles up in London

01-Jun-2022 By James McAllister

Chelsea-based Mexican restaurant Mezcalito has launched a second site in the capital on Newington Green Road in Islington.

Wingstop secures multi-million pound debt facility

30-May-2022 By Georgi Gyton

Lemon Pepper Holdings, the master franchisee of Wingstop UK, has secured a multi-million pound debt facility from Barclays to help facilitate the continued roll out of the brand.

Former KFC MD Paula MacKenzie appointed CEO of PizzaExpress

27-May-2022 By James McAllister

Former KFC managing director Paula MacKenzie has been appointed CEO of PizzaExpress.

Pizza Punks to launch its largest site yet in Liverpool

27-May-2022 By James McAllister

Northern-based sourdough pizza restaurant group Pizza Punks is to launch its largest site to date on Bold Street in Liverpool in September.

KFC to trial using delivery-only kitchens in London

26-May-2022 By James McAllister

KFC is launching a trial of its first delivery-only kitchens in the UK, beginning in the capital.

Fridays owner looking to beef up its estate to almost 200 sites in the medium term

26-May-2022 By Restaurant

Fridays operator Hostmore Group says it plans to almost double its number of restaurants to around 200 in the medium term.

Mother Clucker lines up Islington restaurant as it moves back to bricks and mortar

26-May-2022 By James McAllister

Fried chicken brand Mother Clucker is to launch its first bricks and mortar restaurant since being acquired by Byron owner Famously Proper.

TRG reports robust trading across Wagamama and pubs business

24-May-2022 By Finn Scott-Delany

The Restaurant Group (TRG) has reported strong consumer demand for its brands as it continues to outperform the market.

Tortilla acquires rival chain Chilango for £2.75m

23-May-2022 By James McAllister

Tortilla has acquired rival burrito chain Chilango from investment firm RDCP Group in a deal worth up to £2.75m.

Honest Burgers overhauls supply chain with regenerative farming programme

23-May-2022 By James McAllister

Honest Burgers has overhauled its supply chain through the development of a regenerative farming programme, with the aim of reducing its carbon footprint and the environmental impact of eating beef.

How I Got Here: Liz Down

20-May-2022 By James McAllister

The co-founder of Black Bear Burger, which is about to launch its second sit down restaurant on Exmouth Market in Clerkenwell, on how she and her husband built their business.

Latest opening: Palazzo

20-May-2022 By James McAllister

The team behind London-based Neapolitan pizza group Made of Dough have launched an Italian bar and diner in Crystal Palace.

Latest opening: Chicken Shop

20-May-2022 By James McAllister

CHIK’N, the fast-casual spinoff of Chick 'n' Sours, has rebranded as Chicken Shop under a partnership with Soho House Group, and launched its first new site in London’s Notting Hill.

The restaurateur and founder of the London-based Hush Collection, which operates the Haché and Cabana brands, on the importance of location, challenging industry perceptions and gatecrashing Kylie Minogue's birthday party.

Vagabond to open first airport site

17-May-2022 By James McAllister

Pour-your-own wine bar group Vagabond is set to launch its first airport site this week at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 as part of a £1.2m investment.

Modest sales growth for managed groups undermined by rising cost pressures

17-May-2022 By James McAllister

Britain’s leading managed restaurant, pub and bar groups recorded like-for-like sales growth of 2% in April 2022, the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker reveals.

McDonald's permanently exits Russian market

16-May-2022 By James McAllister

McDonald's is to permanently exit the Russian market after more than 30 years of operations in the country.

McDonald’s invests £250m in restaurant remodelling

16-May-2022 By Finn Scott-Delany

McDonald’s UK&I will invest over £250m over the next four years to redesign parts of its restaurant estate to suit the rise of omnichannel ordering.

Wendy’s achieves ‘solid results’ in first quarter

12-May-2022 By Georgi Gyton

Wendy’s UK business – its newest market – achieved 'solid results' in the first quarter to 3 April 2022, president and chief executive officer Todd Penegor has said.

Various Eateries reports robust trading as footfall in the capital recovers

12-May-2022 By Shwetali Sapte

Coppa Club owner Various Eateries has reported robust trading for the 26-week period ending 3 April, following the opening of two new sites and the lifting of lockdown restrictions.

Popeye's Stratford becomes US fried chicken giant's best performer globally

12-May-2022 By Restaurant

US fried chicken brand Popeyes’ Westfield Stratford site is the company’s highest taking venue globally, the company has revealed.

Sandwiches help operators mitigate cost of living pressures

12-May-2022 By James McAllister

The proportion of main dishes on operator menus that are sandwiches has risen across four key eating out channels to give consumers cheaper meal-time options amid cost of living pressures.

Boparan to take Slim Chickens to Liverpool ONE

11-May-2022 By Restaurant

Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG) is taking its fast-growing Slim Chickens brand to Liverpool with the opening of a venue in Liverpool ONE.

Fat Hippo eyes London debut

10-May-2022 By James McAllister

Northern-based burger chain Fat Hippo is planning a move to the capital amid an expansion drive that will also see it establish permanent outposts in Scotland and Wales.

Brighton's Fatto a Mano puts down permanent roots in the capital

06-May-2022 By James McAllister

Brighton & Hove-based restaurant group Fatto a Mano is to put down permanent roots in the capital next month with the launch of Fatto Pizza & Beer in King's Cross.

Hawksmoor to open in Liverpool later this year

06-May-2022 By Restaurant

Steakhouse group Hawksmoor has chosen Liverpool as the location for its 10th UK restaurant.

Chinatown's Four Seasons to launch new 'contemporary' concept

04-May-2022 By James McAllister

Chinatown's Four Seasons is to launch a new 'contemporary Chinese restaurant' this summer at The Hippodrome Casino in London's Leicester Square.

Din Tai Fung finally set to launch Centre Point restaurant

04-May-2022 By James McAllister

Famed Taiwanese restaurant chain Din Tai Fung is finally set to launch a restaurant at London's Centre Point development, more than three years later than originally planned.

Black Bear Burger heads to Clerkenwell for second restaurant site

03-May-2022 By James McAllister

London-based street food brand Black Bear Burger is to launch its second sit down restaurant later this month on Exmouth Market in Clerkenwell.

Hawksmoor to end At Home meal kit business

03-May-2022 By James McAllister

Hawksmoor has announced that it is to end its nationwide At Home meal kit business, which it launched back in the summer of 2020 amid the first Covid-19 lockdown.

Gusto Italian appoints new COO as it plots further expansion

29-Apr-2022 By Restaurant

Gusto Italian has appointed Scott Grimbleby as its new chief operating officer (COO) as it continues to open new restaurants across the UK.

Leonardo DiCaprio joins Neat Burger as strategic investor ahead of global expansion

28-Apr-2022 By James McAllister

Actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio has joined vegan fast-food chain Neat Burger as a strategic investor ahead of the group's plans to expand into the US and beyond.

Made of Dough team to launch Italian bar and diner

26-Apr-2022 By James McAllister

The team behind London-based Neapolitan pizza group Made of Dough is to launch an Italian bar and diner in Crystal Palace next month.

Loungers reports record sales

26-Apr-2022 By Restaurant

All-day dining restaurant group Loungers has reported record sales for the year to April 2022.

Gravity to launch £10m leisure experience at Liverpool ONE

25-Apr-2022 By James McAllister

Leisure operator Gravity Active Entertainment is to launch a new flagship location that includes a 'modern F&B offering' at Liverpool ONE later this year.