A colossal train crash is happening in slow motion, right now.

The UK retail and leisure property market has been over-inflated for years. Since I began runnin … view

The Restaurant Group unveils increased bank facility flexibility and pay cuts: The Restaurant Group has announced increased flexibility in its banking facilities, executive pay cuts and changes to its board composition. The company stated … view

Famous Brands pulling funding signals ‘death knell’ for GBK: Analysts in South Africa, the home country of Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) owner Famous Brands, have said its decision to pull the investment plug on the UK restaurant chain … view

Fuller’s updates on coronavirus position: Pub operator Fuller’s has reported it has placed the vast majority of its employees in furlough, retaining a small number in key positions to maintain critical functions and deliver the year-e … view

Pubcos sign declaration to protect certain tenant rights amid coronavirus emergency: The Pubs Code adjudicator (PCA) has announced the six regulated pub-owning businesses (POBs) have signed a formal declaration that serves to protect cert … view

Future of GBK in doubt after Famous Brands pulls plug on investment: The future of Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) is in doubt after parent company Famous Brands pulled the plug on its investment. Famous Brands stated: “Shareholders are re … view

UK Hospitality: Proposed changes to CBIL scheme still not enough for majority of sector: Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, has said that changes to the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan scheme (CBIL) would be welcomed … view

Benito’s Hat placed into administration: Pico’s, the parent company of Benito’s Hat, the Mexican restaurant brand that underwent a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) last summer, has been placed into administration. Irvin Cohen and … view

Sandpiper pulls out of Randalls deal: Investment company Sandpiper has pulled out of a deal to buy the Randalls Group of Guernsey because of coronavirus. Sandpiper’s board says the effects of covid-19 and the uncertainty for the future, … view

Pubs to trade as food shops as Greene King, Admiral Taverns and St Austell sign up to national initiative: A ground-breaking national initiative will enable pubs to trade as food shops offering essential items such as bread, eggs and milk … view

Domino’s hires new UK chief executive: Domino’s Pizza Group has announced the appointment of Dominic Paul as chief executive (designate) in the UK with effect from 6 April 2020. Dominic will join the board as chief executive officer o … view

Insolvency law changes could protect operators regarding rent: The insolvency law changes alluded to by the government at the weekend could include a debt enforcement moratorium, which would protect landlords and operators regarding non-p … view

Carluccio’s goes into administration: Carluccio’s, the Mark Jones-led company, has gone into administration. Geoff Rowley and Phil Reynolds, partners at FRP Advisory, have been appointed joint administrators. Carluccio’s directors d … view

FT – Landlords threaten leisure businesses with legal action: UK property landlords are threatening legal action against hospitality businesses after many withheld rent to save cash during the lockdown, the Financial Times has reported. … view

Carluccio’s prepares to appoint administrators: Carluccio’s, the Mark Jones-led company, is preparing to appoint administrators next week after being forced to close its restaurants amid the pandemic. The company is working with FRP A … view

Sector operators led by Leon launch £1m fund-raise for NHS staff: A funding campaign spearheaded by natural fast food brand Leon and actors Damian Lewis, Helen McCrory and Matt Lucas, has been launched in an attempt to raise £1m to get … view

City Pub Group looks to raise £22m: City Pub Group is looking to raise £22m by way of a Placing to raise £15m and an open offer at 50p a share to raise £7m. The company stated: “The company has taken a number of steps to significant … view

UKHospitality calls on chancellor to urgently clarify details of coronavirus job and emergency funding schemes: UKHospitality has written to the chancellor calling for urgent clarification on the details of the government-backed funding a … view

UKHospitality calls on chancellor to urgently clarify details of coronavirus job and emergency funding schemes: UKHospitality has written to the chancellor calling for urgent clarification on the details of the government-backed funding a … view

The time has come for people to stop fretting over the fine print in the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and get everyone on furlough. Everyone ne … view

Carluccio’s takes action to give it ‘fighting chance of survival’: Carluccio’s, the Mark Jones-led company, said it is taking actions, including a pay cut for staff and its executive board, to give it a “fighting chance of survi … view

Downey – operators shouldn’t give in to landlords’ bullying tactics: London Union founder Jonathan Downey, who is campaigning alongside UKHospitality for government sector concessions, has reiterated calls for a six-month debt enfor … view

JD Wetherspoon draws up proposed own rules for government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: JD Wetherspoon has drawn up proposed rules on how the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) could work and has submitted these to the govern … view

Consumers likely to continue with delivery once crisis has cleared: More than half (53%) of respondents to the latest CGA consumer poll are using or plan to use delivery during the coronavirus crisis, with 13% getting delivery from a rest … view

I am writing to share my thoughts on waking this morning as chief executive of a pub and brewing business that has, in the main, been closed down as part … view

JD Wetherspoon backs campaign for six-month rent moratorium: JD Wetherspoon is backing a campaign calling on the government to impose a six-month moratorium on rent. It is supporting the campaign by restaurateur and Street Feast founder J … view

It is difficult to suggest that this week the UK hospitality sector faces a key final hurdle in its ongoing fight for a future, because I expect more to appear as the impact of the … view

Luke Johnson – landlords who don’t take a flexible stance to rent call should be named and shamed: Sector investor Luke Johnson has told Propel those landlords that don’t take a flexible approach over the Wednesday’s (25 March) qu … view

Something truly amazing happened yesterday. A whole sector was told to closedown indefinitely, but instead of an outcry, there was relief, even some rejoicing. We are truly living in extraord … view

All UK pubs, restaurants and cafes told to close – tonight: Prime minister Boris Johnson has told all pubs, restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres they must close from tonight as the government ramps up measur … view

Vapiano declares insolvency: Vapiano has reported itself insolvent and will apply for government assistance to avoid formally filing for insolvency, blaming the coronavirus crisis for a drop in sales. “Due to the drastic decline in net … view

Authors: James Hacon, Dominic Allport, Ann Elliott and Glynn Davis 

JD Wetherspoon reports revenue up 4.9% in first half, cancels interim dividend, sales ‘declining at significant rate’ following PM advice: JD Wetherspoon has reported revenue rose 4.9% to £933.0m for the 26 weeks to 26 January 2020, … view

Sector like-for-likes fall 15% in week before government warning: Like-for-like sales at Britain’s managed pub, bar and restaurant groups fell 15% in the week up to Sunday (15 March) – before prime minister Boris Johnson’s warning t … view

Argent to implement three-month rent-free period, operators call lease forfeiture moratorium: Landlord Argent is to implement a three-month rent-free period from 25 March for all retail, leisure and foodservice occupiers in King’s Cross … view

Young’s – we expect closure but will continue to trade for now: London pub operator Young’s is to keep trading for now. It stated: “During these uncertain times our focus is on protecting our staff and customers and supporting our … view

BBPA outlines rescue package pubs require as it issues 24-hour warning: The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has outlined the rescue package the government needs to enforce to prevent thousands of pubs closing in the next 24 hours. … view

Azzurri Group closes all sites to dine-in customers, swathe of sector closures: Azzurri Group, the Ask Italian, Zizzi and Coco di Mama operator, has temporarily closed all its sites to dine-in customers, Propel has learned. From 4pm today … view

UKHospitality – we have 24 hours to save one million jobs: UKHospitality has urged the government to announce an immediate package of employment support for businesses in the next 24 hours to preserve more than one million jobs as emplo … view

It’s a start, but is it enough and is it for some too late? At 5pm yesterday, it felt like the UK’s whole hospitality sector took a collectiv … view

Government has given sector ‘breathing space’ with £330m support package but further help needed – and urgently: The chancellor’s £330bn package to help businesses gives the sector “breathing space” but further support for e … view

UK high-street footfall down 45%: UK high-street footfall was down 45% on average on Monday (16 March) compared with the previous year as people stayed at home during the coronavirus crisis, according to the latest data from Wi-Fi solutio … view

Wetherspoon boss says government approach wrong: JD Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin has criticised the government’s approach to coronavirus. He said: “I believe the government will make a tactical error in resorting to de facto ‘loc … view

“This government seem to really hate the hospitality sector”. It’s hard to argue with this tweet from last night by Loungers chairman Alex Reilley. In just the past few weeks t … view

UKHospitality – catastrophic move means government has shut sector without support: The government has effectively shut the hospitality industry without any support by telling people to avoid pubs, restaurants and hotels in the wake of … view

Prime minister tells people to avoid pubs and clubs but stops short of telling venues to close: Prime minister Boris Johnson has told people to avoid pubs, clubs and other such venues – but stopped short of telling them to close. Johnso … view

New York and Los Angeles orders closure of bars and restaurants: The mayors of New York City and Los Angeles, the two largest cities in the United States, have ordered restaurants, theatres, bars and cinemas to close in an effort to slow … view

Licensee Association calls on pub-owning companies to adopt series of measures to support tenants during coronavirus crisis: The Licensees Association, the newly formed association for independent licensees, has called on pub-owning compa … view

UK restaurants see diner numbers decline rapidly as OpenTable data reveals coronavirus impact globally: Restaurants in the UK have seen a 20% decline in diners in the past week compared with the same period last year as the coronavirus (c … view

UKHospitality demands greater government support as businesses face existential threat from coronavirus with footfall down 30%: UKHospitality has called on the government to step up its support for businesses as the effect of coronavirus … view

Sector urges government to follow Germany's lead with unlimited business loans: Sector bosses have urged the government to follow Germany's lead and offer unlimited free loans to businesses to help steer the sector through the coronavirus … view

JD Wetherspoon – sales more adversely affected by poor weather than coronavirus, like-for-likes up 3.2%: JD Wetherspoon has said its sales have been more adversely affected by poor weather than coronavirus. In an unscheduled brief tradi … view

Sector like-for-likes fall 3.3% in February as floods and coronavirus take toll: Britain’s managed pub and restaurant groups saw like-for-like sales fall 3.3% in February compared with the previous year as flooding and coronavirus took … view

Minimum unit pricing (MUP) arrived in Wales this month accompanied by a lot of media coverage trumpeting a Home Office statement that there are “no current plans … view

Shepherd Neame reports turnover growth in all divisions in First Half: Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewer and owner of 320 pubs in Kent and the south east, has reported turnover growth in all divisions for the 26 weeks ended 28 Dec … view

UK independent cafes see sales grow 1.4% as segment remains ‘agile and resilient’: The UK’s independent cafe market has achieved 1.4% sales growth in the past 12 months, according to new research by Allegra World Coffee Portal. The … view

UKHospitality calls for immediate wide-ranging business support to deal with coronavirus threat: Sector businesses need immediate and wide-ranging support to deal with the threat of the coronavirus, according to trade body UKHospitality. … view

Pub, bar and restaurant closures at lowest rate since early 2018: Britain’s supply of restaurants, pubs, bars and other licensed premises fell by 1.8% in the 12 months to December 2019 – the lowest rate of year-on-year decline for nea … view

Dunstone to take full control of MOD Pizza UK: Sir Charles Dunstone, the backer of Five Guys UK, is to take full control of MOD Pizza in the UK, Propel has learned. The brand launched in the UK in Leeds in 2016 as a joint venture between … view

Causeway Capital merges Patisserie Valerie and Bakers + Baristas: Causeway Capital has announced the merger of its two portfolio companies – Patisserie Valerie and Bakers + Baristas – creating a “high-quality” patisserie and coffe … view