JD Wetherspoon launches own reduced prices scheme as Eat Out To Help Out ends: JD Wetherspoon is launching its “Stay Out To Help Out” scheme from tomorrow (Tuesday, 1 September). It follows on from the success of the government’s Ea … view

Sector rallies behind test and trace: Operators have rallied to get behind NHS Test and Trace – to show customers their spaces are safe and to help avoid further lock-downs. Industry companies across the spectrum are supporting the init … view

Deliveroo to launch Eat In to Help Out to ‘help small restaurants’: Deliveroo is offer customers a discount in September to encourage them to “eat in to help out”. The delivery company will offer £5 off orders of £20 or more eve … view

Operators extend discount offer from their own pockets into September but call for further government support: Operators are extending the 50% discount on food and soft drinks into next month by footing the cost themselves amid calls for … view

Byron buyer paid £4m: An administrator report indicates that £4m was paid by Calveton UK to acquire 20 Byron sites out of administration. A report by administrator KPMG states that unsecured creditors are likely to receive less than 1p … view

TowerBrook paid £109.5m for Azzurri Group: Azzurri Group, the operator of ASK Italian, Zizzi and Coco Di Mama, was acquired out of administration by private equity firm TowerBrook Capital for £109.5m last month – less than half the £ … view

Numis – JD Wetherspoon to make a loss after subdued start: Numis leisure analyst Tim Barrett has said JD Wetherspoon has got off to a slow restart, even with the benefit of Eat Out To Help Out, and argued its sales scenario for the curr … view

JD Wetherspoon reports like-for-like sales down 16.9%: JD Wetherspoon has reported like-for-like sales are down 16.9% for the 44 days of trading to 16 August. The company stated: “Apart from a small number of development sites, and pubs … view

Night-time operators present government with science-backed reopening plan: A consortium of leading night-time operators, including the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), has called on the government to save the UK’s late-night s … view

Paul Chase – PHE's ‘flawed’ counting methods for coronavirus deaths is a ‘major blunder’ that has directly impacted the hospitality industry: Leading sector commentator Paul Chase has argued Public Health England’s “flawed� … view

Sector leaders call for Eat Out To Help Out scheme extension: UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls and Sacha Lord, night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, are among those calling for the government to extend the Eat Out … view

Trade bodies warn sector over having robust test and trace data collection or risk seeing guidelines ‘significantly strengthened’: Industry trade bodies have written an open letter to the sector to stress the importance of having accu … view

Gordon Ramsay – I am still planning to add 50 sites in the UK: Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant business made a profit of more than £15 million last year and is still planning to open 50 venues across the UK. The chef is also planning a ma … view

CEBR – Eat Out To Help Out doing more to help UK’s return to normality than government guidance changes: The Eat Out To Help Out scheme is doing more to help the UK’s return to normality than the many changes in government guidance … view

Osmond: Listing of Various Eateries will provide war chest to expand existing brands and acquire others: Serial sector investor Hugh Osmond has told Propel that a proposed AIM-listing of his Various Eateries business, will see the company … view

Sector sees slight drop-off in sales during second week of Eat Out To Help Out scheme: The sector saw a slight drop-off in sales during the second week of the government’s Eat Out To Help Out scheme, according to research by hospitality … view

YO! to undergo CVA, 19 UK restaurants to close: YO!, the global multi-brand, multi-channel Japanese food group, is to undergo a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) that will see 19 of its 69 UK restaurants close. The company, led by Richa … view

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Bowling alleys to reopen in England tomorrow after delay but nightclubs remain shut: Bowling alleys and casinos will be allowed to reopen in England from tomorrow (Saturday, 15 August) as the government resumes its easing of lock-down res … view

Greene King becomes UK’s largest takeaway pub business: Brewer and retailer Greene King has introduced food and drink takeaway across its food-led managed pub estate, which makes it the UK’s largest pub takeaway business. The move fol … view

Sector sees sales halve in first month back: Britain’s managed pub, restaurant and bar groups saw total July sales down 50.4% compared with last year as the sector re-emerged from lock-down, latest data from the Coffer Peach Business Tr … view

Sector sees sales halve in first month back: Britain’s managed pub, restaurant and bar groups saw total July sales down 50.4% compared with last year as the sector re-emerged from lock-down, latest data from the Coffer Peach Business Tr … view

Having advised operators across the hospitality sector throughout the covid-19 crisis, it’s clear they’re doing their best to follow official guidance, whether that’s social distancing, l … view

Just Eat reports turnover and Ebitda growth: Just Eat has reported revenue up 44% to €1 billion, and adjusted Ebitda of €177 million in the first six months of this year. Jitse Groen, chief executive of Just Eat Takeaway.com N.V, said … view

Trinity Kitchen and British Street Food Awards founder Richard Johnson to launch street food offer, seeks chief operating officer: Richard Johnson, founder of the British, European and USA Street Food Awards and the man behind Trinity Kit … view

Government policy in the four UK parliaments, and in the Republic of Ireland is implicitly based on the assumption there is a high level of covid-19 transmission in pubs. This appro … view

Diners use eat out discount 10.5 million times in first week: Diners used the “eat out to help out” scheme more than 10.5 million times in its first week, the Treasury has said. Under the scheme, which is intended to boost the struggl … view

G1 Group slows reopening plans and announces closures after background music ban, warns measures will have ‘drastic impact on atmosphere’: Scotland’s largest managed pub, restaurant and hotel operator G1 Group has been forced to ret … view

Itsu’s leasehold portfolio over-rented compared with market by £6m per annum: An inflated UK property market coupled with upwards-only rent reviews has caused the leasehold portfolio of Itsu to be over-rented by £6m per annum. Accordi … view

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Operators hail success of first week of Eat Out To Help Out as sales increase 70.9%: Restaurant and pub operators have hailed the success of the first week of the government’s Eat Out To Help Out scheme, including significant double-dig … view

Franco Manca operator – we are in the ‘survive and prosper’ group of companies: Fulham Shore has reported sales have risen week-on-week since re-opening on 4 July and like-for-like sales are circa 72% of last year in the four weeks … view

Bill’s to permanently close parts of estate: Bill’s, the Richard Caring-backed restaurant group, is set to close parts of its 78-strong estate, Propel has learned. It’s thought the business has earmarked a number of sites for closur … view

Loungers reports like-for-like sales down just 1.7%: Loungers, the operator of 165 neighbourhood cafe bars and restaurants across England and Wales under the Lounge and Cosy Club brands, has announced like-for-like sales have been -1.7% s … view

BrewDog calls for urgent action to stimulate central London economy, Eat Out To Help Out ‘making huge difference’ already: Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog is calling for urgent government action to stimulate central London’s e … view

Nicholls – unless government fixes rent issue all good work will be lost: UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls has said unless the government fills in the last piece of the jigsaw – rent – all its good work so far will be los … view

More than 72,000 businesses sign up as Eat Out To Help Out launches: More than 72,000 businesses have signed up to the government’s Eat Out To Help Out scheme, which launches today (Monday, 3 August). Anyone visiting a participating res … view

Pubs and restaurants won’t have to shut to allow schools to reopen insists minister, sector warns another closure would destroy industry: Pubs and restaurants won’t have to shut to allow schools to reopen next month, housing secretary … view

One of the most interesting things in the industry at the moment is everyone is behaving differently. The rules of the game aren’t known, or if they are they keep changing. It feels a bit like Ma … view