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Thursday 30th December 2021
Exclusive: Deliveroo to open high street restaurant for staff training
Exclusive – Deliveroo to open high street restaurant for staff training: Listed delivery firm Deliveroo is to launch its first high street restaurant, which it states will be used to train staff and help it “find better ways to serve … view
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Wednesday 29th December 2021
Sector again calls for further support as venues ‘lose average of £10,000 in week before Christmas’
Sector again calls for further support as restaurants, pubs and bars ‘lose average of £10,000 in week before Christmas’: Pubs, bars and restaurants lost £10,335 on average in the week leading up to Christmas, according to new data f … view
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Friday 24th December 2021
Opinion Special: Let's hope the end is nigh

Let's hope the end is nigh by Mark Wingett

A classic trope in horror, sci-fi or gangster films, is the scene when the beast/baddie appears to have been killed off, and as the main protagonist relaxes, they come back to life for one last … view
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Friday 24th December 2021
Update: Nightclubs warn PM over further restrictions, Joseph Holt, Barkby Group and Black Sheep Coffee
Enforced closures ‘could back nightclubs into corner with no chance of survival’: Nightclub bosses have warned imposing further restrictions on the sector would back firms “into a corner with no chance of survival” as they urged t … view
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Friday 24th December 2021
Propel Friday News Briefing
This is the last Propel newsletter of 2021. We would like to take this opportunity to wish our readers a happy, safe and healthy Christmas and new year

Story of the Day:

Kate Nicholls – scientists mus … view
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Thursday 23rd December 2021
Sector bosses plead for clarity over possible post-Christmas restrictions as studies show Omicron is milder
Hospitality bosses plead for clarity over possible post-Christmas restrictions as studies show Omicron is milder: Prime minister Boris Johnson will wait until after Christmas Day to announce any post-festive covid changes, after studies s … view
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Thursday 23rd December 2021
Propel Thursday News Briefing
Boxpark planning to quadruple in size over next five years: Boxpark plans to grow its estate from three to 12 sites over the next five years, founder Roger Wade has told Propel. Boxpark – which operates sites in Shoreditch, Croydon and … view
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Wednesday 22nd December 2021
Wales to return to tighter hospitality restrictions from Boxing Day
Wales to return to tighter hospitality restrictions from Boxing Day: The Welsh government has announced a return to tighter hospitality restrictions from 6am on Boxing Day following a surge in Omicron cases. The new measures will see the … view
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Wednesday 22nd December 2021
Update: Two-week circuit breaker ‘to be imposed within days’, isolation period cut and Peter Borg-Neal
Two-week circuit breaker ‘to be imposed within days’: Prime minister Boris Johnson has declared that Christmas can definitely go ahead “cautiously” – but new restrictions could be unveiled in as little as 48 hours, throwing new … view
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Wednesday 22nd December 2021
Propel Wednesday News Briefing
Hospitality’s £1bn aid package ‘too little too late’, new Scottish restrictions ‘the final straw’: The UK Treasury’s £1bn support package for the hospitality and leisure industries have been blasted as “too little too late … view
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Tuesday 21st December 2021
Scottish hospitality venues to return to table service and groups of no more than three households
Scottish hospitality venues to return to table service, social distancing and groups of no more than three households: Pubs, bars and restaurants will return to table service and social distancing rules from Monday (27 December), while groups … view
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Tuesday 21st December 2021
Sector businesses to receive one-off £6,000 grant as part of £1bn government support package amid Omicron impact
Sector businesses to receive one-off £6,000 grant as part of £1bn government support package amid Omicron impact: A fresh round of one-off grants for hospitality, of up to £6,000 per premises, has been announced by the government as part of … view
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Tuesday 21st December 2021
Update: Industry facing £1.5bn rent bill within days, David Page and Inn Collection Group
Hospitality bosses facing £1.5bn rent bill within days as fears grow over fresh lockdown in January: Pub and restaurant chiefs are braced for a wave of bankruptcies as a £1.5bn rent bill is due on Christmas Eve after covid restrictions … view
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Tuesday 21st December 2021
Propel Tuesday News Briefing
Weekend hospitality sales plummet over Omicron fears, third of nightclubs fear permanent closure: More than half (54%) of venues were down more than 40% in revenue last weekend, with one in five businesses reporting a crushing sales drop … view
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Monday 20th December 2021
Update: '24 hours to save 10,000 pubs and restaurants from closure', Leon, Pret and JD Wetherspoon
Rishi Sunak has ‘just 24 hours to save 10,000 pubs and restaurants from permanent closure’: Chancellor Rishi Sunak has just 24 hours to commit to a package of support for businesses or risk the permanent closure of 10,000 pubs and res … view
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Monday 20th December 2021
Propel Monday News Briefing
More than 100,000 businesses write to government demanding urgent sector support: More than 100,000 hospitality, leisure and retail businesses have written to the prime minister and chancellor of the exchequer calling for urgent assurance … view
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Sunday 19th December 2021
Fuller’s to close 20 of what would have been its busiest sites indefinitely
Emeny – we are closing 20 of what would have been our busiest sites indefinitely: Simon Emeny, chief executive of Fuller’s, has said that the company is closing 20 of what would have been its busiest sites in London indefinitely, as s … view
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Friday 17th December 2021
Friday Opinion
Subjects: The covid hokey-cokey, a recurring nightmare, let’s hear it for cask ales, merging people and tech, why the on-trade needs to invest in a premium line-up
Authors: Paul Chase, Mark Wingett, Glynn Davis, Katy Moses, … view
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Friday 17th December 2021
Wales to close its nightclubs after Boxing Day
Wales to close its nightclubs after Boxing Day: Wales is set to see a return to tougher covid restrictions after Christmas following a surge in Omicron cases in the UK. The first minister has announced a mixture of advice for over the Chr … view
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Friday 17th December 2021
Propel Friday News Briefing
Sector shutting sites early and planning redundancies as businesses hit by ‘double whammy’ amid record covid cases: Industry bosses are shutting sites early and planning redundancies as the impact of the Omicron variant and “Plan B … view
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Thursday 16th December 2021
UKHospitality highlights desperate need for financial support as sector suffers £4bn sales drop
UKHospitality highlights desperate need for financial support as sector suffers £4bn sales drop: UKHospitality has highlighted the desperate need for financial support for the industry as it revealed the sector has suffered a £4bn sales drop … view
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Thursday 16th December 2021
Domino’s UK ends dispute with its franchisees and maps way ahead
Domino’s UK ends dispute with its franchisees and maps way ahead: Domino’s Pizza Group has announced it has reached an agreement with its UK franchisees to resolve long-standing grievances. The company stated: “Despite a long histor … view
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Thursday 16th December 2021
Propel Thursday News Briefing
Sector bosses accuse government of shutting industry by back door as calls for financial support continue to be rejected: Sector bosses have accused the government of closing the industry by the back door as calls for financial support fo … view
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Wednesday 15th December 2021
Fortress acquires Punch from Patron Capital
Fortress acquires Punch from Patron Capital: Fortress Investment Group, the US-based investor owned by Japan's SoftBank, has announced it has acquired Punch Pubs & Co from Patron Capital Partners for an undisclosed sum. The company said: “Fo … view
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Wednesday 15th December 2021
Update: NTIA's covid passport warning, Hollywood Bowl, Tom Kerridge, Cineworld et al
NTIA – these additional restrictions will jeopardise the survival of businesses in 2022: Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), has said covid passports for nightclubs, which were voted into law l … view
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Wednesday 15th December 2021
Propel Wednesday News Briefing
Health chief warns pubs and restaurants could close by January even without restrictions: Fears have been raised that UK pubs and restaurants could be forced to close by January – but due to a spike in covid cases sparking staff shortag … view
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Tuesday 14th December 2021
Scotland returns to social distancing in pubs and restaurants but £100m made available to help businesses
Scotland returns to social distancing in pubs and restaurants but £100m made available to help businesses: Social distancing will return to pubs and restaurants in Scotland over the crucial festive period, first minister Nicola Sturgeon annou … view
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Tuesday 14th December 2021
Update: Businesses to get more funding and possible furlough support if further lockdown is imposed
Businesses to get more funding and possible furlough support if further lockdown is imposed: Businesses will be supported with new state funding, including a potential return to furlough, if prime minister Boris Johnson orders further loc … view
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Tuesday 14th December 2021
Propel Tuesday News Briefing
Sector sales down by 9% following Plan B announcement: Hospitality sales dropped by 9% following the government’s Plan B announcement last week, according to the latest data from S4labour, the online labour-scheduling management system … view
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Monday 13th December 2021
Tim Martin – country ‘appears to be heading towards lockdown by stealth’
Tim Martin says country ‘appears to be heading towards lockdown by stealth’ as JD Wetherspoon warns new restrictions will hit sales: JD Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin has said the country “appears to be heading towards a lockdown b … view
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Monday 13th December 2021
Update: Fulham Shore, ‘Plan D’, EasyHotel and Budweiser Brewing Group
Franco Manca owner set to put payouts back on menu: The operator of the Franco Manca and Real Greek restaurant chains is expected to start paying dividends at its full-year results after strong trading. The Times reports Fulham Shore’s … view
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Monday 13th December 2021
Propel Monday News Briefing
Oakman reports 16.3% like-for-like sales growth, best ever openings pipeline: Oakman Group, the Dermot King-led pub-restaurant operator, has reported like-for-like sales growth of 16.3% for the 21 weeks to 5 December, versus the same peri … view
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Saturday 11th December 2021
More than 130 sector operators call on ministers to provide financial support in wake of new restrictions
More than 130 sector operators call on ministers to provide financial support in wake of new restrictions: The hospitality sector has pleaded with the government to provide more support in the wake of the Plan B announcement, as it warned … view
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Friday 10th December 2021
Luminar founder Stephen Thomas passes away
Luminar founder Stephen Thomas passes away: Stephen Thomas, the founder of Luminar, which was at one time the UK’s leading nightclub operator, has passed away at the age of 68. Thomas started Luminar in 1988 with a £22,000 bank loan and bui … view
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Friday 10th December 2021
Friday Opinion
Subjects: Grow-your-own a growth industry, Plan B makes it even more challenging for hospitality, nine steps to a brighter future for the sector
Authors: Glynn Davis, Ann Elliott, Abi Dunn

Grow-you … view

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Friday 10th December 2021
Pint could rise by 10p as pubs suffer Christmas cancellations
Pint could rise by 10p as pubs suffer Christmas cancellations: The cost of a pint is expected to rise by 10p as pubs experience widespread cancellations of Christmas bookings because of concern about the Omicron variant and new coronaviru … view
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Friday 10th December 2021
Propel Friday News Briefing
Adam Breeden planning new racing simulation concept: Adam Breeden, the co-founder of All Star Lanes, Hijingo, Bounce, Flight Club and Puttshack, is planning to launch a racing simulation concept in central London under his new Kindred Con … view
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Thursday 9th December 2021
Hospitality sector calls for urgent financial review to survive
Hospitality sector calls for urgent financial review to survive: UKHospitality, Croydon BID, Boxpark and Mayor of London have joined a call for an urgent review into financial support for the UK’s hospitality sector following the govern … view
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Thursday 9th December 2021
Propel Thursday News Briefing
Kitchen Ventures plans £5m funding round, makes regional debut: Kitchen Ventures, the cloud kitchen and virtual dining start-up, is to launch a £5m funding round next year, Propel has learned. Kitchen Ventures is the brainchild of Jonny … view
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Wednesday 8th December 2021
Sector blasts government for introducing Plan B covid measures, including vaccine passports for nightclubs
Sector blasts government for introducing Plan B covid measures, including vaccine passports for nightclubs: Hospitality operators have blasted Downing Street’s new “Plan B” covid restrictions, saying vaccine passports and work from … view
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Wednesday 8th December 2021
Legal Briefing

Preparations for the Christmas spirits by Jon Wallsgrove

It has been a rollercoaster of a year for hospitality, full of challenges and uncertainty, but also one of adaptation and recuperation. As we reach the end of 2021, we remind you o … view
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Wednesday 8th December 2021
Update: Hostmore, KFC and SSP
Fridays operator reports Ebitda ahead of comparable 2019 figure: Hostmore – the hospitality business that operates American-themed casual dining brand, Fridays, and the cocktail-led bar and restaurant brand, 63rd+1st – has reported th … view
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Wednesday 8th December 2021
Propel Wednesday News Briefing
Harrods restaurant workers call off strike after landing 25% pay rise dubbed a ‘benchmark for the hospitality sector’: Restaurant staff Harrod’s have called off a threatened strike during Christmas week after securing a 25% pay incr … view
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Tuesday 7th December 2021
Propel Tuesday News Briefing
Notable positive shift in operators now trading as normal, but staff recruitment and supply issues significant challenges: There has been a notable positive shift in those operators who have returned to a normalised level of trading, but … view
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Monday 6th December 2021
Fulham Shore – we have 21 sites in legals
Fulham Shore – we have 21 sites in legals: Franco Manca operator Fulham Shore has reported strong revenue growth in the six months to 26 September and continued buoyant current trading ahead of management's expectations – it has 21 si … view
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Monday 6th December 2021
Propel Monday News Briefing
Rise in distressed hospitality venues predicted in new year, but not at levels previously feared: Christie & Co has warned of an “uptick” in distressed properties in the hospitality industry in the new year, but not at the kind of lev … view
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Sunday 5th December 2021
Richard Caring takes day-to-day control of restaurant business, as CEO Berisha departs
Richard Caring takes day-to-day control of restaurant business, as CEO Berisha departs: Serial sector investor Richard Caring has taken day-to-day control of his restaurant empire, which includes Bill’s and the Ivy Collection, after the … view
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Friday 3rd December 2021
Friday Opinion
Subjects: Omicron – a media-led moral panic, so here it is, fixing the foundations, pubs need to tread carefully with table bookings
Authors: Paul Chase, Mark Wingett, Sarah Travell, Glynn Davis 

view
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Friday 3rd December 2021
Propel celebrates tenth birthday – Part Two
Propel celebrates tenth birthday – Part Two: This week, Propel is celebrating its tenth birthday. All week readers and customers have been sharing their feedback on the first decade. Steve Richards, chief executive of Parkdean Reso … view
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Friday 3rd December 2021
Propel Friday News Briefing
Asda and Lean Kitchen Network launch new Food Lab concept: Lean Kitchen Network (LKN), the digital brand creation and food delivery business backed by Edition Capital, has partnered with Asda on a new food counter concept called Food Labs … view
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Thursday 2nd December 2021
Sector hopeful sales slump behind it as Omicron variant declared ‘mild’
Sector hopeful sales slump behind it as Omicron variant declared ‘mild’: Sector trade bodies are hopeful a slump seen in festive bookings is behind the industry as the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared cases of the covid-19 variant … view
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Thursday 2nd December 2021
Update: Anand – we’re taking a half billion bet on the pub industry
Anand – we’re taking a half billion bet on the pub industry: Ex-Greene King chief executive Rooney Anand has said his new vehicle RedCat is taking “a half billion bet on the pub industry”, as it moves toward owning 100 pubs since … view
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Thursday 2nd December 2021
Propel Thursday News Briefing
Pho – we are looking at 2022 with confidence, lfls up 23%: Patrick Marrinan, managing director of the TriSpan-backed Pho, has said the Vietnamese street food restaurant group is looking toward 2022 with confidence after seeing like-for- … view
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Wednesday 1st December 2021
Sticks’n’Sushi reports UK now its biggest market in record year
Sticks’n’Sushi reports UK now its biggest market in record year: Sushi chain Sticks’n’Sushi has reported the UK is now its biggest market as company turnover hits £57m in its most recent financial year ending at an unspecified date in … view
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Wednesday 1st December 2021
Update: Loungers, Patrick Dardis and Chapel Down
Loungers reports like-for-likes up 23.4%, sales outperform pre-pandemic levels: Cafe bar operator Loungers has reported it had “continued to consistently outperform the sector”, with like-for-like sales growth of 23.4% across the 28 w … view
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Wednesday 1st December 2021
Propel Wednesday News Briefing
Andrea – we plan to reposition 290 food-led pubs to meet changing consumer dynamics, drops breakfast and delivery: Andrew Andrea, chief executive of Marston’s, has said the company plans to reposition 290 food-led pubs to meet changin … view
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