Starbucks arrests sales decline as turnaround builds steam with UK returning to growth: Starbucks’ like-for-like sales are rising again, ending an 18-month decline, with the UK among the markets returning to growth. The company reported … view

Exclusive – Urban Pubs & Bars acquires Albion & East, like-for-like sales up 8.7% since May as sales approach £100m over past 12 months: Urban Pubs & Bars, the London pub operator founded by Malc Heap and Nick Pring and backed by David … view

Story of the Day:

Exclusive – Big Table Group to restructure operations: The Big Table Group – the Epiris-backed operator of Las Iguanas, Bella Italia, Frankie & Benny’s and Banana Tree – is restructuring its ope … view

C&C Group – ‘2025 has been another year of turbulence for hospitality industry with shifting consumer trends’: C&C Group has said 2025 has been another year of turbulence for the hospitality industry with shifting consumer trends. I … view

Exclusive – Oxygen Activeplay acquires five Ninja Warrior UK adventure parks to increase its portfolio to 18 sites: Indoor family activity brand Oxygen Activeplay has acquired experiential operator Leisure TV Rights and its five Ninja W … view

Starbucks shuts ten company-owned UK sites: Starbucks has shut ten of its UK coffee shops – a month after the company said it would close “some” of its circa 520 company-owned stores here following a review of its global portfolio. … view

Gordon Ramsay’s UK restaurants business sees losses grow to £15.8m before merger of operations: Gordon Ramsay’s UK restaurants business has seen its pre-tax losses increase to £15.8m amid a number of closures. The business currently … view

Flat September for hospitality sales but pubs continue outperformance as crucial final quarter starts: Britain’s top managed restaurant, pub and bar groups delivered like-for-like sales growth of 0.2% in September, according to the late … view

Mitchells & Butlers CFO to step down, to be replaced by Marks & Spencer’s Emma Harris: Tim Jones is to step down as chief financial officer of Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), the Toby Carvery, All Bar One and Harvester operator … view

Coca-Cola CEO – ‘coffee remains a super attractive category but we expected much more growth in the non-retail side of Costa business’: Coca-Cola chief executive James Quincey has said coffee remains a “super attractive” categor … view

Brunning & Price returned to profit ahead of parent company refinancing, reiterates plans to open up to six new sites a year from 2026 with focus on bedrooms: Brunning & Price, The Restaurant Group (TRG)-owned pub company, returned to pro … view

Various Eateries CEO – ‘the chancellor needs to recognise how counterproductive further cost or margin pressures on the industry would be’: Mark Loughborough, chief executive of Various Eateries, the Hugh Osmond-backed business that … view

Exclusive – Sean Donkin to step down as Inn Collection Group CEO: Sean Donkin is to step down as chief executive of the Inn Collection Group at the end of this year after deciding to explore opportunities outside the circa 30-strong bus … view

Hospitality site numbers rise in third quarter but sector seeing 11 closures every week: Britain’s number of licensed premises has fallen 0.6% in the last year despite modest growth in the third quarter of 2025, according to the latest … view

Hospitality site numbers rise in third quarter but sector seeing 11 closures every week: Britain’s number of licensed premises has fallen 0.6% in the last year despite modest growth in the third quarter of 2025, according to the latest … view

Pizza Hut UK acquires Pizza Hut’s dine-in operations, 68 restaurants closing with loss of more than 1,700 jobs: Pizza Hut UK has acquired Pizza Hut’s dine-in operations through a pre-packaged administration, which will see 68 restaura … view

Arc Inspirations CEO – ‘London opening opens up other opportunities for the business’, ‘there could be some sector consolidation’: Martin Wolstencroft, chief executive of Arc Inspirations, the premium bar operator, has told Prop … view

Amber Taverns chair – ‘if we want to become a national company we must establish a good presence in the south’: James Baer, chairman of wet-led, community pub operator Amber Taverns, which is backed by Epiris, has told Propel that i … view

Amber Taverns posts record full-year turnover of £120m, recent like-for-like sales up 5%, hires Glenn Pearson as new CFO: Wet-led, community pub operator Amber Taverns, which is backed by Epiris, achieved record turnover of £120m in the … view

Chick-fil-A hires Paul Claxton to lead UK operation: US brand Chick-fil-A, which made its debut site in Northern Ireland earlier this year as it begins its return to these shores, has hired Paul Claxton, formerly of PizzaExpress and Paul … view

Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf resort narrows losses as turnover hits record £24.2m: Donald Trump’s luxury Scottish golf resort, Turnberry, narrowed its losses in the year ending 31 December 2024 as turnover increased 15% to a record … view

Exclusive – Middletons Steakhouse & Grill exploring options: Gastro Pubs, the parent company of the Middletons Steakhouse & Grill, has appointed advisors to again explore its options for the business, including a sale, two years after i … view

Honest Burgers reports ‘best year to date’ as turnover hits £59.9m, like-for-like sales up 10%: Honest Burgers, the Active Partners-backed business, has said the year ending 26 January 2025 marked its “best year to date”, with tu … view

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants reports record UK revenue of £134m as group goes global: Gordon Ramsay Restaurants has reported UK sales increased 40% to a record £134m for the 15 months to 30 December 2024 compared with £95.6m the previous … view

Exclusive – Stonegate hires Nigel Sherwood to lead managed business: Stonegate Group, the UK’s largest pub company, has hired Nigel Sherwood, formerly of Wagamama and Nando’s, to oversee its managed business, which will transition t … view

Last week, the government launched a call for evidence on proposed changes to outdated licensing laws affecting the hospitality industry. The … view

Deadline looms for entries to Restaurant Marketer & Innovator Awards and Rising Stars: The deadline for entries for The Restaurant Marketer & Innovator (RMI) Awards, celebrating outstanding achievements in marketing, technology and innova … view

B Bagel – 20-site target ‘just the start as we want to be biggest bagel shop business in UK’, exploring expansion outside London: London bagel business B Bagel has told Propel its previously stated target of 20 sites by 2030 is just … view

Exclusive – Mission Mars appoints advisors to assess options: Mission Mars, the owners of the Albert's Schloss bar business and Rudy's Pizza Napoletana brand, has hired advisors to assess its funding options for its next stage of growth … view

Operators brand government’s late-night pub plans a ‘waste of time’: Sector operators have branded the government’s plans to allow pubs to stay open later a “complete waste of time”, as they said it will not reverse the damag … view

Scottish casual dining brand targeting ‘initial wave of around ten sites, then scaling steadily with an average of 15-20 openings per year’ after launching franchise programme: Scottish casual dining brand Tony Macaroni has told Prope … view

Exclusive – TGI Fridays UK and Evolv Collection owners acquire London Brasseries: Calveton UK and Breal Capital – owners of TGI Fridays UK and the Evolv Collection, formerly D&D London – has acquired London Brasseries for an undiscl … view

Exclusive – outdated technology, systems and processes costing hospitality sector £2.7bn a year: Outdated systems and inefficient processes are costing the hospitality sector £2.7bn a year, according to new research. The study by KAM … view

Meaningful Vision – hospitality prices are rising at their fastest rate of 2025: Hospitality prices are rising at their fastest rate of 2025, with July and August seeing the highest year-on-year increases, according to analysis by Meani … view

As autumn arrives and the trees put on their brief but beautiful display of colour, the hospitality industry shifts its focus to Hallowe’en and the busy fes … view

Marston’s reports “step-change in profitability”, like-for-like sales up 1.6%: Marston’s, which operates more than 1,300 pubs, has said it has seen a “step-change in profitability underpinned by sustained margin expansion”, as … view

Exclusive – Byron raises new equity to ‘continue to rebuild and grow’: Better burger brand Byron has staved off a further restructuring after raising additional equity to continue to “rebuild and grow”, Propel has learned. Prope … view

San Carlo Group CEO – ‘the government is not giving us anything to make us want to grow in the UK’: Marcello Distefano, chief executive of San Carlo Group, has told Propel that the company’s immediate focus is expanding overseas, … view

Chaiiwala – 2024 sales up 35%, system sales year to date up 16%: Chaiiwala saw global sales increase 35% to £89.4m in 2024, a year which saw it open 24 sites globally, including 15 in the UK, as it continues to target 500 openings over … view

JD Wetherspoon set to make its international debut in 2026, further franchise deals lined up: JD Wetherspoon chair Sir Tim Martin has told Propel the company is set to make its international debut in 2026 and has further franchise deals l … view

Exclusive – Rare Restaurants reports like-for-like sales up 5% in last quarter, ‘regularly experiencing weeks with cover growth in the multiple thousands’ as new openings are eyed: Rare Restaurants marketing director Mark Sansom has … view

Exclusive – The Karali Group acquires Côte: Côte the French brasserie brand backed by the Partners Group, has been sold to The Karali Group, led by Salim Janmohamed OBE and Karim Janmohamed, for an undisclosed sum, Propel has learned. … view

Market Place exploring cities across the UK as it aims to open at least three sites per year: Food hall concept Market Place has told Propel it is exploring new locations in cities across the UK as it aims to open up to three new sites pe … view

Propel unveils full and final details of dozen ‘deep-dive’ parallel sessions at Culture, Talent & Training Conference: Propel has unveiled the full and final details of a dozen “parallel sessions” at this year’s Culture, Talent … view

Bakery and cafe brand Cooplands acquired from EG Group in management buyout: Bakery and cafe brand Cooplands, which has 154 shops across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the north east has been acquired from EG Group. Cooplands has been acquir … view

Asda owners are destroying Leon, says fast food chain’s co-founder: The owners of Asda are destroying Leon by ditching its healthy ethos in favour of junk food, the group’s co-founder has claimed. Henry Dimbleby, who co-founded Leon … view

Increased employment costs forcing Greggs to raise prices again: Food-to-go operator Greggs is to increase its prices from today (Thursday, 2 October) as it looks to combat increased employment costs, as its chief executive Roisin Currie … view

Boparan Restaurant Group plans 50 new Slim Chickens UK sites in 2026 and 30 new Giraffe locations over next four years: Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG) has said Slim Chickens UK is “primed for rapid growth”, with a pipeline of 50 sites … view

Hospitality food and drink prices rise for fifth month in a row as pressures mount: Food and drink prices in the hospitality sector rose by 0.4% in the month to August, the latest Foodservice Price Index from CGA by NIQ and Prestige Purch … view