Frank Dowling – ‘We believe administrators have breached confidentiality’: Frank Dowling, who led the South East London-based operator Greenwich Inc, which went into administration, last November, has claimed that the administrator has breached confidentiality by revealing settlement terms that include a sum of £850,000 to be paid over five years in equal monthly instalments starting on 1 September. A further £454,000 is to be paid over five years in respect of antiques owned by Greenwich Inc’s sister companies. Charges have been placed on Dowling’s home and other properties as security over the £850,000. Antiques to the value of £454,000 have also been pledged by Dowling to the joint liquidators of Greenwich Holdings as security for the antiques sum. In return, Dowling told Propel that his £300,000 legal fees have been paid out of the £4.5m D&D Restaurants paid for the company’s Madisons site in the City of London. Dowling told Propel: “The administrators have made many statements that are wrong and misleading in various reports going back to 23 January. I will afford them the decency to correct them. The settlement agreement had strict confidentiality clauses in them and I want to make sure any statements I make do not breach these. As the report they published has stated that my solicitors, Mischon, have been paid out of the proceeds of the Madison sale, I have not breached the confidentiality clauses. We believe that the administrators have breached the confidentiality clauses in the agreement by publishing the terms of the settlement.”

 

Russian courts confirm 90-day closures of McDonald’s as six branches are closed by health watchdog: The Russian courts have backed the 90-day closure of three McDonald’s restaurants in Moscow for breaches of sanitary rules, while the state food safety watchdog suspended work at a fourth. The three restaurants – on Moscow’s Manezh square, under the walls of the Kremlin, at Pushkin Square and on Prospect Mira – have been closed since last week on the orders of the watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor. The court rulings confirmed that decision. Rospotrebnadzor has introduced sweeping checks, including unscheduled inspections, at McDonald’s restaurants across the country. On Wednesday it ordered the temporary closure of a fourth branch in the capital – the sixth nationwide. The crackdown is widely linked to the crisis over Ukraine, which has led to a round of sanctions and trade restrictions. McDonald’s said it would appeal the court rulings.

ALMR welcomes zero hours clampdown: The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers has welcomed the government’s bid to clamp down on contract abuses, stressed the importance of flexible working to licensed hospitality and called upon the government to help businesses invest in their employees. On Monday, the Secretary of State for Business, Vince Cable, announced that the government would ban exclusivity clauses for employees on zero hours contracts. The ALMR’s strategic affairs director, Kate Nicholls, said: “Not only are we pleased to see the government addressing the issue of contract abuse, it is also encouraging to hear the Business Secretary speak positively regarding flexible working. Flexible working is critical for licensed hospitality as it offers a degree of flexibility to both employers and employees. Many of our employees are young or in full time education or semi-retired and enjoy the flexibility which these contracts afford them as they often combine work with study or other activities. We are, as a sector, committed to ending abusive contracts and providing employees with the opportunity to find work in our industry whether it be the first step of a long, successful career, or a part-time job for the summer. Last year’s ALMR Benchmarking Report show total payroll costs now accounting for over 25% of turnover and we have seen significant rises over the past 15 years. This is a sector which is prepared to invest in its staff if conditions allow it. Further action by the government to lower the cost of employing someone would see continued investment in our sector and growth across our local economies.”

 

Dundee clamps down on new openings: It will be “extremely difficult” for new licensed premises to open in Dundee, after a landmark ruling by the city’s licensing board. Councillors called time on the issuing of new licences for on and off sales, unless the applicant can prove their new premises will not contribute to the over-provision of alcohol in the city. Ken Glass, a solicitor with Baillies Law, said the decision would make it nearly impossible for new pubs and off-licences to open or expand in Dundee. He told The Courier: “Clearly the existence of an over-arching policy is going to make it extremely difficult for new operators to move into the city. Operators hoping to come into the city are now going to have to show substantial reasons why the licensing board should depart from their policy. It is certainly a high test to meet,” he said.

End of curfew blamed for Inverness nightclub closure: The removal of Inverness’s controversial night-time curfew is being blamed for the closure of a large nightclub. Miami nightclub and Aces bar in High Street has shut with the loss of about 20 jobs. Owner Vinny Macleod blames the lifting of the curfew, which stopped people entering larger bars and clubs after midnight, for encouraging people to drink at home for longer before travelling into the city centre. The “Cinderella” curfew was axed by the Highland Licensing Board in November 2012 following a campaign by local people despite strong opposition from police, who feared it would threaten public safety and increase violence. The restriction had been in place for almost a decade.

 

Agent sells two pubs to community groups five miles apart: The ‘Back the Brook’ community pub campaign will re-open the Brook Inn at Washbrook, Ipswich, Suffolk, tomorrow (27 August) after completing the acquisition of the pub from Punch Taverns off an asking price of £325,000 for the freehold. The community have appointed a new manager, David Clarke. The pub was sold through agent Everard Cole, which also sold the Case is Altered at Bentley to the ‘Save the Case’ community group earlier this year. The two pubs are less than five miles apart.

 

Chilango mini-bond ended on £2.16m – largest amount ever raised on Crowdcube: Chilango’s fund-raising through Crowdcube ended up raising £2.16m, with 749 people investing in return for 8% interest. This is the largest amount ever raised on Crowdcube, beating last year’s record set by Hab Housing of £1.97m. The average amount invested was around £2,900, with the largest investment £50,000. People invested from Cornwall to Scotland but 82% of bondholders live in London and the South East. Women formed 22% of the whole set, investing £500,000 between them. The 102 people that invested £10,000 or more will receive Chilango Black Cards entitling them to a free meal each week for the duration of the bond. Eric Partaker, co-founder of Chilango said: “The brand awareness and engagement we created, together with Crowdcube, is simply off the charts. The bond has been a massive success; we not only raised the capital we needed to open our next batch of restaurants, but have also created 749 brand ambassadors to support our growth. The team at Crowdcube made the whole process straightforward and efficient and it’s an experience we look forward to repeating. Debt options for SMEs in Britain have expanded in a major way, and it was delight to help spearhead this new and exciting route to funding.” Luke Lang, co-founder of Crowdcube, added: “It’s great that the Burrito Bond has attracted so many people who not only believe in Chilango’s future as a viable, profitable business, but are also fans of its fabulous fresh food.”

 

Ralph Findlay – we are working on Plan B for blokes: Marston’s chief executive, Ralph Findlay, has told the London Evening Standard that the companies currently working on a Plan B strategy where B stands for Blokes. The strategy evolution comes after half a decade of success with its F-plan strategy, a focus on females, family, food and forty to fifty-somethings. Findlay said: “We are calling it Plan B. That’s B for blokes. Don’t forget that one of the keys to the success of the F-Plan was making sure that blokes carried on coming to the pubs alongside the females and families. That was relatively simple – make sure the beer was great.”

Oakman to open ninth site next month: Oakman Inns & Restaurants, led by Peter Borg-Neal, will open its ninth site on the site of the former Veer Dhara Indian restaurant in St Albans on Monday 8 September. Following an £800,000 fit-out, the site will operate as The Beech House, the same name as the site Oakman Inns opened in Beaconsfield just over a year ago. The Beech House in Albans will seat 100 guests and will provide a day-long service to their guests from “breakfast to dinner, from coffee with pastries to tapas with wine and all-stops in between”.

 

Tasty opens Wildwood hybrid: Tasty has opened a Wildwood hybrid in Ludlow, Shropshire incorporating the renowned De Grey’s tearoom into the front of the premises. De Grey’s closed in January this year and the new opening has incorporated a cafe, bakery and tearoom. The restaurant company first planned to put a Wildwood restaurant in the building, but , swayed by the popularity of the tearooms locally, decided to keep them running, creating a deli and bakery as well. Jonathan Plant, joint chef executive of Tasty, told the local newspaper: “At first we weren’t sure, but since we’ve taken over the site we’ve had so many letters of interest and sadness that De Grey’s had gone that we want to retain as much as possible. The big difference will be at the rear, where there will be a kitchen doing our high-end pizza, pasta and grill menu. But we’ve spent a lot of time and effort to be sensitive to what it was, and moulding our concept to De Grey’s. It’s the first time we’ve done a deli, the first time we’ve done a bakery.”

 

South Wales restaurateur to open second site: South Wales restaurateur Francis Depuy is to open a second site – Chez Francis is to open on Cowbridge Road. The new bar and restaurant is being fitted underneath one of the city’s most popular and highly acclaimed restaurants, the Purple Poppadom. Depuy operates Penarth’s Pier 64 and formerly ran Le Gallois, which used to be in Pontcanna.

 

Holmes Valley Inns lines up fifth: Holmes Valley Inns, which runs a group of Huddersfield area pubs, is to add the Beaumont Arms, its second Punch Tavern site, to the estate in November. Its existing pubs are the Sands House at Crosland Hill, the Golden Cock at Farnley Tyas, the Kaye Arms at Grange Moor and the Bull’s Head at Blackmoorfoot. The four pubs have been brought together by business partners and tenants Mark Oldfield, his wife Clare and Ricardo Victor. Holmes Valley Inns has worked with the pubs’ owners, Enterprise Inns for the Sands House and the Kaye Arms, Punch Taverns for the Golden Cock and the Beaumont Arms, and Star Pubs & Bars for the Bull’s Head, to refurbish and revive the inns. The most recent addition, the Sands House, faced a bleak future until Holmes Valley stepped into the breach just a few weeks ago after the pub’s previous tenant left and an arson attack caused minor damage. Mark Oldfield said: “It was closed for a while but Enterprise Inns has refurbished it and we have relaunched it and have now been open for a few weeks. We have had a tremendous response.”

 

Turtle Bay opens in Crawley with record start: The Caribbean restaurant brand Turtle Bay has opened a 200-cover site on Crawley High Street in Sussex with a record start. General manager Jonathan Poole said: “We have had the highest amount of first-night reservations out of any of our restaurants. We really have hit the ground running. I’ve moved to Crawley from Brighton for this, so it is fantastic to get such a fantastic initial reaction. I worked for Cote for four and a half years but this wasn’t an opportunity I could pass up.”

 

Ask signs up to Bournemouth’s West Central development: Ask Italian has submitted a licensing application seeking permission to serve food and alcohol from a new premises in the £50m West Central development in Bournemouth. Nando’s, Chiquito, Prezzo and Frankie & Benny’s have already announced their commitment to the scheme, which is funded by Legal and General (Leisure). The scheme was until recently the subject of a wrangle between Bournemouth Council and the developers NCP and Licet. Although the scheme had planning permission, Bournemouth Council was trying to get a compulsory purchase order for the site so it could build a bus hub there. However last month the council abandoned the plan, deciding instead to give developers a year to make progress on the scheme. If this does not happen, the council will have first refusal on purchasing the site. Chris Dymond, director of Licet, said: “We’re delighted that Ask has come on board as the latest in the line-up of high-quality family restaurants, which includes brand-leading national and local names. We’re expecting to announce the full list of names and more news next months.”

Cau targets Henley: The Argentine steak restaurant chain Cau is aiming to take over premises in Henley, Oxfordshire previously occupied by a Spanish tapas restaurant called La Bodega, which closed suddenly two weeks ago after more than ten years in the town. The chain has submitted a planning application to South Oxfordshire Council to change the frontage and sign on the premises, in Hart Street, and renovate the property. Its planning agent, Pegasus Group, said: “The existing modern shop front is to be removed and replaced with a new traditionally proportioned shop front constructed of brick stall risers with timber multi-pane windows above. The proposed new signage comprises an internally illuminated fascia sign above the main entrance of black lettering on a white background, along with a projecting sign of a similar design.” Cau already has branches in Cambridge, Guildford, Kingston, Bristol, Blackheath and Tunbridge Wells as well as Amsterdam. Peter McConnell, Henley’s town centre manager, said he was sure the restaurant would be popular. He said: “I am really pleased that Cau is going in. My wife tells me that it is rather fantastic, having eaten at the one in Amsterdam. Henley is becoming a dining destination and I think this is a great addition.”

 

Anonymous benefactor gifts Robinsons pub to village: Robinson’s Brewery in Stockport has sold the Running Pump pub in Catforth, Preston to a private investor, who has gifted it to the community. The two-storey public house was marketed at a guide price of £275,000. It is the last pub in Catforth, which is in the countryside north of Preston, and has now been gifted by the new owner, whose identity has not been disclosed, back to the village to ensure it stays as a pub. Tom Cunningham, associate director at Savills, which represented Robinsons, said: “The Running Pump is a popular and successful local pub and we are very pleased to have assisted in making sure that it is retained within the local village.”

 

Planners approve service station with Subway and drive-through Starbucks on edge of Cockermouth: Council planners have approved a scheme for a £1.5m service station development on the outskirts of Cockermouth in Cumbria that will include a convenience store with a Subway sandwich shop and a drive-through Starbucks coffee shop that would be open between 7am and 11pm. Allerdale Council’s development panel unanimously approved the plans, after hearing that the scheme to knock down the existing Oakhurst Service Station, off Lamplugh Road, close to the A66 and redevelop the site would create up to 60 new jobs. Despite fears that the scheme would harm town centre trade, planning officers said in a report: “The proposed development as a whole is considered acceptable, providing a strategically located service station facility without any significant impact upon town centre viability and vitality.”

 

Melbourne’s takes Mezze site in Bristol for re-launch: One of Bristol’s former favourite restaurants is being revived revival after more than a decade. For 15 years Melbourne’s was one of the best-regarded restaurants in Park Street, Clifton. Former co-owner Tony Wilshaw, who sold the business in the 1990s, is to re-launch Melbourne’s BYO at the Anchor in Ham Green, with business partner Leigh Iles. The business, formerly operating as Mezze Restaurants, underwent a refurbishment before opening on 20 August, with Melbourne’s Restaurant launching in early September.

 

Henry Watt re-opens Norfolk pub with evolved offer: The Norfolk-based hospitality entrepreneur Henry Watt has re-opened the Dun Cow on the A140 at Swainsthorpe, Norfolk, as Sugar Beat Eating House, after a two year closure and with an evolved pub offer. As well as offering breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7am until 11pm, it also features a large lawn for wedding parties and corporate events, a function room, and four individually styled bedrooms targeted at those on short trips in the area. Watt, who previously ran the Wildebeest Arms and Mackintosh’s Canteen, said: “Much has changed over the last couple of years in terms of what an eating and drinking venue needs to be able to offer its customers. It’s not good enough to be serving great food and a reasonable selection of beers, wines and spirits. Customers want to know you completely understand them inside and out, so that’s why we’ve tailored Sugar Beat to meet the needs of the people of Norwich, the A140 commuter, the family that want a great menu, the overnighter needing easy access to Norwich, or the professional or sales team who want to use Wi-Fi while meeting at a good location.” The site is owned by Simon and Hazel Cruickshank and is their first acquisition in the hospitality sector. They have run Simons Landscaping for more than 30 years.

 

Restaurant manager starts wine import business: A manager at a Marco Pierre White restaurant has launched a wine importing business in the UK. Daniel Kruger, the restaurant and bar manager at Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill at The Cube in Birmingham, has set-up Home of Cape Wines. Kruger bought 174 acres of land in Wellington, South Africa, at a wine farm to develop cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc for the Marco Pierre White Group and hotels across the globe. He has taken on the role of marketing and distribution in the UK to build on the contacts he established while working at Hotel La Tour in Birmingham, Celtic Manor Resort in Wales and Eastwell Manor Hotel, Spa & Golf in Kent before joining the Marco Pierre White Group. “Marco is planning to open 50 more restaurants in the next five years and we have launched five already this year,” he said. “I am currently involved in the launch of hotels in London, Scotland, Australia and Asia, so it is great to be able to create a beautiful wine pool for hotel guests throughout the world, including the Marco Pierre White Group.”

Gastro-pub owner buys Lake District hotel out of administration: Gastro-pub owner Richard Berry has bought the Best Western Burnside hotel in Windermere out of administration through Colliers International off an asking price of £3.1m. Berry’s business, GGE, operates the Kendal gastro-pub Romneys, as well other business interests. The Burnside, in Bowness on Windermere, overlooking Lake Windermere, has 57 en-suite letting bedrooms, extensive conference facilities and a separate leisure complex, in 2.4 acres of grounds. Julian Troup, head of UK Hotels Agency at Colliers International, said: “There was a substantial level of interest in the Best Western Burnside Hotel from both local and national concerns. The business has a strong trading base despite being in administration, partly down to its position overlooking Lake Windermere. This, coupled with the availability of staff accommodation in the town and included in the sale, made the hotel a very desirable business opportunity.” Berry said: “The Best Western Burnside Hotel has a lot of potential and has a good level of existing trade to build on. The hotel’s location in the Lake District has masses of appeal and is bound to ensure its future success.”

Oban swaps whisky for coffee: The Scottish West Coast town of Oban will swap whisky for coffee today when Costa Coffee opens in Station Square, occupying the former base of the Whisky Shop. It was given permission by Argyll and Bute Council for a change of use from retail to food and drink premises despite 25 objections. There was one letter of support for Costa. Objectors were concerned that Costa would have an adverse effect on independent coffee shops in the town. But planners said this was not a material planning consideration.

UK’s first 3D printing cafe opens in Shoreditch: A new cafe has opened in Shoreditch, East London, which allows users the opportunity to have a coffee while printing their creations using 3DSystems’ CubeX 3D printers and laser cutting printers. MakersCafe is the brainchild of Soner Ozenc, a product designer and mechanical engineer who started an online design studio called RazorLabs in 2006, where users could upload their designs, which the company then engraved and cut out using laser-cutting and engraving printers. Customers will have to bring their own laptops to the cafe. They are encouraged to brainstorm for ideas there, then either make their creations with open-source 3D design software, such as Rhino or Google SketchUp, or pay the cafe to create the file in the software for them.

Rosinter – no change to plan to open McDonald’s sites in Russia: McDonald’s first franchisee in Russia, Rosinter Restaurants Holding, will not revise its plans to open new restaurants in the country, the company has said. McDonald’s Corporation partnered with Rosinter, Russia’s largest restaurant holding company, in 2012 to franchise out restaurants in Russia. Under a deal running until 2023, Rosinter has rights to open and operate McDonald’s outlets at Moscow’s three international airports, as well as in all terminals of Pulkovo airport in St Petersburg. Rosinter, already a franchisee for TGI Friday’s and Costa Coffee in Russia, has also acquired the right to develop McDonald’s outlets at Moscow’s railway stations. The company launched one McDonald’s franchised restaurant at Pulkovo airport in 2013 and plans to open another one by the end of 2014, Rosinter spokeswoman Elena Mazur said: “There have been no checks of our McDonald’s franchise yet. If there is an inspection, we are ready to pass it. We have a lot of experience of this kind.”

Bar Sport franchisee takes Bramwell site: A prominent High Street pub in the centre of Braintree in Essex, which closed when Bramwell Pub Company collapsed into administration, is to reopen as Bar Sport. The property agent Davis Coffer Lyons secured the letting on a new free-of-tie lease on behalf of Roseland Finance Company. A franchisee of the sports bar and grill concept has taken the 7,590 sq ft former Silkworm pub, which has a 3am licence, seven days a week , at a rent of £50,000. Paul Tallentyre, director at Davis Coffer Lyons, said: “This is one of the largest and most prominent pubs in Braintree and, as such, was incredibly popular with a wide range of different operators. Bar Sports is a great concept and its business model is ideally suited type of property. Having enjoyed great success in similar locations around the UK we have no doubt that this venue will trade just as well.”

Canvas to re-open on 2 September in Chelsea: Chef Michael Riemenschneider will open his restaurant Canvas at new premises on 2 September. The new site, on the border of Knightsbridge and Chelsea in West London, at 1 Wibraham Place, occupies the former site of Le Cercle. An addition to Canvas Chelsea is an experimental cocktail bar. Canvas will seat 60 people and also has a private dining room for up to 12 guests and a chef’s table for six.

Norfolk pub diversifies thanks to local authority grant support: A Norfolk pub, The Cross Keys, in The Street, Dilham, near North Walsham, has opened a new farm shop and delicatessen alongside the pub after tapping into a £30,000 fund set up by the local authority. The opening of the convenience store, farm shop and delicatessen in Dilham is the first of a series of new services being rolled in pubs across Norfolk as part of the Pub is the Hub scheme, which uses public houses as centres to provide essential services for local communities, from shops and meals on wheels to fitness classes and bee keeping. Norfolk County Council has created a fund of £30,000 to support Norfolk pubs to create community facilities and services where there are no others in the local area. Pubs can apply for grants of up to £4,000 to fund projects that would meet a local need or can help the community to thrive. The Cross Keys’ publicans, Paul and Karen Grothier, who have run the pub since 2010, applied for £4,000 as part of the project and have been working since June to get the new shop open.

Groundwork starts for Hungry Horse on Broadland Business Park in Norwich: Work has started on groundwork for a Greene King Hungry Horse pub on Broadland Business Park, Norwich, which will provide 200 covers. The move is part of an expansion of the site which also sees work under way on an adjacent Costa Coffee drive-through outlet. The Hungry Horse pub is due to open in early February, with the Costa outlet opening in late March. Both facilities will have a high-profile frontage on to Yarmouth Road. Richard Jones, Greene King spokesman, said: “We are really excited about this new development. Broadland Business Park is a great location for a family pub and we can’t wait to open next year.”

Moreton Hall Coffee House opens second site: The owners of Moreton Hall Coffee House in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk have expanded their operation into a second premises. Lucy Newell and Jessica Darnell, of The Coffee House on Moreton Hall, have opened the doors to their new shop, the former High Street Cafe in Ixworth. “We knew from the beginning that we wanted to have about three coffee houses and we’ve been open on Moreton Hall for about four years so we’re right on track,” Darnell said.

Six new ‘high-quality’ restaurant outlets planned for Barnsley: The Alhambra Shopping Centre in Barnsley is due to add a nine-screen cinema and six new high-quality restaurants by the spring of 2016 as part of a multi-million pound investment by the landlord, F&C Reit. Spencer Gower, asset manager at F&C Reit, said: “This multi-million pound investment will bring a much-needed leisure hub to Barnsley and confirms our belief and commitment to the town centre. The Alhambra Shopping Centre will become the main leisure venue and we want to make it a destination not just for the local people of Barnsley but help bring people in from the surrounding areas which will also benefit the local economy.” The works are due to start in April 2015. A new entrance will be created leading straight up to the cinema from New Street, and four-metre external digital screens will be installed at the Sheffield Road entrance and along West Way to advertise and showcase retailers and cinema listings.

Stonegate continues investment programme with new £250,000 student pub: Stonegate Pub Company has invested £250,000 creating a new generation student pub in Plymouth, the Roundabout, which opens tomorrow (29 August). The pub now has a wide choice of craft beers, super-fast broadband connections, interactive digital entertainment and “a host of student-friendly offers”. Like other Stonegate student-oriented pubs, the Roundabout will open daily from 8am serving tea, coffee, snacks and pastries to eat in or take-away, with a free Wi-Fi-linked printer for printing off last minute assignments, and plugs and USB ports on tables for phone and computer charging. There will be a choice of five regularly rotating craft beers. General manager Nick Evans said: “There’s a phenomenal change to the pub. The refurbishment has allowed us to think out of the box and create an environment that offers both the great traditions of a pub whilst blending in practical elements that make it viable for today’s technology-savvy customer.”

Punch recognises eight pubs in inaugural internal marketing awards: Eight Punch pubs have received industry recognition for their innovative marketing activities. The Marketing Your Pubs Awards were organised by Punch Taverns to recognise licensees who go the extra mile to attract customers to their pubs. Regional operations director Andy Crump said: “The way that our pubs communicate their offer to both existing and potential consumers has needed to become increasingly diverse over recent years. Marketing in general is a massive priority for publicans to compete in their marketplace, and we wanted to recognise and reward licensees who excel in this area. We have been delighted with the high standards of entries and were truly impressed with the amount of effort and creativity that goes into different types of marketing, whether in its traditional or more modern digital formats. I would like to congratulate all of the winners.”

Yorkshire hotel and restaurant faces demolition after refusal of retrospective planning consent: Planning permission has been refused for a major extension to a hotel and wedding venue in Brighouse, Yorkshire that had already partly opened for business. The owners of the Elland Road Casa Hotel and Restaurant, who face having to tear down the three-storey extension, part of which has been hosting weddings and other events since May, say that jobs could be affected. It is the latest defeat in a series of planning battles between Calderdale Council and Casa, which has also refused to take down a function marquee despite being ordered to do so by the planning committee after flouting an earlier ruling that refused it permission.