Government to water down business rate rise for pubs: The government is poised to announce a climbdown on forthcoming increases to the business rates bill faced by pubs. BBC News reports that in the coming days, the government is expected … view

Less than two weeks to go until Restaurant Marketer & Innovator 2026, book now: There are less than two weeks to go until Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit 2026, which is returning for its eighth edition. The conference has … view

Ministers look at concessions for UK pubs as business rate backlash grows: Ministers are exploring options for concessions to defuse a growing row with pub landlords over rising business rates. The FT reports that in the strongest signal … view

Festive flurry brings happy Christmas for pubs but restaurants and bars slip: Festive celebrations helped Britain’s top managed pub operators to sales growth in the week of Christmas but trade was challenging for the rest of the sector, … view

Labour backbenchers press Rachel Reeves to help save British pubs: Dozens of Labour MPs are pushing the Treasury to provide more support for pubs, warning they will go bust due to an increase in business rates. Sources said that Rachel Re … view

Ex-Fulham Shore MD partnering 081 Pizzeria team on expansion: Nabil Mankarious, the co-founder and former managing director of Fulham Shore, is partnering with the team behind pizza brand 081 Pizzeria on its expansion plans, including the … view

Cabinet revolt brewing over business rates hike as hospitality warned not to protest: A cabinet revolt is brewing over the upcoming business rates increase – as hospitality has been warned not to protest. There is “ongoing cabinet-lev … view

Reeves blocks support for pubs despite Starmer acknowledging sector’s struggles: Rachel Reeves is blocking new financial support for pubs despite Sir Keir Starmer admitting that many “will struggle” with new business rate changes. I … view

Exclusive – Luxury wine club 67 Pall Mall plans £34m fundraise for further global expansion: 67 Pall Mall, the UK luxury club brand centred upon wine entering its tenth year, is looking to raise up to £34m over the next two years as i … view

Exclusive – Neos to make London debut with Tiger Tiger acquisition: Neos Hospitality, the Russell Quelch-led business, is to make its debut in central London after acquiring the former Tiger Tiger site in London’s Haymarket, Propel ha … view

Daylesford Organic swings into profit: Daylesford Organic, the business owned by Lady Carole Bamford, the wife of JCB boss Lord Bamford, has reported it made a pre-tax profit of £1,251,549 in the year to 31 March 2025, a big swing from a … view

Wingstop UK hires Emma Colquhoun as chief growth officer: Wingstop UK, which is backed by US private equity firm Sixth Street, has hired Emma Colquhoun, formerly of Wagamama, as its first chief growth officer, to help drive its continued … view

Wagamama – Strategic initiatives delivering significantly improved volume performance, hires new CMO: Wagamama, The Restaurant Group-owned brand, has said that the strategic initiatives it introduced during the first half of last year a … view

Hundreds of jobs to be lost in TGI Fridays insolvency plan: Hundreds of staff face losing their jobs in the coming days as the owner of TGI Fridays finalises plans to buy back a slimmed-down version of the casual dining chain. Sky News re … view

Less than three weeks to go until Restaurant Marketer & Innovator 2026, book now: There are less than three weeks to go until Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit 2026, which is returning for its eighth edition, and tickets are … view

Brighton Pier Group puts pier up for sale: Brighton Palace Pier, one of the UK’s four most visited tourist attractions, welcoming 3.9 million visitors in 2025, is being offered for sale. The owner, The Brighton Pier Group, has appointed … view

Exclusive – Costa Coffee reports turnover increases to £1.23bn but sees operating losses widen: Costa Coffee, the Coca-Cola Company-owned brand, has reported turnover increased 1% to £1,231,795,000 for the year ending 31 December 2024 … view

Sector figures recognised in King’s New Year’s Honours: Mark McCulloch, founder and chief executive of Supersonic Inc and fractional chief marketing officer at Prezzo Italian, and chef Marcus Wareing, are among those fro … view

Exclusive – Richard Hodgson steps down as CEO of YO! owner Wonderfield Group: Richard Hodgson has stepped down as chief executive of Wonderfield Group, formerly Snowfox Group – the multi-channel and international Japanese food busines … view

Everyman CEO steps down: Everyman, the independent, premium cinema group, has announced Alex Scrimgeour has stepped down as chief executive with immediate effect. Current non-executive director, Farah Golant, will assume the role of chief … view

Greene King CEO Nick Mackenzie and Merlin Entertainments co-founder lead investment in immersive entertainment concept The Lost Estate: Nick Mackenzie, chief executive of brewer and retailer Greene King, and Mark Fisher, co-founder of Mer … view

Coyote Ugly master franchisee may revise core UK site target due to strength of current trading, new openings ‘beyond expectations’ and Scottish debut ‘a great success’: The master franchisee here for US bar brand Coyote Ugly has … view

Government makes inheritance tax changes after sector highlights devastating consequences of reforms: The government has said the threshold for business property relief (BPR) will be increased from £1m to £2.5m when it is introduced in … view

JW Lees MD – ‘government measures mean we are spending too much time worrying about tax and succession rather than investing and creating jobs’: William Lees-Jones, managing director of north west brewer and retailer JW Lees, has sa … view

Wenzel’s – ‘the time is right for us to franchise, and you don’t survive for 50 years without being able to deliver on the front-line’: Family-owned bakery brand Wenzel’s has said that after half a century of operating as a bu … view

Immersive Gamebox prepares for accelerated global expansion after ‘transformative year’: Immersive Gamebox, which operates the Electric Gamebox brand and was acquired by Harlan Capital Partners in January, has told Propel it has enter … view

Hospitality venues hit with average £33,000 business rates increase: New analysis from UKHospitality reveals, on average, hospitality properties in England will see their business rates bills rise by £32,714 over three years. Hospitalit … view

Exclusive – cricket-based competitive socialising brand Sixes placed into administration, in discussions on sale: Sixes, the cricket-based competitive socialising brand that includes England international cricketers Ben Stokes, Stuart B … view

Hermanos Colombian Coffee Roasters targets 60-90 franchise sites in next five to seven years, with first opening in second quarter of 2026: Hermanos Colombian Coffee Roasters, the London cafe concept, has told Propel it is targeting 60-90 … view

Patisserie Valerie makes a loss but reports period of ‘stabilisation and move towards growth’ as it sells first three franchises: Patisserie Valerie, which is backed by Irish private equity firm Causeway Capital, made a loss in the ni … view

Sector sees flat November like-for-like sales as higher prices and new openings fuel total growth: Britain’s leading managed hospitality groups enter the crucial Christmas period on the back of flat like-for-like sales in November as hi … view

Sector sees flat November like-for-like sales as higher prices and new openings fuel total growth: Britain’s leading managed hospitality groups enter the crucial Christmas period on the back of flat like-for-like sales in November as … view

New Crepe Delicious master franchisee targets 20 UK sites over the next five years as it looks to rebuild the brand here, Liverpool set to be up first: The new UK master franchisee for Canadian crepe brand Crepe Delicious has told Propel … view

Exclusive – Coaching Inn Group promotes Adam Charity to MD: The Coaching Inn Group, the award-winning pubs-with-rooms business that forms part of RedCat Hospitality, has promoted Adam Charity to managing director with immediate effect, … view

Five weeks to go until Restaurant Marketer & Innovator 2026, book now: There are five weeks to go until Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit 2026, which is returning for its eighth edition. The event is a partnership between Pr … view

Hollywood Bowl CEO – business rates revaluation will wipe out our reduction, reports fourth consecutive year of record revenue: Hollywood Bowl chief executive Stephen Burns has said the government’s business rates revaluation will “ … view

Investment group led by pop star turned hospitality entrepreneur acquires London restaurant Meraki and pizza business, looking at another group: The investment group led by pop star turned hospitality entrepreneur Recardo Patrick has acqu … view

UKHospitality – hospitality venues are facing a ‘nightmare before Christmas’: Pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues are facing a “nightmare before Christmas” after Labour’s botched business rates reform, industry chie … view

Leon plans to grow to 100 UK sites over next four years after ‘shake up’: John Vinvcent, owner and co-founder of Leon, the naturally fast-food brand, said he expects the business to be back on the expansion trail after its restructuri … view

Burger King UK CEO – there's a lot of white space for us to grow into, set to receive circa £35m of new investment: Alasdair Murdoch, chief executive of Burger King UK, which is backed by Bridgepoint, has told Propel there is still “ … view

Pret A Manger hires Ross Warnes to head UK & Ireland business: Pret A Manger has hired Ross Warnes, formerly of Kraft Heinz and Unilever, as UK & Ireland president, to lead the brand’s largest market through its next phase of growth. St … view

Leon could close up to 20 sites, currently losing circa £10m a year: Leon, the naturally fast-food brand that was bought back by its co-founder and former chief executive John Vincent in October, could close up to 20 sites as part of it … view

Hermanos Colombian Coffee Roasters eyes UK-wide rollout and international opportunities after launching franchise programme: Hermanos Colombian Coffee Roasters, the London-based cafe concept, is eyeing a UK-wide rollout and international … view

For many people working through the Christmas season, productivity tends to drift somewhere between a mince pie and a mid-afternoon lull. The pace slows and inboxe … view

Exclusive – Leon plans CVA to help accelerate restructuring of the business: Leon, the naturally fast-food brand that was bought back by its co-founder and former chief executive John Vincent in October, is planning to undergo a company … view

Greene King CEO – Jump in business rates could change shape of industry forever: Nick Mackenzie, chief executive of Greene King and chairman of the British Beer and Pub Association, has said that on the back of the budget some landlords … view

XP Factory CEO – the competitive socialising sector is ripe for consolidation: Richard Harpham, chief executive of XP Factory, which operates the Escape Hunt and Boom Battle Bar brands, has told Propel that the UK’s competitive social … view