Starbucks reports increased like-for-like sales for the first time in almost two years: Starbucks has reported increased like-for-like sales for the first time in almost two years, after refurbished cafés and a revamped menu, including … view

Toca Social president – ambitions for ‘hundreds’ of venues worldwide, confirms Americas expansion and sees huge potential in ‘under-served’ European leisure market: Alex Harman, president of interactive football bar concept Toc … view

Marston’s – performance tracking in line with prior year, festive like-for-like sales up 4%: Marston’s said it saw a strong trading performance over the festive period where like-for-like sales increased by 4%, while like-for-like … view

Exclusive – Côte parts company with CEO: Côte, the French brasserie brand, is understood to have parted company with chief executive Emma Dinnis – less than a year after the former managing director of the DFS-owned Sofology joined … view

Neos Hospitality acquires 20 bar sites from The Revel Collective estate: Neos Hospitality, formerly Rekom, has doubled the size of its estate after acquiring Revolution Bars Group, Revolución de Cuba and Founders & Co, via a pre-pack adm … view

Pubs to get £100m a year support package after business rates U-turn: The Treasury is to hand the struggling pub sector a new support package worth around £100m a year after being warned of mass closures and job losses unless relief is … view

State of Play Hospitality CEO – Flight Club has great momentum in the US, 90% of group revenue over next year will come from stateside operations: Toby Harris, chief executive of State of Play Hospitality, the international experiential … view

Prezzo Italian owner reports turnover increases to £100.2m and Ebitda up 300% following ‘robust turnaround’ of brand: Prezzo Italian, part of Brava Hospitality Group, has reported turnover increased to £100.2m for the year ending 31 … view

The Revel Collective to file notice to appoint administrators: The Revel Collective – the operator of 65 venues trading predominantly under the Revolution, Revolución de Cuba and Peach Pubs brands, has filed a notice of intention to ap … view

Hospitality closures accelerated in fourth quarter as costs rose again: Britain’s number of licensed premises fell by 0.4% in the last three months of 2025, according to the latest Hospitality Market Monitor from NIQ. The country had 9 … view

WatchHouse founder – ‘we can see the US becoming our biggest market’, planning smaller espresso-format, seeing market-leading like-for-like sales: Roland Horne, founder and chief executive of specialty coffee business WatchHouse, wh … view

Exclusive – James Watt considering bid to buy back BrewDog: James Watt, who co-founded BrewDog with Martin Dickie in 2007, is considering launching a bid to buy back the Scottish brewer and retailer, Propel has learned. Propel understan … view

Young’s CEO – ‘business rates change should be for whole of the sector’, ‘we need long-term meaningful reform’: Simon Dodd, chief executive of Young’s, has told Propel that any changes made by the government to business rate … view

Exclusive – Satnam Leihal steps down as CEO of Boparan Restaurant Group: Satnam Leihal has stepped down as chief executive of Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), the Slim Chickens UK, Ed’s Easy Diner and Carluccio’s operator, after six … view

Sir Tim Martin – JD Wetherspoon franchise operations producing ‘high sales’ and had ‘several’ overseas enquiries, ‘government would give tax equality with supermarkets if it really values pubs’: JD Wetherspoon chair Sir Tim … view

Exclusive – Inception Group to open Covent Garden Market Building flagship site: Inception Group, the London hospitality group known for its immersive venues, is to open a new flagship site in Covent Garden’s historic Market Building. … view

UKHospitality warns government it ‘only has one chance to get this right’ as restaurants and hotels set to miss out on business rates relief: UKHospitality has warned the government it “only has one chance to get this right” after … view

Pubs strong and restaurants flat in mixed December for hospitality: Festive celebrations helped Britain’s managed pub groups to end 2025 on a high, the latest NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals. The Tracker – produced by NIQ … view

6 of 1 Hospitality Group co-founder – ‘we’ve got international ambitions but taking it one step at a time’: Abhinav Malde, co-founder of 6 of 1 Hospitality Group, the team behind Mr Bao, Master Bao, Daddy Bao and Wonton Charlie's, … view

Pubs strong and restaurants flat in mixed December for hospitality: Festive celebrations helped Britain’s managed pub groups to end 2025 on a high, the latest NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals. The Tracker – produced by NIQ … view

Tim Hortons UK&I CEO – confident we now have strong foundations in place to deliver sustainable, long-term success: Deepinder Batth, chief executive of Tim Hortons UK and Ireland, has told Propel that he is “confident we now have stro … view

Doughnut business Dum Dum Donutteries founder – ‘scope to grow to 100-plus sites across the UK and re-establish international presence’: Paul Hurley, founder of Doughnut business Dum Dum Donutteries, has told Propel he believes ther … view

Authors: Alastair Scott, Amber Staynings, Roger Protz< … view

Exclusive – RedCat to focus on premium inns with exit from managed pub operations: RedCat Hospitality, founded and chaired by Rooney Anand, is to become a focused pub-with-rooms operator and exit its circa 20-strong managed pub division … view

Bounce co-founder raising funds to launch ‘Topgolf/Flight Club’ experience for padel: Entrepreneur Dov Penzik, who co-founded Bounce with Adam Breeden, has launched a fundraising round to back the launch of what he said will be the � … view

TGI Fridays global president – delivering clearer value is central to our vision for the UK: Phil Broad, global president of TGI Fridays, has told Propel that delivering clearer value is central to its vision for the UK – with a new m … view

We had our annual meeting with our bank manager this week, during which I was asked what I thought the coming year might hold for both our business as licensing … view

Rachel Reeves insists ‘more temporary support’ for pubs coming, recognises how important hospitality sector is for UK: Chancellor Rachel Reeves has insisted she will support the UK's pubs amid growing calls for the government to rever … view

Coca-Cola scraps plans to sell Costa after bids fall short: Coca-Cola has ditched plans to sell Costa Coffee after bids from private equity suitors fell short of its expectations. Firms in the latter rounds of negotiations included Asda o … view

Caprinos to launch new pizza style to help it expand into shopping centres and travel destinations: Fast growing pizza brand Caprinos has told Propel it is to launch new a pizza style which it believes will help it expand into shopping ce … view

Majority of TGI Friday restaurants across the UK acquired via pre-pack deal, 16 sites to close: The business and assets of Liberty Bar and Restaurant Group Limited, the company which manages the operations of TGI Friday’s UK restaurants … view

Turtle Bay reports £10m loss in year before being bought back by founder, impacted by Labour's ‘unhelpful raid on employers' national insurance’: Turtle Bay, the 50-strong Caribbean restaurant brand, posted a pre-tax loss of £10.1m … view

Stonegate appoints advisers to help it streamline structure: Stonegate Group, the UK’s largest pub company has appointed advisers to help it to streamline its structure. The company, which has more than 4,300 sites in the UK, has appoi … view

Exclusive – Megan’s undertakes leadership reshuffle, Bridget Lambert promoted to MD: Megan’s, the all-day, neighbourhood restaurant concept, has reshuffled its senior leadership team, with Bridget Lambert promoted to managing direct … view

Jersey Mike’s signs franchise agreement to open 400 sites in the UK: Jersey Mike’s, the second-largest sub-sandwich brand in the US behind Subway, has signed a franchise agreement with JM Submarines UK, led by the brand’s founder Pe … view

Eight days to go until Restaurant Marketer & Innovator 2026, book now: There are eight days to go until Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit 2026, which is returning for its eighth edition. The conference has doubled in size th … view

Pubs urge ministers to call time on unfair business rates system: A pledge to provide a £300m support package for pubs hit by a surge in property tax has led to demands for an overhaul of the “flawed” way the industry’s bills are … view

Exclusive – The Salad Project secures £9m of new investment, backers include Nick Jones and Active Partners: The Salad Project, which launched in London in 2021, has secured £9m of new investment to aid its next stage of growth, inclu … view

Exclusive – Bill’s passes £100m revenue mark, cover growth up 5.1%, strengthens management team: Bill’s, the Richard Caring-backed restaurant group, passed the £100m revenue mark in 2025 on the back of a 5.1% increase in cover gro … view

Exclusive – Loungers’ turnover passes a record £400m, confident of improving profitability in medium term, reiterates belief in growing Lounges to 600 sites: Café bar operator Loungers has reported its turnover passed a record £400 … view

Reeves under pressure to extend tax relief to rest of hospitality sector: Rachel Reeves is under growing pressure from restaurants, shops, cafés, hotels and music venues to rethink an impending rise in business rates as the chancellor pr … view

Loungers chairman – ‘I suspect the climb down over business rates will be tokenistic’: Alex Reilley, chairman of café bar operator Loungers, has said that he suspects the “climb down” over business rates will be “tokenistic a … view

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