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Monday 28th February 2022
Propel Monday News Briefing
Flat Iron – 2022 has “started encouragingly”, secures Westfield London site: Flat Iron, the Piper-backed affordable steak concept, has said that 2022 has “started encouragingly” and that it has “several opportunities under con … view
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Friday 25th February 2022
Corbin & King wins £4.36m High Court battle over business interruption insurance claim
Corbin & King wins £4.36m High Court battle over business interruption insurance claim: London-based restaurant operator Corbin & King has won its £4.36m High Court battle with Axa in a case that could have huge significance for the hospital … view
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Friday 25th February 2022
Friday Opinion
Subjects: The bumpy road ahead, reward schemes can help fight inflation fears, the painful ratchet of RPI rent increases
Authors: Paul Chase, Glynn Davis, Nick Griffin

The bumpy road ahead by Paul … view

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Friday 25th February 2022
YO! owner picks float line-up as owners gauge appetite amid jittery markets
YO! owner picks float line-up as owners gauge appetite: The sushi chain YO!’s parent company has picked further advisers for a potential £750m listing even as market jitters exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threaten a sle … view
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Friday 25th February 2022
Propel Friday News Briefing
Ukraine invasion could lead to further rises in prices and interest rates, government urged to ‘remove obstacles to growth and investment’: The invasion of Ukraine by Russia could lead to further hikes in the prices of energy and food … view
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Thursday 24th February 2022
Update: AB InBev FY results, Stonegate, Ikea and Gousto
AB InBev delivered over 15% top-line growth in FY21: AB InBev, the world’s largest brewer, has announced that its profit would increase in 2022, in line with its medium-term growth range, after ending 2021 with stronger results than ex … view
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Thursday 24th February 2022
Propel Thursday News Briefing
Brighton Pier Group looks for more golf sites, bars performing ‘significantly better’ than expected: Anne Ackord, chief executive of Brighton Pier Group, has said the company is looking to add to its indoor mini-golf business but in … view
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Wednesday 23rd February 2022
Propel Wednesday News Briefing
Fridays appoints Chris Liddell to head up QSR format and Julie McEwan as new chief operating officer: Fridays, the Robert B Cook-led brand, has appointed Chris Liddell, formerly of Costa Coffee and PizzaExpress, to head up its soon-to-lau … view
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Wednesday 23rd February 2022
Fridays appoints Chris Liddell to head up QSR format and Julie McEwan as new chief operating officer
Fridays appoints Chris Liddell to head up QSR format and Julie McEwan as new chief operating officer: Fridays, the Robert B Cook-led brand, has appointed Chris Liddell, formerly of Costa Coffee and PizzaExpress, to head up its soon-to-launch q … view
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Tuesday 22nd February 2022
Caffe Nero reports robust trading in First Half
Caffe Nero reports robust trading in First Half: Caffe Nero has reported robust trading for its half-year (June 2021-November 2021), including strong like-for-like sales growth. The company also announced that its sales during the Omicron … view
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Tuesday 22nd February 2022
Shepherd Neame appoints Jonathon Swaine as managing director of its pubs division
Shepherd Neame appoints Jonathon Swaine as managing director of its pubs division: Kent-based brewer and retailer Shepherd Neame has announced the appointment of Jonathon Swaine, formerly of Rank Group and Fuller’s, as managing director … view
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Tuesday 22nd February 2022
Propel Tuesday News Briefing
Junkyard co-founder to launch ‘intergalactic’ roller skate concept: Chris Legh, co-founder of crazy golf concept Junkyard, is to launch a new roller skate concept. Paradise Skate World will open in May in Manchester's Deansgate. Legh … view
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Monday 21st February 2022
Update: Marugame Udon, covid restrictions, Nightcap, McDonald’s, Diageo
Marugame Udon sets out plans to reach 100 sites within five years: International udon noodles and tempura restaurant brand Marugame Udon, described by one of its investors as “twice as fast as Wagamama but half the price” has unveile … view
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Monday 21st February 2022
Propel Monday News Briefing
Leon launches trial of coffee express units, 85% of transactions now through digital kiosks: Natural fast food brand Leon, owned by EG Group, has launched a trial of a new coffee express kiosk format, Propel has learned. Speaking on Prope … view
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Friday 18th February 2022
Exclusive – Pret extends funding facility by £100m, expects significant bank refinancing during 2022
Exclusive – Pret extends funding facility by £100m, expects significant bank refinancing during 2022: Pret A Manger, the JAB Holding-backed business, extended its undrawn shareholder standby facility from £100m to £200m last month, a … view
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Friday 18th February 2022
Friday Opinion
Subjects: Attracting new talent to restaurants outside of London, pain game for craft brewing, making life a little bit easier, smooth operations in a remote world
Authors: Mitch Tonks, Glynn Davis, Ann Elliott, Simon Faughna … view
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Friday 18th February 2022
Propel Friday News Briefing
Rockfish founder sets up seafood academy, aims to create talent pool ‘outside of the big cities’ and help tackle recruitment crisis: Mitch Tonks, founder of south west-based seafood restaurant group Rockfish, is setting up a seafood-f … view
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Thursday 17th February 2022
Two years of covid does £115bn damage to hospitality sector
Two years of covid does £115bn damage to hospitality sector: The full extent of the damage done to the hospitality sector during the covid pandemic has been revealed – a £115bn loss. The sector has racked-up £114.8bn of lost sales versus … view
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Thursday 17th February 2022
KFC opens 1,000th UK site, plans 300 more over next five years
KFC opens 1,000th UK site, plans 300 more over next five years: KFC has opened its 1,000th site in the UK and Ireland, and said it plans to open a further 50 this year, and another 300 over the next five years. The company said that despi … view
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Thursday 17th February 2022
Propel Thursday News Briefing
Mayor proposes £10m investment to attract more tourists back to London: Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced proposals to invest an additional £10m to attract more tourists back to the capital – including launching a new interna … view
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Wednesday 16th February 2022
Michelin awards new stars for 2022
Michelin awards new stars for 2022: There have been 25 new stars awarded in the 2022 Michelin Guide. Inspectors awarded one new three-Michelin star, five new two-Michelin stars and 19 new one-Michelin stars. This year’s stars were revea … view
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Wednesday 16th February 2022
Corbin & King fends off High Court challenge over debt repayment
Corbin & King fends off High Court challenge over debt repayment: Corbin & King has fought off a High Court challenge to a proposed £38mn rescue package. The FT reports that a subsidiary of Thai hotel operator Minor International – Cor … view
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Wednesday 16th February 2022
Propel Wednesday News Briefing
UKHospitality – stats show ‘fundamental shift in labour market that sector must address quickly’: Vacancies in hospitality are at double pre-pandemic levels with UKHospitality warning there has been a “fundamental shift in the lab … view
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Tuesday 15th February 2022
Propel Tuesday News Briefing
Managed groups’ sales up 3% in January on pre-covid levels, restaurants strongest performing segment: Rising consumer confidence about safety and the easing of covid-19 restrictions helped Britain’s managed pub, bar, and restaurant gr … view
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Tuesday 15th February 2022
Managed groups’ sales up 3% in January on pre-covid levels
Managed groups’ sales up 3% in January on pre-covid levels, restaurants strongest performing segment: Rising consumer confidence about safety and the easing of covid-19 restrictions helped Britain’s managed pub, bar, and restaurant gr … view
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Monday 14th February 2022
Inn Collection to change hands in circa £300m deal
Inn Collection to change hands in circa £300m deal: Thirty one inns and hotels in the north of England and in Wales are set to change hands in a deal thought to value them at more than £300m. The Times reports that Alchemy Partners, the … view
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Monday 14th February 2022
Propel Monday News Briefing
Formula One takes stake in new competitive socialising concept from Adam Breeden: Adam Breeden, the co-founder of All Star Lanes, Hijingo, Bounce, Flight Club and Puttshack, has signed a global agreement with Formula One to launch and rol … view
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Monday 14th February 2022
Formula One takes stake in new competitive socialising concept from Adam Breeden
Formula One takes stake in new competitive socialising concept from Adam Breeden: Adam Breeden, the co-founder of All Star Lanes, Hijingo, Bounce, Flight Club and Puttshack, has signed a global agreement with Formula One to launch and roll out … view
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Sunday 13th February 2022
Caffe Nero buys rest of Coffee#1
Caffe Nero buys rest of Coffee#1: Caffe Nero has reached an agreement to acquire SA Brain’s remaining 33% stake in Coffee#1. The group and one of its supportive shareholders originally bought 67% of Coffee#1 in 2019 from owner SA Brain, … view
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Friday 11th February 2022
US fund Knighthead lodges fresh bid to acquire Corbin & King
US fund Knighthead lodges fresh bid to acquire Corbin & King: A US-based fund is trying to break an impasse over the future of some of London’s top restaurants by tabling a fresh offer to extract it from insolvency proceedings. Sky News … view
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Friday 11th February 2022
Friday Opinion
Subjects: From Accra to Arc via Finland and Miami, economic long covid, embracing food transparency, the cask revolution is coming 
Authors: Anni Opong, Paul Chase, Stefan Catoiu, Charlene Lyons

F … view

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Friday 11th February 2022
Propel Friday News Briefing
Boojum appoints advisors for equity raise as it looks to expand across UK: Belfast-based burrito chain Boojum, which currently operates 14 sites, has appointed advisors for an equity raise in support of its expansion plans, as it looks to … view
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Thursday 10th February 2022
Oakman Group reports healthy growth, new financing deal and strongest ever pipeline
Oakman Group reports healthy growth, new financing deal and strongest ever pipeline: Oakman Group, the Dermot King-led pub-restaurant operator, has reported healthy growth, a new refinancing deal and its strongest ever pipeline. Oakman ha … view
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Thursday 10th February 2022
Propel Thursday News Briefing
Industry unites around £5m Hospitality Rising campaign as sector vacancies hit 400,000: Organisers of a national grass-roots campaign aiming to raise £5m to combat the sector’s crippling jobs crisis have secured further industry backi … view
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Wednesday 9th February 2022
Legal Briefing

Breaking away from covid – protection and innovation by Leigh Schelvis

As we head into February, it is clear we are indeed starting to learn to live with covid. The last remaining restrictions are being relaxed across all three jurisdi … view
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Wednesday 9th February 2022
Young’s set to acquire ‘handful of pubs’ from The Lucky Onion Group
Young’s set to acquire ‘handful of pubs’ from The Lucky Onion Group: The Lucky Onion Group, owned by Superdry founder Julian Dunkerton, is to sell some of its pubs and hotels to London pub retailer Young’s. While it is understood … view
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Wednesday 9th February 2022
Propel Wednesday News Briefing
Alchemy deal gives Brasserie Bar Co £100m-plus war chest: Brasserie Bar Co, the operator of Brasserie Blanc and the White Brasserie Company, is set to benefit from a £100m-plus war chest as part of its recent circa £40m acquisition by … view
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Tuesday 8th February 2022
Propel Tuesday News Briefing
Hospitality and leisure spending slips into decline after five consecutive months of growth: Overall spending in hospitality and leisure slipped into decline in January compared with last year – falling 6.3% – after five consecutive m … view
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Tuesday 8th February 2022
Alchemy Partners acquires Brasserie Bar Co in circa £40m deal: Brasserie Bar Co, the operator of Brasserie Blanc and the White Brasserie Company, has been acquired by Alchemy Partners in a deal that is thought to be valued at just over … view
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Tuesday 8th February 2022
Alchemy Partners acquires Brasserie Bar Co in circa £40m deal
Alchemy Partners acquires Brasserie Bar Co in circa £40m deal: Brasserie Bar Co, the operator of Brasserie Blanc and the White Brasserie Company, has been acquired by Alchemy Partners in a deal that is thought to be valued at just over … view
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Monday 7th February 2022
More than 250 hospitality business leaders urge chancellor to hold VAT at 12.5%
More than 250 hospitality business leaders urge chancellor to hold VAT at 12.5%: More than 250 business leaders from hospitality and leisure have written to the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, urging the government to keep VAT at 12.5% beyond Ma … view
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Monday 7th February 2022
Update: German Doner Kebab, JKS Restaurants and consumer confidence
German Doner Kebab set to open 78 new restaurants this year, like-for-like sales up 27%: German Doner Kebab, owned by Hero Brands, plans to open 78 new sites this year, creating almost 3,000 jobs. The company revealed plans to grow to 17 … view
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Monday 7th February 2022
Propel Monday News Briefing
Sector businesses planning double-digit price rises in wake of spiralling costs: Sector businesses are planning double-digit price rises in the wake of spiralling costs and a return to the 20% rate of VAT on the horizon. In a UKHospitalit … view
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Friday 4th February 2022
Friday Opinion
Subjects: Restaurant design for the future, an era of renewal, how to nudge diners towards plant-based options, creating experiences for weekdays too
Authors: Glynn Davis, Sarah Travell, Louise Palmer-Masterton, Ann Elliottview
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Friday 4th February 2022
Update: SSP, services sector and Shaftesbury
SSP – good start to the year, group revenues at circa 62% of 2019 levels: SSP Group, the operator of food and beverage outlets in travel locations worldwide, has said it has had a good start to its new financial year, notwithstanding th … view
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Friday 4th February 2022
Propel Friday News Briefing
Keeping VAT at 12.5% would save £4.6bn over ten years and create almost 300,000 jobs in ‘once of a lifetime opportunity’: Keeping VAT at 12.5% for hospitality and tourism rather than returning to 20% in April would save £4.6bn and h … view
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Friday 4th February 2022
Keeping VAT at 12.5% would save £4.6bn over ten years and create almost 300,000 jobs, say trade bodies
Keeping VAT at 12.5% would save £4.6bn over ten years and create almost 300,000 jobs in ‘once of a lifetime opportunity’: Keeping VAT at 12.5% for hospitality and tourism rather than returning to 20% in April would save £4.6bn and help … view
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Thursday 3rd February 2022
Propel Thursday News Briefing
Middletons plans steady expansion as founder says business is in a ‘sweet spot’ when it comes to funding: Stephen Hutton, the founder and managing director of Middletons Steakhouse & Grill, has told Propel the business is focused on f … view
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Wednesday 2nd February 2022
Exclusive: Pret to increase coffee subscription to £25 a month to cover increased costs
Exclusive – Pret to increase coffee subscription to £25 a month to cover increased costs: Pret A Manger, the JAB Holdings-backed business, is to increase its coffee subscription service from £20 to £25 next month, as it looks to comb … view
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Wednesday 2nd February 2022
Update: Pret sales up in London’s financial districts, Starbucks, Cineworld and Brakspear
Pret sales up in London’s financial districts, but recovery being dented by inflationary pressures: Sales at Pret A Manger grew faster in London’s financial districts last week than in any other UK area as banks call staff back into … view
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Wednesday 2nd February 2022
Propel Wednesday News Briefing
Hub Box reports 25.1% increase in like-for-likes, sees scope for 100-plus sites: Hub Box, the south west-based burger and barbecue concept led by Richard Boon, believes there is scope to grow an estate of 100-plus sites in the UK, Propel … view
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Tuesday 1st February 2022
Update: Corbin & King, The Butcher makes UK debut, AG Barr, Gareth Bale
King – I was told a year ago that unless I conceded to their want to franchise, I would go bust within two weeks: Jeremy King, co-founder of London-based restaurant group Corbin & King, has continued his war of words with leading share … view
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Tuesday 1st February 2022
Propel Tuesday News Briefing
Chesser – the government cannot sit by and expect the labour shortage issue to fix itself, sizeable number of pubs shut at least one day a week: The government cannot sit by and expect the labour shortage issue to fix itself, Clive Ches … view
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