Exclusive – Costa Express pays £275m dividend as turnover hits record of almost £350m, rolling out world’s first integrated hot and cold beverage machine: Costa Express paid a dividend of £275m last year as it reported record reven … view

Exclusive – Ole & Steen begins search for new group CEO after Jason Cotta departure: Danish bakery brand Ole & Steen has begun the search for a new group chief executive after the departure of Jason Cotta, after four years in the role, … view

Britain’s licensed premises numbers drop below 100,000 for first time in 20 years: Britain’s licensed premises numbers has dropped below 100,000 for the first time in 20 years. More than 44,000 net outlets have been lost since 2003, e … view

It is more than 40 years since I w … view

Punch reports all three divisions delivering like-for-like sales growth, current trading “encouraging”: Punch Pubs & Co, the Fortress Investment Group-backed business, has reported that all three of its divisions (leased and tenanted, … view

Sixes co-founder – we’ve had several hundred franchise requests, Guildford opening could pave the way for even more UK locations: Calum Mackinnon, co-founder of Sixes, the cricket-based competitive socialising concept, has told Propel … view

Wagamama owner TRG confirms interest from PizzaExpress: Wagamama owner The Restaurant Group (TRG) has confirmed it has received interest from PizzaExpress, but that no offer has yet been made for the business. It comes after Sky News rep … view

Açai brand Oakberry seeking franchise partners for UK rollout, Clapham site to open before end of year: Açai brand Oakberry has told Propel it is seeking franchise partners to roll out across the UK, and is set to open a site in Clapham … view

Exclusive – Propel figures show collapse in McDonald’s UK franchisees’ profits: The pre-tax profit margin of 25 of McDonald’s UK’s most sizeable franchisees declined by almost 92% from £103.3m to £8.4m in 2022, as higher labou … view

Gusto Italian CEO – we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel on costs: Matt Snell, chief executive of Gusto Italian, has told Propel the Palatine-backed business is “starting to now see the light at the end of the tunn … view

Red Oak Taverns acquires 17 pubs from St Austell Brewery: Red Oak Taverns has acquired 17 pubs from St Austell Brewery’s leased and tenanted estate for an undisclosed sum. The deal includes sites across Cornwall, Devon and Somerset such … view

Dutch better burger brand sees runway to 200 UK sites with aim to open first in 2024: Dutch better burger brand Fat Phill’s has told Propel it sees a runway to an eventual UK estate of 200 sites, with the aim of opening the first in 202 … view

Big Table Group to test fast-casual concepts through pop-ups: The Big Table Group – the operator of Las Iguanas, Banana Tree, Café Rouge and Bella Italia – is to test fast-casual versions of its existing brands, through the launch of … view

Exclusive – Caffè Nero currently ‘doesn’t have a cap to its UK store growth’, expects to open debut drive-thru site next spring: Caffè Nero founder and group chief executive Gerry Ford has told Propel that the company doesn’t … view

Caffè Nero reports UK sales up 13.5% in first quarter: Caffè Nero has reported UK sales were up 13.5% for the three months to 31 August 2023 compared with last year, with group level growth of 19%. During the period – which is the fir … view

Exclusive – Boxpark to invest circa £5m in making Midlands debut: Boxpark is to invest around £5m to open its first site in the Midlands, in Birmingham, Propel has learned. The LDC-backed, Simon Champion-led business has agreed a 15-y … view

Exclusive – Sessions raises £3.25m from Virgin Money, to move away from food halls: Sessions, the food brand licensing platform, has raised £3.25m from Virgin Money as it seeks to invest further in the development of its technology wh … view

Managed groups register 12 months of growth after September warms pub sales, cautious optimism for strong final quarter and festive season: Britain’s managed restaurant, pub and bar groups completed 12 consecutive months of year-on-year … view

Revolution Bars Group reports like-for-like sales improving in ‘challenging start’ to new financial year after falling to pre-tax loss, Peach trading well ahead of pre-covid levels: Revolution Bars Group, the operator of 67 premium b … view

Lane7 appoints MD and group CFO as it gears up for next stage of growth: Boutique bowling company Lane7 has appointed Gavin Hughes as managing director and David Bence as group chief financial officer as the business gears up for its nex … view

D&D London set to accelerate growth in UK and internationally with £60m deal ‘imminent’: David Loewi, chief executive and co-founder of D&D London, has said it is set to accelerate growth both in the UK and internationally with a £ … view

Collyer – Bill’s turnaround gathering steam but productivity levels need to return to complete it: The turnaround of the Richard Caring-backed Bill’s restaurant business is “gathering steam” but there is a “very long way to go … view

Vultures circle for Stonegate pubs: Vulture funds are circling a portfolio of 1,000 British pubs as the country’s biggest operator grapples with the fallout from soaring interest rates on a multi-billion-pound debt pile. The Sunday Time … view

Exclusive – Papa John’s UK posts £2.9m loss as lfl sales decline by 21.8%, loses second biggest franchisee: Papa John’s UK & Ireland posted a pre-tax loss of £2,908,000 in the year ended 25 December 2022 (2021: £6,704,00 … view

Subjects: The freedom to be themselves, UK productivity, thinking differently about staffing can rejuvenate the industry, embracing data – a glimpse into the future of hospitality

Exclusive – Burger King secures £35m of new funding, agrees new RBI deal, FY lfl sales up 11%, signs up former largest UK McDonald’s franchisee: Burger King UK, the Alasdair Murdoch-led, Bridgepoint-backed business, has secured £35m … view

Loungers lfl sales up 7.7%, on track for record number of openings: Café bar operator Loungers has reported an acceleration in like-for-like sales growth for the 24 weeks ended 1 October 2023, as it said it was on track to open a total o … view

Wagamama owner TRG sees share price rise 36% following £700m deal, analyst claims price too low and ‘does not reflect quality of estate’: Wagamama owner The Restaurant Group (TRG) saw its share price rise 36% by the end of trading on … view

Incipio Group ‘actively engaged’ in discussions for prospective opportunities in 2024 as FY turnover tops £20m: Incipio Group – operator of venues including Pergola on the Wharf, The Prince and Lost in Brixton – has told Propel i … view

Exclusive – M&B CEO ‘always wanted to bring back Old Orleans’, to launch new concept next spring: Phil Urban, chief executive of Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), has exclusively told Propel he always wanted to bring back Old Orleans. It c … view

We have arrived at the last quarter of the year, which brings several annual events in quick succession – Hallowe’en, bonfire night and Christmas. I’m not o … view

Marston’s FY lfl sales up 10.1%, reduces head office costs by £5m: Marston’s, the Andrew Andrea-led pub company, has this morning reported a 10.1% increase in like-for-like sales for the 52 weeks to 30 September 2023, with both drink … view

Exclusive – Chicken Shop looking to grow as Dunstone makes further investment: Chicken Shop, which was previously known as Chik'n, is looking to grow off the back of a strong trading performance for the year to date, and further backing … view

Joseph Holt sees gradual return to normality, as FY turnover tops £70m: North west brewer and retailer Joseph Holt has reported it saw a “gradual return to normality” last year, as its turnover for the 53 weeks to 31 December 2022 re … view

Exclusive – Ex-PizzaExpress MD Zoe Bowley joins Greene King: Zoe Bowley, who stepped down as managing director of PizzaExpress at the start of this year, has joined brewer and retailer Greene King, to develop its Metropolitan Pub Compan … view

Premium sports and entertainment gastropub concept backed by Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake to make UK debut: T-Squared Social, the premium sports and entertainment gastropub concept backed by golfer Tiger Woods and singer Justin Timbe … view

Caprice Holdings returns to profit: Caprice Holdings, the Richard Caring-backed, high-end restaurant business, swung back into a profit for the first time since the pandemic last year. Sales rebounded by 71% to £74.4m (2 January 2022: £ … view

Exclusive – St Peter’s Brewery acquires Curious Brewery and Wild Beer Co: One of the UK's first craft brewers, the Suffolk-based St Peter's has acquired the Curious Brewery and Wild Beer Co businesses, for an undisclosed sum, Propel h … view

JD Wetherspoon reports current lfl sales up 9.9% after returning to profit: JD Wetherspoon has reported current like-for-like sales are up 9.9% after returning to profit in the year ending 30 July 2023. Chairman Tim Martin, in the company … view

US hot sandwich concept eyes short-term target of 30 UK sites as it prepares to launch national franchise: US hot customisable sandwich concept Which Wich is eyeing a short-term target of 30 UK sites over the next three years as it prepar … view

Exclusive – investment group featuring Breal Capital and Calveton in pole position on D&D London: An investment group featuring Breal Capital, which has so far this year acquired Brew by Numbers, Black Sheep Brewery, Brick Brewery and V … view

Exclusive – Ivy Collection grows turnover by more than £100m driven by expansion of Ivy Asia brand, banking facilities extended: The Ivy Collection, the Richard Caring-backed restaurant chain, grew its turnover by more than £ … view

Consumer spending in hospitality holding up well despite cost-of-living crisis: Consumer spending in hospitality is holding up well despite the cost-of-living crisis, according to CGA by NIQ’s new BrandTrack Plus research. BrandTrack Pl … view

Consumer spending in hospitality holding up well despite cost-of-living crisis: Consumer spending in hospitality is holding up well despite the cost-of-living crisis, according to CGA by NIQ’s new BrandTrack Plus research. BrandTrack Pl … view

Exclusive – Scoffs Group discontinues Miss Millie’s operation, future ventures outside core Costa business ‘will only be operated if they can deliver a strong ROI’, current trading strong: Scoffs Group – the largest Costa Coffee … view

City Pub Group acquires two more pubs: The City Pub Group, the owner and operator of 52 pubs across southern England and Wales, has completed the acquisition of two more pubs, in London’s Soho and in Oxford. The group said it has acquir … view

Exclusive – Burger & Lobster “actively looking for new locations outside of London”, FY turnover tops £32m: Burger & Lobster, the nine-strong London restaurant group, is actively looking for new locations outside of the capital aft … view