Cineworld reports revenues up 8.8%: Cineworld has reported revenues up 8.8% in the first 19 weeks of 2015 compared to last year. The company stated: “All territories have delivered year-on-year growth in admissions for the first 19 weeks of 2015 versus 2014, with the exception of Slovakia which had a small decline. Retail spend per person increased in all territories and benefited from the mix of films as well as our improving range of retail offerings. The growth in admissions and nature of the film mix have also resulted in increased advertising revenues which are reflected in the growth in other income. During the first 19 weeks of the year we opened two new Cineworld cinemas in the UK (Swindon and Broughton with 17 screens in total, with Broughton featuring an IMAX screen) and one Picturehouse in East Dulwich, with three screens. In CEE and Israel, we opened a new 14 screen cinema in Bucharest, Romania, and extended our existing cinema in Letnany, Czech Republic, by four screens. We are currently contracted to open a further eight cinemas in the UK (64 screens, of which eight screens relate to two new Picturehouse cinemas) and eight in CEE & Israel (79 screens) during the remainder of 2015. There is a promising film release programme for the remainder of the first half which includes “San Andreas”, “Jurassic World” and “Minions”. The second half of 2015 is encouraging with titles such as “Star Wars: Episode VII”, the final Hunger Games title “Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2” and the next Bond film “Spectre”. With our plans for continued expansion across the Group, the Board remains confident of delivering a performance for the year as a whole in line with current market expectations.”

Passey steps down at Red Hot World Buffet: Eddy Passey, former group operations director at the pan-European hostel provider Beds and Bars, has stepped down as group operations director at Red Hot World Buffet after “18 eventful months”. Passey joined Red Hot World Buffet, with a small equity stake, in December 2013, a few months after the buffet chain had been acquired by Luke Johnson’s Risk Capital. Eddy Passey’s Red Hot e-mail response states: “After 18 eventful months I’m off to my next mission.” James Horler remains chief executive of Red Hot World Buffet in the wake of Passey’s departure. Risk Capital’s ownership of Red Hot World Buffet has not been without incident – its Northampton site was burned down in December 2013 and the company decided against re-building it. The company opened a new site in Leicester last year but saw its Liverpool site closed for a week after the start of this year because of hygiene-related issues.