ALMR honours the best of late-night sector: The best in the late-night hospitality sector were honoured last night (Tuesday, 11 October) as the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers’ (ALMR) Late Night Awards were dispensed at the third annual Dusk ’til Dawn ceremony. More than 280 delegates representing the UK’s night-time economy gathered at London’s Cafe de Paris for the event, held in association with Propel. Awards were dispensed across six categories recognising the vitality and diversity of late-night hospitality, while a special Icon Award was presented to Deltic Group chief executive Peter Marks for his outstanding contribution to the UK’s late-night hospitality sector. Revolution Bars Group took home the award for best late-night food offer (in association with CPL Training), while Inception Group was crowned best late-night drinks winner (in association with Molson Coors). Best late-night entertainment (in association with Orderella) went to Tokyo Industries. The best service and team development accolade (in association with Zonal) was scooped by Stonegate, best marketing and promotion (in association with Jack Daniels) was awarded to Novus Leisure. The best late-night venue accolade (in association with Wireless Social) was won by Mission Mars’ Albert’s Schloss concept. ALMR chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “The amazing variety on show across the winners underlines what a fantastically strong and innovative sector this is. Late-night venues have faced obstacles to growth in recent years but pubs, bars and nightclubs, as exemplified by this year’s winners, are dynamic and popular and continue to push forward trends across our high streets. Congratulations to all the winners for the great work they have done ensuring the UK’s night-time economy remains as vital as ever. Particular congratulations must also go to Peter Marks, who has been a tireless champion of late-night bars and nightclubs and who is a deserving recipient of the ALMR Icon Award.”

Host of companies book places at BII People and Training Conference: More than 200 operators have already booked free places at the BII’s People and Training Conference on Monday, 21 November at Bafta Piccadilly. Companies attending include Five Guys, Bill’s, Rosa’s Thai Cafe, Loungers, Be At One, Gaucho, Red’s True Barbecue, Casual Dining Group, SSP Group, Prezzo, Tasty, Zizzi, Amber Taverns, Laine Pub Company, Bone Daddies, Soho Coffee Company, Tesco, Upham Pub Company, Rare Breed Dining, Pizza Union, Deltic Group, Punch, Enterprise, Coaching Inn Group, Admiral Taverns, Grand Union, Malvern Inn, City Pub Company, Camerons, Castle Rock Brewery, We Are Bar, PubLove, Pubs of Distinction, Wright & Bell, FrogPubs, McMullens, Shaker Group, Fuller’s, Maxwells, All Our Bars, Cambscuisine, Robinsons, Hollywood Bowl, Thorley Taverns, Buzzwork Holdings, Bodean’s BBQ, Hawthorn Leisure, Beds and Bars, Mamuska and SA Brain. The speaker schedule can be found here. Operators can book free places by emailing Anne Steele on anne.steele@propelinfo.com. Tickets for suppliers cost £149 plus VAT. Bookings have also opened for the National Innovation in Training Awards (NITAs), taking place in Cafe de Paris. Tickets cost £150 plus VAT and can be booked by emailing anne.steele@propelinfo.com

Double-digit increases in pub and restaurant spending drive consumer spend in third quarter: Double digit increases in spending in pubs and restaurants drove consumer spend in the third quarter of 2016, according to data from Barclaycard. Pub spend stood out, with growth up 17.3% in September and 14.4% in the third quarter overall, likely helped by the hottest September in 100 years, the Olympics and the football season kicking off again. Dining-out was in the same league; with restaurant spend up 13.6% in the quarter. Spending growth rose by 3.6% year-on-year as the warmer weather, summer holidays and lack of immediate negative Brexit impact failed to deter consumers from spending their cash, the company said. While July saw lacklustre spend growth of 2.6%, August and September fared much better with spend growth rising by a stellar 4.2% in both months. Spend growth was also strong during the same period last year, rising 3.8%. Confidence in the UK economy saw a significant uptick in September and 48% of consumers said they felt optimistic about the UK economy – the highest figures seen since Barclaycard started carrying out the survey in 2014. Meanwhile, 70% of Brits are feeling confident in their household finances, the highest figure since the fourth quarter of 2015. Barclaycard managing director Paul Lockstone said: “For the first time since Barclaycard began tracking consumer confidence in 2014, more people now tell us they feel confident about the UK economy than those who don’t, and the proportion has jumped significantly since the EU referendum vote in June.” Another bright spot in the quarter was cinema spend. September spend growth was up by 15.2% and quarter three overall was up by 13.3%. Despite spend growth remaining buoyant, the future isn’t necessarily guaranteed. Rising inflation due to oil price-related base effects and a weaker exchange rate could dampen household purchasing power. Necessities such as food and energy may rise due to higher import costs, and weakening wage growth might leave consumers feeling squeezed in the near future. Almost half (47%) of consumers expect to spend more in the next three months due to the rising cost of goods. With Black Friday and Christmas on the horizon, consumers are being more considered and 39% said they expect to have a more modest Christmas than last year, and more than half (57%) will take advantage of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts. IHS Economics chief European and UK economist Howard Archer said: “Looking ahead, we can expect consumers to carry on spending until the effects of Brexit become impossible to ignore. At this stage, it’s too early to predict exactly when, and how severe, that will be.”

Confidence ‘fragile’ in UK food and drink industry following Brexit – new survey finds: Confidence has become fragile in the UK’s food and drink manufacturing industry, according to a survey of Food and Drink Federation (FDF) members published today (Wednesday, 12 October), with more than two-thirds of respondents less confident about the business environment following the Brexit vote. Following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, a majority of food and drink companies responding to FDF’s survey reported a rise in ingredient prices and a fall in product margins – largely the result of a weakened pound – and concerns for the future raised by EU staff. More than two-thirds (69.5%) of respondents are less confident about the UK business environment, with only one in ten (11.2%) more confident. FDF is calling for an industrial strategy partnership with the government to support development of the sector. FDF director general Ian Wright said: “Food and drink industry confidence is low. Slower revenue growth, coupled with prolonged business uncertainty, is affecting the industry’s ability to invest. The assurances we heard from government last week must be underpinned by credible plans for restoring confidence and negotiating a workable future relationship with the EU. Working with government through an industrial strategy partnership, we believe we can counterbalance uncertainty arising from the EU exit process and secure world-class status for the sector.” The survey coincides with quarterly figures from UK retailers showing food sales at their highest level since 2013, suggesting a disparity between business and consumer confidence levels.

Checkit launches digital system to make food safety simpler for small businesses: Food safety technology company Checkit has launched a digital food safety system aimed at small businesses. Checkit Solo has been developed in conjunction with Cambridge City Council food inspectors and enables single-outlet food businesses to “safeguard hygiene and ditch food safety paperwork”. The system includes the hand-held Checkit Memo, which comes pre-loaded with digital, food inspector-approved checklists based on the Food Standards Agency’s Safer Food Better Business management pack, a smart wireless temperature probe, real-time alerts, and secure online storage for food safety records. When food hygiene tasks are due they are automatically flagged on the Memo and owners alerted if they are missed. Digital food safety records are instantly created and time-stamped as staff finish tasks and are stored securely online, where they are accessible via smartphone, computer or tablet. Checkit managing director David Davies said: “There’s a real unmet need when it comes to small business food safety. Owners and chefs know how vital it is but translating guidelines into action can be difficult, leading to them drowning in paperwork, rather than proactively managing safety. Checkit Solo is perfect for their needs – no paper, no missed checks and no set-up time.”

BHA initiative highlights London as hospitality hot spot: London jobseekers met with tourism and hospitality businesses as part of an event organised by the British Hospitality Association (BHA), with deputy mayor for business Rajesh Agrawal declaring the capital “open to new talent”. The BHA’s Big Hospitality Conversation is in its third year, in partnership with the Department for Work & Pensions, the National Apprenticeship Service and charity Springboard. The initiative has already reached its aim to create 60,000 apprenticeships by 2020. Speaking during the event at City Hall, Agrawal said: “At least 40,000 people start an apprenticeship every year in London, which is more than double the number five years ago. As the mayor and I have made clear to businesses in recent weeks, London is open to new talent.” BHA chief executive Ufi Ibrahim added: “The Big Hospitality Conversation has thus far seen 70,000 people take up apprenticeships or jobs in the sector, 27,000 in London. We are concentrating on encouraging young people here to consider joining an industry which, if you work hard with the right attitude, offers fantastic opportunities to move fast up the career ladder and enjoy the rewards. And, along the way, you bring happiness to others.”

Sunderland’s first restaurant week ploughs £250,000 into local economy, some outlets report midweek business up 40%: Sunderland’s first restaurant week ploughed an estimated £250,000 into the local economy, with organisers so pleased by its success they want to make it a bi-annual event. Hundreds of diners tucked into the offers available during Eat Drink Sunderland Restaurant Week, which took place between 24 September and 2 October. More than 50 restaurants, cafes and bars across the city took part in the event, organised by Sunderland Business Improvement District (BID) – and backed by the wider city business community – with many showing a huge surge in footfall across the week. Some restaurants reported midweek business increased by 40%. There are plans in the pipeline to make it a bi-annual event, with the next week taking place in early 2017. Sunderland BID chief executive Ken Dunbar told the Sunderland Echo: “We have had a fantastic response to the first restaurant week and we are delighted to have had so many local people and visitors coming to the city. We had high hopes but the results have been absolutely phenomenal and we are delighted with the feedback we have had from businesses in the city centre and further afield.”

Digital loyalty card service for restaurants passes 50% mark in £240,000 crowdfunding campaign: Loyalzoo, a digital loyalty card service for restaurants, has passed the 50% mark in its £240,000 fund-raise on crowdfunding platform Seedrs. The company, co-founded by Massimo Sirolls and Mark Ryan, is offering a 7.07% equity stake in return for the investment as it aims to grow its service in the UK and US. So far, it has raised £134,748 from 49 investors with 58 days remaining. It is a match-funding campaign aimed at raising £500,000 for Loyalzoo, with an existing investor already committing £260,000 as debt capital on the condition that the company raises an additional £240,000 in equity capital. The pitch states: “Almost every large retail chain has moved their loyalty card to a digital medium (apps, web, etc), either in parallel to traditional loyalty cards (Costa, Nando’s, Tesco, The Body Shop), or as their only loyalty system (Starbucks, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Giraffe, Harvey Nichols). They do it because it gives them better information about their customers and it makes them more competitive. The goal of Loyalzoo is to help small/medium-sized independent merchants and smaller groups achieve the same results, offering them a technology service that’s affordable and designed for them. Besides continuing to expand our core service, with this new investment we will recruit a sales/partnership manager in the US, which will be supported by a member of the London team moving to work with him/her; hire an additional software developer (up from the current three) to accelerate our deployment; and consolidate the London team with an additional marketing person. In terms of exit opportunities, we believe Loyalzoo would be an attractive acquisition target for large loyalty marketing companies that traditionally only service large retailers and brands, or for payment companies and similar.”

First Merchant to host private seminar for London hospitality operators to help with expansion: First Merchant, the independent boutique finance house that lent £5m to the hospitality sector in 2015, is hosting a private seminar for operators in London to give “cutting edge advice” on finance and expansion. The event takes place on Wednesday, 23 November at the Durrants Hotel in George Street, Marylebone, from 9am to 12.30pm. Speakers are First Merchant chief executive Tony Hamlin, Davis Coffer Lyons director of business valuations Trevor Watson, CDG Leisure chief executive David Abramson, Woods Whur licensing expert Anna Mathias, and JPC Law senior partner Steven Porter. Operators that have been supported by First Merchant, including World Cuisine Buffet, Timberyard and Beach Blanket Babylon, will also talk about working with the finance company. For more details and to book your place, email finance@firstmerchant.co.uk or call 020 7935 4146.

Grace Land acquires two sites in London, looking to double estate to ten pubs in next few years: The founder of London-based neighbourhood pub brand Grace Land has told Propel he is looking to double the size of the estate over the next few years after acquiring two new sites in the capital. Anselm Chatwin has bought bar restaurant Verden in Hackney and Jan’s Bar in Stoke Newington to take its portfolio to five sites. Agent AG&G acted on both deals for Grace Land, which is a partner of Barworks and currently operates the Black Heart in Camden Town, the Earl of Essex in Islington, and the Kings Arms in Bethnal Green. Verden was acquired from a private landlord for an undisclosed sum through agent Dean Gambles and Co. The building in Clarence Road is undergoing refurbishment and will reopen in the next couple of new weeks under new name The Mermaid. Chatwin said: “It’s a fantastic corner site. We’re going to be looking to do more food both here and at Jan’s alongside our range of beers.” Jan’s Bar was acquired from a private vendor, via landlord Wellington Pub Company, for an undisclosed sum through agent A3A4 Licensed Property. Chatwin said: “It’s taken almost a year to do this deal. This one is a big project and we hope to open in January or February. It’s a great location but it needs a lot of love and attention. There’s a little house at the back that we want to use to create an indoor/outdoor area in the garden and also use as a private dining room.” Chatwin said he was looking to acquire further sites to continue expansion. He added: “We’re working on a few potential deals at the moment. It’s difficult, though, to get good-calibre sites and rents are going crazy as well. We’re looking to get to ten in the next couple of years and then we’ll have a think about where we go from there.” Michael Penfold, from AG&G, said: “We are delighted to have done a couple of deals for Grace Land and Barworks, including a hat-trick of transactions in the past three weeks. We look forward to supporting them in the future.”

Ping Pong reports pre-tax loss following site disposal and new opening: Dim sum restaurant group Ping Pong has reported a pre-tax loss after closing one of its sites and opening a new one in Westfield Shepherd’s Bush. The company saw turnover increase 0.4% to £15,301,004 for the year ending 27 March 2016, compared with £15,244,430 the year before. Ebitda fell to £1,501,864, compared with £1,604,000 the previous year, according to accounts filed with Companies House. It made a pre-tax loss of £545,240, which included a loss of £102,833 disposing of a site, compared with a profit of £18,907 the year before. The company stated: “Despite an increasingly competitive trading environment, the directors are satisfied with the company’s core restaurant operating performance. Loss before tax includes the impact of a site disposal during the period and pre-opening costs for the new site, which started trading in September 2015. Contracts have been exchanged on a new flagship site in Covent Garden, which is scheduled to open for trading in October 2016. This site is expected to take the company to unprecedented sales and Ebitda generation, providing a solid platform for future growth.”

Busaba Eathai launches ‘new generation’ casual dining format in Oxford Circus: Busaba Eathai, the Thai chain founded by Alan Yau and led by chief executive Jason Myers, has launched its “new generation” casual dining format in London’s Oxford Circus. The company has opened the restaurant in Eastcastle Street, the first of a concept that features an evolved “Bangkok Thai” brand proposition and interior design. The 180-cover venue is the group’s 15th site, with the interior evolved to reflect present-day urban Bangkok with all its diversity and creativity. It features an exclusive collaboration with street artists Alex Face and Rukkit, with their graphic street art displayed in the restaurant and on the menus alongside images of Bangkok and art from throughout the city. Additional features include the temple wall with gold, brass, timber and Thai brickwork, alongside a new kitchen pantry and feature bar. As well as the classic Busaba square communal tables, guests can dine in spaces created for singles and couples at the concertina windows or on high tables near the bar. Executive chef Jude Sangsida has created a new menu, with the addition of a Bangkok chargrill category containing dishes such as Isaan-style chicken grilled over charcoals, and a new “Best of Busaba” set menu. There is also a new range of Thai-inspired cocktails and blended juices, alongside Asian beer and Thai spirits. Myers said: “The first Busaba opened just a stone’s throw away from Oxford Circus on Soho’s Wardour Street and remains one of our busiest restaurants, with queues today 17 years later. We’re thrilled that there continues to be growing demand for Busaba’s Thai food and hospitality offer, allowing us to open a new flagship West End restaurant in Eastcastle Street. We look forward to the continued growth of the restaurant group, in London and beyond.”

The Restaurant Group to shut Joe’s Kitchen venue at Nottingham shopping centre as part of 33 site closures: The Restaurant Group is to close its Joe’s Kitchen site at the Intu Victoria Centre in Nottingham less than a year after opening. The restaurant was one of the first to open in the shopping centre’s new dining area last November but The Restaurant Group said it would be one of the 33 sites that will close as per its trading statement in August. Frankie & Benny’s, Chiquito and Coast to Coast – other chains in its portfolio – will remain open in Nottinghamshire. A spokesman told the Nottingham Post: “The Restaurant Group has an estate of 500 restaurants. It is closing 33 but the staff will be offered jobs because restaurants always need good, trained staff. The company hopes those people will take jobs elsewhere.” As well as the Joe’s Kitchen site at Intu Victoria Square, the 33 underperforming sites The Restaurant Group is closing consists of 14 Frankie & Benny’s, 11 Chiquitos, three Coast to Coasts, one other Joe’s Kitchen, two Garfunkels and a pub.

UK investor acquires Thames-side pub freehold for £4.5m: Agent Savills has acquired the freehold of Thames-side pub The Ship in Mortlake from Henderson Global Investors for £4,525,000 on behalf of a private UK investor. The pub in Thames Bank comprises 5,633 square feet (523 square metres) of accommodation over two floors, let in its entirety to Spirit Pub Company until March 2044. The property generates £198,418 per annum. George Gawthrop, associate director in the central London investment team at Savills, said: “This was an opportunity to acquire an attractive, long-income London pub immediately adjacent to the former Stag Brewery development site acquired by City Developments in 2015. With a proposal to deliver a new ‘Riverside Quarter’ on the 22-acre site, which will include a fully integrated mixed-use development and scope for up to 850 homes, we expect The Ship to witness a positive impact on not just the day-to-day trading of the pub but also its underlying residual value.” JLL advised Henderson Global Investors.

Intertain’s new app leads to 65% rise in employee engagement with HR resources: Intertain has said Pulse, its recently launched employee engagement app designed to help staff train, communicate and share best practice with each other, has led to a 65% rise in employee engagement with HR resources. The app, developed by software company CPL Online, also alleviates staff supply challenges by encouraging movement of employees between venues and has allowed Intertain to move common HR functionalities, such as rotas, appraisals and inductions, online. Pulse also includes a mentor matchmaking programme, which uses algorithms to match junior staff members with their best mentor, and a “MOJO” function (manager on job observation) that gives staff real-time feedback. It also geographically links an employee with their nearest training session. Since its launch, Pulse has received more than 1,000 unique smartphone downloads, the company said, with e-learning its most used function, responsible for 30% of all platform usage, followed by the messaging function at 16%. Speaking at the Bar and Nightclub Conference, organised by the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers and Propel, Intertain chief executive John Leslie said: “Pulse is an invaluable tool for our business. It will not only help us streamline processes and make day-to-day formalities easier for staff but it will also help us facilitate career progression for our employees.”

Gary Neville – GG Hospitality to add nightclub and university to rapidly growing Manchester portfolio: Gary Neville, who co-owns GG Hospitality with fellow former Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs and Singaporean property developer Rowsley, has revealed plans to add a nightclub and university to the company’s growing portfolio in the city. Speaking to an invited audience at Insider Media’s 42 under 42 event at the Lowry Hotel in Salford, Neville said: “You would never associate Gary Neville with nightclubs but I’ve heard about a London concept in nightclubs that I’m bringing to Manchester. In the next months I will also be involved in a university for business, media and sport.” Neville said protests over GG Hospitality’s St Michael’s development had been “inevitable” but would not deflect him from big plans for Manchester. The St Michael’s development in the Jackson’s Row area of the city includes plans for a 200-bedroom, five-star hotel and 30,000 square feet of retail and leisure space, including two sky bars/restaurants. On 1 October, GG Hospitality took over dining, hospitality and event management at the National Football Museum in Manchester, with part of the deal seeing Michelin-starred chef Michael O’Hare overseeing the launch of The Rabbit In The Moon, a “space age Asian” restaurant on the fifth and sixth floors serving multi-course tasting menus. GG Hospitality’s Cafe Football will launch on the ground floor of the museum later in the year. 

Edinburgh-based Indian street food restaurant concept Tuk Tuk to start expansion with second site, in Glasgow: Edinburgh-based Indian street food restaurant concept Tuk Tuk is to start expansion by opening its second site, this time in Glasgow. The company, which was founded in 2012, will open the new venue in Sauchiehall Street at the start of November. Named after the three-wheeled motorised rickshaws, Tuk Tuk’s dishes are inspired by the fresh, rustic food served at the roadside and railway stations across India to travellers, schoolchildren, rickshaw-wallahs and busy office workers. Tuk Tuk has revamped its menu especially for the Glasgow launch, with new additions including puri yogurt bombs and a range of popular Indian drinks such as mint mambo and lassis in flavours such as mango, coconut, lychee, sweet or salted. The restaurant is also a bring-your-own-booze venue and will offer takeaway and delivery services. To complement the modern furnishings, artists Conzo Throb and Ciaran Glöbel have designed Indian-inspired murals to adorn the walls of the restaurant. Tuk Tuk’s other site is in the Tollcross area of Edinburgh.

ETM Group opens Burdock bar in the City: Tom and Ed Martin, of privately-owned ETM Group, have launched Burdock, a bar at the new Royal London House hotel in the City. With interiors designed by Tonik, the 2,000 square foot bar in Finsbury Square features four overhanging tank beers with rotating guest craft ales and seats up to 100 covers for breakfast, lunch and dinner alongside bar food and cocktails, Hot Dinners reports. ETM Group will open another bar and restaurant at the hotel this autumn – Aviary – its first rooftop venue. The 6,000 square foot venue has been designed by Russell Sage Studio and will be on the tenth floor. It will open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner and boast a 2,000 square foot south-facing terrace overlooking the City’s skyline. Two of the hotel’s ninth floor suites, each with its own terrace, will also be available for ETM Group’s use as private events spaces for 30 to 40 guests. Towards the end of the year, ETM Group will launch Greenwood at Nova in Victoria, the company’s 18th opening since it was founded in 2000.

Scottish ice cream maker Mackie’s to open its debut dessert parlour in Aberdeen ahead of planned roll-out: Ice cream maker Mackie’s of Scotland is set to launch its debut dessert parlour, in the £107m Marischal Square development in Aberdeen, with more sites to be rolled out in the future. Mackie’s has signed a 15-year lease to open its flagship ice cream parlour and coffee shop next summer. The 70-cover venue will offer more than 30 flavours of ice cream, plus Mackie’s own chocolate. Marketing director Karin Mackie said the company had travelled around the UK, Italy and the US to visit some of the world’s best ice cream parlours and gelateria chocolatiers to garner ideas. She added that Mackie’s ice cream parlour would be the first of many the company hoped to launch across Scotland and internationally in the next few years. She told Herald Scotland: “We are viewing this as the next chapter for the business and want to create the flagship branch in our home city. [We will] learn what works and then hope to replicate the best – at first in the other major cities across Scotland. The company vision is to become a global brand, and retail units further afield are part of the overall vision.”

Kent-based Papa John’s franchisee opens sixth site in county, in Canterbury: Kent-based Papa John’s franchisee Gurinder Atwal has opened his sixth site in the county, in Canterbury. Atwal, who first moved into the foodservice industry opening fish and chip shops with brother Sukdev, has launched the store in Sturry Road, creating 35 jobs. He said: “The original plan was to open in Canterbury six years ago. To cut a long story short, we have needed to be careful to find the perfect location and it has taken time to secure planning in this beautiful and historic city. Canterbury has a huge university population and we are now based near the student accommodation so this opening represents an exciting prospect for the expansion of our portfolio.” Papa John’s was founded in the US in 1984 and has more than 4,800 stores in 40 international markets and territories, including 300-plus in the UK.

Japanese brewer completes acquisition of Miller Brands UK: Japanese brewer Asahi Group Holdings, the new owner of super premium beer brands Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Grolsch and Meantime, has completed its acquisition of Miller Brands UK and the formation of Asahi UK. The investment in the new company and the acquisition of Miller Brands is part of Asahi Europe’s strategy to lead the development of the continent’s super premium beer sector. The new company and extended portfolio will further strengthen Asahi’s offering, giving businesses across Europe access to a range of imported beer. Asahi UK managing director Gary Haigh said: “Our super premium brand portfolio is powered by a seamless distribution network, expert customer marketing and sales capability – this means we can extend and grow Asahi’s ambition in the UK. Peroni Nastro Azzurro has been a key driver in the growth of the UK super premium sector, which is now worth £1.3bn and accounts for more than a quarter of the London beer market. With the backing of the Asahi Group we will be able to continue our strategies for the brands, building on their success and allowing our customers to benefit from meeting the demands of UK consumers for high-quality beer brands.” Asahi has bought SABMiller’s interests in Meantime, Grolsch and Peroni Nastro Azzurro following the £79bn acquisition of the UK brewer by AB InBev.

Manchester-based Tattu to start expansion after signing for second site, in Leeds city centre: Adam and Drew Jones, the brothers who operate Chinese restaurant Tattu in Spinningfields, Manchester, are set to start expansion of their concept after signing up to open a second site, this time in Leeds city centre. The brothers have signed a 20-year lease agreement with Evans Property Group (EPG) to open a 5,500 square foot, ground-floor unit in the Bond Court development. The 180-cover restaurant in Minerva House will also feature external seating and is part of EPG’s £25m investment programme. Adam Jones told BDaily: “We’ve been looking at several sites across the north of England but have been patient in finding the right location for our second venue. The plans for the development of Bond Court are very impressive. We’re looking forward to getting on-site in the new year and creating a venue we hope Leeds will be proud of.” Work is under way at Bond Court on a 95-bedroom, five-star Dakota Deluxe hotel that will open in spring 2017, while Living Ventures has committed to the development by signing a 25-year lease extension for its Blackhouse Grill restaurant and bar after EPG secured planning permission to create a terrace and introduce improvements amounting to about £1m. EPG portfolio director Alan Syers added: “The new restaurant has the right cosmopolitan feel to complement the Dakota Deluxe hotel and will create a real sense of unity between East Parade, Bond Court and Greek Street.”

Late-night wine bar and dining room The Laughing Heart launches in London: Late-night wine bar, off-licence and dining room The Laughing Heart has launched in Hackney, east London. The venue in Hackney Road features a basement wine shop offering organic and biodynamic wine, while the 40-seat wine bar upstairs has a 300-strong list of living wines, with many displayed in an ice-filled trough in the centre of the dining room. The menu features dishes such as cod roe with furikake and crudite, Isle of Mull scallop crudo, line-caught Cornish brill with xiao xing broth and rice, and gig and fennel tart. On Sundays, The Laughing Heart offers a set lunch based on a Chinese banquet, Hot Dinners reports. The concept is the brainchild of Charlie Mellor, formerly of Elliot’s, Brawn and Primeur, while the head chef is Tom Anglesea, who has worked at Chiltern Firehouse and Per Se. Front of house is Cedric Maillard, who used to be head sommelier at Sager + Wilde. The shop opens at 2pm, Wednesday to Saturday, and the bar from 7pm on the same days. Both open at midday on Sundays. The kitchen opens until 1am, while the bar/off licence closes at 2am.

Revolution opens tenth Revolucion de Cuba, in Harrogate: Revolution Bars Group has launched its tenth Revolucion de Cuba, this time in Harrogate, Yorkshire, the first of three openings in the company’s current financial year. Revolution has invested £1m to transform the venue in Parliament Street, which is on the site of the former Rehab nightclub in the town’s dining quarter. The new Revolucion de Cuba is spread over two floors and features a dedicated Havana Bar offering craft cocktails, premium drinks and theatrical mixology. Freshly-made, Latin-inspired dishes are on offer seven days a week, featuring “bold, wholesome and rustic flavours”. Revolution Bars Group chief executive Mark McQuater said: “This will be our tenth branch of the highly successful concept and we have another two opening before Christmas. This follows the success of our recent openings in Liverpool, Nottingham, Leeds and Milton Keynes. The location is perfect – right in the hub of Harrogate’s dining quarter. We’re confident we will bring something unique to Harrogate’s fantastic food and drink scene.” The company also operates 53 sites under its Revolution brand.

Kurt Zdesar opens Italian restaurant concept Fucina in Marylebone: Kurt Zdesar, the man who brought Nobu to London as director of operations for Nobu Europe, has launched Italian restaurant concept Fucina in Marylebone. Zdesar, who opened The Black Roe Poke Bar and Grill in Mayfair earlier this year and also operates “Nikkei” sushi bar Chotto Matte in Soho, has partnered with Stefano Stecca (Locatelli and Novikov) on the new project. The menu at the new restaurant in Paddington Street is based on recipes from Zdesar’s childhood, with a “modern twist”. Dishes feature pasta hand-made on-site, alongside stone-baked pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven, Hot Dinners reports. There is a wood-fired pit downstairs for roasting suckling pig, lamb, boar and other large meat cuts, while products made in-house such as bread, pastries, charcuterie and gelato will be on sale at the next-door panetteria, which is due to open in November. The panetteria will be headed by former Princi head baker Massimiliano Porta and will also offer cold-pressed juices, freshly ground coffee, and Italian groceries, alongside sandwiches using meat cooked in the fire pit.

Rio Ferdinand’s Rosso pairs with Hong Kong’s Langham Hotel for new international cocktail exchange: Manchester restaurant Rosso, co-founded by former Manchester United and England footballer Rio Ferdinand, has been paired with The Langham Hotel in Hong Kong as part of the first D1 International Cocktail Exchange. Devised by drinks company D1 London Spirits, Rosso will join eight other high-end UK venues that have been paired with nine top cocktail bars in south east Asia. Rosso has been paired with the award-winning Artesian at The Langham. Rosso will serve The Artesian HK Spice Cocktail created by its twinned venue for the next three months, while Rosso mixologists have created the Mancunian Mandarin for The Langham. D1 London Spirits founder Dominic Limbrey said: “It’s about exploring and understanding the nuances and character of different places and very local flavour, which can be found in the carefully curated cocktails served with an element of theatre in these hand-picked world-class bars.”

London-based pub The Square Pig reopens following extensive refurbishment featuring new downstairs cocktail bar: London-based pub The Square Pig has reopened following an extensive refurbishment and now features a downstairs cocktail bar. The new-look venue, on the corner of Holborn Square, has high repurposed-wood tables surrounded by tartan-topped seating and green leather banquettes, with vibrant artwork depicting Holborn’s varied history and mixology links. There is also an extensive outside decked area and a range of private hire options. The downstairs hidden speakeasy bar has teal, black and dark brown leather booths, with contemporary light fixtures. The new diner-inspired menu includes light bites, mains and sharing dishes, including its signature Smoke House Burger – a rare breed patty topped with pulled pork, American double cheese, homebrew barbecue sauce, maple bacon, tomato and red onion served in a cream bun. Drinks include a range of spirits and gin ‘n’ tonic cocktails as well as a range of draught beers, local cask ales, wines and ciders.

Subscription cocktail and premium craft spirit company fails in crowdfunding bid: Subscription cocktail and premium craft spirit company Tipple Box has failed in its bid to raise £80,000 on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube to accelerate its growth. The company, founded by Sonny Charles in 2014, increased its equity stake last week to 13.79% from 9.64% in return for the investment. However, it failed to secure the investment it was looking for. A message from Crowdcube said: “Unfortunately, Tipple Box did not reach its funding target before the closing date.” The pitch stated: “Tipple Box is a cocktail and premium craft spirit experience. We provide cocktail kit and batch-spirit sampling boxes. These contain curated recipes, premium spirits and ingredients to help our customers make delicious cocktails at home or sip exciting tipples. Customers have the option to subscribe monthly or purchase an individual box through our online market place. We have secured a retail listing with John Lewis and we’re working towards stocking with Fenwick’s and Lakeland, among others. We have proven the demand for our product and established the sales channels. We’ve established our products effectively. We aim to aggressively scale through marketing and customer acquisition. We aspire to sell Tipple Box to a global drinks brand, such as Diageo or Pernod Ricard or a large company within the market. The subscription commerce market has recently witnessed Naked Wines sell to Majestic Wines for £70m, and Graze sold a majority shareholding to the Carlyle Group.”

Azzurri backs Radio Alice pizza concept set for Hoxton Square launch: Azzurri Group, which operates ASK Italian and Zizzi, is backing new pizza concept Radio Alice, which is set to launch in Hoxton Square, east London, in December. The concept is the brainchild of brothers Salvatore and Matteo Aloe, who have united with Gail’s Bakery co-founder Emma King, who will oversee the project. The Aloes own Berbere, which operates five pizzerias in Italy. They use mother yeast and stone-ground flour to produce dough that is left to ferment at room temperature for 24 hours, producing a pizza base that is crispy outside and soft inside. They then cook the base first and add organic, seasonal toppings afterwards. The new restaurant, on the former site of pub Monikers, will also offer a selection of Italian organic wines as well as beer from Brew Fist in Italy and London’s Kernel Brewery. Radio Alice is named after an Italian pirate radio station from the 1970s. Salvatore Aloe said: “Radio Alice was fiercely Italian and deeply rooted in the rebellious. Their proud spirit and unconventional approach have always been an inspiration to us, and we hope today’s Radio Alice Hoxton will be much the same. We want our food to reflect that attitude so the ingredients are from traditional organic and slow food producers in Italy and Britain.”

Speaker schedule for Propel Multi Club Conference unveiled: The full speaker schedule for the Propel Multi Club Conference on Thursday, 3 November at Congress Hall, London, has been unveiled. Operators of multi-site pub, restaurant and foodservice operators can claim up to two free places by emailing anne.steele@propelinfo.com. Richard O’Donnell, head of the leisure sector at Canaccord Genuity, will provide an overview of the restaurant sector M&A landscape, current valuations in the market and the do’s and don’ts when attempting to attract investment or sell a hospitality business. James Spragg, chief operating officer of Casual Dining Group, will give his views on how brands can be revived, majoring on a case study of how Cafe Rouge has been revived thanks to a focus on menu authenticity, investment in facilities and environment, staff training, and head office support. Fraser Bradshaw, partner at investment fund Imbiba, will talk about how it identifies opportunities in the market place, finds and backs talent, assimilates innovation from around the world, and its current group of investments – Darwin & Wallace, Camm & Hooper, Ruth & Robinson, Wright & Bell, and Casper & Cole. Ed Brown and Griff Holland, co-founders of healthy eating brand Friska, will outline the company’s approach to ethically sourced healthy food, service, its journey as a company from its south west base, and perspective on the healthy eating market. Christian Rose, managing director of All Star Lanes, will talk about the “brand’s revolution”, improving the food and beverage offer, updating design, the growing importance of “experiences”, market potential and expansion plans. Professor Chris Edger, the UK’s leading author on multi-site brand management and leadership, will draw on his forthcoming book written in partnership with Tony Hughes, eMotion – How leaders mobilise positive feelings in super-performing teams, to outline the “ten moments of emotional truth” of leadership that separate the best from the rest. Ian Leigh, managing director of Thai Leisure Group, operator of Chaophraya and Thaikhun, will share how the company is successfully retaining its unique company culture while moving forward its brands and rolling out eight sites per year. Brian Whiting, founder of gastro-pub operator Whiting and Hammond, will talk about the company’s £200,000, 24-hour fund-raise through Funding Circle to open its latest pub, partnering with pubcos, developing slow-starting sites to realise their potential, tikki huts, and menu evolution, including the introduction of a high-end smoker. British-born entrepreneur Jonathan Segal is founder of ONE Group, which operates the STK brand. He will discuss the challenges and opportunities that come with operating an international restaurant brand, with locations from Las Vegas to London, and Chicago to Ibiza, as well as regularly catering for the stars at the Oscars and Super Bowl. David Henkes, advisory group senior principal of foodservice insights and research firm Technomic, will provide insights on the hottest new concepts in the US, what makes them successful and their common threads. He will also report on which categories are performing best in the US market.