Exclusive – Benito’s to return to London after parent company signs multi-site franchise agreements: Mexican brand Benito’s is to make its return to the capital after its parent company, Elangeni Hospitality Group (EHG), signed an agreement for two new development partnerships, providing a pipeline of 15 new franchised stores, Propel has learned. EHG has a target of 40 stores for the Benito’s brand, which previously operated a handful of sites in central London, by the end of 2029. The new sites will be a combination of company-owned and franchised stores across the UK. The new development deals cover territories in the south east and central London and include the brand opening three new stores in the first half of 2025. The new stores – one company-owned store and two franchised stores – will take the brand’s total to six by the end of the second quarter, with a further three openings planned before the end of 2025. The business said it is actively seeking high street franchise partners for the brand nationally, as well as new locations for company stores across the Midlands and north of England. Michael Pearson, chief executive of EHG, said: “Since acquiring the Benito’s brand we have been working tirelessly to deliver on the untapped potential the brand has had since it launched in 2008. Our new franchise development agreements are testament to all that hard work paying off. We believe we are positioned in the right part of the right sector of the restaurant market and have confidence that despite the well documented headwinds facing our industry, we can continue to thrive. It is particularly satisfying to me, personally, that we are bringing Benito’s back into central London after a two-year absence. London is our heartland and we’ve been overwhelmed by the messages from our customers asking for us to return.” Last October, Benito’s made its motorway service debut with an opening at Leeds Skelton Lake services at junction 45 on the M1. It joined existing sites in Oxford Westgate and Luton airport. Last year, EHG also launched a new pizza concept, Slice & Dice, at the Westgate scheme in Oxford. 

 

Premium Club subscribers to receive new searchable and segmented New Openings Database on Friday: The next Propel New Openings Database will be sent to Premium Club subscriibers on Friday (7 March), at noon. The database will show the details of 169 site openings, including which company has opened a site or its plans to open one in the future. The database will have details on what type of site it is and its location, and there will also be a website link to the businesses. The database is published on a monthly basis and Premium Club members will also receive a 10,264-word report on the 146 new additions. The database is segmented into seven categories – cafe bakery, casual dining, experiential leisure, fine dining, hotels, pubs and bars, and quick service restaurants – making it even easier for users to search. The database includes new openings in the casual dining sector such as 081 Pizzeria, the pizza concept from Naples-born chef Andrea Ascuiti, Jimmy’s Killer Prawns, with an opening in Nottingham, and Afrikana, the African restaurant concept. Subscribers also receive access to five other databases: the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the Multi-Site Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who’s Who of UK Hospitality. All Premium Clubs subscribers will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events including Excellence in Pub Retail (May 2025) and discounts on specialist sector reports such as the International Brands report. Operators that are Premium Club subscribers are also able to send up to four members of staff to each of our four Multi-Club Conferences for free. Premium Club subscribers receive their daily Propel Info newsletter 11 hours earlier than standard subscribers, at 7pm the evening before. They also receive videos of presentations at eight Propel conference events two weeks after they are held. This represents around 100 videos of industry insight over the course of the year. Premium Club subscribers will be sent a dedicated monthly newsletter that will highlight key updates in the sector and direct subscribers to all the vital content their membership offers. Premium Club subscribers also receive exclusive opinion columns every Friday at 5pm, which include the thoughts of Propel group editor Mark Wingett and a host of industry leaders from across the sector. A Premium Club subscription costs an annual sum of £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Premium Club for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

 

Ireland’s fast-food market outpaces the UK: Ireland’s fast-food sector is experiencing a significant boom, outperforming the UK in both traffic and growth, according to Meaningful Vision’s latest market analysis. The market intelligence platform’s deep dive into the 60 leading foodservice chains in Ireland and 200-plus in the UK shows Ireland’s foodservice sector is on an upward trajectory, registering a 5% increase in foodservice traffic in 2024, while the UK’s market remained stagnant. Outlet density of fast-food chains in Ireland is slightly higher, with 28.7 fast-food outlets per 100,000 people, surpassing the UK’s 27.6. This difference is driven by international businesses, particularly in Dublin. Traffic growth in Ireland is fuelled by burger and pizza places, while the UK sees its expansion in chicken shops, bakeries and sandwich outlets. Burger places in Ireland saw nearly 7% growth in traffic last year, followed by pizza outlets. In the UK, bakeries and sandwich shops outpaced the overall market, growing by 5%, while burger traffic declined. However, the chicken segment experienced strong growth in the second half of the year, driven by the rapid expansion of several new US entrants. While the UK’s fastest-growing foodservice daypart is breakfast, with morning traffic surging as more employees return to office work, Ireland’s growth is concentrated in midday and evening dining. Morning traffic declined from 13% to 11% in the fourth quarter of 2024, while lunchtime visits increased by 2% and afternoon traffic grew by 3%. Evening footfall saw a minor uptick, reinforcing Ireland’s preference for later dining hours. Meaningful Vision chief executive Maria Vanifatova said: “With chain-owned fast-food stores in Ireland growing by 3% year-over-year, major players such as Apache Pizza, McDonald’s, Supermac’s and Insomnia Coffee continue to expand. However, competition is set to intensify with Wendy’s entry into the market in 2025, challenging established burger brands. Meanwhile, the UK’s chicken segment has seen a remarkable 30% outlet growth over the past four years, leaving industry watchers to question whether Ireland will follow suit in demand for fast-food chicken. Bakeries and sandwiches is another segment that has a potential for local and global players in Ireland. Operators who tailor their strategies to capitalise on Ireland’s unique daypart preferences and competitive landscape will be best positioned for long-term success.”

 

Paris-based investment group Eurazeo in talks to acquire majority stake in Mapal: Paris-based investment group Eurazeo is in talks to acquire a majority stake in hospitality technology provider Mapal Group. It has entered into exclusive negotiations with PSG Equity – the investment group with offices across the US, Europe and Israel – which will retain a minority stake. Eurazeo said completion is subject to “carrying out customary formalities and obtaining relevant regulatory approvals” and that it will disclose definitive financial information upon completion. Headquartered in Madrid, Mapal currently serves more than 2,000 customers across 40-plus countries via software solutions purpose-built for quick-service restaurants, fast casual restaurants, contract caterers, pubs, bars and hotels. PSG Equity acquired a majority stake in Mapal in September 2019, since when, Mapal has accelerated its growth across new product lines and geographies. Eurazeon said its investment, alongside PSG Equity and Mapal’s management, will help Mapal “further enhance its position as an industry leader as well as fuel continued international growth”. Edouard Guigou, partner mid-large buyout at Eurazeo, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Jorge Lurueña and the Mapal team on this next phase of growth. Together, we look forward to accelerating Mapal’s expansion and strengthening its leadership in the hospitality tech space.” Edward Hughes, managing director at PSG Equity, said: “Mapal is another great story of PSG Equity partnering with a talented management team to help build a software champion. We are delighted to welcome Eurazeo on this exciting growth journey.” Jorge Lurueña, founder and chief executive of Mapal, added: “Our growth journey since 2019, in partnership with PSG Equity, has been transformative. We are excited to continue to deliver on our mission to transform the lives of hospitality owners, managers and employees as we welcome Eurazeo as a new shareholder.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a hospitality business that is seeking a head of procurement. A COREcuitment spokesperson said: “The role will be responsible for overseeing all of the supply chain and procurement activities within the business, ensuring the efficient sourcing, negotiation, and management of supplier contracts. This role requires a strategic leader who can optimise costs, maintain quality standards, and establish strong relationships with vendors while ensuring compliance with company policies and industry regulations.” The salary is up to £80,000 and the position is based in Cambridge. For more information, email mikey@corecruitment.com.

 

Licensing update: John Gaunt & Partners licensing solicitors has just published its latest licensing update. This month includes an important update regarding the temporary easement relating to off-sales that will not be extended or made permanent, so will come to an end on 31 March 2025. This could have a major impact on operators who have been utilising this easement, particularly relating to beer gardens and outside areas. The full update can be accessed here.

 

Clays gears up for US launch, to open Soho flagship this summer: Clays, the Imbiba-backed, indoor interactive clay shooting experience operator, is gearing up to launch in the US and believes it can roll out to 15 sites Stateside over time. The company, which was founded by Tom Snellock, opened its first site in London’s Moorgate in November 2021, before adding sites in Canary Wharf and Birmingham. Last year, the company completed a £6m fundraise, led by French leisure and entertainment group Hadrena (formerly Otium Leisure). On plans for the US, Snellock told Propel: “We’ve already been out to look at sites and have appointed a construction partner; however, the process in the US seems slower, from site find to opening, so it (a first opening) is likely early next year, unless we are very lucky finding a second gen site.” Snellock said that Hadrena’s experience—particularly in relation to rolling out large-scale experiential concepts like Beat The Bomb and Kid’s Empire—gives Clays an advantage. He said: “Hadrena has a strong track record, having grown another experiential concept to over 100 US locations in just a decade. This experience, combined with our proven profitability in the UK, gives us the confidence to scale at pace while maintaining quality and brand integrity.” Last May, Propel revealed that Clays had applied to open on the former Park Row site in Brewer Street, Soho. The group’s new flagship site will be its largest to date when it opens this summer, spanning 19,000 square feet across three floors. The venue will house eight private shooting pegs, along with London’s first Clays Arcade—a space offering fast-paced, open-play shooting games for smaller groups. The company made its regional UK debut at the end of last year in Birmingham, which doubled budget in January. On further UK expansion, Snellock said: “There are two big UK cities left in our eyes, Manchester being one of them. The other we’ll keep under wraps for the time being, for a standalone Clays site. Following this, if we can shrink the concept down slightly while keeping the energy high, we think there’s potential to expand into even more locations in the UK, whether that is 10 or 20-plus, we will only know when we start seeing if we can keep the energy.” The company has already secured intellectual property rights and patents in 39 countries, paving the way for future expansion. Snellock said: “We’re positioned to take advantage of global opportunities—whether through franchising, licensing our technology, or opening more of our own venues.”

 

KellyDeli hires Mark Buley as UK MD: KellyDeli, the owner of international sushi franchise Sushi Daily, has hired Mark Buley, formerly of Costa Coffee, as the new managing director of its UK business. Buley joins KellyDeli after nine and a half years at Costa, including the last 14 months as general manager/retail franchise director EMENA. Chief executive Silvano Delnegro said: "We are pleased to have someone of Mark's calibre head up the UK business here at KellyDeli and look forward to building on the excellent relationships we have with our retailers, teams, franchisees and customers. 2025 is going to be a busy year for us in the UK with lots of exciting development." Earlier this month, the company hired former Subway UK & Ireland managing director Nigel Doughty as its new chief operating officer. The business currently operates 1,500-plus locations across 12 markets in the UK, Europe, Asia and Latin America, partnering with retailers such as Waitrose, Asda and Tesco. It operates circa 170 sites in the UK.

 

Parogon ‘trading well’ and targeting minimum of three new sites per year, secures £9.8m refinancing to help secure lease of Wayfarer site: Parogon Group, the award-winning premium gastropub operator led by Richard Colclough, has said it is currently “trading well” and has targeted a minimum of three new sites per year. Writing in the company’s accounts for the year ended 30 June 2024, Colclough said post year-end, the group has “continued to prove resilient to a challenging trading environment” and “continued to trade well and grown site Ebitda over the first five trading periods”. As previously reported, the company secured the sites for its second and third Willow branded locations post year-end, with Telford opening in September and Mere Green opening last month – Parogon’s 12th site overall. Parogon also acquired the freehold interest of The Wayfarer from Stonegate in December 2024, protecting “a key asset” that had seven years left on the lease. In order to do this, the company’s debt was restructured with Cynergy Bank in the form of a new £9.8m facility, which also includes previous debt repayment and the refurbishment of the two new Willow sites. Colclough said: “Willow's all day dining concept opens the possibility of taking high street and retail park units which will enhance expansion potential. The directors are confident the group will report a year of strong profitability in the next period and continue to look to expand the business. The group will continue to seek out large, high visibility freehold sites to continue expanding into Shropshire, Cheshire and the surrounding counties. In addition, more compact Willow sites are being sought too. A minimum of three new sites per year is the target for growth and several areas have been identified and are actively being pursued.” It comes as the company reported turnover grew from £21,657,243 in 2023 to £24,105,661. It said the increased revenue was attributable to the part-year contribution from its second Orange Tree Bar & Grill site, in Cheshire, which opened in November 2023 and accounted for £1.6m – with supporting like-for-like sales growth of 3.5% across the existing estate. Of the 2024 turnover, £16,494,736 came from food sales (2023: £14,764,864), £7,405,113 from bar sales (2023: £6,823,342), £131,084 from events (2023: £69,037) and £74,728 from gift card breakages (2023: nil). The company’s pre-tax loss narrowed from £355,245 to £283,794 while its Ebitda grew from £1m to £1.5m. Bar and food gross margin increased from 70.3% to 71.7% while direct labour costs as percentage of turnover was down from 33.9% to 33.1%. Dividends of £300,000 were paid, the same as in 2023. Colcough said while administrative expenses grew from £7.3m to £8.3m, the underlying cost base of the like-for-like estate reduced, driven by softening of energy costs and rent reductions. He said the period increases related to the opening of the group’s tenth site, in Congleton.

 

Gourmet wings concept seeking investment as it plans nationwide expansion: Gourmet wings concept Wing Kingz is seeking investment as it plans nationwide expansion. Propel revealed last month that the four-strong business, which was launched in Milton Keynes in 2001, has set its sights on “a minimum of 50 stores by 2030” through franchising. The brand, which has branches in Milton Keynes, Canterbury, Solihull and Coventry, has now launched its first ever investment opportunity. “Since opening our first Wing Kingz store in Milton Keynes in 2021, we’ve been on an incredible journey, growing to four locations, with even more stores set to open in 2025,” a company spokesman said. “What makes this even more special? We’ve built this brand from the ground up without any external funding. Every step of our journey has been fuelled by passion, quality and a loyal customer base. Now, for the first time ever, we’re excited to announce that we are opening up conversations with individuals who are interested in investing in Wing Kingz. This is a unique opportunity to be part of our next phase of rapid growth as we aim to reach 50 stores by 2030.” The company was founded by Parm Bhangal, Harminder Singh Dhisna and Aaron Murrell.

 

Cabana business acquired out of administration for £445,000: The Cabana business was acquired out of administration by new investment vehicle Cherry Equity Partners for a total consideration of £445,000, Propel has learned. Propel revealed last month that Ed Standring had completed the management buy-out of the Latin America-inspired concept Cabana via Cherry Equity Partners, backed by an international family office. Cabana operates three sites in Covent Garden, Westfield Stratford and at the O2 Arena, as well as a franchise business in Saudi Arabia. The company said the deal marks a “pivotal moment for the brand”, putting in place a “sustainable financial platform on which to invest and drive future growth”. Cabana has been working with its advisers to explore investment options that support its ongoing operations and expansion plans. It said the sale process, which was managed by Interpath, attracted interest from a range of potential buyers. Propel understands that 18 parties expressed an interest in the business, with three making an offer. The total consideration was £445,000, with £350,000 paid upon completion and £95,000 deferred for a period of five months. Prior to the sale process the company sold its Huish site in Mayfair to Soho House for circa £2.9m. The administrators report said: “The company has primarily been funded by loan notes issued on 25 May 2021 for a value up to £2.5m and proceeds from the sale of the lease discussed above for £2.9m in 2023. The funds from the sale of the lease were applied as follows: to repay stretched creditors in the company, the repayment of short-term high-interest bridging loans and the repayment of secured debt in the company. Funds were also used to support working capital requirements in the subsidiaries. In the draft financial management accounts for the eleven-month period to November 2024, the company made a loss of £500,000.”

 

Remarkable Pubs opens Leyton site: London operator Remarkable Pubs has opened its latest site, its 17th in total, in Leyton. The European is situated on Lea Bridge Road and offers “honest, home cooked, French-inspired food”. It also features an “European wine list and a variety of beer lines, both keg and cask, utilising local breweries”. The business acquired the pub last year when it was known as the Spark House. It was previously operated by JD Wetherspoon as The Drum. Remarkable Pub opened the former Leyton Technical site in Leyton High Road as the Leyton Engineer last summer, having acquired it from Antic Pubs in 2023.

 

Soho House extends existing credit facility, paid circa £2.9m for Mayfair site: Soho House, which last December revealed it had received a £1.4bn takeover offer from a new consortium, has extended its senior revolving credit facility. The business said it had amended the terms of its existing £75m credit agreement. The amendment, effective from last Thursday, extends the termination date of the revolving credit facility from 25 July 2026 to 31December 2026. The facility involves HSBC UK and two of Soho House’s wholly-owned indirect subsidiaries, SHG Acquisition (UK) Limited and Soho House US Corp, acting as borrowers. According to InvestingPro data, the company’s total debt stands at $2.4bn, with current financial metrics indicating that short-term obligations exceed liquid assets. At the same time, Propel understands that the business paid circa £2.9m for the lease of the former Hush restaurant in Mayfair’s Lancashire Court. Propel revealed in November 2023, that the townhouse site, which was owned by the Jamie Barber-founded Hush Collection, had been sold on the 24th anniversary of its opening. Soho Mews House reopened last September as the first Mews concept site for Soho House, which the company said is “aimed at our long-term members”. In December, Soho House said it was looking at other ways that it can roll out the Mews concept. Soho House chief executive Andrew Carnie said: “We couldn't be happier with Soho Mews House. It got off to a phenomenal start. We're providing a more elevated house than what we would normally do. We are looking at other ways that we can roll our concept out.”

 

Stonegate opens flagship Be At One site: Stonegate Group, the UK’s largest pub company, has reopened its flagship site under its Be at One cocktail bar brand, in London’s Beak Street, following a £500,000 investment. Described as the “jewel in the crown” of the 37-strong Be At One estate, the refurbishment included the addition of a ‘chef’s table’ style bar, a photobooth, a new bookable speakeasy style room (that can only be accessed by code) and a new VIP raised area. The front windows now open the end of the bar to create a bigger entrance to be used in the summer. The venue has also seen its capacity grow from 548 to 580.  The revamped venue also offers a new hexagonal VIP area for cocktail masterclasses.

 

Outgoing Comptoir CEO – company has an excellent untapped QSR brand in Shawa, running casual dining restaurants just keeps getting harder: Nick Ayerst, the outgoing chief executive of Comptoir Group, has said that the business has an “excellent untapped QSR brand in Shawa” and hopes the new leadership team can begin its “much deserved rollout”. Ayerst is leaving Comptoir after two and a half years as its chief executive to become managing director of fast-growing bakery brand Gail’s. Earlier this month, Comptoir Group, the owner of the Comptoir Libanais and Shawa brands, confirmed it has rehired Chaker Hanna as its chief executive. Hanna served as chief executive of Comptoir from 2010 until his departure in August 2022. The business currently operates Shawa sites in Westfield London and Bluewater, plus a site in Abu Dhabi. Ayerst said: “Hopefully, more often than not, we got the balance roughly right, growing back sales and profitability after kicking off with a back to basics programme to tackle underinvestment in the restaurants and standards, then opening new equity and franchise locations. Giving the teams a clear mission and vision, combined with a focus on training and development, has unlocked their huge potential. Long may that progress continue. It’s not all been plain sailing, of course. Comptoir Group has an excellent untapped QSR brand in Shawa, and I hope that the new leadership team will be able to crystallise the thoughts of (founder) Tony Kitous on that brand and begin its much-deserved rollout. The years of ever-increasing costs mean that running casual dining restaurants just keeps getting harder, and it’s even more difficult to see where a fair return can be achieved for the sector from April.”

 

Former McDonald’s head of national operations turned franchisee returns to profit and closes in on £100m turnover after acquiring eight new restaurants: Liverpool McDonald’s franchisee, Blundell’s of Liverpool, returned to profit in the year to 31 March 2024 and closed in on £100m in turnover after acquiring eight new restaurants. The 22-strong company, led by former McDonald’s head of national operations Mark Blundell, turned a £1,183,373 pre-tax loss in 2023 into a profit of £1,886,250. Turnover jumped 54% from £60,054,842 to £92,641,853. Dividends of £230,000 were paid, the same as in 2023. “Sales increased due to the acquisition of eight additional restaurants during the year,” Blundell said. “Gross profit as a percentage of sales increased by 3.64% from 34.76% to 38.40%. The company has positive cashflows and the net assets of the company were £7,35m (2023: £6.29m) at the balance sheet date, reflecting the solid position of the company from a solvency and liquidity perspective. The strong balance sheet provides a foundation on which the company can continue to grow and prosper. Sales through digital channels, including McDelivery, mobile app and self-order kiosks, have increased during the year. Higher levels of pricing have been introduced to counteract food cost inflation. The company is expected to be profitable in the next accounting period despite the impact of rises in food cost inflation. We are confident the company will continue to grow due to the strength of the brand and success of delivery and digital services. The company also plans to acquire more restaurants should the opportunity arise.” Blundell was McDonald’s director of operations from 2001-2006, head of national operations from 2005-2006 and head of HR operations from 2006-2012.

 

Adventure Leisure secures third Bunkers site: Adventure Leisure, which operates 20 experiential sites under its Mr Mulligans, Ninja Warrior and Total Ninja concepts, has secured a third site for its Bunkers golf format, Propel has learned. The business has secured an 18,000 square-foot space at 2 North Street, in Guildford. It currently operates Bunkers sites in Romford and Swansea. Last October, parent company Burhill Group appointed Simon Thompson as its new chief executive. Thompson joined from Bourne Leisure, where he worked for 14 years, with the last eight of those spent as managing director of Warner Hotels. Thompson said: “It is clear that there are many opportunities to continue the successful growth of Burhill Group.” Savills acted on the Guildford deal. 

 

Increase in frequency of visits helps Total Fitness boost turnover and profit, looking to roll out more smaller format clubs: An increase in the frequency of visits helped Total Fitness record a boost in turnover and profit for the year to 30 June 2024. The business, which operates 17 health and fitness centres across the UK (2023: 15), saw its turnover grow from £39,966,000 in 2023 to £46.1m. Its pre-tax profit grew from £813,000 in 2023 to £1.23m. Key to its success was a 19% increase in total visits – higher than the rate of membership growth of 7% – indicating that members are using its facilities more frequently. Chief executive Tom Rayner said: “We know that the more frequently people engage with their health club, the more it becomes a non-negotiable priority in their monthly budget. This resilience is reflected in our continued financial success and our ability to invest in new initiatives that further strengthen the member experience.” The company attributes this increase in frequency to the fact that its ‘supersize’ health clubs, which offer more square footage per member, better support the habits of today’s gym-goers – especially that of under-25s – to spend longer at the gym, both to exercise and socialise. Despite this, looking ahead, Total Fitness said it is focused on the continued expansion of small-format clubs. Rayner added: “With further investments planned for the year ahead, we are confident in our ability to drive continued growth while reinforcing our position as a market leader in the mid-market fitness sector.” The results represent a strong turnaround for the NorthEdge-backed business, which had to enter a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) during the pandemic. Last year, the company said a “strong performance” in the year to 30 June 2023 saw it exit the CVA early.

 

Former Authentic Alehouses pub in Hull sells for £270,000, price reduced on remaining pub but no offers yet: Former Authentic Alehouses pub The Albert in Hull has sold for £270,000, with a distribution back to lenders of approximately 2.37% of the original capital, Propel has learned. The once seven-strong brand, launched by Allan Harper in 2017, entered administration in March 2019. The last update emailed to investors by Crowdstacker, in June 2024, revealed that The Fountain in Lancashire had been sold for £285,000, leaving just The Albert and the Ponty Tavern in Pontefract in the portfolio. The latest emailed update, which has been seen by Propel, said costs following the sale of The Albert – including VAT payable on the sale proceeds and from the administration estate, insolvency costs, legal costs, sales costs, insurance and operating cash flow/costs of the pubs while in administration – totalled £118,500. This left a distribution back to lenders of £151,500, or approximately 2.37% of the original capital, which has been credited to their Crowdstacker accounts. The email said this distribution has borne costs (insurance, operating costs and insolvency costs totalling £50,500) related to the running of the final pub, The Ponty Tavern, until the end of 2025 – but that will leave lower costs borne if it can be sold within the year. The update said: “Although the pub has been managed well for several years, costs pressure felt across the hospitality industry has impacted profitability. The main challenge during the sales process has been that the Ponty is a high performing outlier in the area and often prospective buyers have opted to take on cheaper nearby sites.  The price has been reduced to take this, and some dilapidations, into account, but we do not have any active offers for the pub. We are investigating taking this pub out of administration and appointing a new sales agent.”

 

PureGym to open site in Market Harborough: PureGym, Britain’s biggest health and fitness club operator, is to open a new site in Market Harborough, Leicestershire. The gym will open on Friday, 14 March on the site of the former Carpetright and Halfords stores in Rockingham Road. The 7,500 square-foot venue will feature a free weights area and fitness studio. A spokesperson for PureGym told Leicestershire Live: “Advancing our mission to inspire a happier, healthier nation through flexible, affordable fitness, we are thrilled to be opening a new gym in Market Harborough. Our newest club will provide members with around the clock access to low-cost, high-quality fitness facilities – helping them to achieve their fitness goals and leave feeling their best.” In December, PureGym said it sees potential for around 600 sites in the UK after opening its 400th venue, in Plymouth. The company expects to open 70-plus sites in 2025.

 

Hotel Chocolat set to open new Velvetiser Cafés in Birmingham and York: Hotel Chocolat, the premium British chocolatier, is set to launch new Velvetiser Cafés in Birmingham and York. Hotel Chocolat currently has 147 stores and 68 cafes across the UK. It already has a store in Birmingham’s New Street but is now looking to open a standalone Velvetiser Café in the former Barclays Bank in Longbridge. It is also planning to convert the former Estabulo Brazilian bar and grill in York’s Vangarde Shopping Park into a Velvetiser Café. There are two other Hotel Chocolat outlets in York, in Stonegate and at the Designer Outlet.

Centre Parcs’ debut Scottish site set to feature 700 lodges and apartments, spa and water park: Centre Parcs’ has unveiled plans for its first holiday village in Scotland which would include 700 lodges and apartments, a spa and a water park. The project, which is estimated will cost between £350m-£400m, was first revealed at the end of last year and would be built near Hawick, in the Scottish borders. Plans shown at the first of four statutory public consultations also showed indoor and outdoor leisure and sports facilities, retail and restaurant facilities, bars and coffee shops. The company said the zoning plan is not a final document and will be subject to change as feedback is received in the coming months. Colin McKinlay, chief executive of Center Parcs, said: “The unveiling of this zoning plan marks an important first step in bringing our vision for a Center Parcs village in the Scottish Borders to life. This early-stage plan provides a foundation for thoughtful development, ensuring that environmental, heritage, and community factors remain central to our approach. We are committed to listening to the local community as we refine our plans over the coming months, with the aim of submitting a formal planning application in the summer.” Center Parcs has six villages across the UK and Ireland.

 

Peak District operator Longbow Bars & Restaurants opens fifth site: Peak District operator Longbow Bars & Restaurants has opened its fifth site. It has opened The Peacock at Rowsley, which it secured the lease of last month from Rutland Hotels, following a £500,000 investment. A menu from head chef Dan Smith will include dishes such as handpicked crab with radish, cucumber and warm citrus sauce; goat’s curd mousse with granola, truffle honey, pear and walnut; halibut with heritage carrots, grapes, mussels and verjus; and Haddon Estate venison with Jerusalem artichoke, kale, pomme dauphine and chocolate sauce. The Peacock also has 15 bedrooms and offers a £300-per-room tasting menu experience, with a full English breakfast the following morning. “The Peacock at Rowsley has such an important place in the heart of the community,” said Rob Hattersley, managing director of Longbow Venues. “We’ve worked hard to ensure that the venue remains just as beautiful and welcoming, while giving it a fresh new feel.”