The Athenian founder – ‘we can double size of UK estate in medium term through mix of delivery kitchens and bricks and mortar sites’: Tim Vasilakis, founder of Greek street food restaurant group The Athenian, has told Propel he believes the 130-strong business can double the size of its UK estate in the medium term through a mix of delivery kitchens and bricks and mortar sites. Vasilakis launched The Athenian in 2015 to fill a gap in the market and change how people think about and eat Greek cuisine, with the first site opening in London’s Victoria. The Athenian has accelerated its growth since an agreement in 2023 with delivery franchising platform Growth Kitchen and last month opened its latest bricks and mortar site, at Boxpark Wembley in north west London. Vasilakis said the delivery kitchens allow the group to test the appetite for The Athenian through a relatively capital-light model. “We’re looking to grow through both delivery kitchens and bricks and mortar sites,” said Vasilakis. “The partnership with Growth Kitchen allows us to move quickly – we can feasibly do two or three a week, and it allows us to try different areas without it being too much of a risk. We operate out of around 120 sites with Growth Kitchen but there’s still plenty of room to grow. I believe we can double in size in the UK in the medium term. We’re looking at Birmingham, Sheffield and then in London places such as Balham, Bermondsey and Canary Wharf.” Tom Gatz, co-founder of Growth Kitchen, said the aim was to have The Athenian operating out of between 180 and 200 of its sites by the end of 2026. “We’re looking at that those towns and cities with populations of 30,000-plus,” he added. “There’s still some parts of London, plus the Midlands and the north where we’re looking to build a presence with the brand.” Vasilakis said trading in 2025 has been “okay”, although it has been “a struggle at times”. But as the business, which also operates out of eight delivery kitchens in Spain, marks its tenth anniversary, Vasilakis is looking forward to what the next decade will bring. He added: “Our focus is more growth – both in the UK and internationally – and making Greek food accessible.”

 

Premium Club subscribers to receive next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality and videos from this month’s Propel Multi-Club Conference on Friday: The next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality will be released to Premium Club subscribers on Friday (21 November), at midday. Another 83 companies have been added to the database, which now features 1,287 companies. This month’s edition will also include 179 updated entries. The companies, listed in alphabetical order, will have their most recent developments reported as well as broader information around Ebitda, plans and trading style available. The database merges Companies House information, interviews and other public information to provide an easy to reference and exhaustive guide to the sector. Premium Club subscribers will also receive all the videos from this month’s Propel Multi-Club Conference on Friday, at 9am. They include Matt Snell, chief executive of Boxpark, talking about moving from casual dining into operating an all-day, multi-brand, multi-purpose operator, the evolution of the business and how it chooses who to work with. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five other databases: the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the Multi-Site Database,the New Openings Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database and the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database. All Premium Club subscribers will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events and discounts on specialist sector reports. 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 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.

 

Fuller’s chairman tells chancellor that hospitality can drive economic growth ‘if you just give us the chance’: Simon Emeny, executive chairman of Fuller’s, has called on the chancellor to “unlock the hospitality sector” at the Budget as it is “a primed engine that is ready to drive economic growth – and do so quickly”. Writing in The Standard, Emeny said: “How much more exciting it would be to be talking about growing hospitality? A growth agenda and a thriving economy are, after all, the alleged holy grail of the chancellor’s plan. Hospitality is quick to invest, quick to employ and quick to breathe life into tired neighbourhoods and deserted precincts. Hospitality brings light, jobs and adds a disproportionate value to both the economy through tax, and often through local supply chains. A recent report by Pub is the Hub even put a price on the social value of pubs – reporting that for every £1 spent investing in the provision of services and activities in the pub, an average of £8.28 of social value is created. Hospitality is a primed engine that is ready to drive economic growth – and do so quickly. The chancellor needs to find ambitious and innovative ways to drive sustainable economic success – and we know that hospitality can be a major pillar of that. As a country, we cannot tax our way to victory – there must be an alternative approach and that needs new ideas and new thinking – but in the meantime, hospitality is waiting at the start line for the lights to go green. In the Budget, we need to see the maximum discount on business rates for hospitality businesses and a review of the punitive changes made to employers’ national insurance contributions. Finally, if she wants to be bold in her approach, she should review the levels of VAT imposed on the sector, which are among the highest in Europe. Such a bold move would be tough in the current climate – but matched by the speedy financial return through tax receipts for the Treasury. And surely, we could all drink to that.”

 

UKHospitality – introduction of holiday tax would cost Brits £518m: UKHospitality has warned the government that introducing a holiday tax for the UK in this month’s Budget would hit Brits in the pocket by a further £518m. Reports suggest chancellor Rachel Reeves is preparing to give mayors sweeping powers to raise taxes by charging visitors a levy on an overnight stay. UKHospitality said this would be represent a significant U-turn by Downing Street, just two months after Sir Chris Bryant MP, then tourism minister, said it “had no plans to introduce a tourism tax”. This follows a letter sent to the trade body by James Murray, then exchequer secretary, where he also said the government had no plans to introduce such a tax. According to Visit Britain, Brits took more than 89 million overnight trips in England in 2024 and stayed for total of 255 million nights. Therefore, a 5% holiday tax would cost the public £518m in additional tax, UKHospitality said. Furthermore, while many cities in Europe charge a tourist tax, they also charge a significantly lower rate of VAT for hospitality than in England. Kate Nicholls, chair of UKHospitality, said: “If this is true, it would be another shocking U-turn from a government. This holiday tax is little more than a higher VAT rate for holidaymakers and will only serve to ramp up prices and drive inflation. This, on top of the huge damage from last year’s Budget, would only mean people cut back more and more jobs are lost. Hospitality cannot foot the bill for the rest of the economy yet again. I hope the government will reaffirm the commitment it gave in parliament just two months ago and not introduce a holiday tax.”

 

UK contract catering enjoys double-digit growth in third quarter: Britain’s top contract caterers sharply increased their sales and outlets in the third quarter of 2025, the new Contract Catering Tracker from CGA by NIQ, Bidfood and UKHospitality reveals. Sales jumped 12.2% year-on-year in the period. The latest performance stretches a long run of growth in every quarter since the aftermath of the covid-19 pandemic in mid-2021. It also marks an acceleration of growth in 2025, following increases of 8% and 9.5% in the first and second quarters of the year respectively. The latest figure takes groups’ moving annual total growth – for sales over the last 12 months compared with the previous 12 months, including new contracts – to 9.7%. While most sales growth has been organic, the tracker also indicates a 1.4% increase in the number of outlets served by Britain's leading operators since the third quarter of 2024. Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at CGA by NIQ, said: “Contract caterers have substantially outperformed Britain’s hospitality sector in recent years, and these latest figures extend a stellar 2025. Strong organic sales growth and a steady increase in new contracts show the high demand for their services, despite multiple challenges in a high-cost trading environment.” Kate Nicholls, chair of UKHospitality, added: “Contract caterers are clearly performing very well, which is remarkable considering the significant cost pressures that the sector continues to face. This continued growth shows the clear demand for the high-quality services our contract caterers provide, and the potential the sector has for even further growth, if its tax burden was reduced at the Budget.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a Wiltshire boutique hotel and wedding venue that is looking for a head chef or senior sous chef for its Michelin Green Star restaurant. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The position will lead a small, dedicated team. The food is driven by the daily harvest from the three-acre kitchen garden, featuring root-to-fruit, nose-to-tail cooking over charcoal and Asado grills.” The salary is up to £70,000. For more information, email olly@corecruitment.com

 

Gail’s co-founder – ‘we're still early in our growth, I didn't want to build a brand on exclusivity’: Tom Molnar, co-founder of the fast-growing Gail’s, which currently operates 183 sites across England, has told Propel that the business is “still early in our growth” and that he never wanted to build “a brand on exclusivity”. Speaking at the Propel Multi-Club Conference, Molnar, who founded the business 20 years ago, said: “We have 183 bakeries now, and I would have never thought we would have come even close to that figure when we started. When I got to the third one, somebody said, if you get to five, just stop, because you won’t be able to keep up with your demands for quality. We got to five, and we’re like okay, let's do two more, and then two or three more. We’re as surprised as anybody that we would have this many. It takes a lot of dedication to go through 20 years, but we believe we’re better than we were on day one. My approach to growth is slow and plodding. We do have a lot of bakeries now, but it took 20 years to get there. It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t very fast. Twice, we had to stop growing altogether, because we didn’t think that we could be better; we were worried about getting consumed by speed. We’re still early in our growth. You take McDonald’s, Greggs or any other successful food business here in the UK – they operate from thousands of sites, and we’re still below 200. I’m not going to say we're the cheapest, but I think we offer a clear choice. If you want to have really great food and great baking, then you come to us.” Molnar said the business has always said it wanted to make “good bread accessible to everybody”. He said: “Our values are to get great food and great baking to everybody, or as many people as possible, and be a part of a high street. The idea that you’re going to be only in a few neighbourhoods and be exclusive – to lean on that to build a brand doesn’t tally with that. I didn’t want to build a brand on exclusivity.” Molnar was among the speakers at the Propel Multi-Club Conference. All videos from the conference will be released to Premium subscribers on Friday (21 November). Premium subscribers receive all the videos from Propel conferences each year – around 100 in total. 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.

  

Des Gunewardena unveils details of Olympia concepts: Des Gunewardena, founder of D3 Collective and co-founder and former chief executive of D&D London, has unveiled the three concepts he will open at the £1.3bn redevelopment of Olympia next spring. As previously revealed by Propel, Gunewardena's three new concepts will be housed within the 30,000 square-foot Pillar Hall – a grade II-listed landmark that was the site of one of the first film screenings in Britain and hosted fashion shows in the early 1980s. The investment in the Pillar Hall development will be in excess of £10m. The launch will see the debut of Idalia – a 300-cover, all-day restaurant on Pillar Hall’s ground floor; Pepperbird, a 70-cover speakeasy bar tucked beneath Pillar Hall; and Upstairs at Pillar Hall, a double height 500-plus capacity event space on the upper floors of the building. Pillar Hall’s kitchens will be led by an all-female team, with Samantha Williams appointed executive chef and Lorena Tommasi as executive pastry chef. The company said the menus will reflect “Williams’ and Tommasi’s modern interpretation of British cuisine, featuring both quintessentially English dishes and international influences that have become staples of the UK dining scene”. Pillar Hall marks the second new venture from Gunewardena since founding his new hospitality company, D3 Collective. Gunewardena made his return to the sector last summer by opening a Japanese-Korean restaurant, a 1920s Berlin-inspired bar and live performance space at the Royal Exchange in the City of London. He said: “I have been involved with this amazing project since before covid, so we are excited to finally be opening. Olympia will become a world-class destination for culture, entertainment, and leisure in the heart of west London, and we are very proud to be a part of it.” The first site at Royal Exchange was financed by family money, while Giles Rothwell, a former investment banker with Barclays Capital and a close friend of Gunewardena, is backing his Olympia project.

 

Urban Baristas secures multi-site development deal with Anytime Fitness franchisee: Aussie-inspired coffee concept Urban Baristas has secured a multi-site development deal with Anytime Fitness franchisee Aary Walia. Walia is the founder of venture capital and private equity business Walia Capital and has been a franchisee with gym brand Anytime Fitness since 2023. He is also the operations director of two Monkey Puzzle day nurseries in Surrey – in Cheam and Walton-on-Thames. Urban Baristas founder Huw Wardrope said: “Pleased to share that Urban Baristas will soon be opening in Bermondsey Street in London. This will be the first site in a multi-site development agreement with Aary Walia of Walia Capital. Aary brings strong operational experience from his Anytime Fitness gyms and we are looking forward to working together as we grow the Urban Baristas brand. Our specialty coffee growth continues as we head into the end of the year. Urban Baristas currently has 17 sites open and has locations “coming soon” in Canning Town, City Island, Fleet Place, Fulham, Greenford, Greenwich, Homerton, Marsh Wall, Old Street, Southwark, Shoreditch and Warren Street. Urban Baristas will be among the businesses presenting at the inaugural Propel Franchisor Showcase next week. The Propel Franchisor Showcase, sponsored by Seeds Consulting, will showcase ten of the most exciting and investable franchises in hospitality. The event will be held on Tuesday, 25 November at One Moorgate Place in London. Co-founder Huw Wardrope will discuss how plans are progressing to explore opportunities outside of the capital, the success of its franchise openings so far, how its “Aussie coffee culture” offer is a differentiator in the UK market, and whether international growth could be on the cards. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Free places for operators and investors only are available by emailing kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.

 

Nell’s Pizza launches grab and go concept, in talks on Leeds site: Nell’s, the north west New York-style pizza business, has told Propel it is looking to roll out a new grab and go concept called Ices & Slices, and is also in talks on a “big site in Leeds” for its core restaurant model,as it plans to launch in multiple regions across the north of England by 2028. Founded by Jonny Heyes and his wife Charlotte, the business currently operates sites in the Northern Quarter, Kampus and Chorlton in Manchester, along with a restaurant in Altrincham. Nell’s opened a fifth site, its first to feature karaoke and shuffleboards, in MediaCity, Salford, earlier this autumn. Speaking at the Propel Multi-Club Conference, Charlotte Hayes said: “We’ve worked hard to develop a vision for Nell’s, and we’ve got a clear pathway for what we want to achieve in the next three years. We’re concentrated on reaching £10m turnover within Greater Manchester, which we should hit by June next year. We’ve done this without external investment. By 2028, we want to have launched in new regions across the north of England, as well as cementing our position in Greater Manchester. We are having a bit more of a focus on bringing experience into our model, because we’re a business that wants to trade from midday to midnight, so, we’re bringing in some karaoke and shuffleboard. We’ve also launched a grab and go offering – Ices & Slices – at Freight Island in Manchester. This offers our 22-inch pizzas by the slice or whole pie, and ice cream sandwiches, which we make in our central production kitchen. We are in talks with more venues to bring this model forward with the focus on high-footfall locations such as food halls, stadiums and shopping centres. We’re also looking at 22-inch pizza delivery. We’ll also be launching our own fleet of electric vehicles to enable us to deliver this more quickly and more sustainably.” Jonny Heyes said the business, which is chaired by Living Ventures co-founder Jeremy Roberts, is targeting Leeds next. He said: “We’re hoping to be open there by next summer. We’re just going into legals at the moment on a really big site, and we’ll be bringing our amazing pizza big vibes, including karaoke and maybe some other experiences there as well.” The Heyes were among the speakers at the Propel Multi-Club Conference. All videos from the conference will be released to Premium subscribers on Friday (21 November). Premium subscribers receive all the videos from Propel conferences each year – around 100 in total. 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.

 

Irish pub concept Nancy Spains launches crowdfunding campaign, hires new CMO: Irish pub concept Nancy Spains, which is the brainchild of Peter and Nicholas O’Halloran, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to fuel the next stage of its expansion and hired a new chief marketing officer, Propel has learned. The raise on Crowdcube, based on a pre-money valuation of £8m, seeks to secure a minimum of £250,000. Funds will be used to accelerate growth, with up to four new venues planned over the next 12 months. One site is close to being secured, while negotiations are underway for additional locations in the UK. Nancy Spains currently operates two London sites – in Shoreditch and Monument – and one in Manchester. Nancy Spains has grown sustainably to date, operating without significant debt and funded largely through cash flow. The group said it continues to invest in creative campaigns and customer experiences. To support its next phase, the company has strengthened its leadership team, with Niamh Sandford having joined as chief marketing officer. Nancy Spains said she brings experience across both business-to-business and hospitality, developing go to market strategies and building brand awareness for growth focused businesses. Peter O’Halloran said: “We’re building a community owned brand that celebrates Irish culture, local connection and great nights out and this is a chance to be part of something bold.” The O’Hallorans, who have a background working in hospitality in Ireland, opened their first Nancy Spains last March, at 128-139 Curtain Road in Shoreditch.

Academy sees profit and turnover boost after Brixton venue reopens, Sheffield site to reopen next year: One of Britain’s largest music venue operators saw a boost in profit and turnover boost in the year to 31 December 2024 after the O2 Brixton Academy reopened. Academy Music, part owned by music behemoth Live Nation, operates 18 venues across the UK. The O2 Brixton Academy closed at the end of 2022 following an incident which led to two fatalities, but following a review in September 2023, the venue was granted a license to reopen in April 2024. However, the O2 Sheffield Academy, which closed for repairs in September 2023 following a structural survey, remains closed and will reopen next year. During the year, Academy Music saw its pre-tax profit grow from £2,246,278 to £4,213,692. It received £2,027,723 in insurance claims (2023: £2,048,432). The company’s turnover rose from £61,310,708 to £69,805,536. Total show numbers fell from 2,524 to 2,462 but number of admissions was up from 2,335,926 to 2,514,697 and spend per head rose from £11.13 to £11.23. Director James Hands said: “The increase in revenue and operating profit was due to the reopening of one of the group’s venues, 02 Academy Brixton, during the year. During 2024, the 02 Academy Brixton reopened and resumed operations, resulting in an increase in the number of admits. The 02 Academy Sheffield remained closed throughout the year.” No dividends were paid (2023: £157,551).

Red Engine lines up Reading opening for Flight Club: Red Engine, the hospitality group behind Flight Club and Electric Shuffle, is to open a site under the former concept in Reading next year, Propel has learned. The business will open a 6,211 square-foot site in the Berkshire town’s £850m Station Hill scheme – adjacent to Reading station, and its second venue in the Thames Valley after opening in Oxford last year. Steve Moore, chief executive and co-founder of Flight Club, said: “Get ready, Reading! We are thrilled to be bringing the Flight Club experience to Station Hill next year. We’re setting up shop right in the heart of the action to deliver what we do best: high-energy fun, incredible cocktails, and unforgettable social moments.” Propel revealed last week that Red Engine is also targeting a launch in Nottingham for Flight Club and is looking at a number of potential sites in the city centre. Earlier this month, Red Engine opened its 15th UK Flight Club, in Newcastle – a third opening for Red Engine this year and the seventh inclusive of franchise openings, with another planned before the year-end. This followed last month’s announcement that Red Engine had secured an additional £10m investment to fuel the group’s ambitious growth plans across the UK and internationally.

 

Neos Hospitality hires Tony Palmer as new property director: Neos Hospitality, the bar and nightclub operator, has hired Tony Palmer, formerly of Bill’s Restaurants and Giggling Squid, as its new property director. Palmer joins Neos after around 12 months as property director at Giggling Squid. He was also formerly property director at Bill’s and Ten Entertainment Group and previously head of acquisition and development at Mitchells & Butlers. Before joining Giggling Squid, he spent four years as head of property – international at Laser Clinics. His appointment comes after Neos Hospitality hired Kellie Thorne as its new finance director. She joined the company with extensive experience in financial strategy and leadership across multiple sectors, as the group expands its national footprint with recent multimillion-pound investments and new venue launches. Neos Hospitality operates 20 venues nationwide under its core Barbara’s Bier Haus, Circuit and Bonnie Rogues concepts. The group has delivered more than £8m in venue transformations in 2025, with further acquisitions planned into 2026.

 

The Evolv Collection to expand Tavern concept: The Evolv Collection, formerly D&D London, is to expand its fledgling tavern concept with the opening of Paternoster Tavern in London’s St Paul’s district and Queens Tavern in New York’s Hudson Yards. Paternoster Tavern is scheduled to open today (Tuesday, 18 November), with Queens Tavern to follow in early 2026. The openings follow the launch of the Liverpool Street Chop House & Tavern in London in September, an opening the Martin Williams-led business said marked a “pivotal moment in the group’s evolution”. The company said the new tavern openings represent a strategic extension of The Evolv Collection's Chop House & Tavern brand, creating “accessible, convivial drinking and dining destinations that complement the full-service chop house restaurants”. Williams said: “The tavern concept is the natural evolution of our brand vision. Following the tremendous reception to Liverpool Street, we’re expanding the more casual, pub-style tavern experience to sit alongside our chop houses.” Paternoster Tavern occupies a grade II listed former bank building at 47 Ludgate Hill. The venue features a lower-level space accommodating 50-60 guests. Queens Tavern will launch at 20 Hudson Yards, becoming the group’s third New York City venue. “Think of the taverns as the little brothers of our chop houses,” Williams said. “They capture the same spirit of conviviality and heritage, but with a lighter touch.”

 

Welsh Domino’s franchisee pays out £3m in dividends: Welsh Domino’s franchisee DP Shayban paid out £3,008,259 in dividends in the year to 31 December 2024 compared with £2,487,007 in 2023. The company, which is based in Cardiff and operates 17 Domino’s stores, saw its turnover increase to £21,971,230 from £21,593,758 in 2023. Pre-tax profit was up to £1,680,578 from £1,172,502. DP Shayban was founded in 2012 by Shayban Alibrahim and has been responsible for several landmarks with the brand. In October 2021, DP Shayban launched Domino’s first dark kitchen site, in Pontypool, and in January 2023, it opened Domino’s 1,200th store in the UK, in Newtown. Alibrahim is also a franchisee with Amorino, through sister company SA Gelato, and in 2023, opened the gelato brand’s first store in Wales, in Cardiff.

 

Focus Hotels hires new finance director: Boutique hotel operator Focus Hotels has hired Craig Jones as its new finance director. A qualified accountant, his extensive career includes leadership roles with Whitbread, Marriott, IHG, Principal Hotels and Klarent Hospitality. Jones said: “We want to take on more properties, more projects and continue developing as an industry leader. Having started my career in hospitality operations, I understand the importance of collaboration between owners, brands and management teams. My focus is on building trust through financial systems and transparent reporting that support commercial success.” Devin Grosse, chief executive of Focus Hotels, added: “Focus Hotels is in an exciting phase of growth, and Craig’s appointment will help us strengthen the financial foundations that underpin our future strategy. His experience, integrity and enthusiasm will support our ambition to be one of the most forward-thinking hotel management companies in the UK.” Focus Hotels manages more than 1,500 rooms across 16 hotels in the UK and is set to take over the operation of The Malone hotel in Belfast, from February.

Norfolk operator sees its losses widen in ‘challenging year’, has new leisure centre plans approved: Norfolk operator Richardson’s Leisure saw its losses widen in what it says was a “challenging year” to 3 November 2024. The company – which operates Hemsy Beach holiday park, two coffee shops, two family entertainment centres and boating holidays – saw its pre-tax loss more than double from £627,874 in 2023 to £1,329,431. Its turnover fell from £11,993,144 in 2023 to £11,633,769. Of this, £6,426,941 came from the holiday park (2023: £6,223,178), £4,495,577 from boating holidays (2023: £4,913,747) and £711,151 from other boat related income (2023: £856,220). Director Gregory Munford said: “The directors were pleased with the results of the company in what was another challenging year for UK holiday, leisure and hospitality. Despite continued volatility in the economy, the directors believe the business is well placed to withstand the current economic environment. The impact of the current state of the economy has been mitigated by investment in the standard of accommodation. Theb continues to manage the overall strategic plans for the existing outlets as well as looking for new opportunities. Looking forward, the focus will be on creating a day visitor attraction at Hemsby and building on our sole occupancy events.”  Dividends of £256,000 were paid, the same as in 2023. Post year end, in October 2025, the company has its plans to build a new swimming pool and leisure centre approved by Great Yarmouth Borough Council. It submitted plans in 2022 for a complex with a new 25m swimming pool with a separate children’s pool, along with various water play features, a flume tower, sauna changing facilities, gym and ten-pin bowling.

Fat Hippo lines up Sheffield opening: Better burger concept Fat Hippo is planning an opening in Sheffield. The business, which was founded by Michael Phillips, is set to open on the former Creams dessert parlour site in the city’s Division Street. Fat Hippo previously operated concessions at Kommune and Lane7 in Sheffield. The company recently opened its 13th restaurant site, in a grade II-listed building at 23 Boar Lane in Leeds city centre. Fat Hippo also operates a concession in the Lane7 in Manchester. Phillips told Propel earlier this year that Fat Hippo planned to open up to five new sites by the end of next year, starting with the opening in Leeds.

Oxfordshire coffee shop business set to open seventh site: Oxfordshire coffee shop business Missing Bean is set to open its seventh site. Missing Bean will launch its next cafe in state-of-the-art research and science building, Trinity, in Oxford Business Park in Cowley next February, reports The Oxford Mail. It will be the seventh branch of the independent speciality coffee company, which has its own roastery in East Oxford and its original cafe in Turl Street. The facility will also serve as a co-working and meeting space. A spokesperson for Missing Bean said: “In the new year, we’ll be moving into a brand new co-working and research space on the outskirts of Cowley and setting up home in the ground floor of the Trinity building. It’s a really exciting project and something super fresh while remaining in familiar surroundings.”

 

Leicestershire McDonald’s franchisee turns a loss due to cost pressures, opens sixth restaurant: Leicestershire McDonald’s franchisee Dynamic Restaurants said it turned a loss in the year to 31 December 2024 due to cost pressures. The company was founded in 2020 by Angus Fraser, who previously spent 18 years with BP in various roles, including supply and wholesale manager, supply planning manager and supply negotiator. Dynamic Restaurants saw a £296,159 pre-tax profit in 2023 turn into a loss of £123,615, as administrative expenses rose by more than £1m. Turnover was up slightly to £21,431,800 from £21,068,734. Dividends of £38,437 were paid (2023: £14,062). Fraser said: “The directors are pleased to report that despite challenging market conditions, the company increased revenue and gross profit margin. Cost pressures, however, led to a fall in the operating profit. The net assets of the company were £198,000 (2023: £394,000) at the balance sheet date, a reduction primarily due to the significant decline in operating profit.” Post year end, in June 2025, Fraser opened his sixth restaurant in the region, in Fairway Road South in Shepshed.

 

Brighton operator grows portfolio after acquiring Fatboy Slim’s beachfront café: Brighton operator Kash Miah has grown his portfolio after acquiring Fatboy Slim’s beachfront café. Miah, who already runs several food outlets on the seafront including Off the Hook in Madeira Drive and Off the Cone at the marina, has taken on the Big Beach Cafe that the DJ – real name Norman Cook – has owned since 2013. Miah will change the name of the café, based in Hove Lagoon, to Off the Beach. Cook and business partner Daniel Stockland will hand over the keys on Monday, 1 December, reports The Argus. The pair said in a joint statement: “We have indeed come a long, long way together, through the hard times and the good, and after serving more than two million customers with nearly a million hot drinks, half a million ice creams, 50,000 cheesy chips and given away nearly 100,000 doggie sausages, it’s time to hand over to a younger team.” Of the new owners, they said: “They are dedicated to continuing the philosophy and homely, community feel we have nurtured. We know very little will change as far as our fantastically supportive regulars are concerned. They will retain our staff, menu and price point, but some new ideas and youthful energy will benefit the café moving forward into the future.” Cook bought the cafe in 2013 from former model, businesswoman and animal rights activist Heather Mills. The ex-wife of Beatles star Paul McCartney ran the vegan café V Bites for four years.

Three Michelin-starred London restaurant Sketch sees turnover fall but profit grow: Three Michelin-starred London restaurant Sketch saw its turnover fall but its profit grow in the year to 30 November 2024. The company’s turnover dropped slightly from £16,451,510 in 2023 to £16,206,668. Its pre-tax profit was up from £774,905 in 2023 to £859,860. At the year-end, £174,242 was still owed of a government business interruption scheme loan (2023: £435,606). The hub comprises four separate areas – the Gallery, The Lecture Room, The Parlour and The Glade – as well as a shop. Sketch was awarded three Michelin stars in 2020.

Wasabi founder opens third site for Sushinoya concept: Sushinoya – the new sushi concept from Wasabi founder Dong Hyun Kim – has opened its third site, on London’s Charing Cross Road. The menu includes signature premium cut sushi such as Chutoro Tuna Belly and Yellowtail (Hamachi), sushi selections including rare cuts like Chutoro tuna, Yellowtail (Hamachi) and Eel(Unagi), and fresh hot bento and sides. It also includes wide selection of halal, vegan and gluten-free dishes. Kim said: “With Sushinoya, we bring the craftsmanship and care of traditional sushi into a convenient, on-the-go format without compromising quality.” Kim only last month opened his second Sushinoya site, in Shaftesbury Avenue, and will open in Moorgate in the spring, having also secured a location in Broadgate, in the City. Kim is aiming to grow the concept to 30 sites by 2030 and has told Propel he sees the long-term potential for 80 locations. Sushinoya is part of Kim’s Group, which also includes Kineya Mugimaru, which has four sites in London and one in Cambridge, and Kimchee in King's Cross in the capital. Kim, who founded Wasabi in 2003 and exited the business in 2021, will also next year launch the UK’s first all-Asian food court that will see all his concepts open under one roof. The One will launch in March, next to Kim’s Kineya Mugimaru restaurant in Cambridge.

Derbyshire holiday park business grows its profit and turnover: Derbyshire holiday park business Pinelodge Holidays grew its profit and turnover in the year to 3 November 2024. The family business, which owns and operates two lodge holiday parks in the Peak District, reported a pre-tax profit for the year of £3,072,000 (2023: £2,968,000) off turnover of £11,494,000 (2023: £11,051,000). Dividends of £550,000 were paid (2023: £650,000). Director Mark Randall said: “At Pinelodge Holidays, both the level of business and the year-end financial position were satisfactory, and the directors expect that the present level of activity will be sustained for the foreseeable future. The two lodge holiday parks, Darwin Forest and Sandybrook, both award winning resorts, have each performed well in terms of occupancy, revenue and profits. Bookings for the current year have started well.”

Freehold of Bournemouth hotel let to Travelodge sold to private investor for £11.185m: The freehold of a Bournemouth hotel let to Travelodge has been sold to a private investor for £11.185m. The 110-bedroom, 39,187 square-foot hotel was purchased in January 2022 by Martin's Properties. The sale reflected a net initial yield of 6.8%. The sale follows Martin’s Properties’ disposal of the Travelodge Four Marks in Alton, Hampshire, earlier this year to another private investor. In 2018, Martin’s Properties acquired the asset with uncapped retail price index reviews, and a residual value underpin for alternative uses. Martin’s Properties chief executive Richard Bourne said: “We acquired Travelodge Bournemouth at an opportunistic time, following the Travelodge company voluntary arrangement – identifying an opportunity to secure the investment at advantageous pricing, with uncapped retail price index reviews offering strong rental growth prospects. The sale of the two hotel assets is part of our strategy to reposition the regional portfolio into value-add retail warehouse and multi-let industrial assets.”