Sector investor Luke Johnson – ‘there needs to be some creative destruction of the industry to eliminate capacity’: Sector investor Luke Johnson has argued “there needs to be some creative destruction of the industry to eliminate capacity”. Speaking at the Propel Multi-Club Conference, Johnson said: “Unquestionably in more than 40 years of being in the industry, I've never known it to be so hard. There are always winners and I think the pool of those has got much smaller and the number of walking wounded has grown and probably there needs to be some creative destruction of the industry to eliminate capacity. I think too many operators are surviving rather than making any return. And, you know, part of the challenge for the industry is over competition. We don't just compete against other places to eat out, but we complete against people going to the supermarket and eating and drinking at home. And of course, most of the places that are shutting get recycled and that is part of the challenge. I think unlike in retail, catering premises tend to get reopened so the capacity doesn't get eliminated, and I think that is a challenge.” Johnson said rents in certain places were also coming down “not before time”. He added: “The number of portfolios of restaurants I've seen where the landlords are making vastly more than the operators who are creating all the jobs and paying all the tax is wrong. So I think that is shifting and that's helpful. I think we've got a few more years of hard work before we see a serious recovery in the sector as a whole.” Johnson, who heads private equity investor Risk Capital, has invested in a wide range of sector businesses including PizzaExpress, Gail’s Bakery, Brighton Pier Group and The Revel Collective. Johnson was among the speakers at the Propel Multi-Club Conference. All videos from the conference were 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.

Franco Manca head of marketing David Tester among speakers at 2026 Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit, open for bookings: David Tester, head of marketing at Franco Manca, will be among the speakers at the 2026 Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit. Tester will be joined by George Lamb, co-founder of Wildfarmed, to share how simplicity guides its new product development strategy and partnership. They explore how “Pizza with Principles” comes to life from farm visits to menu development and impact across people, planet and profit, and how purpose and collaboration drive growth. Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit is returning for its eighth edition, and tickets are on sale. The event is a partnership between Propel and Think Hospitality, aiming to build a community, promote the sharing of ideas, recognise talent and define the future of eating out. Bookings are open for the two-day conference as the centrepiece of the January event series, taking place on 20 and 21 January at Hilton Bankside in London. A bigger venue allows for a dual-stage format, meaning more content than ever before. The conference will focus on technology, marcomms strategies, proposition, brand building, the latest market insights, digital developments and diversification of revenue streams. It is designed for customer focused chief executives, senior marketers, technology and innovation teams, as well as investors wanting to better understand the latest marketing, innovation and development opportunities to build market share and grow. For the full speaker schedule, click here. A one-day ticket for operators is £320 plus VAT while a two-day ticket is £575 plus VAT. Supplier tickets are £950 plus VAT for the two days. Propel Premium Club subscribers receive a 20% discount. To book, email: rmi@propelinfo.com

Premium Club subscribers to receive updated Multi-Site Database with 3,488 operators and 15 new companies on Friday: Premium Club subscribers are to receive the Multi-Site Database on Friday (28 November). The next Propel Multi-Site Database provides details of 3,488 multi-site operators and is searchable in seven main segments. The database features 1,010 (29%) operators from the casual dining sector, 799 (23%) pub and bar operators, 611 (18%) cafe bakery operators, 492 (14%) quick service restaurant operators, 287 (8%) hotel operators, 234 (7%) experiential leisure operators and 54 (2%) fine dining operators. The database is updated each month, and this edition includes 15 new companies. The database includes new companies in the casual dining sector such as Robert De Niro’s hospitality brand Nobu Hospitality, premium gourmet chicken burger concept Coq and ramen concept Ramen Dayo. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five additional databases: the New Openings Database, the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who's Who of UK Hospitality. 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.

Hospitality leaders’ optimism hits five-year low: Soaring costs of doing business and pressure on consumer spending have pushed hospitality leaders’ optimism down to a five-year low, the latest Business Confidence Survey from CGA by NIQ and Sona reveals. The exclusive poll from the start of the third quarter found just 26% of leaders feel optimistic about prospects for their business over the next 12 months – a drop of 15 percentage points from the second quarter of 2025. The number of leaders feeling optimistic about the future of hospitality in general slipped by five percentage points to 13%. It brings an end to two consecutive quarter-on-quarter increases in the tracker in 2025. Leaders’ confidence in prospects for their business is now at its lowest point since October 2020, when the covid-19 pandemic had decimated trading. The survey shows heavy pressure on operators’ sales and profit margins throughout 2025. While 46% of business leaders report a year-on-year increase in their revenue in the third quarter, this is down from 53% in the second quarter. The majority of leaders report either decreased (25%) or unchanged revenue (29%). Profits have meanwhile been squeezed even tighter than sales. A third (32%) of leaders said their profits have decreased year-on-year – more than the 30% who recorded an increase. A total of 11% of leaders operated at a loss in the third quarter of 2025. Only a quarter (26%) said they now hold enough cash reserves to last them a year – the lowest level in years – while 6% hold no reserves at all. A total of 85% of operators have raised their prices since measures in the government’s spring statement added to the sector’s costs. The average increase in prices is 7.6% – almost double the rate of inflation. More than half (55%) have reduced team numbers and/or the hours available to their staff. The average reduction in hours is 7.3%. Smaller numbers have lowered their spending on employee benefits (23%) and training (19%). Meanwhile, 53% have cancelled investment, 36% have reduced trading hours and 21% have closed sites entirely. Around two thirds of leaders said a VAT reduction for hospitality (70%), a maximum possible discount on rates multipliers (65%) and changes to employers’ national insurance contributions (65%) are among their three most preferred actions from government. Without more support, the majority of leaders said they would have to cancel investment (69%), increase prices (63%) or make further cuts to staff hours (63%).

Chef Sky Gyngell passes away, aged 62: Chef Skye Gyngell has died, aged 62. A statement released by her family and friends read: “We are deeply saddened to share news of Skye’s passing on 22 November in London, surrounded by her family and loved ones. Skye was a culinary visionary who influenced generations of chefs and growers globally to think about food and its connection to the land. She leaves behind a remarkable legacy and is an inspiration to us all. The family requests privacy at this time.” Jamie Oliver posted: “Terrible sad news. She was an amazing woman and incredible cook and kind hearted. She will be very, very, very missed. Thank you for all you did to inspire young cooks.” The Australian-born chef, who cooked at the French House in Soho and under Anton Mosimann at The Dorchester, made her name at Petersham Nurseries, which she joined as head chef in 2004. She won a Michelin star in 2011.

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a hotel group that is seeking a general manager for its new rooftop destination in London opening next summer. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “Reporting to the hotel general manager, the role will oversee a team of around 70 across the bar, restaurant, and kitchen. The role includes input into menu development, concept refinement, and the creation of a high-energy, service-led culture. The ideal candidate will have at least four years’ experience managing a high-volume, premium London venue, a strong wet-led background, proven commercial success, and a hands-on leadership style with pre-opening experience.” The salary is up to £75,000. For more information, email stuart@corecruitment.com

JD Wetherspoon founder Sir Tim Martin – ‘we could open up to a dozen overseas pubs next year’: JD Wetherspoon chairman and founder Sir Tim Martin has told Propel it could open up to a dozen overseas pubs next year as it prepares to make its international debut. The company is opening its first pub in continental Europe – at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernandez airport in Spain. and said it was aiming to open a number of pubs overseas. The franchised pub, which will be named Castell de Santa Bàrbera, is set to open at the end of January in partnership with Lagardère Group. The new-build pub will be located in departures (airside) and open daily from 6am to 9pm. The pub will offer almost 1,000 square foot of customer space on one level, together with an external terrace with seating. The menu will include many meals available in Wetherspoon pubs in the UK, including breakfast dishes, burgers and pizzas, as well as local dishes including garlic prawns and Spanish omelette. In terms of further expansion overseas, Sir Tim said: “We could open up to a dozen more in 2026 – maybe substantially more thereafter. It’s very early days but we’re happy to consider most countries.” Sir Tim said the opening with Lagardère Travel Retail, which is the world’s third-largest travel retail merchant and number two in airports, was “just one for now”. But he added: “If it goes well, the sky’s the limit – we hope.” Wetherspoon has previously explored the possibility of expanding overseas but until now those plans have never come to fruition. Asked if international prospects were more appealing than the UK right now, Sir Tim said: “A lot of people, including me, say the UK has fallen out of love with free enterprise. That belief will increase investment by UK companies abroad – but for us, most investment is still in the UK.”

The Climbing Hangar exploring international opportunities as it repays loan: Indoor climbing operator The Climbing Hangar has said it is exploring international opportunities, as it repaid a £496,000 Flexible Growth Fund loan from River Capital. The investment enabled the opening of The Climbing Hangar new Matchworks Unit in Speke in Liverpool alongside a comprehensive renovation of its original Sandhills site in the city. The company now operates 11 sites across the UK, employing 189 staff members and serving more than 22,000 members – with check-ins exceeding more than one million in 2024. Founder Ged Mac said: “Repaying this loan to River Capital is a proud moment for us and reflects how far we’ve come since those challenging pandemic years. The Flexible Growth Fund support was crucial in helping us expand at a critical time, enabling us to open our Speke location and reinvest in our original Sandhills site. Since then, we’ve continued to grow significantly and secured circa £20m in investment with Verlinvest, which has positioned us strongly for the future. We now operate 11 sites across the UK and are actively exploring potential international opportunities that could see The Climbing Hangar expand beyond the UK.” In September, the company hired Malcolm Armstrong, formerly of PureGym and Virgin Active, as its new chief operating officer.

Iro Sushi to open ten new sites in next year as it aims to scale to 100 locations by 2030: Iro Sushi, one of the fastest growing sushi brands in the UK, plans to open at least ten new stores within the next year as the brand executes an ambitious expansion strategy to scale to 100 locations by 2030. Founded in 2014, Iro Sushi has quickly scaled to operate more than 30-plus quick-service restaurants across the UK. Under the leadership of trained sushi chef Chhong Sherpa, the brand serves fresh, made-to-order, restaurant quality sushi and Japanese-inspired dishes “at affordable prices”. Each year, Iro Sushi serves more than 1.1 million customers, with best-selling dishes including its salmon selection, chicken katsu curry and chicken gyoza. After taking its first steps into franchising in 2019, Iro Sushi has scaled rapidly. Since August 2023, the group has opened more than 20 locations with a strong pipeline of commitments for new openings in 2026 and beyond. This has helped deliver strong commercial success for the group, with system sales of circa £16m in the year to end of March 2025, up 56% year-on-year. Over the next 12 months, Iro Sushi has signed agreements to open at least ten new stores, with two new locations in Woking in Surrey and Tunbridge Wells in Kent due to open before Christmas. Iro Sushi said a key point of difference for the brand is its sustainable sourcing, only using sustainable and premium seafood from Norway, and authentic sauces and toppings from Japan. Alongside UK expansion, the brand will also look at opportunities across Europe as well as the Middle East. Sherpa said: “We are on a mission to bring restaurant quality sushi to the masses. For too long, consumers have been getting shortchanged with inferior, tasteless sushi that uses cheap and unsustainable seafood. We want to change this with our menu of authentic, premium and restaurant quality sushi served at affordable prices. We believe our offer plays into the heart of major consumer trends. Consumers today want quick, protein rich meals that make them feel good, which has fuelled our rapid expansion with 20 openings in the last 18 months. Now, as we look to the next chapter with our evolved brand, we are looking for ambitious franchisees keen to scale with us and bring premium restaurant quality sushi to all.”

Creams – hot savoury range has helped bridge gap between summer and winter sales while savoury treats have driven new daypart growth: Creams chief marketing officer Simran Sablok has told Propel that its hot savoury range, launched last year, has helped bridge the gap between summer and winter sales, while the addition of a savoury range has delivered a 20% growth in morning sales. The company rolled out its hot pockets range last November in four flavours – barbecue chicken, spicy sriracha chicken, chicken fiesta crunch and falafel chipotle. This year, Creams has added two new fillings – chicken teriyaki and spicy vegetable with houmous. Sablok said: “A few years ago, sales from summer to winter used to drop 30%. Nobody really wants to eat gelato in the colder months, so our solution was a hot desserts range, and that’s where our hot pockets range came from. The range has since become a permanent fixture on the menu and helped reduce the brand’s seasonal sales dip to 25%. This year, I’m aiming for a 15% gap, but even 20% will be a big win. We’ve repositioned hot pockets this winter and sales have skyrocketed again.” Having proven the concept, Creams extended the platform into savoury hot pockets, creating an all-day proposition and “capturing incremental sales in the morning and lunchtime dayparts”. Sablok said: “The savoury range has been transformational for the morning daypart. It’s given customers a reason to visit earlier, without losing the brand’s DNA.” Meanwhile, the company’s new in-house delivery service, Creams Direct, has now gone live across roughly a third of the company’s circa 100-strong estate. “We’ve been phasing it in gradually, and it’s been really encouraging,” Sablok said. “By next month, we expect to reach 35-plus stores. It’s designed to sit alongside aggregators, but the benefits are our franchise partners retain more margin, and we gain valuable consumer data to power our loyalty ecosystem.” The Creams app has already delivered a 15% uplift in average order value, and with the new loyalty programme launching in the first quarter of 2026, Sablok said the focus will shift to building frequency. “Right now, our average customer visits once every six weeks,” she said. “With loyalty layered in, I want to increase that to once a month.” Creams’ current winter range also includes three flavours of its new Goo Bakes – giant cookies with molten centres – while next year will see the launch of another new product platform and “a very exciting collaboration”.

London Pizza Hut franchisee planning to shut four underperforming stores to improve profitability: London Pizza Hut franchisee GH Pizzas has said it is planning to shut four underperforming stores to help improve its profitability. The 24-strong company, formerly known as MSAJ Pizzas and led by former international investment banker Alhassan Goussous, saw its pre-tax loss widen from £517,874 to £608,953 in the year to 31 December 2024. Turnover dropped slightly from £14,672,790 in 2023 to £14,257,475. Goussous said: “As part of our ongoing strategic review, we are planning to consolidate our store footprint by closing four underperforming locations. These closures are targeted at improving overall profitability by eliminating persistent losses and reallocating resources to higher-performing sites. This consolidation strategy is expected to enhance operational efficiency, strengthen our financial position, and allow us to focus on growth opportunities in more profitable markets. The outlook for the pizza delivery and takeaway sector is strong, with anticipated growth in the market. There are significant opportunities for our business, and we are well placed to benefit from these market dynamics. The business has been very successful at expanding/acquiring new stores over recent years, in line with the business’s strategy.” Goussous acquired the then ten-strong MSAJ Pizzas in 2019 and changed its name to GH Pizzas in 2023 when he set up sister business GH Burgers as a Wendy’s franchisee. GH Burgers has so far opened two Wendy’s sites in London – in Wood Green and Fulham Broadway.

Healthy drinks concept opens first store outside of Birmingham for debut franchise location, next five cities lined up: Healthy drinks concept Juices4Life has opened its first store outside of Birmingham for its debut franchise location and has its next five cities lined up. Juices4Life previously had four locations in its home city – in Small Heath, Ladypool Road, Coventry Road and Bordersley Green. Juices4Life has now ventured outside of Birmingham to launch at 549 Stockport Road in Longsight, Manchester, offering cold-pressed juice, smoothies and healthy snacks made with natural ingredients. Franchise consultant Nil Naik said: “This opening marked something special for us. Not just another store launch, but the very first franchise partner we signed in May has officially opened its doors. As a testament to its belief in the proposition, it specifically came with the intention and determination in wanting to secure the sole exclusivity franchise development rights for the whole of Manchester, and a gesture of its commitment, it put forward a plan to secure and commit to opening four locations in the first phase of its development plan. Why this one hits different: it proves the model works in the real world, not just in spreadsheets and beyond our four company-owned and operated locations. It sets the pace for the wave of franchise openings already in the pipeline. The bar has been set; Manchester was just the warm-up. Next five cities loading.”

Amazonico reports profit boost: Amazonico, the restaurant in London’s Mayfair from Dogus International Group, has reported a profit boost for the year to 31 December 2024. Pre-tax profit rose from £2,837,197 in 2023 to £3,590,665. This included an increase in management income from £153,465 in 2023 to £1,116,528. Turnover dropped from £22,180,965 in 2023 to £19,765,797, down 10.8% (2023: down 3.5%). Ebitda grew from £3,920,000 in 2023 to £4,209,000, up 7.4% (2023: down 16.5%). An intercompany dividend of £5,841,692 was paid to the parent company (2023: nil). Dogus International Group also operates Amazonico sites in Dubai, Monte Carlo, Madrid and Miami.

Tossed opens first site outside London: Healthy eating brand Tossed has opened its first site outside of London. Tossed, which operates 13 sites in the capital, has opened at 14 Albert Street in Nottingham for its regional debut. It comes after Propel revealed earlier this year that Tossed had signed its first franchise partner and set its sights on a 50-store nationwide rollout. The Nottingham store was opened by Goldbean, led by Badar Zaman, a hospitality operator with 20 years multi-site franchise experience with Costa Coffee. Tossed managing director Neil Sebba said: “Nottingham is a go! An amazing opening with our first store outside the capital, and what a reception from the good people of Nottingham. A proud day.” In August, Propel revealed Tossed was launching a new concept “Wholesome Greens, by Tossed”. The concept made its debut at BoxHall in London’s Liverpool Street, offering a reduced but elevated menu, with a selection of its best-selling salads, wraps, shakes and smoothies adapted for the BoxHall marketplace.

Essex McDonald’s franchisee returns to profit and reports £14m turnover boost driven by two new openings: Essex McDonald’s franchisee AFA Restaurants returned to profit and reported a £14m turnover boost in the year to 31 December 2014, driven by two new openings and a full year of trading for four previous acquisitions. The business, owned by Ahmet Mustafa, turned a pre-tax loss of £138,168 in 2023 into a profit of £90,162, despite costs rising by almost £4m and administrative expenses increasing by more than £10m. Dividends of £92,871 were paid (2023: £110,788). Employee numbers rose from 1,437 to 1,869. Mustafa said: “Despite challenging market conditions, the company achieved a significant increase in turnover. This increase was primarily due to the acquisition of two new stores and a full year of trading in 2024 on four new stores. Gross profit margin improved by 1.54% as food cost inflation stabilised and selling prices were adjusted. The net assets of the company were £7.1m (2023: £6.80m) at the balance sheet date, reflecting the solid position of the company from a solvency and liquidity point of view, and this strong balance sheet is the foundation on which the company can continue to grow and prosper. The company continued to generate significant operating cash flows and continued to increase operations year-on-year. Despite this, the balance sheet as at 31 December 2024 shows a net current liability position of £5,451,399 (2023: £3,706,666).”

Caribbean concept Jerk Junction opens in Liverpool: Caribbean concept Jerk Junction has opened its fourth restaurant, in Liverpool. Jerk Junction, which was founded by Jake Shaffi, has opened in the former Gourmet Burger Kitchen site in the Liverpool ONE scheme. Last year, Jerk Junction, which is “on a mission to make authentic Jamaican food more accessible in the UK”, opened its first shopping centre in Manchester’s Trafford Centre, offering dishes such as jerk chicken, curried goat and lentil stew – all served with rice and peas and prepared with traditional spices. It joined the business’ other locations in Chorlton and Wilmslow. Earlier this year, Jerk Junction hired Mickey McCarthy, formerly head of food partner operations at Blend Family, as its new managing director.

German Doner Kebab makes West Sussex debut with Crawley launch: German Doner Kebab (GDK), which is backed by private equity group True, has opened a new store in Crawley for its West Sussex debut. The site has opened in Crawley Leisure Park. The launch follows the introduction of GDK’s £5 value menu alongside the Inferno OG, featuring its spiciest sauce yet. The menu includes the OG Kebab (a choice of doner meat with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, onion and red cabbage, served in handmade toasted sesame waffle bread with three signature sauces); the GDK Doner Rice Bowl (featuring signature doner meat, salad and rice); and Doner Spring Rolls (handmade crispy spring rolls filled with a choice of doner meat and jalapenos).

Five Akhis opens first Hertfordshire site with Hemel Hempstead launch: Gourmet burger concept Five Akhis, which has fast-pizza brand Fireaway founder Mario Aleppo as a backer, has launched in Hemel Hempstead. Five Akhis has opened at 33 Lawn Lane in the town for its 13th site – and first in Hertfordshire. Five Akhis also has two sites in Milton Keynes (full restaurant and express) and one each in Northampton, Oxford, Preston, Birmingham, Sheffield, Banbury, Nottingham, Luton, Bedford and Wellingborough. The company’s current pipeline includes locations in Manchester, Leicester and London’s Whitechapel. Aleppo invested in the fledgling business in 2023, taking a 5% stake as well as lending his expertise.

Stonegate leases two venues in Watford to new operator: Stonegate Group, the UK’s largest pub company, has leased its former Slug & Lettuce and Popworld venues in Watford to a new operator. Dean Paul has opened a zoo-inspired nightclub in the Popworld site in The Parade. “It is a typical nightclub but entertainment-led and zoo-themed as the name suggests,” Paul told the Watford Observer. “I am excited as this is my passion and I'm really keen to get off to a good start. I am really hoping the people of Watford will come out and support us. There is not much of a nightlife in Watford anymore so we are hoping people gravitate towards us.” Paul and business partner Erhan Sahin have also taken over the former Slug & Lettuce unit next door, which will soon be home to bottomless brunch venue O Watford. Stonegate still owns the venues but have leased it to Dean and Erhan as part its leased and tenanted division. The decision to close the two venues came weeks after Stonegate closed its Walkabout site in the town, which has been replaced by Dunnings Bar Two.

Bespoke Hotels opens Hotel Gotham in Newcastle: Bespoke Hotels, the UK’s largest independent hotel group, has opened its new Hotel Gotham in Newcastle. The five-star, 1920s-inspired Art Deco destination has launched in Newcastle’s grade II-listed former fire and police station in Pilgrim Street. The hotel offers 57 bedrooms, two restaurants, the Fire bar and the members-only Club Brass. Bespoke Hotels has more than 80 hotels, offering 6,000-plus rooms, and has in excess of 4,000 employees.

London Trocadero owner’s hotel concept Zedwell gets go-ahead for second Manchester site: London Trocadero owner Asif Aziz’s lifestyle hotel concept Zedwell has been given the go-ahead for a second Manchester site. Zedwell has been granted permission by the city council to convert Church House in Deansgate into a 157-room hotel. It follows proposals for a 187-room Zedwell hotel in Royal Buildings, Piccadilly Gardens, which planning permission has been secured for, and enabling works has started. The Deansgate hotel will comprise 118 double rooms across the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth floors, with the fifth floor also including capsules to accommodate a “privacy-focused” offering for the hostel market. The hotel’s reception will be located in the basement. Ground floor tenants, including Gaucho, the premium Argentinian steak restaurant group, will remain, while unleased commercial space will be let out. Zedwell currently operates two hotels in London, in Piccadilly and Tottenham Court Road. 

Hotel operator Active Hospitality sees losses mount: Hotel operator Active Hospitality, which operates four venues in Surrey and Buckinghamshire, saw its losses mount in the year to 31 December 2024. The company’s pre-tax loss widened from £611,452 in 2023 to £944,237. Turnover was down slightly from £5,422,750 to £5,407,759. Of this, £4,270,821 was hotel income (2023: £4,281,790) and £1,136,938 food and beverage income (2023: £1,140,960). Planning permission was submitted in the summer of 2025 to add 18 further bedrooms at Gorse Hill Hotel in Woking. No dividends were paid (2023: nil). Director Ian Cave said: “The business plan has been changed to reflect the covid affected years of 2020 through to 2022 with the rewriting of the plan to reflect the original budget of 2020 commencing in 2023. Ebitda was £0.196m. Adjusting for costs attributable to head office activity in assessing new projects, we consider the maintainable Ebitda to be £1.152m. The group balance sheet at the period end shows net liabilities in excess of £1.700m (2023: £0.755m).”

Fast-casual Bajan restaurant concept Barbs opens first restaurant space: Barbs, the fast-casual Bajan restaurant concept, has opened its first restaurant space, at The Queen of Hoxton venue in London's Shoreditch. Following the success of its Deliveroo Editions kitchen and the launch of its Bajan signature sauces earlier this year, Barbs has now made its bricks-and-mortar debut at The Queen of Hoxton, which is part of the Mothership Group. Barbs was founded in 2024 by Nicc Wright. He said: “This is a proud step for us. Barbs is all about real food and real Bajan flavour, cooked the way it’s meant to be. We’ve taken our family recipes and traditional techniques and created something that feels completely at home in Shoreditch.” Dishes include Bajan fried chicken and fried fish burgers (marinated in authentic green seasoning from a family recipe, served with soused cucumber, crispy onions and “Fancy Sauce”); Bajan roti wraps (filled with curry chicken and potato or chickpea and potato); and mac pie balls (a twist on the traditional Bajan macaroni pie, served with a fermented sweet chilli dip). Each dish comes with a line-up of house-made sauces that “capture the island’s signature balance of spice, sweetness and tang”.

Lucky’s Diner to make Scottish debut with two openings: Lucky's Diner, which has 12 locations across the UK, has revealed it's set to open two new spots in Glasgow. Lucky's Diner, which started in 2018 with a location in Oldham in Greater Manchester , is set to open its first locations in Scotland with not just one but two venues in the city. The company’s website promises that a Glasgow West and Glasgow Central store is coming to the city. Lucky's Diner already have spots across England and Wales, including in Manchester and Newcastle. Lucky’s Diner website states: “With more than 20 years’ experience in the restaurant and kitchen development sector, founder Hasan Habib was passionate about creating a quick service restaurant (QSR) that couldn’t be ‘pigeon-holed’ as a one product customer offer. He focused on developing cooking techniques that enabled a varied continental style menu to be developed and sold within a QSR environment.”

Bancone confirms fifth site opening in London’s Bank, biggest venue to date: Bancone, the modern pasta restaurant with four sites across Central London, has confirmed it is to open a 170-cover site in the heart of the City in early spring 2026. Propel revealed last week that Bancone had applied to open at 7 Princes Street. Bancone said the restaurant will boast a bar area as well as a 35-cover private dining room downstairs. Bancone opened its first restaurant in 2018 with a site in William IV Street in Covent Garden. Golden Square and Borough Yards followed, and Kensington opened its doors earlier this year. Bancone’s revenue for financial year 2025 is £12.5m with an Ebitda of £2m. Bancone employs around 180 people across the group. Co-founder Will Ellner said: “Opening in the City of London is any restaurateur’s dream. I’m thrilled we have such an incredible location and such a strong offering in place. It will be fantastic to be able to bring Bancone to such a big audience across the City.”

Football entertainment concept to open in Liverpool for debut site: Football entertainment concept Crossbar is set to open its debut site, in Liverpool. Crossbar, which is the brainchild of entrepreneur Brett Duarte, has agreed a deal with Landsec to launch at the Liverpool ONE scheme in the spring. Crossbar brings together Duarte’s lifelong passion for football “with a vision for elevated seamless entertainment”. Spanning 25,000 square foot over two floors in Manesty’s Lane, Crossbar will feature tech-enabled state-of-the-art football boxes with reactive projection, motion tracking, and surround sound. Alongside the gaming floor will be a bar and casual dining area, while upstairs, Club 11, will provide a full restaurant experience. Duarte said: “We have a lifelong passion for football so bringing our new kind of football experience to life is a momentous landmark for the Crossbar. We have been searching for the perfect location to launch for some time, and Liverpool ONE’s second-to-none reputation and quality line-up of leisure and retail brands made it the obvious choice.” Crossbar is also scheduled to open a site in Printworks Manchester in June 2026.

Welsh operator secures £500,000 funding to launch accommodation offer at historic Anglesey pub: Welsh operator Derek McKeon has secured £500,000 in funding to launch an accommodation offer at an historic Anglesey pub. McKeon, who has also operated The Foundry Vaults in the town for more than two decades, will now add en-suite eight bedrooms to the Market Inn in Llangefni. This follows a £524,000 funding package from BCRS, Selina, 365 Business and Reward, and supported by an £8,500 SPF grant from the Isle of Anglesey County Council. The venue was acquired by McKeon in 2023.