Exclusive – Luxury wine club 67 Pall Mall plans £34m fundraise for further global expansion: 67 Pall Mall, the UK luxury club brand centred upon wine entering its tenth year, is looking to raise up to £34m over the next two years as it plans further global expansion. The business was founded by Grant Ashton and opened its doors in the heart of London in December 2015. Ashton raised £8m from 87 investors to finance the project, which is aimed at making some of the world’s rarest wines more affordable, and had the goal of becoming the world’s first group of private members’ clubs exclusively for wine lovers. The London site is home to one of the largest wine lists in the world, featuring a comprehensive list of 5,000 wines from 42 countries, with approximately 1,000 available by the glass. Fees have historically been around £2,000 annually with a joining fee. The debut site, which is located in a Grade II-listed building designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in St James’s, has since been joined by openings in Verbier, Switzerland; and Singapore, where the club occupies a 15,000 sq ft penthouse in the Shaw Centre with a “Whisky Wall” and 6,000 wine labels. The company will open its next club in Bordeaux, France, which is scheduled to open this spring, featuring a “majestic wine tower and extensive local collections”. It also has openings in Hong Kong, Melbourne, and Beaune in France in its pipeline. The company said: “67 Pall Mall Beaune will open following the renovation of the historic townhouse Moyne-Blandin. The club is situated in the heart of Beaune’s gastronomic quarter, 200 metres from the Hospices de Beaune. In the southern hemisphere, we will set roots in Melbourne at 85 Spring Street, a 15-storey building located directly above Parliament Station and next to the Spring Street tramline. Meanwhile, our most recent acquisition is in Shanghai. A century-old former diplomatic landmark, the Grand Mansion is a French Renaissance-style building in the prime and scenic Xuhui district, within the triangular garden at the intersection of Donghu Road and Middle Huaihai Road.” It is thought that the funding for a new club is between €10m – €25m. The fundraise comes as the business reported increased losses as it invests in its infrastructure with a view to expanding further globally. Loss before tax was £6,880,523 in the year ended 31 December 2024 compared to a loss before tax of £2,557,288 the year before. Turnover was down slightly to £28,987,262 from £29,216,991 the year before. The company stated: “The group’s overall loss is primarily attributable to costs associated with new club openings and oversight expenses rather than poor operational trading performance. The group’s strategy is for local subsidiary equity raises to either refinance these initial borrowings (to fund new club freehold asset acquisitions and developments). However, the club’s strategy is for local subsidiary equity raises to either refinance these initial borrowings or for debt to be allocated to subsequent clubs. The group expects to raise approximately £34m over the next two years at subsidiary level.” 

Tashas Group brand director Tessa Graham among speakers at 2026 Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit, open for bookings: Tessa Graham, group brand director at Tashas Group, will be among the speakers at the 2026 Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit. Graham will reveal how the company has built a portfolio of global hospitality brands. She will explore the thinking behind brand-building, scaling premium experiences and unlocking new revenue streams through creative diversification. 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, propositions, 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.

PM – pubs will struggle because of our budget: Sir Keir Starmer has admitted that pubs will “struggle” as a result of Labour’s business rates tax raid. The prime minister told GB News: “Look, we’re working with the sector, particularly in hospitality. Obviously, there were reductions in place because of covid, which were going to come to an end. There are then transitional provisions to help. The overall rating levels [sic] is going down but I do acknowledge, for pubs and others, that the revaluation means that they will struggle in relation to the business rates applicable to them. That’s why we’re working with them. And also other measures – they want more freedom for licencing, they want more freedom to actually open for longer. And we’re very open to that discussion with them.” He also told LBC: “Obviously, what’s happened is there were reductions in place during covid, which were always going to be unwound. At some point, the overall rates are going to be lower. But I accept that because of revaluation, that means that some will have their bills going up. We’re putting in place transitional relief. We’re talking to the sector, particularly hospitality and pubs, about what further support we can put in, whether that’s licensing freedoms or other measures. We want to talk to the sector. I want to keep working with them to make sure we can work this through.”

S4 Labour reports December like-for-likes up 3.4%: Figures from S4labour show a strong finish to the year for UK hospitality, with overall like‑for‑like sales up 3.4% in December 2025. This marks a significant improvement on the 0.1% like-for-like increase recorded in December 2024 and builds on the 0.9% uplift seen in November, indicating growing momentum across the sector. London once again outperformed the rest of the country, delivering a 10.5% rise in like‑for‑like sales compared to December last year. Trading outside the capital also remained positive, with non‑London regions reporting a 1.2% increase. Dry‑led venues recorded a 3.5% uplift year‑on‑year, and wet‑led sites saw sales rise 3.3%, reflecting consistent spending across pubs and bars during the Christmas period. Richard Hartley, chief growth officer at S4labour, said: “Consumer’s appear to have saved for the festive season which will have been a welcome relief to operators. However, we start a new year with government’s cost pressures on the horizon and the quietest time of year to navigate – hopefully it won’t be too quiet.”

UK festive trading concentrated into fewer, bigger moments: UK hospitality’s Christmas trading period was increasingly shaped by fewer but higher-value occasions, with performance concentrated into a small number of peak days rather than spread evenly across December, according to new data from The Oxford Partnership, using insights from Vianet’s Beverage Metrics. The analysis shows that venues were not materially fuller over the festive period, but consumers stayed for longer, spent more per visit and traded up when the occasion felt worth it. Growth was driven by how people used hospitality once inside, rather than increases in overall footfall. Average dwell time reached 145 minutes, up 16% year-on-year, highlighting a clear shift towards longer, more immersive festive occasions. In contrast, average occupancy sat at 63.2%, broadly flat on last year, confirming that trading gains were not driven by busier venues. This change in behaviour supported steady, inflation-aligned growth in spend per head. Average total spend per head reached £26.37, with drink spend at £21.02, reflecting continued price sensitivity on drink-led occasions such as Christmas Eve and Mad Friday. Food spend proved more resilient, averaging £31.43, reinforcing its role in anchoring value on longer-dwell, planned visits. Alison Jordan, chief executive of The Oxford Partnership, said: “This Christmas showed a clear shift towards fewer but more meaningful occasions. Consumers are still willing to spend, but they’re increasingly selective about when they go out. Success is no longer about filling venues every day in December, it’s about winning the right moments with offers that justify longer stays and higher-value visits.”

Chinese discount brand makes its US debut and undercuts McDonald’s on price: Mixue Ice Cream & Tea, which has 47,000 locations around the world, has debuted in the US with every menu costing less than $5. On 19 December 2025, Mixue launched its first American location in Los Angeles, followed days later by two more in New York City. Pronounced ‘Mee-shoo-ay’, it specialises in teas, coffees, soft-serve ice cream and fruit drinks – all priced under $5. For its New York openings in Hell’s Kitchen and Koreatown, both on 25 December, the brand offered buy-one-get-one-free deals to customers willing to sing its theme song in-store or post videos on TikTok or Instagram. A third New York location, in Chinatown, is expected to open soon. Outside the US, customers typically order drinks at around 30% sweetness – or less. However, at its US locations, Mixue is offering eight levels of sweetness and has added a 200 percent sugar option, leaning right into America’s sweet tooth. The company began in 1997, when Zhang Hongchao opened the first store under the Mixue name – a humble shaved-ice stall – in Zhengzhou, China. However, the brand didn’t take off until 2005 – when it started selling soft serve ice cream for just one Chinese Yuan (the equivalent of 14 cents). 

The O2 celebrates record-breaking year: The O2 in London has said it has set another record-breaking year, having achieved a consecutive year of growth for footfall and sales across retail, leisure, and F&B. It said it welcomed over 11 million visitors in 2025, with a 9.4% uplift on 2024 and a 23% uplift on 2023. This was reflected across retail, leisure, and F&B sales too, increasing by 12% versus 2024. The O2 said it has built a reputation as the go-to location for leisure within the UK, with category sales growing by 18% in 2025 versus 2024, boosted by the “continued success of its offer, including Clip ‘n Climb, Padel Social Club, Hollywood Bowl, Boom Battle Bar, Mamma Mia! The Party, and more”. The development is set to welcome the UK debut for Guinness World Records, a 25,000 sq ft attraction, later this year, following in the footsteps of Activate, TOCA Social, and iFLY’s London debut. Sales across F&B continued to rise during the year, up 9% in 2024 boosted further by new 2025 additions such as KFC. Alistair Wood, executive vice president, real estate and development at The O2’s owner AEG International, said: “2025 has been another landmark year for The O2. Our success comes from offering more of what people want in one place, and continually integrating and evolving our offer to stay relevant and appealing. Destinations that combine variety and adapt to changing consumer needs perform best, and The O2 reflects this. Our wide range of experiences drives social spending amongst friends and family, creating memorable moments and building strong customer loyalty that drives our continued outperformance. With a busy events programme and several new additions planned, we are confident this momentum will continue into 2026.”

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a boutique beach resort on the Turks & Caicos Islands that is seeking a general manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “This property has no spa or food and beverage, making it ideal for someone with a strong rooms and/or operations background. The general manager will lead a long-tenured, family-like team, and work closely with the owners and the vice-president of operations, overseeing daily resort operations, supporting and training staff, enhancing guest satisfaction and driving boutique service standards and operational excellence.” A relocation package and salary of up to $120,000 plus benefits is on offer. For more information, email danny@corecruitment.com. 

Stonegate to invest circa £42m across leased and tenanted estate: Stonegate Group, the UK’s largest pub company, is to invest circa £42m across its leased and tenanted Pub Partners estate over the course of its current financial year. The company said that a record £12m had been invested across the circa 3,000-strong division in the first quarter of the year, with a further pipeline of over £30m planned for the remainder of the year. This includes the launch of a new co-investment programme in early 2026, designed to unlock opportunities through targeted improvements to interiors, better use of outdoor spaces, and preparation for major trading events such as the FIFA World Cup 2026. The company said that the record Q1 investment forms part of a wider programme to enhance the service and support provided to its publicans. Alongside property investment, Pub Partners continues to invest in new and enhanced tools designed to assist publicans run successful businesses, with the “flexibility to access support and services at a time that works for them”. This includes its Trade on Tap online ordering platform, strengthening its central operations and communications capability and ongoing enhancements to Pub Hub and My Pub, which give publicans real-time visibility of performance insight, business data and practical tools to support decision-making and growth. Dan Castle, managing director of Stonegate Pub Partners, said: “Our record Q1 spend and £40m pipeline reflects our ongoing commitment to being a supportive, long-term partner to our publicans. We have a brilliantly diverse estate of businesses, each at the heart of their communities and run by some exceptional entrepreneurial partners. Alongside property investment, we’re continuing to innovate and improve the systems and support our publicans need to succeed. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made and excited about what’s to come as we continue to invest, improve and innovate.”

Individual Restaurants makes leadership team changes, including Piccolino MD: Individual Restaurants, the Restaurant Bar & Grill and Forbici operator, has made a number of changes to its leadership team, including a new managing director for its core Piccolino brand, Propel has learned. Francesco Fiore, who has been group operations director for the business since April 2021, becomes managing director of the 22-strong Piccolino estate, while Michele Vollaro and Pawel Bachanek are both promoted to director of operations for the brand (south and north respectfully). The company, which operates 31 sites in total, told Propel: “As we continue to grow Piccolino into the most recognised premium Italian dining brand and strengthen each brand’s unique identity and position, our operational leadership team will become even more focused.” At the same time, Toni Dennan has been promoted to group marketing and sales director, and Imogen Dashti to head of sales. The company has also promoted Tolga Sen to director of operations for Restaurant Bar & Grill, Riva Blu, Forbici and new concepts, Sam Dhaliwal is promoted to concept and international director. It said that Selena Green will also assume a wider remit with responsibility for technology after being promoted to group commercial and technology director. Last summer, Individual Restaurants chief executive Andrew Garton said: “It’s our ambition to further grow the business and invest for the future through developing our portfolio, bringing new concepts to market and entering new markets, both in the UK and internationally.”

The Salad Project to make overseas debut in France: The Salad Project, which launched in London in 2021, is to make its international debut later this year, in France. The business, which was founded by Florian de Chezelles and James Dare, will open at 107 Rue Réaumur, 75002 Paris this spring/summer. The company currently operates 12 sites across London and has previously said it expects to have 20 sites by the end of this year. The business opened its first neighbourhood site and matcha bar at 110 Westbourne Grove in Notting Hill, last October. It followed an opening at the Nova scheme in Victoria last summer. It has also lined up an opening at the new Battersea Power Station tube entrance for this year. Cushman & Wakefield acted for The Salad Project on the Paris site.

Brother Marcus hires Jeni Hankins as marketing and brand director: London eastern Mediterranean restaurant concept Brother Marcus has hired Jeni Hankins, formerly of Las Iguanas and Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), as its new marketing and brand director. Hankins joins the seven-strong business, which opens a new site in London’s Victoria later this month, after a nine-month stint as marketing director at Las Iguanas. Previous to that she spent six and a half years as marketing manager at the M&B-owned Browns brand. She also spent 17 months as head of brand and digital at Punch Pubs, and 14 months as head of marketing at All Star Lanes. Propel revealed last October that Brother Marcus, which was founded by Tasos Gaitanos and Alex Large, was taking over Will Rickers’ former The Stone House site in Victoria’s Nova development, which closed in the summer. Brother Marcus’ Victoria site will open on Monday, 26 January. The company said the opening will usher in a year of celebration for the group, which is in its tenth year since it opened its first venture in Balham in 2016. Last year, the business opened sites in Canary Wharf and Soho, as well as making its cocktail bar debut with Kamara in Poland Street. Brother Marcus told Propel last August that it was still targeting two to three openings for this year, with a first regional site “under consideration” and expected to open in early 2026. The company also said it would open further Kamara bars alongside new Brother Marcus sites “where the opportunity fits”, and that “if the concept proves strong enough, stand-alone Kamara sites are very much on the table”.

Tokyo Industries restaurant Iron Lillies re-opened for Christmas: Iron Lillies, the Tokyo Industries restaurant in Hull’s Princes Quay, that opened with help of a controversial £750,000 levelling up grant from Hull City Council re-opened for Christmas. Controversially, it had closed in July – prompting questions about the use of pub money. Iron Lilies received £750,000 through the government’s Levelling Up Fund, but this was match funding that unlocked a further £1.88m in private investment. Together, this total investment of over £2.4m transformed a large, long-vacant space in Princes Quay – empty for more than a decade – into a hospitality venue that created over 40 jobs, more than double the number originally required by the grant. When the restaurant closed, the company highlighted the “unbearable cost headwinds” created by chancellor Rachel Reeves – minimum wage increases, higher National Insurance costs, and the cut in rates relief from 75% to 40%, which it said effectively more than doubled its business rates to £88,000 per year. Tokyo Industries, which is the operator of the shopping centre itself, promised a “fresher and more affordable product” when the site re-opened. The Budget measures had increased costs by 30% and the restaurant had cumulative trading losses of £536,431 at the time of closure, Tokyo Industries has stated. 

Cambscuisine reports 7.6% sales growth over festive period: Cambscuisine, which operates seven pubs and restaurants across Cambridgeshire and is led by Oliver Thain, has reported 7.6% like-for-like sales growth across the six-week Christmas trading period. The company, which hit £2m of gross sales across its four freeholds and three leaseholds in the period, reported a 12.4% increase achieved in the previous year. This strong festive performance caps a successful ten months since the start of the group’s financial year, with sales up over 8% year-to-date, demonstrating sustained momentum across the business despite ongoing headwinds affecting the hospitality sector. Thain said: “Our teams have performed exceptionally well. By maximising pre-booking opportunities and maintaining a relentless focus on quality and service, we’ve achieved record guest satisfaction scores alongside strong sales growth. As ever, this is such a credit to the hard work and dedication of our teams.” Cambscuisine’s performance reflects continued customer demand through its quality offering, its strong company culture and the strength of its portfolio in Cambridge and across the county. The group is currently executing a growth plan that is expected to drive continued increases in revenues and profits in 2026. The company is chaired by James Spragg. 

Punch Pubs hires Shirley Couchman as director of property partnerships: Punch Pubs & Co, the Andy Spencer-led pub company, has hired Shirley Couchman, formerly of Wells & Co and SSP, as its new director of property partnerships. Couchman spent just over four years at Bedford-based brewer and retailer Wells & Co, initially as retail director, then as chief operating officer. Previously, she was at UK-based transport hub foodservice specialist SSP Group for more than three years and prior to that was with brewer and retailer Greene King for almost 14 years. Last October, the Fortress-backed Punch, which owns and manages around 1,250 pubs across England, Scotland and Wales, reported strong first quarter trading after the company’s full year revenue grew to £338m. In a trading update for the 52 weeks ended 10 August 2025, the company said quarter one trading to date (eight weeks to 5 October 2025) “has been strong, with Ebitda ahead of the same period in 2024”.

Team behind The Tamil Prince and The Tamil Crown confirm Soho opening plans: The team behind The Tamil Prince and The Tamil Crown pubs in Islington has confirmed it plans to launch a third site under its fast-casual concept Tamila next month, in London’s Soho. As flagged up by Propel last May, the business, which is led by former Roti King executive chef Prince Durairaj and ex-Market Halls operations director Glen Leeson, is taking over the former Obica Mozzarella Bar, which closed last year, in Poland Street. The Standard reports that it will be a flagship for the Tamila brand and the largest yet, spread across two floors, with a restaurant and bar on the ground floor and a private dining space below in the basement. Durairaj and Leeson launched south Indian street food concept Tamila in the Hackney Bridge food court in 2021 before opening its first permanent venue, in Northcote Road, Clapham. Last year, they opened a second Tamil location, at 6-8 Caledonian Road near King’s Cross station. Leeson is also a former general manager at JKS, while Durairaj worked in various kitchens across London before teaming up with Leeson at Roti King, the pan-Asian restaurant in Euston. Durairaj told The Standard: “Soho has always felt like a playground for some of London’s most exciting and much-loved restaurants, so opening here has been a real dream of mine. It’s such a special and energetic part of the city for hospitality, and I feel incredibly grateful to be bringing Tamila into the mix and rubbing shoulders with places I’ve admired for years. We’ve spent a long time shaping Tamila Soho, from the interiors to the menu and drinks offering. This feels like a big step for us, and we really hope guests enjoy what we’ve created with the space.”

Allsopp’s Taverns non-exec – first full-year of trading grew steadily, set to launch second pub: Charlie McVeigh, non-executive director of Allsopp’s Taverns, the company behind The Blue Stoops in London’s Kensington, has said that trade in the pub’s first full-year grew steadily and that the business hopes to “shortly to be able to talk about a new pub”. The business, which is led by Jamie Allsopp, opened The Blue Stoops on the site of The Kensington Wine Rooms on Wednesday, 9 October 2024. The pub, at 127-129 Kensington Church Street, pays homage to the original Blue Stoops in Burton-upon-Trent, where Allsopp’s family brewed from in the 18th century. McVeigh said: “Last year was transformative for Samuel Allsopp & Sons and its pub, The Blue Stoops public house in Kensington W8. The Blue Stoops enjoyed its first full year of trading, having launched in October 2024. Trade has been brisk and, pleasingly, increased steadily throughout the year. The event highlight was a dinner cooked by Rowley Leigh, which attracted former colleagues and customers of the legendary Kensington Place, which was just a block away from The Stoops. The year culminated in an extraordinary Christmas season during which we surpassed even our own wildest expectations of what was possible in our little pub. We feel we have made many friends and regulars this year and are excited to see what 2026 holds. Our beer business, Samuel Allsopp & Sons has, if anything, performed even better with sales doubling versus 2024. This was in large part due to the deepening of our partnership with Kirkstall Brewing Co which produces all of our beer up in Leeds. At the midway point of the year Kirkstall and Allsopp’s jointly agreed to recruit and manage a London-based sales team which went live in the Autumn and is already starting to show strong results. A year-end our beers are now on tap and hand-pull in some of the finest pubs in the country, from the Highland Laddie in Leeds (Pub of the Year 2025) through to Public House Group, Cubitt House Group and the widely-acclaimed Knave of Clubs in East London – among many others. Looking ahead, we hope shortly to be able to talk about a new pub and will have some big news on the IPA front as 2026 progresses.” The company’s relaunched Double Diamond was also listed in 758 Tesco stores during the year.

Award-winning chef Jody Williams to bring Buvette back to London: US chef-restaurateur Jody Williams is to bring back her New York-founded restaurant Buvette to London this spring. Taking over the former St John bakery site in Neal’s Yard in the heart of Covent Garden, Buvette will be an 80-cover all-day “Gastrothèque” with additional seating on the yard-side terrace. Williams first opened Buvette in New York’s West Village 14 years ago and has since grown the collection into Paris, as well as Tokyo and Seoul. Williams made her UK debut with the launch of Buvette in London’s Notting Hill in 2021. The site at secured 9 Blenheim Crescent subsequently closed in 2024. Buvette is described as “part restaurant, part bar, part cafe”. Williams is a James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur. She founded Buvette in New York 14 years ago, and together with her wife Rita Sodi, co-owns Via Carota, I Sodi, The Commerce Inn and Bar Pisellino in the US city.

Dave’s Hot Chicken confirms Sheffield site launch: US brand Dave’s Hot Chicken, which is being rolled out in the UK by the Azzurri Group, has confirmed it will open a site next month, in Sheffield. The brand, which made its UK debut in autumn 2024, in London’s Shaftesbury Avenue, will open on the former ASK Italian site in the city’s Cambridge Street. Dave’s Hot Chicken opened its latest UK site, its seventh so far, on the former Five Guys site in Croydon High Street, last month. Propel revealed in July the US brand had signed a franchise agreement with Azzurri Group to open 60 locations across the UK and Ireland and it plans to have 15 open by the end of June this year. Openings in 2026 will include a site in Leicester, while it will also make its debuts in Wales and Ireland with openings in Cardiff and Dublin.

081 Pizzeria founder to launch new ‘London-style’ pizzeria: Andrea Ascuiti, founder of London pizza concept 081 Pizzeria, is opening a new “Bri-talian” shop in Peckham, serving “London-style”, crispier pies. The Standard reports that Connie’s will open in the former Little Kudu site under the arches below Queen’s Road Peckham station on 26 January. Ascuiti has signed a five-year deal with site owners Transport for London and has developed the space to hold 53 covers. Named after his wife and inspired by his daughter Lili, who was born in London, the restaurant will use the best of Italian and British produce, including British mozzarella and pepperoni. Ascuiti is also testing dough made with flour from the ever-popular farm and supplier Wildfarmed. “I am a purist and I’m not going to change my Neapolitan pizza [at 081],” Ascuiti, from Naples, told the Standard. “But I’ve been experimenting. I’m still using long fermentation and high hydration with my dough, but the oven is a different temperature and I’m using a different stone to cook the pizzas. They are crispier, but still chewy. You can fold them. It’s a blend of two cultures. They’re a different canvas for me to try different things. I might even put chicken on a pizza.” Ascuiti, who is also one of the founding members of Streatham pizzeria Bravi Ragazzi, opened the first bricks-and-mortar site for 081 Pizzeria in Peckham in 2023 and launched a larger second restaurant, in Shoreditch, last year. 

Popeyes to replace Leon in Manchester: Popeyes UK, the TDR Capital-backed business, is to increase its presence in Manchester, with an opening close to the city’s Piccadilly train station. The US brand, which opened its 100th site in the UK in November, in London Bridge station, is set to take on the former Leon site in Piccadilly Approach, that closed last month. Popeyes launched in the UK in 2021 and opened circa 50 sites in 2025. In November, Tom Crowley, chief executive of Popeyes UK, said that there was “no public target” for new restaurants but that he believes it can “keep opening at a similar pace” in 2026. Last month, Leon appointed Quantuma as administrators for the next stage in its restructuring programme. It came as Vincent said the company was losing about £10m a year and that after an initial review of the company, the “immediate priority” was to close “the most unprofitable restaurants”. He said: “In many cases we have found other brands to replace us, and in others we will be asking the landlords to take the leases back and find better suited operators themselves.” The circa 70-strong business, which was bought back by its former chief executive Vincent from Asda in October, could close up to 20 sites as part of its restructure.

Canada’s A&W opens second standalone Pret site: Canadian restaurant group A&W has begun the rollout of standalone Pret A Manger sites, with the opening of a second site under the brand in Toronto. Canada’s first standalone Pret site opened at 90 Adelaide Street West in Toronto, at the start of 2024. The second has opened on the concourse level of the TD Centre in the heart of downtown Toronto. In autumn 2024, A&W strengthened its partnership with Pret with an agreement to exclusively serve the JAB Holdings-backed chain’s Classic Blend coffee across its 1,000-plus sites. It followed a successful two-year trial that began in 2022 with Pret pop-up shops in select Toronto and Vancouver A&W restaurants. The trial’s success led to the opening of Canada’s first standalone Pret site at 90 Adelaide Street West in Toronto, at the start of this year. The latest move is part of a ten-year development agreement signed by the two operators in May 2024, which also included plans to open more standalone cafés.

Davy’s Wine Bars closes Covent Garden site after 40 years: Davy’s Wine Bars closed its Crusting Pipe site in Covent Garden just before Christmas – it has traded for 40 years. It was one of the first tenants in the building after a major redevelopment of the market in the 1980s, which saw the area convert from a fruit and veg market to a shopping and street entertainment hub. A statement on Davy’s website said: “As trading environments and customer habits have evolved, this chapter has now come to a close. We remain grateful to the many team members and customers who contributed to the character and success of The Crusting Pipe over the years.”

Sodexo Live! hires Steve Cova: Sodexo Live! has hired Steven Cova as its new divisional operations director for Sports and Stadia division. He brings over 20 years of operational and commercial experience in senior leadership roles across some of the UK’s most iconic sporting and entertainment venues. His track record includes overseeing multi-site operations with revenues exceeding £135 million, delivering successive years of sales and profit margin growth, and building high-performing teams recognised for service excellence. In the UK Sodexo Live! is the culinary partner to Brighton & Hove Albion FC, Ascot Racecourse, Newcastle United FC, Emirates Old Trafford, Nottingham Forest FC and many others.

Home Counties McDonald’s franchisee Loizou reports break-even: Loizou Restaurants, which is led by John Loizou in 1999 and runs 11 branches in Essex and North-East London, has reported profit before tax of £1,852 in the year to 31 March 2025 compared to £394,247 the year before. Turnover rose £6m to £50,038,109 from £43,787,459 the year before. The company stated: “The increase, however, was due to a full year of trading in the 2025 (financial year). The restaurants continue to be impacted by declining retail footfall.” Net assets of the company were £1.1m (2024: £1.5m) at the balance sheet date reflecting the solid position of the company from an overall solvency point of view. An interim dividend of £412,116 (2024: £389,238) was paid during the year. 

Clover Group reports turnover and profit surge: Clover Group, the Northern Ireland company founded in 2017 to buy iconic Belfast pubs, in particular, has reported a marked increase in turnover and profit. The company, whose 12 sites include Whites, The Bone Yard, The Jail House and Margot, saw turnover climb to £17,110,953 in the year to 31 December 2024 from £14,040,138 the year before. Profit before tax was £1,839,774 compared to £554,540 the year before. The company stated: “The directors have plans in place to ensure the group is strongly placed to retain its market position.”

Balloo Inns buys iconic Belfast restaurant: An iconic Belfast restaurant is to close at the end of the month after being sold to Balloo Inns. Cyprus Avenue, in the Ballyhackamore area of the Upper Newtownards Road, is named after the Van Morrison song which immortalises the nearby street of the same name. Opened in December 2016 by owner Richard McCracken, the venue was then expanded through a £750,000 renovation in 2018. The eatery has also been used as a film location for Sky TV show The Lovers and also played host to its premiere in 2023. It has previously been included in the Michelin Guide. Comber-based Balloo Inns operates Balloo House, the Overwood restaurant in Killinchy, The Poacher’s Pocket in Comber and the Parson’s Nose on Hillsborough’s Main Street.

Hooters confirms it is closing its Liverpool site: The director of Liverpool Hooters has confirmed that its Water Street venue in the city will close later this month (11 January). The brand opened the restaurant inside the New Zealand House back in November 2022. Director Barry Morris told the Liverpool Echo that a new business will open at the venue some time in 2026. Morris, who took over after the original operator went into administration, will remain at its helm. He said: “After a very difficult year for the business, including the loss of key signage and the disruption around Liverpool parade day, I stepped in to take over day-to-day control in an effort to stabilise the venue. As a Scouse family man, I want the venue to better reflect Liverpool – its people, its culture, and its love of sport and hospitality. I believe now is the right time to move away from the Hooters brand and create a more inclusive concept that locals can be proud of.” He hopes to transition the current Hooters venue into a “more refined sports bar and restaurant”.