Exclusive – Bill’s passes £100m revenue mark, cover growth up 5.1%, strengthens management team: Bill’s, the Richard Caring-backed restaurant group, passed the £100m revenue mark in 2025 on the back of a 5.1% increase in cover growth, Propel has learned. The Tom James-led, 48-strong business reported a 3% increase in revenue in 2025 to £101.4m (2024: £96,389,000). At the same time, the company has made a number of promotions to strengthen its leadership team. Sheri Williamson has been promoted to commercial and marketing director, having joined the business in 2021 as marketing manager. Alongside her role evolving the marketing and brand aspects of the business, she will also now lead the reservations, group bookings and delivery teams. Lucy Craig is promoted to people and culture director after returning to the business last year. The company said that 2026 will see her launch an “army of inspirational leaders” programme which will see investment in over 200 managers and leaders throughout the Bill’s group. Peter Lloyd-Jones is promoted to head of IT, which the business said would further strengthen the brand’s ongoing investment in technology and innovation. In its food team, Luke Crack takes the role of food and beverage director, and Tomasz Andrzejuk becomes back of house operations director. James said: “2026 is the year I am the most excited about for Bill’s since I have been involved with the business. We have done a lot of foundational work in the past three years, which now has led to the opportunity for further growth and some exciting new projects alongside the openings in Westfield Stratford and Heathrow. Sheri has been critical in the journey to reinvigorate the brand, and I have been very proud watching her and her team grow. Lucy, returning to the business last year, has been a real injection of energy and a relentless focus on continuing to inspire and drive our people and culture. Luke, Tomasz and Peter are all leading critical initiatives this year, and alongside myself, Ben (Litchfield, group operations director) and Ryan (Quincey, commercial finance director), I feel we have an amazing leadership team to achieve our ambitions this year and deliver on our goal of ‘everyone leaves happy’.” 

Knoops CMO Romy Miller among speakers at 2026 Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit, open for bookings: Romy Miller, chief marketing officer at luxury hot chocolate shop brand Knoops, will be among the speakers at the 2026 Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit. Miller will share how the brand carved out a new category in the crowded drinks space, cutting through noise to create a cult following. She will also reveal how to disrupt established habits, drive awareness and grow fast when no roadmap exists. Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit 2026 is returning for its eighth edition. The conference has doubled in size this year with content occupying two stages on both days – there are more than 500 company founders and chief executives, marketers and technology executives registered to attend. Bookings are open for the two-day conference, taking place on 20 and 21 January at Hilton Bankside in London. This new, 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, technology, 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.

 

Exclusive – Rileys reports 24% increase in Ebitda, Craig Mayes steps down as CEO: Craig Mayes has stepped down as chief executive of Rileys, the American and UK sports bar brand backed by Weight Partners Capital, after more than six years leading the business, Propel has learned. Mayes, the former director of managed houses at Bedford-based brewer and retailer Charles Wells and ex-operations director at Drake & Morgan, joined Rileys in May 2019. During his tenure, he guided the business through the covid pandemic, an administration, refinancing, overseeing a period that resulted in the doubling of turnover and profitability alongside significant improvements to the customer experience. His departure comes as the business delivered a 24% increase in like-for-like Ebitda in 2024, rising to £1.6m. The company also reported strong top-line growth, with like-for-like sales increasing by 14.7% and total sales exceeding £10m during the year. During 2024, the company relocated its Chester venue to a new, more prominent city-centre site in February and added Cardiff to its portfolio in July. Growth has continued into 2025, with turnover now exceeding £11m following the opening of a new venue on Albion Street, Leeds, during the summer, bringing its total estate to 15 venues nationwide. Mayes said: “Reaching the milestone of doubling both revenue and Ebitda in 2024 was a significant achievement for the business. The addition of further sites since then demonstrates that Rileys has a scalable national rollout strategy. While 2025 has been a challenging year, turnover now exceeds £11m and the business is well positioned for its next phase of growth.” Peter Marks, non-executive chairman of Rileys, said: “2024 was another transformational year for Rileys. Craig has led the business through an exceptional period of change, including the covid pandemic, an administration, and the reshaping of Rileys into its next generation format with a strong focus on people, performance and the customer experience.”

James May – there is no dosh whatsoever in owning a pub: Top Gear and Grand Tour presenter James May has told LBC there is “no dosh whatsoever” in owning a pub amid reports Labour is set to row back planned tax hikes on publicans. May, a co-owner of The Royal Oak in Swallowcliffe, told LBC’s pub owners are “clinging on by their fingernails” after years of business rate hikes. He said: “The margins are tiny, and one bit of old 18th-century thatch falling off, or in our case, having to resurface the gravelly car park, can be enough to push you over the edge. I agree with Tom Kerridge, we are supposed to be grateful for not being punched in the teeth. I think we do have to stop thinking of pubs of an important part of our heritage or a vital tradition, an institution, or an essential part of being British, or any of that misty eyed stuff they have to work as pubs, or they have to be nice places to go. The role of the pub has changed a bit. We probably had a few too many, we don’t need as many as in the 1970s.” May agreed with allegations that the Labour government, as well as previous governments, have left pubs scrambling to survive. But he added he has very little wish to see Downing Street play a role in the future of pubs, saying he only wants “not to be punched in the face.” He added: “I don't want government interference, and I don't particularly want to see government help with these things. I do want them to not punch us in the face, as Tom was saying. I don’t really look to governments for moral, financial guidance, spiritual guidance or anything like that. I just want them to organise the hospitals and the park benches and mend the potholes.”

Kent McDonald’s franchisee AMH Family Enterprise reports loss: AMH Family Enterprise, which operates five McDonald’s franchises in the Kent area, has reported turnover rose to £21,638,986 in the year to 31 March 2025 (2024: 19,051,812). It made a loss of £198,681 compared to a pre-tax profit of £582,278 the year before. It added a new site during the year, but added: “Despite this growth, the temporary closure of a store for refurbishment, a reduction in gross margin and increases in operational costs resulted in an operating loss for the year.” Interim dividends of £209,159 were paid (2024: £262,600).

 

Edinburgh guest house business grows revenue due to increased room stock and rates but rising costs hits profit: Edinburgh guest house business K&S Mir grew its revenue in the year to 31 March 2025 due to increased room stock and rates, but rising costs hit its profit. The company reported a pre-tax profit of £2,539,131, down from £3,701,433 in 2024, as administrative expenses rose by more than £1m. Turnover was up from £13,991,801 in 2024 to £14,592,800. A total of 192,799 rooms were sold (2024: £186,409) at an average rate of £70.64 (2024: £71.17). Occupancy was 97% (2024: 96%) and revenue available per room stood at £68.54 (2024: £68.96). No dividends were paid (2024: nil). Director Khwaja Akbar Mir said: “Revenue has grown on prior year due to increase in room stock and rate whilst gross profit has decrease due to increased costs. Operating profit less than expected due to increased reinvestment into the fabric of several properties. This continues to follow on from previous years of unexpected profits where all non-essential repairs and investments were put on hold. K&S Mir continues to review its portfolio and assess purchase and development opportunities in line with our strategy.”