WatchHouse founder – ‘we can see the US becoming our biggest market’, planning smaller espresso-format, seeing market-leading like-for-like sales: Roland Horne, founder and chief executive of specialty coffee business WatchHouse, which last week secured new funding led by global investment firm HighPost Capital, has told Propel that the business can see the US becoming its biggest market. HighPost, which was founded by private equity fund investor David Moross, and marketing innovator Mark Bezos, half-brother of Jeff, the founder of Amazon, led the Series B investment round in WatchHouse. HighPost invested £7.3m in the funding round, which raised £10.9m. Horne said the investment would be used to help it grow from 25 to 100 shops globally by 2029. The ten-year vision is to hit 1,000. In 2026, the brand said it will scale its US footprint with multiple flagship openings across New York, beginning with a new Park Avenue House this spring, building on its existing locations in the Chrysler Building and Fifth Avenue. Horne told Propel: “Our ambition is simple: world-class coffee in world-class cities, and the US is one of the most important long-term opportunities for WatchHouse. When we map the market it's clear just how significant the white space is. A lot of major cities are still under-served when it comes to truly premium, design-led hospitality. Cities like Miami, LA, DC, Chicago, Nashville and Atlanta are all very compelling to us. Over time, we can see the US becoming our biggest market.” Horne said the business, which currently operates 21 sites in London, one in Bath, two in New York, and one in Dubai, sees continued demand from landlords to “elevate spaces in London and strong demand in residential, office and tourist locations throughout the city”. He said nine-plus new openings are planned for this calendar year in the UK, including Millennium Bridge, Northcote Road, Parsons Green and St John's Wood in London. In Bath, WatchHouse is planning a second, smaller espresso-format to sit alongside its existing Bond Street location. On business rates, he said: “It's definitely made us a lot pickier. When business rates start creeping up to 75%-80% of the rent, some sites simply stop stacking up – no matter how good they look on paper. That's not a bad thing, though. It sharpens our focus on doing fewer things better: staying true to our ‘modern coffee’ ethos and making sure every site earns its place through the strength of the experience and performance, not just by opening more doors.” In terms of trading, Horne told Propel: “We're just finalising the FY25 audit (to July 2025), but it's shaping up to be a really strong year. We're expecting positive Ebitda and revenue of around £23m, up from £15m the year before – a big moment for us. And the momentum is continuing into FY26, where we're seeing market-leading like-for-likes and double-digit growth.”

Premium Club subscribers to receive updated Multi-Site Database with 3,518 operators and 31 new companies on Friday: Premium Club subscribers are to receive the updated Multi-Site Database on Friday (30 January), at midday. The next Propel Multi-Site Database provides details of 3,518 multi-site operators and is searchable in seven main segments. The database features 1,019 (29%) operators from the casual dining sector, 803 (23%) pub and bar operators, 617 (18%) cafe bakery operators, 496 (14%) quick service restaurant operators, 289 (8%) hotel operators, 237 (7%) experiential leisure operators and 55 (2%) fine dining operators. The database is updated each month, and this edition includes 31 new companies. The database includes new companies in the casual dining sector such as Latin American dining concept Tigermilk, Thesleff Group, with its fast-growing collection of London restaurants, and Essex Bangladeshi and Indian restaurant concept Kaani Kaana. 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 chief operating officer – editorial, 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.

Reeves set to deny permanent help for pubs: Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to reject permanent reforms to business rates when she unveils measures easing Labour’s tax raid on pubs. Reeves is poised to announce a temporary support package rather than permanent tax relief this week, industry sources have told The Telegraph. This could include a more generous time-limited cap on rising rates bills, although the details have not yet been confirmed. The government has been warned this will not be enough to fix the crisis facing Britain’s pubs, with their business rates poised to soar as a result of cuts to covid-era relief and a wave of revaluations in April. Industry sources believe the chancellor is planning to reveal the details of the support package tomorrow (Tuesday, 27 January) when the government is also expected to announce relaxed licensing rules for this summer’s football World Cup. The pub industry has sought at least a 20p discount to its business rates, a demand backed by rebel Labour MPs. Reeves indicated last week the new help will be limited to pubs, dashing hopes of relief for the rest of the hospitality industry. The Telegraph said understands the Treasury has asked industry figures for their feedback on a range of possible interventions. These include a more generous cap on rising bills, a carve-out for businesses of certain sizes, and a bigger permanent discount to the business rates “multiplier”, which is used to calculate the taxes paid by pubs and other venues. One industry source close to the negotiations said the Treasury was unlikely to change the multiplier for the year ahead, but may look at it again down the line. Another source said: “I don’t think it’s going to be enough for pubs. I think it’s going to be too narrow and too shallow.”

Tourist visa fees raid ‘to hammer hospitality sector’: Britain’s hospitality sector is facing a fresh hit from Labour’s plans to increase visa costs. Under new government analysis, proposed higher visa charges are poised to wipe out as much as £1.15bn worth of tourist spending in Britain by 2030. The government outlined plans this month to increase the cost of a two-year visit visa from £475 to £506. The government also plans to increase the cost of Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), a registration scheme for people who do not need a full visa to come to the UK, from £16 to £20. Countries whose passport holders require visas to visit the UK include India, China and South Africa, while those covered by the ETA scheme include Europe, the US and Australia. Kate Nicholls, chair of UKHospitality, told The Telegraph it would be a “deliberate act of economic self-harm” to deter visitors to Britain. “Inbound tourism is the closest thing you can get to free money in the economy,” she said. “It is our second-largest services export earner – foreign visitors spend more eating and drinking out at our pubs and restaurants than all of our food and drink exports put together and socialising like a local is the top attraction – and generates jobs growth and investment across all parts of the UK.”

Scottish pubs set to be hit with 86% business rates increase with hotels seeing 27% rise: New analysis from UKHospitality Scotland has revealed the significant increases set to hit pubs and hotels across the country, as a result of increases to rateable values, the ending of current 40% relief and support from the Scottish government “not going far enough”. For the average pub currently paying business rates, their bills will be: £26,385 in 2026-27 – an increase of £11,509 (77%) on the current average of £14,876, £27,045 in 2027-28 – an increase of £12,169 (82%) compared with today, and £27,721 in 2028-29 – an increase of £12,845 (86%) compared with the current average. In total, the average increase to pub business rates totals £36,523. Hotels are also seeing significant increases, with rates increasing by an average £68,007 over the next three years. Rates are set to increase to £114,484 in 2026-27 – an increase of £19,783 (21%) on the current average of £94,701, £117,346 in 2027-28 – an increase of £22,645 (24%) compared with today and £120,280 in 2028-29 – an increase of £25,579 (27%) compared with the current average. Leon Thompson, executive director of UKHospitality Scotland, said: “These are staggering increases and demonstrate the significant cost challenge facing Scottish hospitality businesses. This comes on top of increased costs of employment, energy, food and drink, and will be simply unsustainable for hospitality businesses to handle. The Scottish government can’t expect a local pub to discover an extra £11,000 in the next two months to pay these significant increases. We have already seen cancelled investment, job losses and business closures across Scotland, and the scale of these rates bills make it even more likely that this will get worse. The Scottish government has already committed to passing on any additional funding it receives from the UK government, but I urge it to go further and work with us to provide further support to avert these significant increases.”

Acme Fire Cult to spearhead month-long restaurant festival in London’s Hackney to help drive footfall in quieter trading period: Acme Fire Cult will spearhead a month-long restaurant festival in London’s Hackney to help drive footfall in a traditionally quieter trading period. The live-fire restaurant from Andrew Clarke and Daniel Watkins in The Bootyard has partnered with hospitality tech app EatClub to launch The Restaurant Festival Hackney. Running throughout February, the festival will see exclusive 40% dining offers at all participating venues – which include Acme Fire Cult, Mangal 2, Papi, Tom’s Pasta, Corrochio’s, Alber’s, My Neighbours the Dumplings, Sune, Oren, Berber & Q and Big Night. Paul Rosser, director of Acme Fire Cult said: “By partnering with EatClub to offer diners up to 40% off, we hope to encourage people to explore these restaurants, celebrate the stories behind them, and support our borough’s local dining scene. Launching in February also helps restaurants through one of the quieter periods of the year, keeping these local institutions thriving while giving people a chance to enjoy the incredible food Hackney has to offer.” To take part, diners need to download and sign up to the EatClub app, which is free to use. The deal is redeemed directly in-app at the point of payment.

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with an independent wine importer and distributor that is looking for a fine wine sales manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “With a predominant Italian portfolio, this role will focus on the high end, prestige and luxury market working with some exceptional wine. The position will be responsible for developing relationships with sommeliers, venue management and directors. Candidates from a fine wine background will be preferred, with a proven track record in sales and account management.” The salary is up to £65,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email mark@corecruitment.com

State of Play Hospitality reports strong growth and continued expansion in US: State of Play Hospitality, the international experiential leisure operator, has told Propel it achieved a record December with group sales growing 25% versus December 2024. The Toby Harris-led business operates Flight Club, which is owned by Red Engine, under licence in the US, plus AceBounce in the US, and the Hijingo and Bounce concepts in London. The company said it hit new daily or weekly sales records in December in 11 of its 15 venues. State of Play also opened Flight Club Cincinnati, State of Play’s tenth Flight Club in the US and the brand’s 30th globally, in mid-December. The group’s US business was the main driver of growth in December with like-for-like sales growth of 7%. In the UK, it said that Hijingo continued its strong performance over the last 12 months and delivered like-for-like sales growth of 12% in December while Bounce was behind the prior year. For the year to March 2025, the group reported revenue of $60m (£44.2m) including like-for-like sales growth of 5% in its US business. State of Play said it also delivered a “step change in profitability” with venue level Ebitda increasing by 32% and group Ebitda more than doubling. During the year, State of Play signed five new Flight Club leases, in New York, St Louis, Seattle, Dallas and Cincinnati. The group opened four new Flight Clubs in 2025, and Harris told Propel it continues to explore opportunities for a second Hijingo in the UK, as well as a first in the US. The group continues to be in talks with a casino operator to take the concept to Las Vegas. To support its growth plans, State of Play secured an extension of its debt facilities with Santander to $32.5m last summer. After more than ten years of trade, Harris said the group’s Bounce site in London’s Old Street will not reopen as the business focuses its resources on “higher growth opportunities across its portfolio”. Harris said the business is in exclusivity to assign the lease. He said: “Overall, as a group we’re delighted with our progress over the last year and we’re excited for 2026 with four new Flight Clubs set to open, including a flagship venue in New York. We continue to be thoughtful in our approach to growth, and the quality of our US pipeline is testament to our patience and discipline. After more than a decade of successful trade, we have taken the decision to close Bounce Old Street, marking the end of a chapter. We’re very proud of what the venue achieved and extremely grateful to all of our UK team members, past and present, who helped bring so much ping pong infused joy to so many.”

Zambrero UK CEO – ‘we've made a really strong start to our franchise journey’: Emily Teh, UK chief executive of Zambrero, Australia's largest Mexican quick-service franchise, has told Propel the business has made a “really strong start” to its franchise journey here, having already signed up several partners. Last year, Zambrero, which currently operates 13 sites in the UK and more than 350 restaurants globally, launched its franchise recruitment programme here, with plans to open 100 sites by 2030. In September, Zambrero partnered with development agents to help drive its expansion in Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, and has subsequently signed up a further agent in south east England to expand into Hampshire, Berkshire and the Isle of Wight. The company's latest UK franchisee, Dan Hawley, will open his first site next month, in Glasgow. Teh told Propel: “We've had a really strong start despite the challenges our industry faces, which has been incredibly heartening. We've already signed up several franchise partners, with most of them committing to multi-site agreements. The fact they're all experienced entrepreneurs – ranging from those who are venturing into restaurants for the first time to operators of other brands who either want to add us to their portfolio or transition over to us – is a really promising signal at such an early stage of our recruitment push. Our development agents have also kicked off their recruitment programmes fairly recently, but they're already having some great discussions and got strong momentum with site acquisition and franchise partner recruitment.” Teh said Hawley is in the process of securing a second site in Glasgow, while the brand's development agent in south east England will be opening his second restaurant in Hampshire this spring. On trading, Teh said: "Our like-for-like sales for the last two years have almost consistently been more than 30%. The growth we're seeing in sales is really pointing to the strength in the Mexican category generally. It is a cuisine that's growing in popularity. I think that's reflective of the growth we're seeing and that's been recognised by franchise partners and development agents who are joining us.” At the end of 2025, Zambrero reached 100 million donated meals through its Plate 4 Plate scheme. Under the initiative, each burrito or bowl sold funds a meal for someone in need in developing countries, distributed through the charity Rise Against Hunger.

David Lloyd Leisure mulls bid for European gym business: David Lloyd Leisure is running the rule over upmarket European gym group Aspria as it pursues expansion on the continent. Aspria runs ten high-end health and wellness clubs in Brussels, Berlin, Hamburg, Hanover and Milan. Founded in 2000 by Brian Morris, a British retail and leisure real estate executive, Aspria’s business includes one of Europe’s largest health clubs in Berlin’s Kurfürstendamm district, spread across six floors of a 17,000 square-metre site. Aspria has a reported value of up to €200m, reports The Sunday Times. A deal would increase David Lloyd Leisure’s footprint in Europe, where it already runs 29 sites, by more than a third. It is thought details of a transaction could be announced in the coming month. It comes after David Lloyd Leisure’s owners at private equity firm TDR Capital U-turned on plans for a £2bn sale of the business, opting instead to place the company into a “continuation vehicle” – effectively selling it to itself – after no buyers materialised. Founded in 1982 by David Lloyd, the British tennis star, David Lloyd Leisure currently runs more than 100 clubs across the UK, turning over £860.7m in 2024 on pre-tax profit of £66.5m. In recent years, David Lloyd Leisure has spent millions transforming its gyms into luxury spas in a bid to attract customers who are interested in “wellness” beyond traditional exercise and sports. They also offer desk spaces for people to work from its sites during the week. Representatives for David Lloyd Leisure declined to comment.

Toca Social to make US debut in March: Toca Social, the interactive football bar concept, has confirmed it will open its first US location in March. Propel first revealed in the summer of 2024 that the Alex Harman-led business was lining up a site in Dallas-Fort Worth, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup being hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. The site will now open on Friday, 6 March in the Grandscape shopping centre. “Toca was born from my obsession with the technical side of the game and the belief that a soccer ball should be at everyone’s feet,” said Eddie Lewis, who founded Toca’s ball machine technology and training centres before Harman adapted it into an experiential concept. “After seeing the incredible reception in the UK, bringing our social flagship home to the US, and specifically to a soccer-rich market like Dallas, is a dream realised.” The Dallas venue will span 20,000 square foot and combine soccer games, entertainment and dining. The games feature Toca’s proprietary ball-delivery and tracking technology and entertainment experiences include match viewings on 4K screens. Toca Social also provides a menu of global street food, as well as a cocktails and more drinks. Harman added: “Our goal is to transform the game. Every element has been designed to make soccer the most social and accessible sport in Dallas.” Toca Social’s US expansion is part of a partnership with Major League Soccer, and the Dallas venue will be joined by new locations in other major US cities. The first Toca Social opened at The O2 in London in 2021 and was followed by a venue in Birmingham, and then another in London, at Westfield White City – in partnership with Sandbox VR. Last summer, Toca Social’s parent company, Toca Football, secured $35m (£26.2m) in additional funding to help expand the brand globally. The new funding included $15m in equity, while separately, the company also received $20m in debt financing from JP Morgan. In 2024, Harman told Propel that Toca Social was aiming for “dozens” of US venues and 20-plus in Europe, but is also committed to further growing its UK footprint.

Apex Hotels reports turnover nears £100m on back of rural expansion strategy: Apex Hotels has reported turnover increased 21% to a record £96,003,000 for the year ending 30 April 2025 compared with £79,432,000 the year before on the back of its rural expansion strategy. Pre-tax profit was down to £7,402,000 from £28,240,000 the previous year when the group received £19,105,000 from the gain on sale of its London Wall site. During the period, the group acquired The Vineyard Hotel in west Berkshire for £7.5m and the DoubleTree by Hilton Dunblane Hydro in Scotland for £6.5m, The Dunblane property is currently being refurbished while plans are being developed for The Vineyard Hotel, including additional bedrooms. The company also refurbished the 32 bedrooms at the Pine Trees Hotel in Pitlochry, Perthshire, and the ground floor of Apex Hotels Waterloo Place in Edinburgh, including the restaurant, bar and reception areas. The company sold 444,896 rooms compared with 420,530 in 2023, at an average rate of £164.63 (2024: £155.40). Occupancy was 85.2% (2024: 84.2%) and revpar grew to £140.28 (2024: £130.89). In her report accompanying the accounts, director Angela Vickers said: “It was a positive year for the group with strong trading results and significant strategic developments. Group revenue was 21% up year-on-year, in part due to the expansion of our portfolio through acquisitions made over the past 18 months. On a consistent portfolio basis, revenue was up 7% year-on-year, driven by increased room occupancy and yield growth. Alongside the growth in revenue, the focus remains on tight operational cost efficiencies resulting in the delivery of a group operating profit of £13.6m. This is 4.4% up on what was achieved in the year to April 2024.” Dividends of £367,000 were paid (2024: £2,205,000). Apex Hotels, which was founded in 1996 and operates 11 sites, previously said that following the sale of its London Wall hotel in July 2023, it would focus on expanding into rural locations. 

Sir Tim Martin reveals reason for removing mixed grill from JD Wetherspoon menus: JD Wetherspoon chairman Sir Tim Martin has revealed the mixed grill was removed from his pubs’ menus because customers were sending back too many steaks. The dish was served at the company’s 800 venues and included rump steak, gammon steak, chicken fillet, sausages, chips, peas, tomato and a fried egg. But Wetherspoon stopped serving it along with steaks, gammon and the “Steak Club” deal in May last year – a move Sir Tim described as a “very vexed issue”. He told Times Radio: “It was mainly the steak issue. There's no two people in the UK that agree what a medium steak is, so they were getting sent back a lot. It was causing us a lot of aggravation. We struggled overall to do it well. So, do what you do well. We simplified the menu a bit – it's still a pretty big menu.”

Vue settles payment dispute with Coca-Cola over unpaid debt: Cinema operator Vue has settled a payment dispute with Coca-Cola Europacific (CCEP) over an unpaid debt. CCEP had issued Vue with a “winding-up petition”, but the matter was swiftly settled, according to both sides. Vue chief executive Tim Richards said: “There is currently no amount outstanding and the disputed amount was for under £100,000. The petition for winding up has been withdrawn and should never have been filed. One would have hoped that after 25 years, a simple phone call to me could have resolved a genuine dispute for such a small amount without the need for lawyers.” The precise value of the unpaid bill is not known. In March last year, Vue signed an exclusive deal with PepsiCo to supply its cinemas with soda drinks until 2030. Founded in 2003, Vue operates 1,900 screens across 200 sites in eight countries.

Farm shop ‘that changed face of roadside catering’ threatened by four-year motorway closure: A British farm shop lauded for changing the face of roadside catering is under threat from plans to close a busy motorway junction for four years. The Telegraph reported that Westmorland Farmshop and Kitchen at Tebay Services on the M6 in Cumbria, which has 400 staff, said disruption from the project will trigger a decline in visitor numbers and damage its business. The service station and other local firms, many reliant on tourism, warned the plans will be “catastrophic”. Sarah Dunning, whose parents established Westmorland services, called on the government to intervene to include temporary slip roads in the £400m project to minimise losses. Dunning said the closure, the longest planned anywhere in Britain, would “simply not be allowed to happen” in other parts of the country and was another example of the concerns of rural communities being ignored. “Nobody is disputing the bridges need replacing but this is going to hurt businesses, residents and farmers who use the junction as part of their everyday life,” she said. “We know from previous experience that roadworks on this scale are going to affect footfall. People will have to go seven miles to the next junction and drive back to get to Tebay, which they are not going to do. Over the course of four years or more, people are going to change their travel habits – and for businesses, that could be not just damaging but final.” 

Edinburgh operator Montpeliers reports profit more than halves after exiting two leasehold sites in ‘most challenging trading year’ in its history: Edinburgh pub and restaurant business Montpeliers saw its profit more than halve after exiting two leasehold sites in what it described as the “most challenging trading year” in its history. The group, which now operates five venues in the city, saw turnover fall to £13,942,525 for the year ending 27 April 2025 compared with £15.537,077 the year before. Pre-tax profit dropped to £604,876 from £1,250,591 the previous year. In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “2024-25 was the most challenging trading year since the group's inception in 1995. However, there were differing factors contributing to the downturn. On the positive side, we traded very well at our freehold sites – Rabble (a bar restaurant with ten bedrooms), along with Montpeliers Bruntsfield and Indigo Yard. However, business at 125 George Street was impacted by customer footfall switching from the west to the east end of the city centre where the plethora of new licensed premises at St Andrews Square and the St James Quarter added to the challenges. The late-night sector has struggled to regain its impetus post-covid. Overall turnover was materially reduced due to the decision taken to cease trading in the early summer at both Eastside, where the lease was coming to its end, and at the Candy Bar, which is heavily reliant on later evening drinking trade. Overall profit suffered from significant end-of-lease dilapidation costs at Eastside. Candy Bar was sublet to a third party with the consent of the freehold proprietor. The shareholders have the comfort of being the outright owners of three iconic licensed venues in prime Edinburgh locations that continue to generate excellent returns in both profit and cash flow.” Dividends of £480,000 were paid (2024: 480,000). Last month, the group told Propel that that “cost pressures remain significant, but we remain focused on driving efficiencies to protect margins”.

Middle Eastern-inspired ice cream parlour concept Darlish to open two new London sites: Middle Eastern-inspired ice cream parlour concept Darlish is to open two new London sites. Laura Dawson, who is half-Iranian and half-Indian, founded Darlish in 2018 as she couldn’t find anywhere serving the flavours she craved, such as saffron, rose and pistachio. Offering luxury ice cream inspired by the natural botanicals and flavours of the Middle East, Darlish currently has sites in St Albans, Harpenden and Hatfield in Hertfordshire, and in London’s Spitalfields, as well as catering for weddings and events. Now the business is opening two new sites in the capital. The first will open in Westbourne Road in Notting Hill in March followed by Bloomsbury Square later this year. The Spitalfields branch is also being refurbished. Dawson told Hot Dinners: “We’re thrilled to bring Darlish to Notting Hill and Bloomsbury Square. Sharing the flavours of my heritage and seeing the joy they bring to our customers is incredibly rewarding.” In July, Darlish launched a franchise programme. The Darlish franchise comes with an investment of £20,000 to £50,000 for single unit development opportunities.

SSP Group names interim chair: SSP Group, the UK operator of food and beverage outlets in travel locations worldwide, has named senior independent director Carolyn Bradley as interim chair. It comes as Mike Clasper stepped down at the company’s annual general meeting (AGM), as previously announced, having been chair since February 2020. SSP said the recruitment process for a permanent chair was “progressing well”. Bradley has also been appointed as interim chair of the nomination committee. She has stepped down as chair of the remuneration committee on a permanent basis but will remain a committee member and also stepped down as a member of the audit committee while she is interim chair, to maintain independence. Judy Vezmar has been appointed as the new chair of the remuneration committee, having served as a member of the committee for more than five years, while Apurvi Sheth has joined the audit committee while Bradley remains interim chair. The AGM followed SSP reporting a “strong” start to its new financial year, with 5% like-for-like sales growth in the first quarter. In the eight weeks ending 31 December 2025, in the UK & Ireland, SSP’s sales rose 8% year-on-year (on a constant currency basis), with “sustained strong like-for-like sales”. The company said it was “pleased by our performance in air and in our M&S estate (across both air and rail)” and “more broadly, we are seeing the benefits of a strengthened customer proposition as a result of our refresh and renewal programmes”.

Oxford Hotels & Inns – ‘wet led margins remain challenging’, ‘strong performance from hotels’: Oxford Hotels & Inns, which operates tenanted pubs and hotels, has said while wet led margins remain challenging, it saw a strong performance from its hotels in the year to 27 April 2025. The company’s turnover dropped from £23,398,752 in 2024 to £21,912,913 but its pre-tax profit soared from £1,478,000 to £5,612,000 as costs as administrative expenses came down. Director Peter Khalastchi said: “The year has shown a decline in revenue, down 6%. Pubs and inns have been generally consistent on rental revenue year-on-year but wet-led margins remain challenging as beer and spirit pricing have hit historic peaks in a time period when consumer spending has been stretched by rising inflation and economic uncertainty in the UK. Although hotel revenue declined in the period by £1,385,256 this was due to a reduction in the portfolio. Underlying like-for-like revenue showed a strong performance, increasing by 8.6%. Like-for-like hotel revpar was up 8.8%, with average room rate 5.8% ahead and occupancy up by 1.7 percentage points. Although energy costs have reduced, they still remain higher than historic levels. We have also seen high levels of general inflation during the year putting significant pressure on the cost base and conversion levels. The payroll cost base increased during the final month of the year due to the employers’ national insurance increase, and this will continue throughout this financial year.” No dividend was paid (2024: nil).

Korean street food and bubble tea concept takes over former Pieminister site in Sheffield for second site: Korean street food and bubble tea concept Omomo has taken over the former Pieminister site in Sheffield for its second site. Lesley So opened the first Omomo at 16 The Strand in Derby’s Cathedral Quarter in 2024. Omomo has now opened in the former Pieminister unit at 67 Division Street, which has closed after seven years of trading. Announcing the news on social media, Omomo said: “We’re excited to announce the opening of Omomo Korean Street Food & Bubble Tea in Sheffield city centre. This is our second Omomo, following the amazing love and support at our Derby restaurant. Come try our bold Korean street food, crispy favourites, and refreshing bubble tea – and be part of our next chapter.”

 

Northern Ireland restaurant business to close Bangor site after 50 years: Northern Ireland restaurant business Tom’s Dining Room/Skandia Restaurants is to close its Bangor site after 50 years. The company said its site at 7 Hamilton Road in the city will be closing shortly but its other restaurants in Belfast – Neill’s Hill and Pepito – will remain open. In a statement on social media, owner Andrew Davis said: “It is with deep sadness that I need to inform you that Tom’s Dining Rooms/Skandia Restaurants will be calling time after more than 50 years of serving food in Bangor. It has been a privilege for our family to be part of the Bangor community. To the many, many staff who gave their all, thank you for your loyal and faithful service. We will shortly confirm our final trading dates. Please note that all vouchers will be honoured over the next few weeks, and thereafter in our other restaurants, Neill's Hill and Pepito. Thank you so much to all of you who have been so supportive of our restaurants over the years.”

 

Newcastle brunch concept opens second site: Newcastle brunch concept Café Filto has opened a second site in the city. The first Café Filto opened in the summer of 2025, in Goldspink Lane in the building that used to be Thali Tray, and then its successor, Tadka. Café Filto has launched a second location, within Fenwick in Northumberland Street. With a pop-up within the store having proved to be a hit, a larger and more permanent Café Filto has launched on the department store’s lower ground floor. Café Filto offers The Filto Benedict, Full English, Turkish eggs and focaccia sandwiches, along with a number of exclusives just for the new place such as Cajun steak tagliatelle, classic marinara, pil pil tagliatelle and steak frites. There is also a kids menu, a range of desserts and a full drinks menu.

Sicilian chef to open first bricks-and-mortar restaurant: Sicilian chef Angelina Adamo is to open her first bricks-and-mortar restaurant. Adamo will launch on Saturday, 7 February in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. Vieni will occupy a 1,485 square-foot space at The Goodsyard in Pitsford Street. The menu at the 40-cover restaurant will be a personal reflection of Adamo’s heritage, with plates such as whole sea bass and chargrilled beef ribs. There will also be nods to Sicilian street food throughout, with arancini and cannoli. Spritzes and Italian liqueurs will feature on the drinks list. Adamo spent more than ten years working across Michelin-starred restaurants, hotels and kitchens. She is also the founder of Tutto Apposto, which has grown from intimate private dining into an events and hospitality business, now operating the Circle Lounge at Birmingham Hippodrome. Adamo said: “Vieni allows me to bring my Nonna’s cooking into a restaurant setting for the first time and seeing that vision realised in my first permanent space is incredibly special. I can't wait to showcase that Sicilian food isn’t just pizza and pasta – it’s so much more.”

North Yorkshire gin business appoints administrators: North Yorkshire gin business Spirit of Harrogate has appointed administrators having struggled with “rising costs and difficult trading conditions”. Spirit of Harrogate, the retailer and owner of the Slingsby Gin product range, has instructed Lewis Business Recovery & Insolvency to assist with placing the company into administration. Gareth Lewis and Matthew Russell have been named as the joint administrators. Founded in 2014 by Marcus Black and Mike Carthy, Spirit of Harrogate traded from a store in Montpellier Parade in Harrogate. Lewis said: “Unfortunately the business has, like many in its sector, struggled with rising costs and difficult trading conditions in recent years. We are now marketing the business and assets for sale as a going concern in an attempt to preserve jobs and maximise the return for creditors.”