Exclusive – Greene King places 13-strong hotel portfolio on market: Pub company and brewer Greene King has placed a 13-strong portfolio of freehold hotels and pubs with rooms on the market for individual sale, Propel has learned. Propel understands Savills has been appointed to market the portfolio of sites, which are spread across the Midlands and the south of England, and have a combined circa 420 rooms. The sites, the majority of which are Old English Inns, include the 42-room Bear Hotel in Havant, the 32-room Sun Hotel in Hitchin, the 40-room Raven Hotel in Hook, the 29-room Ye Olde Talbot in Worcester, the 25-room Cromwell in Banbury and the 49-room George Hotel in Huntingdon. It is thought that some of the sites were previously part of the 39-strong portfolio of sites that are part of Greene King’s Venture Hotels business, which RedCat Hospitality was in talks to acquire last summer. A spokesperson for Greene King told Propel: “We regularly review our estate as part of our typical annual business activity. As a result, we have identified a number of sites within our Venture Hotels business that are being marketed for individual sale, which would enable us to reinvest in our core estate priorities in line with our wider business strategy.” Last month, Propel revealed Greene King was introducing a new estate strategy across its circa 2,500-strong pub business, including the realignment of its managed estate, which would see 300 pubs placed into a new focused business unit. Greene King said it had evaluated its brand portfolio across its entire estate, identifying the most suitable sites for each brand and building “an efficient system to focus investment, maximise profitability and support each site's growth”. As part of this, the company has identified circa 300 managed sites that would be better served under different models. It is expected that roughly half of these pubs will be converted to leased and tenanted, or franchise venues within its Pub Partners estate, with the other half evaluated for a potential sale over the medium-term. 

Sponsored message – from hindsight to insight: why hospitality needs real-time decision making: The hospitality industry can no longer rely on hindsight. Existing tools used by hospitality managers often surface issues only after shifts end, when labour and costs are already locked in. Real-time decision-making is now essential. Agentic artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a critical solution, enabling operators to act in the moment rather than react. Tools like Harri's Salli are helping to drive this shift. A spokesperson said: “Instead of offering passive insights, agentic AI interprets context, surfaces relevant information and supports immediate, intelligent decision making. For front-line managers, whose roles are defined by constant trade-offs between labour, speed and quality, this reduces reliance on instinct alone and shortens the gap between insight and action. Scheduling highlights this impact. Traditionally a time-consuming, manual process central to cost, service quality and team morale, it can now be transformed through Salli’s one-click scheduling. Hours of administrative work are compressed into minutes, allowing managers to review and refine operations rather than build schedules from scratch, saving many hours a month. Ultimately, agentic AI is becoming a partner, helping managers understand decisions, adapt quickly and focus on higher-value work. This is driving performance in an industry where every margin matters.” If you have a sponsored message you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

Dozens of pub and bar companies to attend Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference, open for bookings: Dozens of pub and bar companies have booked to attend the Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference. The all-day conference takes place on Tuesday, 19 May at One Moorgate Place in London and is open for bookings. Pub and bar companies attending include: Stonegate Group, Star Pubs, Greene King, JD Wetherspoon, Mitchells & Butlers, Fuller's, Amber Taverns, Red Oak Taverns, Everards, Daniel Thwaites, Coaching Inn Group, SSP, Upham Inns, Coral Pub Company, The Alchemist, Poolhouse, Signature Pub Group, Thorley Taverns, Professionals At Play, Anglian Country Inns, Parogon Group, All Our Bars, PubLove, Elangeni Hospitality Group, Cambscuisine, WH Pubs, Urban Village Pubs, Yummy Collection, Public House Group, Cat & Wickets Pub Company, Knead Pubs, Concept Taverns, Ardent Pub Group, The Devonshire, Allsopp's Taverns, The Ebrington Collection, Makers of Hospitality, ATG Entertainment, Deben Inns, Orange Room, Anjuna Group and The Local Pub Company. For the full speaker schedule, click here.Tickets are £345 plus VAT for operators and £395 plus VAT for suppliers. There is a 20% discount for operators and suppliers who are Premium Club subscribers while Premium Unlimited Plus subscribers receive four free tickets to the conference. Email: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to book places.

Premium Club subscribers to receive updated searchable and segmented New Openings Database on Friday: The next Propel New Openings Database will be sent to Premium Club subscribers on Friday (1 May), at 12pm. The database will show the details of 133 site openings, including which company has opened a site or its plans to open one in the future. The database will have details on what type of site it is and its location, and there will also be a website link to the businesses. The database is published monthly, and Premium Club subscribers will also receive an 8,977-word report on the 136 new additions to the database. It is segmented into seven categories – cafe bakery, casual dining, experiential leisure, fine dining, hotels, pubs and bars, and quick service restaurants – making it even easier for users to search. The database includes new openings in the casual dining sector such as London restaurant and deli operator Ottolenghi opening in Edinburgh, Cosy Club, the Loungers-owned brand, making its London debut, and Lennox, the latest concept from Six by Nico, coming to Glasgow. Premium Club members also receive access to five other databases: the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the Multi-Site Database, 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 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. A new Premium Unlimited Plus option, which costs £1,995 plus VAT per annum, has some amazing additional benefits including four free tickets to Propel's paid-for conferences – Excellence in Pub & Bar (19 May), Operational Excellence (9 July) and Talent & Training (15 October) – and the opportunity to run one free sponsored message or situation vacant notice during the year on the newsletter. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

Market Halls CEO – ‘food halls are not a passing trend, but part of a wider cultural blueprint’: Dan Hills, the chief executive of Market Halls, has told Propel that food halls are shaping the future of social-led dining and are not a “passing trend, but part of a wider cultural blueprint”. Writing in Propel Premium Opinion, Hills said: “Today’s diners are prioritising shared moments over solitary ones, choosing venues that nurture interaction rather than hurry them along. They want spaces that feel alive. Places that invite conversation, spontaneity and discovery. Hospitality, at its best, is never just about efficiency. It’s about emotion. Food halls are uniquely placed to answer this cultural shift. They are literally built for togetherness. By bringing multiple traders under one roof, they remove friction from group dining, empowering people to come together without compromise. Different tastes, budgets and moods can coexist easily, encouraging organic decision‑making. It offers the simple joy of wandering, sharing and choosing in the moment. So, what’s next for food halls? They are not a passing trend, but part of a wider cultural blueprint. Blending food, entertainment and community in a single, flexible space, their continued growth reflects how people already want to socialise. While the sector still faces pressure, adaptability will matter more than scale. Static concepts may struggle to keep up, but spaces that evolve alongside their communities will endure. In a market where consumers are increasingly selective, social‑led dining captures both attention and loyalty. The future of dining isn’t defined by where people eat, but by where they choose to spend time together. Food halls understand that truth instinctively, and that's why they’re shaping the cultural fabric of modern hospitality.”

Rupert Clevely – ‘the pub sector is much more challenging, but the true greats will always shine’: Rupert Clevely, the co-founder of Geronimo Inns and Hippo Inns, who last week was named executive chairman of Wren Pubs, has told Propel that the pub sector now “is much more challenging”, but that “true greats will always shine”. Clevely founded Geronimo Inns in 1995 with his wife Jo, and 15 years later, he sold the 26-strong business to Young’s for £60m. Five years on, Clevely and Ian Edward founded Hippo Inns in partnership with Enterprise Inns (later Ei Group and subsequently acquired by Stonegate Group) as a “managed expert” venture focused on London food-led pubs. In January 2022, Stonegate acquired the remaining 25% stake in Hippo Inns for an undisclosed sum, taking full ownership of the 12-strong London-based pub operator. Clevely, who was also an early-stage investor and chairman of Pizza Pilgrims, returned to the sector with his appointment at Wren Pubs, the independent London hospitality group founded by Jack Greenall. On the state of the current market and his new role, he told Propel: “The pub sector is much more challenging, with so many cost headwinds and less money in people’s pockets, but the true greats will always shine. I am delighted to be involved in a fabulous, well-invested small pub company delivering an exceptional customer experience in all aspects. The Wren Pubs are true gems. Like Geronimo, they are well invested pubs with real focus on loving the pubs, its people and most importantly the customers. I am just super proud to be involved to help Jack and his wonderful team.” Wren Pubs operates The Carpenter’s Arms, The Walmer Castle and The Surprise and recently announced it will open its fourth pub – in Sloane Square, taking over the former Botanist site – later this year.

Jamie Oliver condemns ministers for ‘battering’ businesses: Chef and restaurateur Jamie Oliver has accused the government of strangling British businesses through punishing levels of taxation. The chef warned that the tax environment for hospitality businesses would have detrimental consequences. “If you just batter the entrepreneurs, you’re going to get nothing,” he told Times Radio. “This island will become less and less important; less and less relevant very quickly. There is a lack of understanding of the chemistry of what a bubbling, buoyant, optimistic, aspirational cool country called Britain looks like.” Oliver said the government must create sufficient incentives for risk-taking if Britain was to maintain a breeding ground for growing businesses. “There needs to be enough fat in the game for people to take risk – and the association with risk and then innovation and creativity and brands that can be amplified and grown,” he said. He criticised the UK tax system for failing to distinguish between multinational conglomerates and family-run businesses. “What’s interesting is the tax system, and the government see no difference between, say, Domino’s or Starbucks and Linda and Paul down the road that run a small independent sandwich shop,” he said, adding that the smaller hospitality entrepreneurs are “being choked out”. Oliver, whose chain of Italian-themed restaurants fell into administration in 2019, recently relaunched his Jamie’s Italian brand under a partnership with Brava Hospitality Group, the owner of Prezzo Italian. The first site under the partnership launched in London’s Irving Street, near Leicester Square.

Restaurant bosses feeling the effects of increased competition between delivery platforms: Restaurant bosses say they are feeling the effects keenly of the increased competition between delivery platforms, and that Uber Eats is mounting an aggressive campaign to win more business. “They’re promoting pretty hard. They’re competing on price and that is really hotting up,” said the boss of a major chain to The Sunday Times. They added that Uber appeared more willing to spend large sums of money on advertising than rivals. “The efforts of each of the [delivery firms] to steal market share are growing,” agreed Alan Morgan, chief executive of The Big Table Group, which owns Bella Italia and Frankie & Benny’s. “There are better-quality conversations with all of them around how we grow sales,” said Morgan. “Within their armoury is the commission rate, the amount of marketing and the amount of resource they’re prepared to put in to help you perform better.” The caveat, though, is that selling food through the likes of Uber Eats is generally less profitable for the company overall. Not only does Uber have to give a slice of revenue away, but people tend not to order higher-margin alcoholic drinks with their meals. One selling point is that Uber’s legion of taxis gives it an advantage that neither rival has. “Because Uber runs its food and taxi arms on the same app, it can advertise to a much wider audience. It ties together extremely well,” said Simon Stenning, founder of analytics firm The Future of Foodservice.

Greggs puts all products behind counters to combat shoplifting: Greggs will serve food and drink from behind theft-proof counters to combat shoplifting. The high-street chain has reportedly scrapped self-service displays in new “fortress stores” across the UK. The pilot scheme, according to The Sun, has been rolled out to cut thefts and combat violence against staff. The newspaper reported that a Greggs in West Croydon, south London, reopened days ago following a refit, while stores in Peckham, Whitechapel, Birmingham and Wilford, Nottinghamshire, are all testing the same approach. The scheme will reportedly be expanded if it works for staff and customers. A spokesman for Greggs told The Sun: “This is one of a number of initiatives we are trialling across a very small number of shops which are exposed to higher levels of antisocial behaviour.”

Attendant Coffee Roasters co-founder – ‘we talk a lot about opening sites, we don’t talk nearly enough about closing them’: Bosh McKeown, co-founder of London-based coffee chain Attendant Coffee Roasters, has said that operators “do each other a disservice when we only share the wins” after the business closed its site in Shoreditch. Attendant was founded in 2013 by McKeown and Ryan De Oliveira, launching its flagship cafe in a repurposed Victorian toilet in Fitzrovia, London. The business has opened a further five sites across the capital since but closed its site in Shoreditch last week. He said: “Twelve years ago, within a year of opening our Fitzrovia site, a converted Victorian gentlemen’s loo near Oxford Circus, Ryan and I opened Attendant Shoreditch. This week, the team locked up for the last time. The truth is we both knew this was coming. The neighbourhood changed profoundly post-pandemic. The young professionals and creatives who made Shoreditch what it was have largely moved on. Office vacancy rates never recovered. Property costs peaked long before any of that happened. The concept no longer stacked up for the area it was serving. The founder heads in both of us held on longer than we should have. That’s what founders do. But there comes a point where holding on stops being belief and starts being avoidance. We got there together. Closing a site isn’t a failure. It's what you do when you're serious about the parts of the business that are still working. Independent hospitality is hard, margin-thin and relentless right now. Most operators are shouldering enormous risk for little reward. We do each other a disservice when we only share the wins. Twelve years of Shoreditch. Proud of every one of them. Closing this one was the right call. We talk a lot about opening sites. We don’t talk nearly enough about closing them.”

Heineken – beer sales could be impacted by ‘complex and volatile’ market caused by Iran war: Heineken, Europe’s biggest brewer, has warned that higher energy prices caused by the war in Iran may impact demand for its beers, even as it reported better-than expected quarterly sales. The brewer said supply shortages in certain markets, and the rising cost of energy, may “disrupt global trade flow and trigger weaker consumer sentiment”. It comes as the company reported a 2.8% increase in net revenue to €6.7bn over the first quarter, ahead of expectations and driven by improved sales of Amstel and Desperados beer, with quarterly volumes growing by 1.2%. This comes as Heineken prepares to cut 6,000 jobs and is seeking a new chief executive following Dolf van den Brink's unexpected departure in January. Van den Brink said: “Global trade has become more complex and volatile, with impacts on energy availability and costs in certain markets. This leads to inflationary pressures, which might affect consumer sentiment in the medium-term.”

Global Brands acquires Skinny Brands: Global Brands, the drinks producer behind Hooch, VK and Franklin & Sons, has acquired low-calorie, gluten-free beer and cider brand, Skinny Brands. The acquisition sees Skinny Lager, Skinny IPA and Skinny Fruit Cider brought into the Global Brands portfolio. Skinny Brands was originally founded in 2015 by entrepreneurs Tom Bell and Gary Conway, designed to offer healthier alcoholic alternatives. The acquisition of Skinny Brands follows Global Brands' acquisition of Hooch, Hooper's and Reef in 2023. Steve Perez, founder and chief executive of Global Brands, said: "I have long admired Skinny Brands – the shift towards low calorie, gluten-free options is something we have been actively monitoring for some time, and the team has done an impressive job at building a brand in a highly competitive and fast-evolving category. With Global Brands' international reach, this acquisition means we can put the full strength of our business behind Skinny Brands, accelerating its growth by introducing it to new markets, while also giving our customers access to a broader, more relevant portfolio within a high-growth category. Ultimately our ambition is to take Skinny Brands from a strong challenger brand to a truly mainstream player, both in the UK and internationally."

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a catering business that is seeking a financial controller. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “This is a pivotal new position within the business. This is a hybrid role, combining core controllership responsibilities such as management accounting and reporting with a more strategic, forward-looking commercial focus.” The salary is up to £95,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email fabian@corecruitment.com

Smacks founder – ‘Middle East is a delicate place to be right now, but expansion is still very much on the cards’: Kaysor Ali, the founder and chief executive of smash burger and hot chicken brand Smacks, has told Propel that while the Middle East “is a delicate place to be right now”, expansion there is “still very much on the cards”. The 13-strong business, which earlier this month launched a £3.2m fundraise to aid its next stage of growth, currently has a single overseas site, in Dubai’s Motor City. Ali himself has been out in the country to oversee its next phase of expansion there. He said: “It’s a delicate place to be right now. Our operations director was booked on a flight, and then the war kicked off, and we had quite important things to get done, so I thought I’d better get out here. It's very much still on the cards but waiting for things to settle. The Middle East expansion came about last year when an aggregator out here approached us saying we were the busiest restaurant in their area and they wanted to work with us and would cover the cost of a dark kitchen to expand us in the business bay area of Dubai. That was the plan, and it's very much still going to happen. The budget has been approved and we're due to go into a location, and we will have another location open there this calendar year. To be honest, I'm here now and things are okay. Our sales are still doing well. We're in a location where our delivery radius covers a lot of residents, and a lot of Dubai is built on delivery and convenience. We're not in a touristy location, so our sales haven't been affected too much. I'm very pleased with the way the store has been performing during the whole conflict. People are just getting on with their lives. It’s less busy than it used to be, but everything is normal.” Ali also said the company is underway in the legal process for entering Canada and that it is starting to be offered sites in the US, with Virginia and New York/New Jersey currently being mooted as market entry points.

Coffee#1 MD – ‘market conditions are challenging, but we are seeing robust trading’: Bruce Newman, managing director of Coffee#1, the Nero Group-owned business, has told Propel that market conditions are “challenging” but the 132-strong brand is seeing “robust trading and strong loyalty from our customers”. The company is celebrating its 25th anniversary this week and will host a nationwide in-store cake giveaway on Thursday (30 April). The business, which has sites spread across Southern England, Wales and the Midlands, said it has averaged over five store openings per year since it was founded, including the recent openings in Dunstable, West Byfleet and Oxford. It said it will look to continue the strong rate of openings into its new financial year and beyond. Newman said: “We also have a strong pipeline for our next financial year. I think there is a lot of opportunity to grow and expand within our existing geography, but if the right location became available in a new area, we would look at it.” Newman said that the brand’s iced drinks are performing “particularly well”. He said: “Premium coffee remains at the heart of our business, and we are continuing to see strong customer demand there. Iced coffee and iced drinks really have become a year-round trend now. Our iced drinks are in very strong growth, over 30% like-for-like, and I expect to see more innovation in that space. 25 years is an incredible milestone! We have seen sustained growth and expansion throughout that time, and we are a strongly performing business which is well placed to see that growth and success continue into the future.”

Glendola Leisure MD – ‘the group remains highly cash generative, conservatively financed, and operationally disciplined’: Alex Salussolia, managing director of Glendola Leisure, which is owned by the Salussolia family, and its sister company, Carlton Hotels, has told Propel that the group “remains highly cash generative, conservatively financed and operationally disciplined”, as it “delivered a resilient performance in a challenging market” in the year to 29 March 2025. Revenue across the two companies declined 2% to £95.6m in the year, which it said reflected a combination of the temporary closure of a hotel for refurbishment and some currency movement. The company said: “Despite this, the business remained strongly profitable, with profit before tax of £15.1m (including an impairment reversal of £2.5m) and EBITDA of £19.5m (20.4%), demonstrating robust underlying cash generation.” Revenue at the 17-strong Glendola Leisure increased 2.1 % to £38,464,00 compared to the previous year. EBITDA was down from £6,160,000 to £5,160,000. Pre-tax profit grew to £5,735,000 compared with £3,772,000 the previous year. Salussolia said: “As expected, EBITDA reduced year-on-year due to sector-wide cost pressures, including wage inflation and input cost increases, as well as ongoing costs associated with the hotel refurbishment. However, this was actively managed through operational efficiencies, cost control, and continued investment in the estate. The group continued to generate strong cash flow, which was used to fund £10.6m of capital investment, while maintaining a strong well-capitalised balance sheet. Within the group, Glendola delivered a standout improvement in profitability, increasing pre-tax profit to £5.7m. This reflects both strong operational discipline and the successful turnaround of previously underperforming sites. Overall, the group remains highly cash generative, conservatively financed, and operationally disciplined, with clear evidence of value creation through asset management and investment rather than reliance on expansion.” The business said it was developing plans for an operation in Belfast, but it is anticipated that this will take a number of years to come to fruition.

Whitbread investors to bag £1.5bn with hotel sell-off: Whitbread is to sell a swathe of Premier Inn hotels to unlock a £1.5 billion bounty for shareholders. The Sunday Times reports that the group is expected to announce plans later this week for the sale and leaseback of one in five of the freehold hotel properties it currently owns outright, following a strategic review of its business model. About 50% of Premier Inn hotel freeholds are owned by Whitbread. It is understood that this will be reduced to 40% under changes to the company’s five-year plan, due to be unveiled alongside its annual results announcement on Thursday. The move will turn Whitbread into a majority leasehold business for the first time since Premier Inn was founded in 1987. City sources said that the move, coupled with other initiatives to boost cashflow, would release about £1.5m that could then be returned to shareholders. The decision to switch to what is being dubbed a “capital lighter” model follows a sweeping review of Whitbread’s business model. Whitbread came under pressure to split its business in two from US activist investor Corvex Management, which last year emerged as a major shareholder in the firm. The company’s share price has fallen 25% since October after it revealed a sharp increase in its annual business rates bill following changes to the way the levy is calculated. After initially flagging a £50m hit, Whitbread revised the increase to £35m in January over the coming fiscal year. 

BabaBoom ‘entering significant growth phase, with a strong pipeline of approved locations’: London Middle Eastern quick service restaurant concept BabaBoom is “entering a significant growth phase”, with “a strong pipeline of approved locations”. BabaBoom currently has four locations – Battersea, Camden, Angel and Westfield Stratford – with “north of England” and “south west London” listed as “coming soon” on its website. Propel revealed in September that BabaBoom is working with franchise consultants Presman & Colard on its growth plans and is seeking partners as it looks to expand to 50-plus sites. Giving an update, Charlie Mander, co-founder of Presman & Colard, said: “BabaBoom is entering a significant growth phase, with a strong pipeline of approved locations across London and tier one cities. With multiple prime sites already secured, this is a rare opportunity for franchise partners to step into high-footfall locations from day one and scale quickly within a proven framework. The concept is built around bold, fresh eastern Mediterranean-inspired street food, delivered through a fast-casual format that resonates with today's consumer. The strength of the business is already evident, anchored by its flagship presence in Westfield Stratford City – one of the UK’s busiest retail and dining destinations. With a growing number of approved locations and a clear expansion strategy, this opportunity is well suited to ambitious operators looking to build a meaningful presence with a business that has both energy and momentum.”

Dave’s Hot Chicken plans to double up in Manchester: Dave’s Hot Chicken, the US brand that is being rolled out in the UK by the Azzurri Group, is planning to open a second site in Manchester. Azzurri Group, which signed an agreement in summer 2024 to open 60 Dave’s locations across the UK and Ireland under the US brand, opened its first Manchester site last year, at The Printworks scheme. Propel understands it is set to take over the former Las Iguanas site in the city’s Trafford Centre. Azzurri currently operates 11 sites under the US brand in the UK after recent openings in Bristol, Cardiff and Sheffield. It also has openings lined up in Newcastle, Liverpool and in Dublin. On the latter, the brand will open in the former Central Bank headquarters in Dame Street. Last September, Azzurri signed an exclusive agreement to roll out the US brand across Europe and develop a minimum of 180 Dave’s Hot Chicken restaurants across ten European countries, including Portugal, Spain and Germany. 

Patisserie Valerie returns to York, planning second Scottish store: Patisserie Valerie, which is backed by Irish private equity firm Causeway Capital, has returned to York and is planning a second Scottish store. The brand, which once had a 200-strong estate before collapsing into administration, has opened within Fenwicks in the city's Coppergate Centre. Patisserie Valerie previously had three stores in York, including one within the Coppergate Centre. Managing director Vikesh Patel said: “We’re really pleased to be back in York with the opening of our newest Patisserie Valerie store in Fenwick York. York has always been an important city for the brand, so returning here feels particularly special. Bringing Patisserie Valerie into Fenwick is a great fit, combining a premium retail environment with a brand built on heritage, quality, and indulgence. This opening reflects our continued focus on growing the brand in the best locations, with the right partners, and delivering a customer experience that truly represents who we are today.” Patisserie Valerie's other stores are in Fenwicks Brent Cross, Uxbridge, Bromley, Southend, Bristol and Glasgow, with an Edinburgh store, at Ocean Terminal, "coming soon". Causeway Capital paid £5m for almost 100 Patisserie Valerie cafes in 2019 before merging it with its Bakers & Baristas business the following year. In February, Propel reported that the fraud trial, concerning the events which led to the chain's collapse in 2018, has been delayed until 2028.

FoodCo to open Jamaica Blue in Peterborough: Muffin Break and Jamaica Blue operator FoodCo Group is set to open a new Jamaica Blue in Peterborough. It has signed for a 1,270 square-foot unit in the Upper Mall of the town’s Queensgate shopping centre. It will be a 27th Jamaica Blue here from the UK arm of the Australian FoodCo business, which also operates 74 Muffin Breaks. Ed Ginn, director of investment management at Queensgate owners Invesco Real Estate, said: “Food and beverage leasing momentum has been strong so far in 2026, and Jamaica Blue represents another strategic addition to our lineup.” Michael Arbuckle, managing director at Foodco UK, added: “This signing represents the latest step in expanding Jamaica Blue, enabling us to showcase our speciality coffee to a broader UK audience.” In November, Arbuckle told Propel the group has the potential to double its UK footprint and that Jamaica Blue is “getting good traction” and could outgrow sister brand Muffin Break. Sovereign Centros from CBRE is the asset manager for Invesco Real Estate, while CBRE and Time Retail Partners are the letting agents for Queensgate.

Hollywood Bowl and immersive indoor karting concept secure sites at Salford scheme: Hyperdrive, an immersive, next-generation indoor karting concept, has secured its debut site, at Salford’s Quayside. It comes after planning approval was secured for a new phase of investment, worth up to £16m, which will transform the waterside destination into a leading regional leisure and community retail hub. The new plans will deliver 100,000 square feet of leisure space, with two leisure operators already secured for 80,000 square feet, including Hollywood Bowl and Hyperdrive. Taking 47,000 square feet, Hyperdrive will be an immersive, next-generation indoor karting concept, “combining high performance electric karts with enhanced racing experiences”. Paul Phelan, chief executive of Hyperdrive, said: “Hyperdrive is the natural evolution of everything we’ve built through Ultimate Karting Championship. We’ve seen first-hand the demand for high quality racing experiences, and now we're bringing that to life in a completely new way. This is more than just a karting track; it’s a social destination where motorsport and entertainment collide.” Hollywood Bowl will occupy a 33,000 square-foot space. Stephen Burns, chief executive of Hollywood Bowl, said: “We’re thrilled to be joining Quayside at such a pivotal point in its transformation. The significant investment and clear focus on experience-led uses align strongly with our strategy, and we see this as a great opportunity to deliver a high-quality bowling and entertainment offer within a growing leisure destination in Salford Quays.”

Neos confirms plans to rebrand Revolution Bristol to a Bonnie Rogues: Neos Hospitality has confirmed that Revolution Bristol will be rebranded under its Bonnie Rogues concept, with the venue set to reopen in June following a £1m investment. The site has stood in Bristol city centre since 2012 and is one of 20 acquired as part of the group’s recent deal involving Revel Collective, which saw Neos double its estate to 40 venues across the UK. Propel revealed last month that Neos would begin its conversion of the ex-Revs estate with sites in Bristol and Southampton – which will become a Bonnie Rogues and a Barbara's Bier Haus respectively. Neos said that the Bristol venue forms part of the group's ongoing integration strategy, with selected sites being repositioned into its core concepts “where there is a clear opportunity for long-term performance”. Bonnie Rogues is the company’s modern pub concept, combining live entertainment, food options and interactive elements, designed to drive footfall in city centre locations. Russell Quelch, chief executive of Neos Hospitality, said: “As part of the integration process, we’ve been assessing where our core brands are best placed to succeed. Bristol is a strong market, as we know, with Barbara's Bier Haus and Circuit already thriving in the city, and we believe Bonnie Rogues is a good fit for the location and its customer base. Adding Bonnie's to Bristol to the existing two venues in the city will allow us to further develop our cluster strategy and further develop our Bristol businesses.”

Sexy Fish co-creator to open new Manchester restaurant and bar: Laura Montana, who developed Sexy Fish alongside Richard Caring and ran the iconic Monkey Bar alongside Jeremy King and Vanity Fair’s Graydon Carter in the famous Elysee Hotel in Manhattan, is to launch her own concept in Manchester later this summer. Zadie’s is currently under construction at Medlock Square, the new development between the Etihad Campus and Co-op Live in the city. The concept will offer “a high-end pan-Asian dining experience, cocktails and late-night entertainment”. Montana will be joined by head chef Paolo Bianchi (Zuma, Alain Ducasse, Lucky Cat, Les Grandes Alpes Courchevel 1850) and head of bars Cressida Lawlor (Sexy Fish, Ego Death). Montana said: “I’m delighted to be leading this incredible project – Zadie’s is the culmination of years of work, hundreds of ideas and tiny details I've spotted, collected and loved as I’ve travelled and opened operations around the world. I’ve moved to Manchester and it feels alive with the kind of energy I’ve not felt in a long time – this is going to be a huge year for us!”

Super 8 Restaurants set to open more sites as turnover tops £22m: Super 8 Restaurants, the London business led by Brian Hannon and Ben Chapman, has said it is set to open more restaurants, as it saw turnover increased 13% to top £22m in the year to 31 July 2025. The business, which is behind restaurants such as Brat, Kiln, Smoking Goat and Mountain, reported turnover of £22,468,476 in the year to 31 July 2025 (2024: £19,853,435), Of this, £15,573,956 came from food (2024: £13,666,725) and £6,894,520 from drink (2024: £6,186,710). Its pre-tax profit stood at £2,344,325 (2024: ££2,443,437). Dividends of £155,135 were paid (2024: £307,929). In 2024, the company set up Super Restaurants 10, a new vehicle to help with expansion plans. The first new business to open under the new vehicle was Impala, the debut restaurant from Meedu Saad, co-owner of Kiln, which opened last month in London's Soho. Super 8 Restaurants said: “The directors remain optimistic for the future. The offers are being constantly reviewed and improved to give best services to the customers. Budgeted performances are reviewed against actuals to ensure constant growth and business monitoring. The group intends to expand and open more restaurants under its banner Super10 Restaurants, which was formed in 2024, will be fully operational and is expected to expand the group business and increase its operating sites.”

Property developer launches aparthotel venture: Manchester property development and funding group Salboy has launched a boutique aparthotel concept. Hidden St Ives, the brand's first destination, is located in the heart of the Cornish coastal town and will open the doors to its first guests in May. Chief executive Simon Ismail said: “As a developer of thousands of UK homes and serviced apartments, as well as a partner to global luxury hospitality brands, it's become our not-so-hidden ambition to venture into high end hospitality in our own right. There’s high demand from discerning travellers for boutique, design-led holiday rentals in many of the UK's most attractive, tranquil and historic locations, but many of the holiday let options on the market simply don't reach their expectations. Every Hidden aparthotel is designed to cater to people looking for more than just a place to stay.” St Ives is the first in a number of Hidden projects in development in popular tourist destinations throughout the UK, including London and Manchester. Hidden St Ives offers 18 two-bedroom apartments, many of which are equipped with private terraces and outdoor hot tubs. There is also a 24-hour concierge, housekeeping and a local chauffeur service.

Big Smoke acquires leasehold of Surrey pub: Big Smoke Pub Co has acquired the leasehold interest in the Bricklayer's Arms in Hersham, Surrey. Big Smoke, which has successfully operated the pub since spring 2025 under a tenancy agreement, has now secured the leasehold, "strengthening its long-term commitment to the site and enabling further investment in the venue's future". It is one of seven pubs the company operates in Surrey. A Big Smoke spokesman said: “The Brick is ideally located for us linking up with our other local pubs in Thames Ditton, Molesey, Surbiton and Weybridge, as well as being only a couple of miles from the Big Smoke brewery. We are delighted the local community in Hersham have taken to Big Smoke so positively and we look forward to growing the business further in the years ahead.” James Davies, director and head of national agency at agent Fleurets, which acted on the deal, added: “Big Smoke operates the Flintgate in nearby Weybridge very successfully, so I was delighted they agree with my view that the Bricklayers would work well for them.”

Scottish restaurateur launches pizza and pasta bar concept in Edinburgh: Ivan Stein, co-founder of Glasgow restaurant The Gannet and better burger business El Perro Negro, has launched a new pizza and pasta bar concept in Edinburgh. He has opened Flùr at the Bonnie & Wild food hall in the city's St James Quarter, offering New York-style 18-inch pizzas as well as individual slices. Flavours include Nduja and Honey and home-made Salsiccia Sausage, while a select menu of freshly made pasta dishes includes Bucatini Carbonara, tagliatelle with spring vegetables and ziti with Ragu Genovese. Stein said: “Flùr is absolutely inspired by the amazing New York pizzas, but I’ve sourced the ingredients from local suppliers. After visiting New York and sampling its amazing food scene, I wanted to bring a flavour of that back to Scotland, and opening Flùr at Bonnie & Wild seemed the perfect way to do it.” One of Stein's two El Perro Negro sites is already at Bonnie & Wild, with the other in Glasgow's Woodland Road. The original El Perro Negro, in Glasgow's Argyll Street, closed in 2023. Stein left The Gannet, which has now been reinvented and rebranded as modern bistro Eleven Fifty Five, in 2024.

Team behind east London restaurant concept Papi opens new pub venture: Matthew Scott and Charlie Carr, who are behind the Papi restaurant concept in Hackney, east London, have launched a new pub venture. The duo have opened pub-restaurant The Golden Tooth in Newington Green. Located in the former Leconfield pub in Green Lanes, the menu at The Golden Tooth reflects that of Papi, which opened in 2023. The Golden Tooth is split into two sections – a pub and a 55-cover restaurant that specialises in grilled meat, chops, pies and plates designed for sharing. Alongside the food is an evolving wine list curated by Carr, who founded Wingnut Wines, a weekend pop-up turned tiny wine bar in Netil Market. At least 50% of the wine at The Golden Tooth are English varieties, with the remainder of the menu following in the Wingnut/Papi tradition of natural wine from under-the-radar producers and regions. Carr also plans to offer sustainable keg and bib wines. Scott teamed up with Carr for Papi, having founded Hot 4 U, which was launched as a delivery service during the covid lockdown “with a focus on regeneratively reared meat, sustainable seafood and creative cooking”.

North London Italian restaurant concept to open second site next month: North London Italian restaurant concept Rossella is to open a second site next month. Opening on Tuesday, 12 May, the new venue, located at 107 Muswell Hill Road, will bring together a restaurant, bar and deli under one roof and builds on Rossella in Kentish Town. The new bar, which can also be reconfigured as a private dining area for up to 30 guests, will offer aperitivo and cocktails alongside a menu of small plates and pizzas, while the deli will showcase Rossella’s own products and curated Italian hampers. The main restaurant will introduce a more expansive à la carte menu, with a stronger emphasis on generous mains. House wine will be sourced directly from the family vineyard in Benevento, while Limoncello and Meloncello will be made on the Amalfi Coast using the family’s traditional recipes. Owner Luca Meola said: “Everything we do at Rossella comes from my family and how I grew up. Food was always about bringing people together around the table, and that's still what drives it now. Muswell Hill feels like somewhere that really values that kind of place, somewhere local, relaxed and genuinely part of the neighbourhood.” The original Rossella was established by Luca’s father, Luigi, in Benevento in 1960. The family moved to the UK in 1978, and Luca followed in the family tradition by opening the Kentish Town site in 2012.

Spiteri family open new west London pub: The Spiteri family has opened a new pub in west London. The Latimer has launched in Latimer Road, North Kensington, and is described as “a true family collaboration uniting two generations around a shared vision”. Jon Spiteri, an original partner in The French House Dining Room, St John with Fergus Henderson and Sessions Arts Club, and partner Melanie Arnold, co-founder of Rochelle Canteen, have partnered with their sons, Lorcan and Fin, the duo behind Caravel, and daughter Molly, business development lead at Koya, for the venture. The kitchen is led by former Quo Vadis chef Lorcan, offering a “traditional pub menu” with dishes such as brown crab tagliolini with bisque and lemon and oxtail with mash and horseradish. Alongside the main menu, a dedicated bar menu includes the likes of masala monkfish with tartare sauce and tempura oyster mushrooms with pickles. Fin heads up the drinks offer, which includes a selection of draft beer and wine on tap, alongside a range of non-alcoholic options. The pub accommodates around 50 guests across the dining area and bar, with a street terrace open all year round.