All ASK Italian articles – Page 2
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Analysis & InsightSteve Gotham: Turning up the heat and other NPD delights
New product development (NPD) is rightly recognised as a lifeblood for the eating out industry, and MCA’s Menu Tracker offers insights into the latest menu trends and influences across 150 leading operators. This review only serve as a taster, but the three courses have each been accompanied with three key summary insights.
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Analysis & InsightBangkok bounce back?
Once the darling of the Thai restaurant scene, Busaba has had a tough few years, with falling profits and site closures. Now with a simplified offer and a fresh focus on the capital, it’s looking to bounce back
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NewsAsk fined £40,000 for lack of lobster
Ask has been fined £40,000 after selling a ‘misleading’ plate of pasta - although it got a discount off the bill for pleading guilty. The Italian chain, owned by parent company Azzurri, had been selling its £14.95 Aragosta e Gamberoni dish, described as lobster and king prawns in a tomato and chilli sauce, since 2014.
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Analysis & InsightAnd the 2019 consumer award winners are…
While we are in the midst of the entertainment awards season it would be most neglectful not to extend this to the worlds of foodservice and hospitality.
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NewsThe Highs and Lows of Promotions
In recent weeks I have looked into various elements of economising behaviour by consumers, including targeting low prices and more spending at weekends as opposed to weekdays, today’s focus is on the widely prevalent, yet potentially damaging, practice of promotional activity. Key questions asked include whether its usage is rising, who’s buying into the offers the most and what are the most popular promotion types. The core focus area is the key dinner day-part within the chain restaurant sector and the source of answers is MCA’s consumer tracking service, the Eating Out Panel.
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NewsJo Fleet named ‘unsung hero’
Flat Iron, Wagamama, Caravan and Lina Stores were among winners at Restaurant magazine’s R200 Awards held in London last night (4 December).
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NewsLow price champions
Given the prevailing weak outlook for consumer confidence, it seems inevitable that more risk averse and belt-tightening behaviours will come to the fore.
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OpinionSteve Holmes: ‘If you wind the clock forward, people will eat out more than ever’
Relevant operators can grind out profit growth, but it’s not an easy time, Azzurri Group’s Steve Holmes has told MCA.
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NewsAzzurri Group achieves lfl growth across portfolio
Azzurri Group has reported a group sales increase of 7% for the year ended 30 June 2019, to £299.4m, with like-for-like sales growth seen across its four brands.
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NewsGreggs tops Brand Health index
Greggs has been named the number eating out brand in YouGov’s Brand Health Index.
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NewsAzzurri studies Pod delivery hub model
The Azzurri Group will convert the first Pod store to Coco di Mama in around September, before switching three or four more before Christmas, CEO Steve Holmes has told MCA.
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News
Former Tasty and Giggling Squid directors prep new venture
Former Tasty managing director Jo Morrison and Giggling Squid operations direction Peter Morrison are launching a new all-day dining restaurant concept in Hove.
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OpinionGotham’s Easter quiz
With the Easter bank holiday weekend almost upon us, MCA’s market insight director Steve Gotham offers up a bit of a light-hearted break from the norm with a test of your knowledge of the eating and drinking out market.
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Analysis & InsightLoungers – the one and only?
This week, Loungers announced its much-anticipated intention to float. One line in the accompanying documentation caught the eye of MCA market insight director, Steve Gotham – that Loungers is “the only growing all-day operator of scale in in the UK with a strong reputation for value for money”. He delves into MCA’s wealth of data to determine whether this claim stacks up.
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Analysis & InsightInvestment is crucial to boost brand momentum
“The outperformers in the market are the ones who aren’t standing still,” Molly Johnson-Jones, head of customer and strategy at strategic consultants Stone & River told delegates at yesterday’s CGA Insight conference.
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NewsAzzurri Group appoints Zizzi FD
The Azzurri Group has appointed Karen Sweetman as finance director for its Zizzi brand.
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Analysis & InsightBig no longer beautiful among casual restaurant brands?
Are the days of restaurant brands growing to 100+ sites really over? MCA’s market insight director, Steve Gotham, takes a look at what can be learnt from the chains that have already surpassed this milestone and who has the potential to be the next centurion of casual dining.
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Analysis & InsightWe want to be together
With the wider issues facing the market, many believe the UK’s eating and drinking-out sector is ripe for consolidation. However, does it work for everyone involved and, in current conditions, is it a case of looking outside the box for the best partner for your business, asks AlixPartners’ Graeme Smith
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Opinion
The pirates of pizza
As one of the newest players in the burgeoning pizza sector, Radio Alice is out to get Londoners on its wavelength. Stefan Chomka, editor of MCA’s sister title, Restaurant Magazine, meets the founders, Matteo and Salvatore Aloe, and managing director, Emma King, to discuss tapping into the UK casual dining scene and the partnership with the Azzurri Group.
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NewsHonest Burgers scoops R200 Best Restaurant Operator award
Restaurant groups including Nando’s, Mowgli, Honest Burgers and Tortilla were among the winners at Restaurant magazine’s R200 Awards, held last night (3 December) at Hawker House.