All articles by Finn Scott-Delany – Page 6
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InterviewsCity Pub Group gears up for economic uptick
The premium pub company sees “good opportunities” in the market for pub acquisitions, but is primarily focussed on organic growth within the existing estate, CFO Holly Elliott tells MCA
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Analysis & InsightBug burgers – coming to a bar near you?
As BrewDog considers serving cricket burgers in its bars, MCA explores the potential for insects to appear on more restaurant menus, hears about the health and environmental benefits, and asks whether customers can overcome their squeamishness and enjoy eating bugs
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InterviewsBaton Berisha: ‘Manzi’s will be the gem of Soho’
The Wolseley Hospitality Group CEO is preparing to launch two major projects this year, Manzi’s in Soho in June, and The Wolseley City later in the year. Speaking to MCA, he discusses why he had to rip out and modernise Manzi’s, staying mindful about keeping the company’s DNA intact, and constantly striving for an exceptional customer experience
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NewsPuccino’s targets 125 sites in five years
The railway coffee shop franchise, which is owned by the Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group, recently opened in East Croydon, with a target of five new sites this year
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NewsTasty selling two sites, considering further closures
The group is also considering converting further Wildwood restaurants to its dim t brand following a successful rebrand in Loughton
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InterviewsBaton Berisha: ‘I’d love to open an Asian restaurant’
The Wolseley Hospitality Group CEO is considering multiple expansion opportunities, including a pan-Asian concept in Mayfair, a London rollout of The Bellanger, and taking The Wolseley and Brasserie Zédel international
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Analysis & InsightShelley Sandzer: More sites will be coming to the market
MD Ted Schama told the R200 conference how operators have been quietly restructuring their portfolios in informal CVA-type processes
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NewsStonegate delivers ‘creditable’ performance
Britain’s biggest pub and bar group grew revenues to £1.6bn in the full year to September 2022, with adjusted profit before tax of £66m. The business said disposals of non-core pubs was a strategic option to drive value
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NewsSmall Batch Coffee closes three sites
The Stefan Allesch-Taylor-backed brand has faced increased competition in Brighton & Hove from Flour Pot Bakery, Trading Post Coffee and Wolfox
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Analysis & InsightShift to electric cars ‘biggest transformation in 100 years’
Moto CEO Ken McMeikan tells MCA’s Food to Go Confernece how EV drivers stop more often, dwell longer at motorway service areas and spend more money on average
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Analysis & InsightDemand concentrated in choice locations
Footfall recovery in the capital has been uneven, with lots of supply based in the wrong locations, Rob Meadows of DCL told the Food to Go conference
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InterviewsHonest Burgers ready to grow in the regions
CEO Frank Hayes tells MCA the brand has the right management team in place to operate well in excess of its current 44 locations, and will pursue an evolved property strategy with regional openings
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InterviewsDes Gunewardena: London still a great place to own restaurants
The former D&D London CEO tells MCA why he is confident in the capital, what the cost of living squeeze means for the sector, and when M&A activity and valuations might pick up
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InterviewsLittle Caesars to offer ‘extreme value’ in UK
The brand’s signature product, a hot held £5 pizza, gives it a clear point of difference compared to other QSR and high street pizza operators, VP Andrés De Robina told MCA
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NewsWingstop UK targets 50+ estate by end of 2024
The brand, run in the UK by Lemon Pepper Holdings, is aiming for a £100m run rate turnover, co-founder Tom Grogan tells MCA
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InterviewsJulian Metcalfe: Itsu close to competing with big beasts of QSR
The itsu founder and global CEO tells MCA’s Food to Go Conference about new format restaurants, using technology to save labour costs, and going toe to toe with McDonald’s and KFC
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NewsTRG to offload 35 sites from Leisure division
The Restaurant Group reported a statutory loss before tax of £86.8m, as its leisure division was hit by cost-of-living and inflationary pressures
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NewsEl Mexicana saved in pre-pack deal
John Coverley and Paul Stagg, who founded and operated the brand under the Elmex Group, have acquired parts of the business under Cholco Consulting
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Analysis & InsightCIPD: ‘Red hot’ demand for more staff
Vacancies in the hospitality sector remain at a record high and almost twice the level of most other sectors, according to analysis by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
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InterviewsAzzurri: ’Sector qualifications too concerned with filleting fish’
Hospitality courses should better reflect the array of skills required to work across the sector, Azzurri Group CEO Steve Holmes argues