All Flaming Grill articles
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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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NewsSteve Gotham: Recovering confidence and and accelerating growth in 2020
Encouragingly for most, MCA predicts that 2020 will see stronger net physical increases in store portfolios across the majority of leading operators.MCA’s Operator Data Index includes over 350 branded operators with five or more outlets at December 2019. These stretch across the full spectrum of the market and account for close to 27,000 outlets which claimed modest overall year on year growth of just under 1% in 2019. We are expecting this growth rate to double to 2% in December 2020, with over 500 net new outlets to open, equating to 11 per week.
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Analysis & Insight‘TRG now has a future’
The legacy of Andy McCue’s truncated time as chief executive of The Restaurant Group is, as well all know, the £559m acquisition of Wagamama. When the deal squeaked through last year, there was widespread scepticism over the longevity of its stellar like-for-like sales growth.
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Analysis & InsightPub menus: Quantity over quality?
MCA market insight director Steve Gotham looks at whether the increases seen in pub menu counts are sustainable, particularly when extensive menu choice is not a particularly high-ranking consumer need.
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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 & InsightSpotlight on the value led branded pub market
Brand expert Ian Dunstall casts his eye over a segment over the market that is often overlooked in analysis despite being a financial power house – the value pub market. He rates the leading brands and looks at how many have reinvented themselves to better align with the modern consumer.
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Analysis & InsightStudy claims restaurant and pub dishes unhealthier than fast food
A study by the British Medical Journal has suggested food served in pub and restaurant chains is unhealthier than that of fast-food chains.
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NewsCodd swaps Merlin for Papa John's
Giles Codd, formerly of M&B, Loch Fyne and Merlin, has joined Papa John’s UK as marketing director, MCA understands.
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NewsAnalysts corner: Greene King
We round-up the views of analysts at Hargreaves Lansdown, JP Morgan, Goodbody, and Citi – with more than one believing the company’s shares are undervalued.
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Analysis & InsightGreater use of psychological pricing expected
The use of psychological pricing is expected to increase, as market conditions remain tough and operators try to tempt customers through their doors, according to new MCA research.
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Analysis & InsightPromotional activity up 75% in branded restaurants
Promotional activity at branded restaurants has increased by 75% in the last five years, MCA research reveals. Meanwhile promotions in pub restaurants have increased by 39% during the same period, according to a comparative study of the top 25 eating out brands in Q2 2018, with the top 13 in ...
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NewsAnalysts corner: Greene King
Analysts at Hargreaves Lansdown have given their view on the trading update from Greene King yesterday, saying the group’s track record deserves recognition and that brand consolidation offers cause for optimism, However, they warn the company faces undeniable headwinds.
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News
Analyst corner: Rollo on Greene King
Morgan Stanley leisure analyst Jamie Rollo has said he believes Greene King’s like-for-like sales underperformance will start to narrow in FY19.
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Analysis & InsightContemporary operators challenging top brands
Five Guys is leading the pack of contemporary operators challenging the established casual dining brands, the latest MCA data has shown.
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News
GK completes rebrand of London estate
Greene King has converted more than a 100 pubs from the Taylor Walker brand to its core Greene King model, which now makes up half its managed estate.
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Irvine-Fortescue: GK running hard to standstill
Mark Irvine-Fortescue, leading analyst at Panmure Gordon, has said that Greene King is “running hard to standstill”. Off the back of the pub operator and brewer’s full-year update, the analyst said that he expected a flattish profit outturn this year, with enhanced buying scale post Spirit, and operational initiatives (portfolio ...
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Analysis & Insight
JDW retains dominance among pub brands
The latest Pub Brand Monitor from MCA has shown that despite site closures over the past year and a fall in its share of breakfast and dinner visits, JD Wetherspoon remains the market leader.
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News
Analyst corner: Four key challenges for Greene King
Leading analyst Simon French, of Cenkos, has said he sees little scope for progress at Greene King in the short-term.
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NewsGK starts rebrand of Eating Inn to Goodwin’s
Greene King is trialing a rebrand of its Eating Inn estate, called Goodwin’s Bar & Kitchen, MCA understands.
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Analysis & InsightCustomer service stars of 2016
MCA director of insight, Steve Gotham, looks at which operators topped the league tables for friendly and speedy service during 2016 and what lessons we can learn from their success.