All Opinion articles – Page 33
-
OpinionRamen retailer all souped up
Tak Tokumine sold a 40% stake in his Shoryu ramen business earlier this year and now plans to transform his Japan Centre brand into the Japanese equivalent of Eataly. Joe Lutrario reports
-
OpinionDeltic Revs up to overtake Stonegate takeover
Why did Deltic go public with its rebuffed bid to merge with Revolution Bars Group, where does it leave Stonegate and what does it mean for the sector? MCA deputy editor James Wallin discusses.
-
OpinionMarks’ theory on Revolution
Deltic Group chief executive Peter Marks talks to MCA about the group’s proposal to merge with Revolution Bars Group to create a 125-strong “powerhouse” late-night operator.
-
Opinion
Have legs, will travel: UK casual dining goes global
Jon Midmer of global executive search firm JMA reflects on the changing culture of the UK’s casual-dining scene, an inward flow of leading personnel from other countries and a growing contingent of Brits heading to top jobs abroad
-
Opinion
Inside Track: Gerry can
Three years on from its formation, Hawthorn Leisure has ambitions to consolidate the UK’s pub sector further and grow into a significant player. Chief executive Gerry Carroll tells Mark Wingett that to achieve that aim they will need to continue to think differently
-
OpinionFounders Forum Focus: Albion & East
Albion & East was set up with a simple, yet ambitious goal – to create London’s best bar. As the Imbiba-backed group prepares to open its second site, James Wallin meets managing director Sarah Weir to discuss progress so far.
-
Opinion
Using timing and luck to your advantage
At leading executive recruitment agency, the Savannah Group’s latest quarterly Hospitality, Travel & Leisure Boardroom Lunch, partner Tim Clouting discussed with sector chairman and chief executives how to use timing and luck to your advantage, how do you become better at it and how do you bring them more firmly under your control
-
OpinionIn the grand scheme of things
Leisure and F&B are no longer a ‘nice to have’ way to offer experience in shopping schemes to counter online shopping. Instead, they are seen by developers and landlords as future-proofing, and an essential component to remain competitive. But getting that right mix of operator is becoming harder and harder
-
Opinion
Brexit slows Davy’s expansion
Since establishing itself as a wine-bar pioneer in the late 1800s, Davy’s has had its share of ups and downs. With the company having learned lessons from weathering recessions and World Wars, chairman James Davy sees no reason to be overconfident in post-Brexit Britain. He talks to Finn Scott-Delany
-
OpinionSub Cult moves off the bench
After three years in street food, Sub Cult is taking the plunge with a semi-permanent site. In the latest of our Founders Forum series, Finn Scott-Delany hears how the sub slingers want to reinvent the humble sandwich for a British audience more used to soggy white triangles for their lunch
-
OpinionIn the mixer
When Revolution Bar Group’s shares plummeted nearly 40% back in May it felt very much like a case of when, rather than if, Stonegate Pub Company would make its move for the Mark McQuater-led bar chain. With that steep decline in share price in mind, Stonegate’s 200p a share offer looks likely to lead to a positive outcome for all involved
-
OpinionAiming to score another strike
All Star Lanes managing director Christian Rose discusses his peripatetic career and why his current role has been his most challenging to date but could also offer the most potential. He talks to Mel Flaherty about growth, evolving formats and why he has always said yes to a challenge.
-
Opinion
Verdicts on first year of pubs code
After years of fierce arguments, some surprising twists and a few false starts, the pubs code came into force on 21 July 2016. A year on and tenanted and leased pub companies have told MCA of their frustration at the impact it has had on their relationship with tenants but have pledged their continued support for the model. James Wallin reports
-
Opinion
How to deal with Living Wage rises
Mark Kuperman, chief operating officer Revenue Management Solutions (RMS), gives five tips to deal with the rise in the Living Wage.
-
Opinion
Pubs: Turnover rents; wet-led success and tenanted moves
CBRE’s Simon Johnson gives his views on the current state of the pub sector, including tenanted operators’ increasing use of turnover-related agreements and why we could see some managed operations moving into tenanted.
-
OpinionInside Track: Admiral intentions
Do the bids for Admiral Taverns show that after years in the shadows of managed pubs and casual dining, that tenanted pubs are now back at the centre of M&A activity? MCA deputy editor James Wallin looks at why the segment is so attractive for investors at the moment, what a bid for Admiral could mean for the wider sector and who could be next.
-
Opinion
Inside Track: Bun fight
Too many burger chains? Too many food and drink outlets? Too many bad location decisions? Or just too many headwinds to cope with? You could probably make an argument for one, two or all of the aforementioned reasons for the sad demise of Handmade Burger Co. What is for sure is that it will have sent a further shiver down the collective spine of a sector already facing up to 12-18 months of fighting in the trenches ahead of it. Mark Wingett reports
-
Opinion
Inside track: On a roll
London-based Indian street food player Rola Wala threw a curve ball when it chose Leeds for its first permanent site. But now it’s back in the Big Smoke with a Shoreditch restaurant opening this month.
-
Opinion
A taste of sunshine in New York
Brothers Leo and Oliver Kremer founded the fast-casual chain Dos Toros in 2009 to bring San Francisco’s Mission-style burritos to New York City. The duo is about to enter its second market of Chicago and spoke to Kerstin Kuhn about the concept and future plans
-
Opinion
The trouble with crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is an increasingly popular way to raise funds. But what’s the success rate for crowdfunded startups in food and drink? And is there adequate protection or are punters just punks? Edward Devlin, deputy finance editor at The Grocer, reports.