All Opinion articles – Page 40
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OpinionWho is going to stick their neck out?
The endgame in Tesco’s often uneasy ownership of Giraffe has begun and speculation over who will take the restaurant chain off the retailer’s hands – for a sum far from the £48.5m it paid - is gathering pace. However, is there still a business or brand left that is worth acquiring or as we are seeing with La Tasca and Strada, is it the pull of a guaranteed pipeline that is the real draw?
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OpinionMercury rising
The creation of Mercury Pubs sees Punch slow its rate of pub disposals and focus on finding innovative ways to turn around its non-core pubs. New managing director Paul Pavli and Punch chief executive Duncan Garrood talk to MCA about the background, ethos and potential of its new division.
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OpinionThe Restaurant Power List
Who are the people who really shape the UK’s eating out industry? Here MCA’s sister title, Restaurant Magazine reveals the chefs, restaurateurs, boardroom bigwigs and others who exercise significant influence over this country’s restaurant scene and who are the true power people behind UK dining.
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OpinionNLW: It's not just the economics, stupid
The national living wage (NLW) may have come into force this month, but its impact on the sector is far from clear yet. With any resulting boost to consumer spending yet to filter through, operators know the timing of price rises to mitigate the NLW effect must be handled cautiously. ...
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OpinionReady to get the Party started
Boston Tea Party, the Bristol-based café and restaurant brand, is arguably the south-west’s best-kept secret when its comes to the wider eating-out market, but managing director Sam Roberts tells Mark Wingett that may not be the case for much longer
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OpinionStatements of intent
Last week, one of the UK’s eating-out market’s up-and-coming forces, Côte, made an appointment that put down a marker to the rest of the sector on the level of its ambition. At the same time, Leon underlined its fast food credentials and growth aspirations with a significant appointment of its own
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Opinion
Investments in relationships
MCA’s Tenant Track survey showed relationships between pubcos and their tenants improving again, despite a turbulent year for the sector. James Wallin takes a closer look at the findings and talks to some of the companies taking part for their opinions on the sector
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OpinionCentury maker
As Bella Italia, the Casual Dining Group (CDG)-owned brand gears up to open its one hundredth restaurant this week, Mark Wingett takes a closer look at the turnaround of the fast-growing concept. At the same time, are the Kaye family set to provide another success story with Wildwood-operator, Tasty?
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OpinionThe lasting value of founders
Pret chief executive Clive Schlee discusses some of the guiding principles established by the group’s founders which still define it today. He discusses why companies who put purpose above profit are likely to enjoy greater longevity, why you have to change to stay the same and why most companies are not murdered by the market place – they just die:
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Opinion
MAD world of healthy fast food
The slow rollout of MAD Greens restaurants was deliberate, but now the Colorado-based eatery is upping the pace. Kerstin Kühn investigates
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Opinion
Familiar name is back in the hat
Benito’s Hat founder Ben Fordham talks to Mark Wingett about stepping back into running the Mexican food concept, eyeing expansion after exiting underperforming sites and how the business is striving to remain unique in an increasingly competitive category
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Opinion
Inside Track: NewRiver rising
Former Punch director Jackie Moody-McNamara returned to the sector at the end of last year when she was appointed the first ever pub portfolio director at NewRiver Retail. James Wallin met her to discuss the creation of a new pubco and how NewRiver is applying lessons learnt from its shopping centres portfolios into its pub estate.
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Opinion
No stone left unturned
Just under a year and a half since his appointment, Simon Longbottom, chief executive of Stonegate Pub Company, is continuing to build on the managed operator’s growth momentum, while looking to give the business even more impetus. He talks to Mark Wingett about honing the group’s business strategy
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OpinionPubco Galacticos know it’s all to play for
The pub sector is emerging from a period of significant transition with difficult decisions taken by some of the biggest players in the sector on the fundamental nature of their businesses. The work on the training ground has now been completed and it is time for the sector to deliver results. In June MCA introduces a brand new event – THE Pub Conference – in which these themes will be discussed by the Pubco Galacticos – Greene King’s Rooney Anand; Enterprise Inns’ Simon Townsend; Punch’s Duncan Garrood and Marston’s Ralph Findlay. Here MCA examines the opportunities and challenges facing each, and what it means for the eating and drinking out sector.
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OpinionI’m McLoving it
A year into his role at McDonald’s UK, Paul Pomroy is determined to continue to listen to customers and build on current momentum. He sets out the challenges the brand faces and the changes he is overseeing
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Opinion
The Marmite effect of Brick Lane
Cinnamon Club founder Iqbal Wahhab discusses why he is offering to help restore Brick Lane’s curry mile:
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Opinion
Dirty Martini to shake up regional cities
Scott Matthews has a passion for living in the moment and is all geared up for branching out of the capital with Dirty Martini. Mel Flaherty finds out more about the CG Restaurants & Bars man
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Opinion
When Hawksmoor met Harrison
Last year, neighbourhood restaurants Sam’s and Harrison’s were snapped up by the Hawksmoor Group. But it wasn’t the typically hostile takeover many have to come to expect in the industry. Restaurant talks to Hawksmoor co-founder Will Beckett and Sam Harrison about what happened
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Opinion
Flavour innovation on the menu
Darren Tristano looks at how US restaurants draw in consumers with a variety of spicy, smoky and sweet items
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Opinion
Rewarding custom works both ways
Loyalty to a restaurant may be a concept that many think is dying out, but Jan-Pieter Lips of marketing and loyalty analytics company Aimia, explains why finding the right way to reward customers by using the data you have compiled on them will help win business in the long-run