James McAllister - 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers - Page 22

1 min

Wagamama launches Soul Club loyalty programme

🍑 Wagamama launches Soul Club loyalty program, allowing users to collect digital hanko stamps with each visit and a minimum spend of £12. The program offers rewards such as free dishes and exclusive experiences, with the chance to win monthly premium merchandise. Members also get access to recipe and foodie videos by senior chefs and brand ambassadors like GK Barry, Alfie Steiner, and Rahel Stephanie. The initiative aims to thank guests and enhance engagement.

2 min

YolanDa Brown’s Soul Mama relocates to Stratford ahead of launch

🎶 YolanDa Brown to open Soul Mama at The Gantry in September, featuring live music and a menu blending African, Caribbean, and South American flavors. Announced in June 2022 after raising over £248,000 on Kickstarter, the largest for a restaurant on the platform. Relocated from Islington Square to Stratford, Soul Mama will offer comedy and family concerts. Chef Aleandro Brown, trained by Gordon Ramsay, serves dishes like coconut curry and jerk cauliflower. The design includes a central stage, all-day café, cocktails, and local beers.

1 min

Spaghetti House swings to loss amid ‘extremely difficult year’

🍴 Spaghetti House, operating eight restaurants in London, saw turnover rise to £10m from £9.8m despite a challenging year. Profit margin increased from 75% to 77% due to efficient wastage control and a central distribution process. However, the group swung to a loss, contrasting with last year's profit of £334,681, which included £1m of one-off income. Adjusted EBITDA improved from -£545,321 to £52,483. A new brand, A Braccetto, launched earlier the year in Earl's Court, featuring a menu with classic regional dishes.

3 min

Could the wider expansion of Albert’s Schloss reinvigorate the UK’s struggling nighttime economy?

🍺 Mission Mars' Albert’s Schloss brand surged with a 51% revenue growth to £71.1m in the 2023 financial year from £47.1m the previous year, contributing £32.3m from just three sites. Rudy’s Pizza, another brand from the group, generated £29.3m from around 20 sites, both outperforming their market segments by 15%. Adjusted EBITDA for the group rose to £8.7m from £5.2m. Albert’s Schloss, launched in Manchester in 2015, expanded to London, taking over the former Rainforest Café site, with plans for further expansion.

2 min

‘Bikini’ sandwiches, tinned fish and Bloody Marys: José Pizarro reveals his plans for Lolo

🍽 Spanish chef José Pizarro plans to open an all-day dining restaurant named Lolo on Bermondsey Street in London. Revealed in April, Lolo reflects Pizarro's love for the UK and Spain. The menu includes a ‘bikini’ sandwich, pastries, eggs with PX sherry-cured salmon, fresh salads, tinned fish like Anchoa Catalina Gran Reserva, and a variety of Bloody Marys. The Mediterranean-inspired venue transforms from café to wine bar and will feature local art, with 46 covers and counter seating at the bar.

2 min

Free refills of sugary drinks face ban in Wales under Government proposals

🍻 Eluned Morgan, Wales’s Health Secretary, proposes banning free sugary drink refills in hospitality businesses to encourage healthier living. Over 60% of Wales' population is obese or overweight. Other plans include ending promotions like buy-one-get-one-free on unhealthy foods. Consultation responses are due by September 23, 2024. Draft regulations may be laid before the Senedd in 2024, with a 12-month transition period, aiming for enforcement by end of 2025. Non-complying businesses could face £2,500 fines.

3 min

Friday five: the week’s top restaurant stories

🍔 Azzurri Group plans to open 60 Dave’s Hot Chicken outlets in the UK, starting Q1 2025 in London. Bundobust to shut its Birmingham location on July 14th. Pizza Express tests new 'Pod' concept in Tesco, Bursledon. Chef Jakob Grant debuts Cherub’s in Deal, Kent, with 27 seats. Patrick Powell leaves The Midland Grand Dining Room and Allegra, concluding service on July 14th.

1 min

The Coconut Tree enters into CVA

🥥 The Coconut Tree, claiming to be the 'largest Sri Lankan restaurant group outside Sri Lanka', underwent a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) process overseen by Forvis Mazars, approved on 13 June, after facing financial challenges, including closing its Cardiff location in March. Founded in 2016, it operates eight UK restaurants. In January 2023, it sought a £1m equity-based crowdfund for expansion, targeting the London market, boasting a £10m pre-money valuation.

3 min

How I Got Here: Oliver Zon

🎶 Oliver Zon, at age 21, organized his first electronic music festival in June 2012 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, which faced challenges due to external factors. Zon learned from this experience not to be blinded by dreams. He later founded the QSR brand Kebhouze, which opened its first store in December 2021 during a challenging post-pandemic period, yet received positive customer feedback from the outset.

1 min

Lussmanns returns to expansion trail with double opening

🍕 Lussmanns Sustainable Restaurant Group, backed by Luke Johnson, is opening two new locations in London and Woburn, with the Highgate restaurant marking their first opening since 2021. The London site, formerly Côte Brasserie on Highgate High Street, will launch in the following months, while the Woburn site, previously Loch Fyne on the Woburn Estate in Milton Keynes, is set for an October opening. The Highgate restaurant will feature 130 indoor covers plus 30 in a garden, offering sustainable seafood like MSC-certified fishcakes.

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