Hotel Openings

💰 XplorerGroup, a multi-brand franchise operator founded in 2023, has acquired Kall Kwik, a UK market leader in print and design services since 1979. Kall Kwik, known for adapting to community needs by expanding from printing to comprehensive business solutions, joins XplorerGroup's portfolio including ComputerXplorers, ActiveXplorers, and Discover My Franchise. Nigel Toplis, with 30 years at Kall Kwik, will stay as Non-Executive Chairman for five more years, enhancing the brand with new opportunities and recruits.

🍴 Chef Mary Nguyen, after overcoming career change and health challenges, opened her first restaurant, Parallel 17, offering Vietnamese-French cuisine in 2005. She founded The Olive & Finch in Denver in 2013, providing healthy soups, salads, and sandwiches. Despite culinary success, she faced personal struggles, including fertility issues and her twin daughters' NICU stay after birth. In 2017, a second Olive & Finch location opened. Nguyen later launched Finch on the Fly in 2019, a wholesale brand. She continues to expand her food and beverage brand with plans to open more Olive & Finch and Little Finch locations.

🍴 Cunningham Restaurant Group operates 44 restaurants in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Founded in 1997 in Brownsburg, Indiana, with Boulder Creek Dining Company, it expanded to include Charbonos, Stonecreek Dining Company (5 locations), Bru Burger Bar, and various other brands. The company embraces local sourcing and scratch cooking. Vida's chef Thomas Melvin was a James Beard Foundation semifinalist in 2022 and 2024. The group is launching Shin Dig in Indianapolis and a Bru Burger in Fort Wayne, as well as a new catering service, in the fall. They have a centralized downtown Indianapolis headquarters with facilities including a test kitchen and a USDA-certified greenhouse.

🏨 Mercure Hotels, part of Accor, opens its 1,000th hotel globally, expanding in China and Japan with over 30 hotels in Greater China and doubling its Japanese footprint with 11 properties in April. Mercure's first hotel opened in 1973 in Saint-Witz, France, and by 2023, the brand celebrates its 50th anniversary. Notable additions include Mercure Dubai Deira with 152 keys, Mercure Tirana marking the brand's Albania debut with 64 rooms, and the largest Mercure ICON Singapore City Centre featuring 989 rooms. The brand now spans over 1,000 hotels in 68 countries.

🍷 The White Horse pub in Mayfair, opened in 2021 by The Hedonism Group, transforms into a wine bar with a selection available from Hedonism's wine shop. Sommelier Matthew Mawtus created a 100-wine list, complemented by a menu including cheese from La Fromagerie and seasonal dishes. Hide, another Hedonism Group venue, launched in 2018. The two-story venue features an open fireplace and is designed for both intimate and group experiences.

🍝 Med Salleh Viet, a 35-cover restaurant in Earl's Court, serves Vietnamese dishes such as summer rolls and wagyu beef pho. Headed by Syphong Lam, this eatery was co-founded by her husband Koi Lee and Med Pang in 2022. The interior boasts dark wood furnishings and a painted Hanoian market scene.

🍽 Pachamama Group to expand with Zēphyr, a Mediterranean restaurant in Chelsea, following the eight-year run of Chicama. Original chef Adam Rawson and Greek executive chef Tzoulio Loulai collaborate on a 'produce-led' menu featuring Greek salad, day-boat fish, UK ex-dairy ribeyes, and cep mushroom pastichio. Interior inspired by wabi-sabi with European elegance. Launching in early November, Zēphyr marks the group's fourth London venue since its 2014 debut.

🏡 José Andrés Group and Thor Equities collaborate to launch The Bazaar House by José Andrés, the first hotel under the chef's brand, set to open in 2027 in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. This 67-key luxury hotel will feature a private membership club, multiple dining venues, event space, a wellness center, and retail options. José Andrés Group has a portfolio of 20 brands and 40 locations, and Thor Equities has spent seven years on local approvals. The Bazaar House aims to be a communal hub for both locals and visitors.

🍺 Julio Bruno, Executive Chairman of the Lío Group, leverages his experience across media, hospitality, and digital transformation to innovate Lío London's winter season. Following a record-breaking season with venues in Ibiza, Mykonos, and Mallorca, Lío London aims to top expectations with a new show, "The Jukebox." Bruno emphasizes the importance of authenticity, innovation, and a responsive leadership style. BeBeMe, a wine retail and bar experience, fits into London's luxury landscape by offering sophisticated yet accessible experiences. The success of Mercato Metropolitano highlights sustainability as a core business strategy. Lío London's doors open every Thursday to Saturday from October 4th, with dinner and cabaret at 7:30pm, and club nights from 11pm. Bookings are available on Lío's website.

🍷 Fables & Company, known for Plume in Covent Garden and Finch in Brixton, is opening its third venue, Quill, in Borough Yards this November. Founder Andrew Gray aims to make wine bars more approachable with a focus on storytelling. Quill occupies a 2000 square foot space, hosting 75 covers, and features an English garden and an eccentric wine cellar interior. Culinary Innovator Rob Wade, previously of Chez Bruce, Soho House Group, and La Truffiere in Paris, has crafted a menu highlighting British cuisine. The bar's design, by Sophie Bickness of Studio Bare, combines the historic with the contemporary. Activities such as 'Secret Notes', 'Tarot Readings', and traditional games nights will continue. Quill is part of a surge of new openings in Borough Market, joining established venues like Cahoots and Angry Crab Shack. Fables & Company formerly operated as Grays and Feather for 14 years before the new launch.