All MCA Insight articles in April 2026 – Page 3
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NewsButcombe Group completes strategic refinancing
New debt facilities from Barclays, Lloyds and NatWest will strengthen the premium pub company’s capacity to make further acquisitions and invest in its estate
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NewsJane O’Riordan appointed chair of Tenzo
Tenzo’s real-time data and analytics platform is designed to support decision-making across multi-site restaurant and hospitality groups
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NewsAlbert’s Schloss Soho boosts Mission Mars EBITDA
The group plans to open two Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana sites in the next eight weeks, with a further two before the end of summer
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InterviewsPapa Johns responds to ‘massive’ consumer shift with new sourdough pizzas
MD Chris Phylactou speaks to MCA about responding to evolving tastes, capturing new customers and occasions, and being the first among competitors to launch a dedicated sourdough offering
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NewsHouse of EL&N to debut in London
The all-day café group, which operates 13 UK locations, is redeveloping an existing store in London’s Belgravia into its destination dinner concept
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NewsChipotle to expand further following ‘impressive’ momentum
The fast casual Mexican chain is set to open its first UK food court location at Westfield Stratford City, with more openings lined up for the year
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Analysis & InsightFood to Go: The £24.9bn question
The food to go market has beaten its own sales forecasts. But beneath the headlines is a more complicated set of questions. Which categories are driving growth? Why is retail closing the quality gap faster than most operators want to admit? And what does the sector need to do to sustain momentum to £27 billion by 2029?
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NewsMykonos-founded Nammos to launch in London next month
The restaurant group, which operates locations in Sardinia, Cannes, Dubai, and Limassol alongside Mykonos, will make its UK debut in Mayfair as it moves beyond its beach club origins
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NewsWells & Co boosts profits and turnover despite cost pressures
The pub operator reported sales of £66.2m in its 2025 accounts, along with a 5% boost in EBITDA and a 21% increase in group operating profit despite adding £800k in employment costs
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Analysis & InsightFoodservice prices vulnerable to geopolitical pressures
Prices in the foodservice sector saw a month-on-month decline of 0.2% in February, but the relief is heavily overshadowed by the sharp rise in energy costs, according to NIQ and Prestige Purchasing
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NewsOpenings of the week
MCA rounds up the week’s biggest openings stories, featuring new venues from Vagabond Wines, Popeyes, Chipotle, Sandwich Sandwich, and more
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NewsWonderfield appoints UK MD
Carl Webber, previously chief operating officer and UK retail director, has been promoted at the Yo! Sushi operator
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NewsOle & Steen partners with Ocado
The Danish bakery chain is listing a selection of breads and pastries with the online supermarket, significantly expanding its national reach
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NewsCosta to invest £3.5m in London estate
The coffee chain has a pipeline of up to seven new stores to open across the capital in 2026, alongside the refurbishment of more than 10 existing sites
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NewsTGI Fridays has ‘strong desire’ to return to central London
Of the 33 UK restaurants acquired by Ray Blanchette’s Sugarloaf investment firm, 31 are on solid footing with supportive landlords, though the future is uncertain for the remaining two
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NewsWetherspoons app ‘here to stay’
Chairman Tim Martin has clarified that the pub chain has no intenation of ditching its popular mobile app, following a report he was considering caling time on the technology
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OpinionPeter Coulson: 6 August 1943 - 27 March 2026
A specialist licensing lawyer, journalist and publisher, Coulson founded what was then M&C Report with Peter Martin, the pair lending their initials to the title, which went on to become MCA after merging with Allegra Foodservice
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NewsFuel price surge ‘will disrupt food and drink supply chain’
Firms that supply thousands of shops and vital public services say escalating costs amid the Iran war could force them to raise prices
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Analysis & InsightHas Labour hit the final nail into the restaurant trade’s coffin?
Wages, national insurance and business rates are up and now new workers’ rights are here — all at a time when diners can’t stomach higher prices
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NewsRichard Caring sells Ivy, Annabel’s and Scott’s for £1.4bn
The ‘King of Mayfair’ sells the celebrity haunts to a group controlled by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the deputy ruler of the United Arab Emirates