All MCA Insight articles in August 2023
View all stories from this issue.
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InterviewsSessions: ‘We don’t see ourselves as a hospitality business’
Founder Dan Warne speaks to MCA about how restaurants can keep apace with consumer change and what the future of food licensing looks like
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NewsManchester ‘perfect fit’ for new Escapism Bars venues
Escapism Bars are gearing up for their foray into Manchester, with two sites launching under the Mean-Eyed Cat and Tiki Hideaway brands
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Analysis & InsightWorkforce headcount buoyed by QSR category
Fourth’s hospitality workforce report shows that the QSR category appears to be an exception to the trend towards declining headcount and is up 3.9% in the year to June
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InterviewsSides: ‘We want to be seen as food-first’
Founded by creator collective The Sidemen, the fried chicken concept has a strong pipeline across the country and will soon launch into retail, CEO Robin Mehta tells MCA
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InterviewsWingers launches franchising with plans for 50
The five-strong QSR fried chicken concept currently operates in the Midlands and plans to double its estate by the end of the year through franchising
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InterviewsRosa’s Thai ‘well ahead’ of the market
The Thai restaurant group’s strong like-for-like growth is largely covers-driven, as it looks to open its first sites in Scotland and grow further within and around London, CEO Gavin Adair tells MCA
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Analysis & InsightBank holiday pub boost shrunk by staff shortages
The British Beer and Pub Association estimates revenue was down 8% as a result of staffing issues holding pubs back over the bank holiday
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Analysis & InsightIncrease in demand for nutritional content on menus
64% of consumers now think it is important to know the nutritional content of their meals out of home
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Analysis & InsightConfidence high despite ongoing cost and staffing challenges
Optimism among Britain’s hospitality leaders has risen for the third quarter in a row, the new Business Confidence Survey from CGA by NIQ and Fourth reveals
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Analysis & Insight61% still experiencing staff shortages
Data collected by trade bodies shows almost 40% of hospitality operators are reducing trading hours as a result of labour challenges
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NewsUK consumer confidence starts to recover
Confidence in the general economic situation for the next 12 months increased by three points to minus 30 in August, an increase of 30 points compared to the same month last year
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Interviewsitsu reports record sales in last 8-12 weeks
Directors Greg Thorpe and Neil Miller break down the sales resurgence at the food to go brand, regional profiles across the estate, and the next steps in its digital journey
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NewsDelivery and takeaway sales grow 4%
Delivery and takeaway and click and collect sales at the UK’s top restaurant groups were ahead by 6% and 2% respectively in July, however order volumes fell by 4% and 2%
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Analysis & InsightValue for money driving consumer choices at travel outlets
A third of people say that value for money is now a key motivation when choosing a food and drink outlet in travel locations
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NewsSmoky Boys to move deeper into central London
The Halal BBQ and grill haus brand is rolling out a new more colourful brand identity to appeal to a wider consumer as it expands to higher footfall areas
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Analysis & InsightBank Holiday set to generate £5.8bn in sales
Consumers are forecast to spend an average of £138 in restaurants, pubs and bars across the UK on the weekend of 26-28 August
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NewsKnoops: ‘This is a mass market proposition’
With ambitious plans to scale to 3,000 stores globally in the next decade, Knoops CEO William Gordon-Harris explains how the chocolate drink brand has no plans to dilute its artisanal offering through a period of rapid expansion
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Analysis & InsightWet weather dampens pub spend
Poor conditions in July deterred pub goers from beer gardens, however it boosted managed restaurant sales, according to the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker
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NewsAdmiral Taverns invests over half a million in three pubs
Part of strategic capex, the Chester-based community operator has spent more than £10m upgrading its pubs throughout the first half of 2023
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NewsChestnut Group: We are zeroing in around East Anglia
The pub group sees significant growth opportunity in East Anglia and is finding new ways to monetise its distribution as it continues to expand, MD and founder Philip Turner tells MCA