All Carluccio’s articles – Page 3
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OpinionThe transformational potential of rebranding and remodelling
Embarking on a rebranding or remodelling programme may seem like a sure-fire way to reinvigorate your business, but there are many aspects to consider if you want to get it right, explains brand strategy consultant Ian Dunstall.
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OpinionChange is happening everywhere
Seismic shifts are sweeping through the sector thanks to a combination of M&A, technological developments and consumer behaviour. Who knows what’s going to happen next?
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NewsThunderbird appoints new CEO
Thunderbird has appointed Paul Gilchrist as its new CEO. In a statement, the business said: ”Thunderbird, the premium fried chicken concept backed by Trispan, is to see a passing of the CEO baton from Marcel Khan to Paul Gilchrist by end of the year. Marcel Khan has worked with the founder Matt Harris supporting the fledgling brand for 12 months, building the team and business to five owned and operated sites in London.”
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NewsIs Comptoir Libanais waiting for a tipping point?
The Comptoir Libanais in Chelsea is located within Duke of York Square, a relatively upmarket mixed retail and foodservice scheme, just off Sloane Square.
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NewsPizza Express: someone has got to take a hit somewhere
The appointment of financial advisors this week shone a fresh spotlight on the precarious situation at Pizza Express. The celebrity figureheads at Jamie’s Italian and Carluccio’s had already put their crises into the public consciousness, yet the prospect of Pizza Express facing the same woes is an even bigger moment. The brand is credited with creating the concept of casual dining and is the UK’s biggest and most enduringly popular restaurant brand with 490 sites.
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NewsBranded restaurant market – green shoots of recovery?
Turning tables is a long-established practice in the restaurant market, albeit perhaps one more commonly associated with times of more buoyant trading than those currently prevailing. Highlighting just how fast the fortune tables can turn in this market, I was fascinated by some recent MCA analysis looking at physical growth by branded restaurant chains across different portfolio sizes. This year, the estate bracket sub-category that is anticipated to add the most net new sites will be ‘small’ operators.
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NewsCarluccio’s sees 35% lfls growth at Fresca sites
Carluccio’s has seen a 35% upswing in like for like sales at restaurants that have undergone its ‘fresca’ transformation programme, CEO Mark Jones has told MCA’s Restaurant Conference.
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Analysis & InsightBill’s of Baker Street
As Bill’s moves forwards with its 2020 refresh programme, MCA market insight director Steve Gotham visits the newly-revamped Baker Street store to assess the changes, and looks what MCA’s customer insight data has to say about the performance of the brand.
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Analysis & InsightEvolving before our eyes
The pace of change is speeding up and nowhere is this clearer than in the UK’s eating and drinking-out sector. Over the last five years, AlixPartners and CGA’s Market Growth Monitor has tracked some seismic changes across the industry – from the drinks-led renaissance to the burgeoning impact of delivery. There’s not been a dull moment, say AlixPartners’ Graeme Smith and Craig Rachel.
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NewsCarluccio’s reports improvements following ‘transitional’ year
Carluccio’s said there have been visible improvements to a number of metrics over the past three months, including like-for-like sales (lfls) and advance bookings, following what it described as a “transitional year” for the company.
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NewsSweet Chick poised to make UK debut
Sweet Chick, the US fried chicken and waffle concept backed by rapper Nas, is set to make its UK debut with a site in Fitzrovia, MCA understands.
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News
Tap & Tandoor heads to Peterborough
Tap & Tandoor, a craft beer and Indian food pub concept, is opening in Peterborough’s Cathedral Square for its second site.
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Analysis & InsightReputation and rumours
The success rate of former CEOs at Mitchells & Butlers in getting the business to fly has been questionable, but has Phil Urban cracked it? In his latest monthly column Dominic Walsh discusses how far the operator has come over the past four years – and those PizzaExpress rumours.
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NewsCarluccio's appoints new head of food ops
Carluccio’s has named Matt Dale its new head of food operations.
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NewsCarluccio’s to roll out Fresca menu across estate
Carluccio’s will kick of this autumn with a menu alignment that will meld the old with the new as part of its £10m Fresca renewal programme designed to breathe new life into the brand.
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OpinionA year of GDPR: The industry view
Tomorrow [Saturday] will be the first anniversary of the General Data Protection Regulation’s (GDPR) implementation. MCA gauged the reaction of a variety of industry players.
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OpinionDisrupting the monthly pay cycle
With increasing pressure to retain staff, operators are seeking out innovative new ways to meet the demands of an evolving workforce. MCA’s Finn Scott-Delany looks at how employer demand and emerging technology is opening the door for flexible income.
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Analysis & InsightWallet winners have the Woo Factor
Fierce competition in the eating out market coupled with the increasing promiscuity of consumers has meant that operators are having to fight harder than ever to make their offer standout. MCA market insight director, Steve Gotham, examines which brands have proved most effective at wooing hard-to-get customers.
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Analysis & InsightTime for a chain reaction?
CVAs offer a lifeline for struggling chains. But long-term, can the very notion of a ‘quality chain’ survive this current casual dining crisis? In his monthly column for MCA’s sister-title Restaurant, Tony Naylor shares his, perhaps controversial, views.
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OpinionTaking a Fresca look at Carluccio’s 2.0
Carluccio’s post-CVA Fresca programme – designed at reconnecting with the modern consumer base – is currently being trialled at its Richmond restaurant. MCA market insight director Steve Gotham visited the site to give his view on the progress and what lessons for the wider casual dining market can be taken away.