All MCA Insight articles in February 2025 – Page 6
-
NewsGordon Ramsay’s UK and US restaurant operations to merge in Lion Capital deal
The agreement gives both parties a 50% stake in the new holding company, with the board and exec team at the almost 100-strong group to be headquartered in London.
-
Analysis & InsightBeyond viral: Translating brand hype into sales
MCA looks at how brands like Wingstop, Dave’s Hot Chicken, and Popeyes have successfully inserted themselves into the zeitgest to build both hype and long-term cultural relevance
-
NewsChopstix boosts turnover to £64m
The Asian-inspired QSR chain said it has been able to achieve resilient revenue growth despite a challenged backdrop, with strong sales and tight cost control
-
InterviewsHammerson boss: ‘Shopping centres will be even more multi-use’
Rita-Rose Gagné discusses the future of retail, the company’s turnaround plan and potential expansion into residential property with The Times
-
Analysis & InsightVeganism in trouble - and the man who sold half a million steaks with a 12,000-year-old idea to fix it
Chef Neil Rankin, once head of a nose-to-tail restaurant and now running a vegan food company, believes he has the answer, Sky News writes
-
NewsExtreme weather expected to cause food price volatility in 2025 after cost of cocoa and coffee doubles
Trend towards more extreme-weather events will continue to hit crop yields and create price spikes, The Guardian reports
-
NewsReeves rebuffs M&S’s call for National Insurance ‘breathing space’
The Chancellor is giving no ground to employers concerned about the impact of higher costs, The Telegraph reports
-
OpinionPubs must wake up and smell the coffee: morning money is the future
With the night-time economy in decline, pubs are now competing with Greggs and McDonald’s to be the cheapest breakfast provider, Harry Wallop writes for The Times
-
Analysis & InsightUK market for ‘competitive socialising’ risks oversupply, say executives
Operators ask whether customers will keep going back to axe-throwing, the FT reports
-
InterviewsRed Engine: ‘UK will always be a hotbed of opportunity for us’
As the experiential leisure business enters its tenth year, founder Steve Moore speaks to MCA about the evolution of the sector, future growth opportunities and how competition only pushes the Flight Club and Electric Shuffle operator to be better
-
Analysis & InsightBibi’s: ‘People queue, even in the rain’
The Turkish and Mediterranean-inspired lunch concept is opening its seventh site in Fenchurch Street next month – as founder Bilur Yapici discusses the brand’s future plans
-
NewsOpenings of the week
MCA rounds up this week’s biggest openings stories, including Loungers, Ottolenghi and Wingers
-
NewsPunch Pubs reports strong trading and profit growth
The pub company remains on track to reach an adjusted run-rate EBITDA of £99.8m, with all three divisions delivering like-for-like growth
-
NewsHospitality fuels economic growth but faces cost challenges
The hospitality sector was the biggest contributor to growth in consumer-facing services for the second consecutive month in December 2024, reinforcing its role as a key driver of the UK economy
-
NewsSticks’n’Sushi appoints chief marketing officer
Simon Gaske joins the McWin-backed Japanese-inspired restaurant brand after two years at ETM
-
NewsM&B: PM’s pub support ‘worthless’ without action
CEO Phil Urban has criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s support for the Mirror’s Save Britain’s Pubs campaign, calling it “worthless” without tangible action to back it up
-
NewsPasta Remoli eyes expansion with Brent Cross launch
Founder Simone Remoli announces plans to roll out a new kiosk format of the quick pasta and pizza concept across London and beyond
-
NewsPret CEO: franchising, AI, and the next phase of growth
Pret A Manger is accelerating its shift towards a franchise-first model, with CEO Pano Christou describing the move as a “real big bet” in the brand’s growth strategy
-
![Popeyes 20112021-123_(1)[1]](https://d36hgjhwuw81py.cloudfront.net/Pictures/100x67/4/4/0/349440_popeyes20112021123_11_150872.jpg)
NewsPopeyes UK achieves £2.4m average site sales
After surpassing 65 units, the QSR brand has grown nearly 75% year-on-year, according to an update from parent company Restaurant Brands International
-
NewsRamsay set to acquire Le Gavroche site
Gordon Ramsay Restaurants is in the process of acquiring the former Michelin-starred Mayfair restaurant that closed permanently in January 2024