All articles by Georgia Cronin – Page 12
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NewsScottish tiering shift “bitter sweet” for hospitality
Nicola Sturgeon’s latest tiering review has been described as “bitter sweet”, and “not […] enough to help an industry in crisis,” with thousands of Scottish businesses still unable to open for the Christmas period.
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InterviewsEnd of lockdown 2 has ‘limited spark’ and ‘different feel’ to lockdown 1
Hospitality’s second reopening weekend, marked by notably low footfall and cautious consumer behaviour, has had a “different feel and sentiment about it to that of lockdown 1,” UK Hospitality CEO Kate Nicholls has said.
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NewsCooplands secures £7.7m BGF funding to fuel expansion
South Yorkshire-based bakery chain Cooplands is set for growth after receiving £7.7m in funding from the Business Growth Fund (BGF).
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NewsVaccine card could ‘unlock lives and economy,’ says minister
People who have received the coronavirus vaccine will be given a card to “unlock” their lives and the economy, foreign office minister James Cleverly has said.
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NewsRoux at Parliament Square announces permanent closure
Roux at Parliament Square – the RA Group-owned restaurant in London’s Westminster – has been forced to close permanently because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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NewsBirmingham judicial review postponed
Birmingham restaurant owner Sam Morgan has postponed plans to launch a legal challenge against the government’s tier 3 restrictions.
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NewsKFC to roll out electric vehicle charging points at 450 sites
KFC UK & Ireland is to roll out rapid electric vehicle charging points at up to 450 of its restaurants across the country.
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NewsBirmingham operator to launch judicial review against government tier 3 closure
Birmingham restaurant owner Sam Morgan is set to launch a judicial review against the government, claiming it has failed to provide adequate evidence to support the closure of hospitality in tier 3 areas. Morgan, who owns restaurant concept Craft and Eight, is representing 256 businesses, mostly from the Birmingham region, under the new lobbying group ‘Birmingham Hospitality Group.’
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NewsHospitality sees immediate footfall surge in tier 2
Hospitality footfall in tier 2 areas picked up immediately on the first day post-lockdown, Wireless Social has found. Data from the Wi-Fi solutions provider has revealed that as soon as pubs and restaurants were allowed to reopen on 2 December, footfall increased to October pre-lockdown levels across venues. London footfall rose considerably, from 65% below pre-pandemic levels just before the second lockdown, to 54% below pre-pandemic levels on 2 December.
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NewsSector confidence plummets as tiers take toll
The coronavirus pandemic has severely impacted sector confidence, with less than a fifth of hospitality business leaders optimistic about the market’s prospects over the next 12 months, according to CGA and Fourth. Its latest Business Confidence Survey has revealed that just 18% of leaders are optimistic about the year ahead, 42% down on pre-pandemic levels (60%). Extended restrictions over the autumn have led to more than a quarter (27%) of multi-site business leaders predicting they will be unviable within the first six months of 2021, if current levels of support continue.
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NewsCocotte opens fourth London restaurant
French rotisserie restaurant concept Cocotte has opened its fourth London restaurant in Queens Park.
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NewsMarston’s waivers request approved by noteholders
Marston’s request to the holders of its secured class A notes for a number of further technical waivers during the first half of 2021 has been approved. In an announcement to the London Stock Exchange last month, the pubco formally requested the waivers as a precautionary measure following the renewed lockdown restrictions introduced in Wales and England.
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NewsTim Martin sells £5m of shares
JD Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin has sold £5m worth of shares in the company.
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NewsCaffè Nero founder pledges £5m ‘survival fund’ to see it through CVA
Caffè Nero founder Gerry Ford is pledging a £5m ‘survival fund’ to see the struggling coffee chain through its financial restructuring, Sky News reports.
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NewsUKH calls for new sector support fund following Tesco grant repayment
UK Hospitality has called on the government to establish a Hospitality and Tourism Recovery Fund to support businesses without grant support and at risk of closure.
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NewsBrains to close more than 100 pubs due to Wales alcohol ban
Welsh pubco and retailer SA Brains will close more than 100 managed pubs from Friday, chief executive Alistair Darby has said.
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News27% of pubs reopen post-lockdown
Just 27% of pubs in Britain were able to attempt reopening today (2 December), with many fearing they could close again in less than a week if they are unviable under tier 2 restrictions.
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NewsPrezzo acquired by Cain International
Private equity firm Cain International has acquired Prezzo from previous owners TPG as a going concern.
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NewsWales sees post-lockdown footfall surge
A surge in footfall since the end of Wales’ firebreak lockdown last month could be positive news for pubs and restaurants set to exit lockdown today in England, according to Wireless Social.
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NewsIndustry to stage second HospoDemo next week
Workers from across the hospitality industry are expected to converge once again on Parliament Square next week in a second peaceful demonstration against government restrictions and lack of support.