All articles by Georgia Cronin – Page 23
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InterviewsRoadchef CEO Mark Fox: ‘Soul destroying’ to be blamed for rising infection rates
The government’s suggestion that hospitality is to blame for the uptick in coronavirus cases is “soul destroying” and unfounded, MCA’s The Conversation has heard. Speaking at the event, Roadchef CEO Mark Fox said that ministers’ “sideways” accusations that hospitality businesses have had a part to play in disease transmission has “been pretty soul destroying”, given the extent to which many operators have gone to ensure their sites are safe. Also on the panel, Anglian Country Inns MD James Nye said the shift in government messaging suggests there is ”a storm on the horizon,” whilst UK Hospitality CEO Kate Nicholls argued that without a clear reason for the implementation of a curfew, it’s unlikely to produce the desired results.
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NewsSunak considers furlough replacement programme
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is drawing up plans for a new wage subsidy programme to replace the Jobs Retention Scheme next month, the Financial Times reports.
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NewsSSP sales continue to struggle
SSP Group has predicted a bleak H2 outlook as the coronavirus crisis continues to hit sales.
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NewsTen Entertainment sees post-lockdown profits
Ten Entertainment Group has seen a “strong start” to initial post-lockdown trading, remaining profitable and cash generative since reopening in August.
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NewsPM confirms tighter restrictions for hospitality
Pubs, restaurants and bars could be subject to a 10pm curfews and table service-only for up to six months, prime minister Boris Johnson has announced.
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InterviewsUK Hospitality CEO Kate Nicholls: ‘We’re heading for some very choppy waters’
The government will need to put additional, extended, mechanisms in place to support hospitality in the coming months, whatever the outcome of tomorrow’s announcement, UK Hospitality CEO Kate Nicholls has said.
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NewsWhitbread to cut 6,000 UK jobs
Whitbread will cut up to 6,000 jobs across its hotel and restaurant brands as it sees sales plummet because of the coronavirus crisis.In an update on the Stock Exchange today (22 September), the Brewers Fayre parent company has reported total sales for the six months to 27 August 2020 were down 77.2% year-on-year as a result of the forced closure of most of its sites.
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NewsTRG revises remuneration policy
The Restaurant Group has announced its intention to replace its performance-based long-term incentive plan (LTIP) with a restricted share plan. The company’s existing remuneration policy is set to expire in 2021, but given the “exceptional events” of 2020 related to the pandemic, the committee has decided to accelerate its review and has recommended a new plan “which is better aligned to the long-term interests of the company and its shareholders.”
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NewsStonegate extends £36.5m tenant support package
Stonegate Pub Company has announced further support for its pub partners, creating an overall coronavirus support package in excess of £36.5m. Within its lease and tenanted business – Ei Publican Partnerships – the pubco will offer rent reductions of 30% in October and 20% in November for tied publicans operating substantive agreements in England.
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NewsCEBR: ‘Curfew will reverse economic recovery’
The implementation of a 10pm curfew in London could reverse the country’s economic recovery, the Centre of Economics and Business Research has warned.
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News10pm curfew ‘another crushing blow’ for hospitality
Pubs, bars and restaurants across the country will be subject to a 10pm curfew from Thursday, the Prime Minister is expected to announce today.
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NewsLancashire and Merseyside face curfew as threat of national lockdown looms
Hospitality businesses in Lancashire and Merseyside will be forced to shut early from next week as tighter restrictions are introduced in the North West, Midlands and West Yorkshire.
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InterviewsGrind CEO David Abrahamovitch: ‘Lockdown was the best and worst thing for our business’
When it comes to location, Grind’s situation couldn’t be worse, admits founder and CEO David Abrahamovitch. With sites directly outside some of London’s used-to-be busiest stations – Liverpool Street, London Bridge and Bank – the coffee brand is one of many attempting to navigate its recovery in the now deserted capital, and Abrahamovitch is under no illusion that trade will return to normal anytime soon.
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InterviewsPizza Pilgrims co-founder Thom Elliot: ‘We still believe in central London’
Through a nationwide lockdown, complete drop-off in London footfall, and slow and ongoing recovery, Pizza Pilgrims, true to name, hasn’t stopped moving. Having reopened its London City site on Tuesday (15 September), the brand’s entire 13-strong estate is now back up and running, but the reopening of dine-in is just one of many positive steps the business has been able to take in the past six months.
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NewsWhitbread non-exec steps down
Whitbread non-executive director Deanna Oppenheimer is to step down from the board this year.
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NewsWelcome Break shows “resilience” in post-lockdown recovery
Motorway service operator Welcome Break has seen a “resilient” recovery in sales post-lockdown, owner Applegreen has announced.
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NewsLondon mayor calls for year-long extension of business rates holiday
London mayor Sadiq Khan has called for a year-long extension of the business rates holiday for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses.
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NewsTim Martin calls for tax equality between pubs and supermarkets
Wetherspoon is to cut the price of all food and drink on Thursday 24 September as it hosts a ‘Tax Equality Day.’
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NewsBBPA: North East curfew a significant blow to pub sector
The latest lockdown restrictions in parts of the North East are a “significant blow” to the sector, the British Beer and Pub Association has said.
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NewsUnpaid rent bills to total £4.6bn this year
Commercial property landlords could be left with unpaid rent bills of £4.6bn this year, according to the British Property Federation.