All interviews – Page 50
-
InterviewsCreams cracks delivery conundrum
It has been one of the most hotly debated unknowns coming out of lockdown.
-
InterviewsFuller’s: ‘British pubs handle evolution brilliantly’
Like the majority of the country, Simon Emeny is enjoying the afterglow of England’s football heroics when we speak on Thursday morning.
-
InterviewsMcMullen: Freehold model worked well during Covid
The freehold market proved a safe haven for McMullen & Sons during the pandemic thanks to investors choosing to keep their cash in pub assets.
-
InterviewsD&D London: ‘The biggest issue we have is lack of staff’
The biggest single issue for D&D London is not lack of revenue – it’s staff, chief executive Des Gunewardena told MCA’s The Conversation.
-
InterviewsItsu: ‘We now have both eyes outside London’
Itsu’s chief executive Ganan Kanagathurai is relatively mild-mannered compared to the gregarious, outsized personality of the group’s founder, Julian Metcalfe, which might explain why his promotion more than a year ago slipped under the radar.
-
InterviewsArc Inspirations: ‘We’ve been surprised at the competition for sites’
There is a surprising amount of competition between operators for the best sites, Martin Wolstencroft, chief executive of Arc Inspirations has found.
-
InterviewsChilango: ‘We’d like to have a further 30 sites by 2025’
Mexican-inspired chain Chilango is aiming to open a further 30 restaurants by 2025, managing director Richard Franks has told MCA.
-
InterviewsRent debt issue showing positive signs of development
Recommendations being put forward to government on how to tackle the growing issue of rent debt are broadly in line with what UKHospitality and its members have been asking for, according to its director of strategic affairs Tony Sophoclides.
-
InterviewsRekom UK: ‘We’ve opened our nightclubs as nightpubs’
Rekom UK has reopened the majority of its nightclub venues as ‘nightpubs’ due to increasing nervousness that the 21 June roadmap date would be delayed, chief executive Peter Marks told MCA’s The Conversation.
-
InterviewsM&B’s Bob Ivell: ‘I wouldn’t have wanted to do anything else’
Bob Ivell says he is often asked by friends why he hasn’t retired by now. For the Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) non-executive chairman, the answer is simple: ‘We have +1,700 of the best pubs and restaurants in the UK – why would I want to?’
-
InterviewsHawthorn: Table ordering negatively impacting trade
It is crucial community pub companies like Hawthorn can resume bar service on 21 June, due to the economic and social cost of table service, CEO Mark Davies has told MCA.
-
InterviewsTRG’s Andy Hornby: ‘Everyone understood the world had changed’
When the pandemic took hold in March last year, it was obvious to The Restaurant Group’s (TRG) chief executive Andy Hornby that “all bets were off” – tough decisions had to be made.
-
InterviewsItsu: ‘Increasing our hot food sales is a key focus’
The pandemic has accelerated Itsu’s move to make hot food a more prominent part of its offer, chief executive, Ganan Kanagathurai has told MCA.
-
InterviewsTRG’s Andy Hornby: We will open fewer Wagamamas in city centres
The impact of the pandemic has not dampened The Restaurant Group’s (TRG) ambition to continue to expand the footprint of its Wagamama brand – but it has changed where those restaurants will be located, chief executive Andy Hornby has told MCA.
-
InterviewsBoxpark: ‘The rent situation is a shambles’
The current situation with regards to rent is “like a scene from Monty Python”, according to Roger Wade, chief executive, Boxpark.
-
InterviewsNTIA: ‘We were blown away by the lack of regard for the sector’
The government’s plan to give one week’s notice to reopen shows little respect for the nightlife sector, Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has told MCA.
-
InterviewsYoung’s: ‘It’s the right time to sell our tenanted business’
The decision by Young’s to divest its tenanted division Ram Pub Company is actually part of the pub operator and brewer’s growth strategy, “if it comes to fruition”, chief executive Patrick Dardis has told MCA.
-
InterviewsM&B: ‘If we can’t trade, government support must continue’
Mitchells & Butlers’ (M&B) chief executive Phil Urban, said he would rather trade with some restrictions for longer, rather than have stop-start trade if local lockdowns were to be imposed due to the Indian variant of Covid-19.
-
InterviewsJollibee: No reason we can’t beat KFC in Europe
Jollibee was treated as something of a curiosity when it landed in the UK in Earl’s Court.
-
InterviewsFridays: ‘We would consider QSR and drive-thru formats’
The resilience of the Fridays brand and its success in new formats during the pandemic has encouraged chief executive Robert Cook to explore other options for growth, he told MCA.