All articles by James McAllister – Page 7
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InterviewsEmilia’s Crafted Pasta: ‘We’ve doubled down on values and quality’
Founder Andrew Macleod tells MCA he sees scope for the premium pasta concept to eventually reach 50 sites across the UK, but only if the brand’s culture is preserved
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NewsPhil Urban: ‘Credit where credit’s due, at least the new PM has done something’
The Mitchells & Butlers CEO tells MCA last week’s rates announcement is welcome and that he would also like to see the new government reverse the employer’s national insurance changes
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InterviewsTortilla: ‘We’re excited about how the brand will evolve over the next few years’
Brandon Stephens tells MCA the first half of 2026 has been about putting in place foundations and enablers that will ‘set the business up for long-term, sustainable growth’
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NewsWahaca moves into positive like-for-like sales
The contemporary Mexican restaurant group says its positive LFL trajectory has continued into FY26, adding that it is ‘in a great position’ to continue to drive organic growth’
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Analysis & InsightRapid churn of closures and openings sees number of hospitality outlets hold steady in Q2
The latest Hospitality Market Monitor highlights particularly significant churn in the bar sector and shows that Britain’s city centres remain resilient despite the sector’s challenges
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NewsWorld Cup delivers 16% spending boost for UK pubs and bars
Data from Dojo also shows that across the tournament spending uplift in hospitality venues was 9% higher on average compared to Euro 2024
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NewsTortilla: ‘2025 was a year of progress and of difficult lessons in equal measure’
While its UK business stabilised, the fast casual Mexican restaurant group says the integration of the France-based Fresh Burritos proved ‘far more challenging’ and it is now exiting underperforming sites
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NewsBrava acquires Riding House Café
The group says the acquisition marks a significant expansion of its hospitality portfolio and strengthens its position in the central London dining scene
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NewsBig Table sees ‘meaningful opportunities ahead’ despite market challenges
The group says FY25 was one of significant progress and that it is on track to deliver its strongest profit growth in the last five years in FY26
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NewsThe Lancaster Landmark Hotel Company unveils ‘global evolution’ to support future growth
The group has rebranded itself as The Landmark Collection, a move that brings together its six global properties under one umbrella
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NewsComptoir announces new finance director
Nathan Portelli, who is currently head of finance, will move into the FD role later in the year following the departure of James Fisher
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NewsNightcap in talks about multimillion pound fundraising deal
It’s reported the late-night operator has approached investors about a seven-figure capital injection to finance the purchase of a sizeable ‘competitive socialising’ leisure concept
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NewsBusiness groups unite against holiday tax
As Edinburgh becomes the first UK city to introduce a holiday tax, a coalition of business, hospitality, tourism, countryside and travel groups have urged the government to rethink the policy
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News‘Burnham bounce’ and World Cup fever boosts consumer mood
GfK’s long-running monthly survey shows confidence climbed six points higher in July, the largest increase seen since November 2023, amid a ‘wave of optimism’
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NewsOpenings of the week
MCA rounds up this week’s biggest openings stories including a trio of taco brands pushing for expansion, Tonkotsu’s latest regional outpost, and the launch of Inception Group’s new flagship concept
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News‘Challenging weather conditions’ moderates third quarter trading at M&B
The pub and restaurant group saw flat sales in Q3, but notes that year-to-date like-for-like growth remains robust at 2.2%
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NewsWorld Cup lifts pubs but restaurant sales dip in flat June for hospitality
While pub like-for-like sales were up by 1.9% year-on-year last month, the best performance of the year so far for the category, restaurant group sales were down 0.7%
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NewsRyan: ‘Business rates cut more generous than it first appears’
The global tax firm says when taken together with support announced earlier this year the new reduction to rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues represents ‘a significant package’
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InterviewsMoto Hospitality: ‘We’re expecting a bumper summer’
CEO Ken McMeikan tells MCA the MSA operator is seeing strong growth this year driven in part by the expansion of its EV infrastructure and a rise in UK staycations
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NewsBusiness rate cut: ‘A shot of relief for pub, clubs and live venues’
The government’s decision to cut business rates bills for thousands of hospitality venues across England has been welcomed, but there are warnings over the exclusion of restaurants and hotels