All MCA Insight articles in January 2021 – Page 4
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Interviews
Mark Davies: ‘If tiered restrictions return we will battle against them’
If Government looks to reintroduce the “ridiculous” restrictions on pubs seen under the tiering system, the industry “will resist”, Hawthorn CEO Mark Davies has told MCA.
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Analysis & Insight
Licensed premises drop by 6,000 in 2020
Nearly 6,000 of the UK’s licensed pub, bar and restaurant premises were lost last year, nearly triple the number of closures in 2019, according to the latest Market Recovery Monitor from CGA and AlixPartners. The monitor revealed that the ongoing lockdowns and pressures faced by businesses during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic contributed to a net decline of 5,975 sites in 2020. The decline represents a 5.1% contraction in the market since the end of 2019, and a 175% increase on the 2,171 drop in sites that year.
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News
Researchers suggest pubs and restaurants should be shut till May
Pubs and restaurants should not reopen until May, researchers from Imperial College London and the universities of Edinburgh and Warwick have recommended.
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News
Azzurri Group's Steve Holmes joins the Restaurant Conference
Azzurri Group CEO Steve Holmes will give his first exclusive interview with since the Italian casual dining group was forced into a pre-pack sale next week at MCA’s Restaurant Conference.
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News
TRG appoints new non-exec director
The Restaurant Group (TRG) has appointed Alex Gersh as a non-executive director. He will join the board on 23 February 2021 and will become a member of both the audit and nominations committees.
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News
UKHospitality bangs the drum for additional support
UKHospitality has warned that businesses will not be able to survive and contribute the rebuilding of the economy unless further support is given.
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News
Analysts’ verdict – JDW share placing
JD Wetherspoon’s £93.7m share placement should provide a buffer against the impact of low sales upon reopening, as well as enable it to invest in new sites, as and when opportunities arise. We round-up the thoughts of analysts from Liberum, Peel Hunt and Hargreaves Lansdown on the pub operator’s latest move.
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Interviews
Alex Reilley: ‘The end of the moratoria will leave thousands of businesses horrifically exposed’
Loungers chairman and co-founder Alex Reilley expects the end of the lease forfeiture and debt enforcement moratoria in March will lead to a ‘phenomenal glut’ of CVAs across hospitality.
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News
Rudy’s lines up seventh site
Mission Mars-backed pizza concept Rudy’s has secured a site in Cheshire for its seventh restaurant.
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News
Banana Tree sees delivery growth from outside London
Indochinese restaurant operator Banana Tree has found that growth in delivery sales during the pandemic has increased five-fold outside the capital, director Anne Chow told MCA.
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News
Furlough extension under consideration
Chancellor Rishi Sunak could be considering a further furlough extension in the upcoming budget, the Telegraph reports.
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News
Ten Entertainment sales down 55% in 2020
Ten Entertainment Group, the 46-strong family entertainment company, has reported a 56.9% loss in sales for the 52 weeks to the end of December 2020.
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News
Hawthorn ‘remains bullish’ in Q3 investments
Hawthorn, the NewRiver-owned community pub company, more than doubled its planned CAPEX spend for the third quarter, and added an extra 61 sites to its investment programme.
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News
UK Hospitality calls for business rates holiday and VAT cut extension ahead of budget
Hospitality must be granted an extension of the business rates holiday and VAT cut if it is to contribute to the country’s 2021 recovery, UK Hospitality has said.
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News
Figo eyes post pandemic London
Romet Group will look to take advantage of property opportunities post-pandemic to grow its Italian restaurant Figo to 12 sites.
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News
SSP menus cut by up to 60% during pandemic
Travel hub operator SSP has simplified its menus by up to 50-60% during the pandemic, which could result in smaller menus remaining post-covid, according to an analysts’ note by Peel Hunt.
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News
Slow post-Covid recovery predicted for hospitality sector
The hospitality sector is expected to see some of the slowest rates of post-Covid recovery, according to the latest EY Regional Economic Forecast.
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News
‘Scandalous’ delay in grant support for pubs
Three in four wet led pubs (74%) are still yet to receive their Christmas grant promised to them at the beginning of December 2020.
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Interviews
Peter Marks: ‘We don’t want to reopen with masks, mist and panels’
Rekom UK CEO Peter Marks has said he would rather “wait a little bit longer” for reopening, than dilute the nature of the business’ offer.
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Interviews
Rob Pitcher: ‘Landlord’s behaviour in crisis will determine future partnerships’
Hard-lined landlords refusing to “play ball” in rent negotiations will be remembered by the industry going forward, MCA’s The Conversation has heard.