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LongreadsProperty focus: Race to the suburbs?
Is there really a race for space in the suburbs and market towns? And what other factors are driving the current property market? MCA deputy editor Georgi Gyton takes a look at the current landscape and how it might play out over the coming months
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Longreads
Virtual reality – the rise of the delivery-only restaurant
Korean chicken wings have long been a favourite at Bone Daddies. Marinated in a mix of mirin, sake, ginger and salt, deep fried, smothered in a sticky gochujang sauce, and topped with sesame seeds, the signature side has been a staple of the ramen group’s menu since it launched back in 2012.
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Longreads
A new era for Leon
The acquisition of Leon for a reported £100m marks the end of an era and the start of a new one for a brand that has been led by one of its original founders for 17 years.
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Longreads
Rent debt: ‘There’s going to be pain on both sides’
Rent debt remains the biggest unsolved problem of the pandemic, a looming prospect which threatens to wreck the recovery of a sector before it has begun.
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Longreads
Hospitality readies itself for battle with the elements
With the hospitality sector gearing up for reopening after a long, hard winter, the last thing it needs is scores of guests not showing up for bookings. While some operators have put in place additional measures to confirm tables, the big unknown is whether people’s desire to escape their houses for a drink or a meal outside is strong enough to counter the discouraging effects of any less than clement weather.
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Longreads
How UK pubs became the focus of a global investment frenzy
The Great British Pub has become the subject of fervent interest from international investor groups looking for operational real estate. But is the sector as distressed as these funds believe?
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Longreads
Outside chance: hospitality gears up for alfresco April
Many operators are throwing everything they have at outdoor dining this April and beyond. But will the industry make hay while the sun shines or will the whole exercise be a damp squib?
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Longreads
Kerb appeal: what the future holds for the street food sector
The pandemic has devastated the street food sector, but with the end of lockdown in sight, Kerb duo Petra Barran and Simon Mitchell believe there’s plenty of reason for optimism.
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Longreads
Driving through efficiencies in coffee service
Drive-thru technology is helping businesses improve customer service, reduce waiting times and personalise their marketing, as Costa UK has discovered.
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Longreads
Back for good: how back of house technology can transform your business
If there’s one thing those in the restaurant industry have learnt more than anything in the past 12 months, it’s the true value of back of house tech.
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Longreads
How technology is revolutionising the post-pandemic restaurant sector
At the end of 2019, if a customer wanted to order and pay for their food using their mobile phone the number of restaurants in which they could do this would have been relatively small. Fast forward to this year and, once lockdown is lifted, the number of places offering digital order and pay will be significantly bigger.
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Longreads
Brandwatch: Shake Shack @ Deliveroo Editions
Deliveroo Editions was hailed by CEO Will Shu as the future of food delivery when the dark kitchen platform launched in 2017.
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Longreads
Wahaca’s journey to Nando’s stablemate
The acquisition of Wahaca by the owners of Nando’s gives a much-needed injection of equity to a brand that has experienced more than its fair share of turmoil over its 13 years.
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Longreads
Lights out for late night?
Having already provided your full name and contact details, you pass by the thermal imaging camera and through the personal protection tunnel, where you remain for five seconds to ensure the chlorine dioxide has thoroughly disinfected your clothes and skin. No, this is not Area 51. Welcome to opening night at Piano Works, Farringdon. In its preparations for reopening, which operations director Tristan Moffat hopes will be by the beginning of October, the London-based live music concept isn’t taking any shortcuts when it comes to consumer safety.
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Longreads
The rise and fall of Coffeesmiths Collective
One of the more intriguing growth stories of the past ten years, Coffeesmiths Collective is the latest business to begin insolvency proceedings, as parts of the business enter liquidation.
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Longreads
‘The model is broken’: solving the leasing question
Throughout lockdown, it has been easy to cast commercial landlords as the big bad wolf.
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Longreads
Navigating the double edged sword of delivery
Delivery and takeaway are one of the only tangible ways left for operators to serve customers during the coronavirus outbreak. With consumers no longer able to eat out, common sense logic assumed they would simply transfer spending to delivery. Yet for various reasons, this has not played out ...
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Longreads
Getting social - the risks and rewards
As Chancellor Rishi Sunak grinned next to an unnecessarily large bag of Yorkshire Tea and Jacob Rees-Mogg threw caution to the wind in clutching a single walkers crisp, social media managers everywhere groaned in solidarity. “Look how relatable we are,” called the two men, “so normal!” Within minutes, Twitter warriors throughout the country were primed for battle. Yorkshire Tea, Walkers and Pringles (which committed the crime of simply sitting, unopened, on Reese-Mogg’s desk), were immediately inundated with online abuse.
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Longreads
Instagram: Looking Good Enough To Eat
No dish reaches the candy pink menu at EL&N cafe without having its photo taken first. The chain’s head of food Daniel Booth will “play around with dishes during the development process, taking photos to see how they look through a lens before finalising them,” says head of marketing Sahar Mahdavian. The result is immaculate. Sambazon acai smoothie bowls and edible flowers perch pristinely on ancient grain granola, more modern art than breakfast.
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Longreads
Bangkok bounce back?
Once the darling of the Thai restaurant scene, Busaba has had a tough few years, with falling profits and site closures. Now with a simplified offer and a fresh focus on the capital, it’s looking to bounce back
