All MCA Insight articles in May 2020 – Page 3
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News
Marston’s and Carlsberg UK form joint venture partnership
Marston’s and Carlsberg UK have formed a new joint venture partnership, Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC).
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Interviews
Chew on This CEO Ellen Chew: Restaurants need licensing relaxation
Intimate inner-city restaurant spaces won’t be able to reopen without a substantial relaxation in licensing rules, hospitality entrepreneur Ellen Chew has told MCA.
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News
Sector sees another week of reopenings
MCA rounds up the latest reopenings in the hospitality sector.
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News
Inn Collection hires new CFO
The Inn Collection Group has appointed Paul Edwards as its Chief Financial Officer.
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News
Wetherspoon announces comprehensive safety measures
JD Wetherspoon has announced a raft of safety measures to safeguard employees and customers when it reopens its pubs, which is currently forecast for the 4th of July. Costing an intitial £11m, the 875-strong pub chain said it will employ two full time cleaners for every pub who will constantly clean surfaces and touch points like door handles, allergen information screens, card payment machines and hand rails, throughout the day.
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Interviews
What it’s like to operate in lockdown part six: Caffè Nero
Caffè Nero Group CEO Gerry Ford talks to MCA about the extent of necessary on-site safety protocols, the encouraging response from staff and consumers so far, and what the business plans to do next.
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Interviews
Mother Clucker co-founder Brittney Bean: The economics of delivery don’t stack up
Without a national timeout on rent, restaurants having to operate a delivery-focused business model through the phased reopening period “would never stack up economically,” Brittney Bean, Mother Clucker co-founder has told MCA.
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News
Editor’s Opinion: The industry needs support, not another bill
At last count, the JRS was supporting ten million people, or around 17% of the UK. It’s a mammoth amount that highlights the impact of the coronavirus crisis, the necessity of the JRS, and, unfortunately, its unsustainability. To put it in perspective, former PM Gordon Brown popped up on Good Morning Britain earlier this week, in lieu of anyone from the actual government who are all fed up of getting their face chewed off by a rabid Piers Morgan.
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Interviews
Azzurri CEO Steve Holmes: Things are changing all the time
Do you remember what is was like to go to a restaurant and order a plate of spaghetti? I miss it hugely, and I’m just a hungry customer. So how does Azzurri CEO Steve Holmes, who runs 295 restaurants, feel about seeing his entire estate shut down? “It’s desperately sad, because we’ve made really strong progress over the last four years,” he says. “Zizzi’s NPS score moved up to number six, the highest ever. Ask was also racing up. We opened an Ask in Westfield just before everything closed and it was trading incredibly well.”
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News
Contributions to the JRS impossible for 41% unless operating at full capacity
Rishi Sunak has announced plans to ask employers to contribute to the JRS from August, but 41% of operators say they won’t be able to contribute a penny unless they are operating at full capacity by then, according to the latest weekly Hospitality Leaders Poll by MCA Insight/HIM. Our ability to top up Furlough is based on our income,” said one multi-site operator. “We won’t be able to start paying 20% of the salaries of people furloughed unless there’s enough income to pay the bills.
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News
Costa to reopen all drive-thru’s next week
Costa is set to reopen all of its drive-thru stores by the end of next week
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News
TGI Friday’s plans for July reopening at 55% capacity
TGI Friday’s is “well positioned to operate successfully with social distancing in effect,” and has plans in place for a phased dine-in reopening in July, parent operator Electra has said.
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News
Boparan confirms Carluccio’s acquisition
Boparan Restaurant Group has finalised its acquisition of Carluccio’s.
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News
“Prolonged period” of F+B pricing upheaval ahead
Food and beverage pricing deflated for the first time in its recorded history in March, but the coronavirus pandemic is expected to create instability in the months ahead, the latest CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index has found.
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News
Greene King gives tenants 90% rent reduction
Greene King Pub Partners is giving a 90% rent reduction to all tied pubs from 11 June until they can legally reopen.
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News
Deliveroo launches SME support package
Deliveroo has launched a financial support package to help SME restaurants facing challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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News
UKH releases Covid-secure guidelines
Directional movement of customers, restricted contact with commodities and regular controls of outside spaces could all be part of hospitality’s ‘new normal’ come July.
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News
Insolvency bill presented to Parliament
The Government has introduced new insolvency legislation to help struggling businesses survive through the coronavirus crisis.
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News
Whitbread launches £980 million rights issue raise
Whitbread has proposed that it intends to raise £980 million - approximately £1,009 million in gross proceeds - by way of a rights issue.
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Interviews
Hugh Osmond: ‘Do we really think we can socially distance forever?’
Hugh Osmond is already a known lockdown sceptic, having written more than a month ago of his fears that the drastic measures could cause more deaths than the coronavirus itself.