All Opinion articles – Page 18
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OpinionRohit Chugh on new concept Bambusa
Rohit Chugh, former managing director of The Cinnamon Club and the founder of Roti Chai in Marylebone, has moved into the fast casual sector with the opening of his third London restaurant Bambusa. He speaks to BigHospitality’s James McAllister.
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OpinionAnalysts corner: Mitchells & Butlers
Ahead of its H1 results this Thursday, analyst Goodbody offers up its thoughts on what we could see from the pub, bar and restaurant operator’s update.
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OpinionReady to EAT
MCA editor James Wallin looks at the rationale behind Pret’s move to acquire EAT, what the scope is for the Veggie Pret format and whether a deal would spark more consolidation in the sector.
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OpinionLoungers: ‘We trial everything’
Loungers’ head of food, Antony Bennett, talks to FoodSpark’s Sarah Sharples about how he brings in new food trends at Lounge and Cosy Club, the ingredients he is using to add layers of flavour and why new menus are always trialled on real customers.
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OpinionTaking Pride of place in the UK cask scene
Asahi’s sales director on-trade, Pete Rowe, talks to James Wallin about the company’s landmark acquisition of Fuller’s beer business and its entry into the cask ale market.
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OpinionAnalysts corner: Marston’s
With Marston’s due to release its interim results tomorrow, Goodbody takes a look at what it expects and the key questions it would like answered in the update.
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OpinionConveying a fresh brand message
YO! chief executive Richard Hodgson talks to Dominic Walsh about the continued evolution of the company, as it continues to branch out into retail, food-to-go and partnerships. He also discusses international expansion and opening its first restaurant without the brand’s signature conveyor belt.
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OpinionMark out of Ten: Zizzi doing it for the ‘Gram
This week the Azzurri Group became the first UK restaurant group to hire a dedicated Instagrammer, to promote its Zizzi chain. In his latest MCA column, Mark McCulloch – the brand and marketing guru behind Supersonic Inc – gives his view on the appointment and asks why the sector as a whole has been so slow to embrace this sort of innovation.
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OpinionThe end of the beginning
Loungers’ admission to AIM at the end of last month caps a remarkable 17-year growth story, but as chief executive Nick Collins and chairman Alex Reilley tell James Wallin, they are only just getting started. They discuss the learnings from the IPO and the next steps for Loungers, including the potential for further sites in big cities as well as an eventual entry to the Scottish market.
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OpinionSatisfaction or sales – how can you measure success?
New ways to “measure the unmeasurable” mean that satisfaction data could start to rival sales data as a key metric for operators, according to Gary Goodman, chief executive of Yumpingo.
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OpinionAnalysts corner: When will the wheels fall off the Waga?
Peel Hunt analyst Douglas Jack gives his view on the prospects for The Restaurant Group, which is due to report on Q1 trading next week. He says that while Wagamama’s like-for-like sales are likely to flatter for a while yet, the cost of labour inflation and broadly flat lfls in the rest of the company leaves the brand with little room to slow. He also asks whether it is time for companies like TRG to break out their in-store and delivery revenues and lfl sales.
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OpinionDisrupting the monthly pay cycle
With increasing pressure to retain staff, operators are seeking out innovative new ways to meet the demands of an evolving workforce. MCA’s Finn Scott-Delany looks at how employer demand and emerging technology is opening the door for flexible income.
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OpinionAnalysts corner: TRG
Analysts at Shore Capital and Goodbody give their views on the appointment of Andy Hornby as the new chief executive of The Restaurant Group.
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OpinionMark out of 10: People Power gets you a free Nando’s
When Nando’s decided to remind its customers about cashing in their loyalty points, it went big. Its stunt of erecting billboard-sized tear-down loyalty cards won it publicity across the media mix. In his latest MCA column, Mark McCulloch – the brand and marketing guru behind Supersonic Inc – looks at how Nando’s hit the PR jackpot.
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OpinionCoronation street
For any company succession planning is an absolute priority but for founder-led businesses it can present particular challenges. How can you ever replace a founder and how should they be involved in the process? MCA editor James Wallin talks to recruitment experts to get their view on the pitfalls of managing succession. They discuss what the sector can learn from examples such as Loungers as well as examining a high-profile internal promotion yesterday, in James Spragg’s succession to chief executive at Casual Dining Group.
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OpinionIsland Poke: 'We are really trying to change the landscape of grab and go'
Poke has long been considered one to watch, though had yet to make in-roads in the UK – until recently. Leading the charge and looking to redefine lunchtime is Island Poke, whose founder James Gould-Porter speaks to Finn Scott-Delany about establishing the Hawaiian speciality as a new genre of food in London.
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OpinionCaravan: ‘Pressures on the sector are forcing everyone to look at new formats’
Almost nine years since the Caravan team opened their first restaurant at Exmouth Market, they are still winning awards for their concept, collecting the Retailers’ Retailer Evolution Award last month. Co-founder Miles Kirby spoke to MCA’s sister title, Food Spark, about the brand’s constant thirst for innovation.
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OpinionGotham’s Easter quiz
With the Easter bank holiday weekend almost upon us, MCA’s market insight director Steve Gotham offers up a bit of a light-hearted break from the norm with a test of your knowledge of the eating and drinking out market.