Pubs, Bars & Clubs News – Page 61
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NewsWetherspoon infection rate ‘proves pubs risk is low’
Pub company Wetherspoon reports that it has had approximately 32m customer visits to its 861 pubs since reopening, with 66 positive tests for covid-19 among its 41,564 employees.
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NewsFullers trading at 80% compared to last year
Fullers has released a trading statement for the 23 weeks to 5 September 2020 ahead of its AGM later this morning (10 September). After lockdown closed its estate, Fuller’s began reopening sites on 4 July and now has over 90% of its pubs and hotels open. Like for like sales are currently 80% and the business said sales in August were boosted by the EOHO scheme. It said Cotswold Inns & Hotels, which Fuller’s acquired in October 2019, also benefitted from the staycation trend.
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NewsLabour calls for sector-specific furlough extension
Labour has called for a sector-specific extension of the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme, warning that a blanket withdrawal will force many late-night hospitality businesses to close.
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NewsUK Hospitality CEO Kate Nicholls: Continued enforced nightclub closure ‘illogical’
The government’s continued enforced closure of the late-night sector is both illogical and without scientific reasoning, UK Hospitality CEO Kate Nicholls has said.
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NewsWetherspoon sees almost 6m track and trace check ins in August
JD Wetherspoon has received 5,742,125 track and trace check ins across its UK and Ireland estate in just one month.
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NewsRevolution CEO Rob Pitcher: ‘Government must take responsibility for its actions’
Although the government was justified in its initial decision to enforce closure on hospitality through lockdown, it must now take responsibility for the consequences of its actions, Revolution Bars CEO Rob Pitcher has said.
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NewsHall & Woodhouse appoints Anne Elliot as non-exec director
Dorset-based pubco Hall & Woodhouse has appointed Anne Elliot as non-executive director, replacing Mike Street who stepped down in May after 10 years on the board.
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NewsGreene King sees record number of tenant applications
Greene King has recorded its highest ever number of new tenant applications this Summer, despite the impact of the coronavirus crisis. Across June, July and August, 254 people got in touch with Greene King Pub Partners wanting to run their own pub, more than double the same period in 2019. The pubco has also revealed that even in the height of lockdown, between 24 March and 22 June, there were 108 new unique applications.
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NewsLiverpool One launches cabin bar concept
Liverpool’s central shopping complex Liverpool One has launched a new cabin bar concept, ‘The Chavasse Project.’
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NewsRevolution trading ahead of expectations
Revolution has reopened 39 bars which are trading “ahead of the Board’s expectations, in part as a result of the Eat Out To Help Out scheme” it has said in a trading update. It said like for likes for the 8 weeks to 29 August 2020 were 72.5% of last year, but the launch of EOHO had seen like for likes across Monday to Wednesday hit 188.4% compared to last year. Revolution plans to continue to run EOHO at least through September. It also plans to open 13 more bars on 7 September but 11 bars are unlikely to reopen until social distancing restrictions are further relaxed.
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NewsBrewDog confirms Plymouth bar
BrewDog has confirmed it will be opening a 4,000 sq ft bar at The Barcode, the new leisure and entertainment development, located next to Drake Circus in Plymouth city centre.
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NewsJDW scheme ‘cheaper than McDonald’s’
JD Wetherspoon launches a ‘Stay Out To Help Out’ scheme today (Tuesday September 1).
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NewsInn Collection Group expands in Lake District
The Inn Collection Group has expanded its portfolio with the purchase of a fifth site in the Lake District.
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NewsGreene King pledges to create 1000 opportunities for young people and drive diversity in new Princes Trust partnership
Greene King has pledged to create 1000 opportunities for young people in a new five-year agreement with the Princes Trust.
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NewsGreene King offers another £6m in rent concessions
Greene King has announced an additional £6m of financial support for its tied tenants. MD Wayne Shurvinton has written to all Greene King’s tied pub tenants to confirm a 40% rent concession will be in place for all tied pubs for a further four weeks after the current support comes to an end. That will be followed by a 30% rent concession for the four weeks after that, taking support through until October. Tied tenants buying barrels of beer or cider from Greene King will also continue receiving a trade credit of £35 per barrel through to 2021.
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NewsWetherspoons releases trading update
JD Wetherspoon has said like for like sales are down 16.9% for the 44 days to 16 August 2020 in a trading update. It said it had now reopened 844 of its 873 pubs, with some airport and station sites remaining shuttered. It has opened two new sites since July. The update said the businesses remains in a “sound financial position” with net debt at the end of the last financial year around £825m. It also agreed a £48.3m loan under the CLBILS scheme. Chairman Tim Martin also questioned the validity of lockdowns and took aim at the suggestion pubs were hives of infections when it comes to the coronavirus.
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NewsTapas back on the menu at Spanish Revolution
Spanish Restaurant Group, which operates Tapas Revolution, has now opened half of its 12-strong estate. It will continue to open sites and plans to be fully operational in October. Since the lockdown the group has restructured its management system and introduced a profit-related pay scheme. “We’re in a great position to get our fleet of Spanish restaurants back in operation and have a team who are committed and eager to start welcoming guests through our doors again, with our initial performance ahead of expectation,” said MD James Picton.
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NewsGreene King posts £273m losses
Greene King’s revenues were down 13.4% to £1.9bn in the full year to 26 April 2020 with its pub business worst hit by the coronavirus.
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NewsVision Venues begins to build bar estate
Vision Venues, a new company from festival and event operator Field Vision Bars, has acquired The Island Grocer in Poplar, the first of three new bricks and mortar bars.
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NewsSam Smith’s refuses to support track and trace
Samuel Smith, the Yorkshire-based brewer and pub operator, is refusing to cooperate with the government’s track and trace system.