All articles by Shwetali Sapte – Page 21
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NewsPizzaExpress partners with Ello Group
The pizzeria chain has revived its tie-up to offer another avenue to reach its customers, with tastecard and Gourmet Society reaching four million members across both brands
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Analysis & InsightFresh twists on festive feasting
MCA looks at the restaurant groups breaking the shackles to introduce their own takes on holiday dining, incorporating British traditions with flavours from afar
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InterviewsXP Factory sees more potential than ever
The Escape Hunt and Boom Battle Bar operator sees more opportunity for growth in the UK than previously assumed, with plans to accelerate expansion to 10-15 new openings per year
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InterviewsPho invests in driving delivery sales
Marketing director Libby Andrews told MCA’s Restaurant Conference that the Vietnamese restaurant group is working to raise brand awareness as it builds its presence around the country
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![Bar + Block interiors[78]](https://d36hgjhwuw81py.cloudfront.net/Pictures/100x67/4/5/8/343458_barblockinteriors78_101429.jpg)
NewsWhitbread takes on Joe Texeira as MD
Texeira, formerly CEO of Boparan Restaurant Group and MD at Greene King, will take responsibility for Whitbread’s Restaurants division
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NewsXP Factory grows revenue by 33%
The experiential leisure operator delivered continued underlying like-for-like growth in both its Escape Hunt and Boom Battle Bar brands, ahead of the industry
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InterviewsWingstop UK continues to break sales records
The chain broke 147 individual sales records in November, “massively fuelled” by delivery, COO Matt Shepard told MCA’s Restaurant Conference
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InterviewsOttolenghi explores expansion outside central London
The premium restaurant group will open a site in Richmond and another in partnership with Mandarin Oriental Hotels, while growing its wholesale business and partnership with Waitrose
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InterviewsMarston’s: ‘2024 was a seminal year’
The pub group does not see pricing as its primary tool to mitigate labour cost increases, instead focusing on driving visit frequency and revenue, according to CEO Justin Platt
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Analysis & Insight
Early festive socialising fuels hospitality in run-up to Christmas
The hospitality & leisure category was up 4.7% in November, with bars, pubs, and clubs seeing their highest growth since July, according to Barclays
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InterviewsThunderbird to take first steps outside London
The fried chicken brand has seen “incredibly strong” like-for-like sales and is working on securing new franchisees - as well as a new concept, CEO Paul Gilchrist tells MCA
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InterviewsTortilla pushes ahead with dual-partnership delivery approach
CFO Maria Denny told MCA’s Restaurant Conference that the group has seen an expected decline in delivery volumes but is building a more “aligned approach” to drive profitability
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NewsNando’s reveals next expansion push
The restaurant group increased revenue to £1.4bn in the year to February 2024, and will open 14 new restaurants across the UK in the current financial year
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NewsWendy’s UK launches new app
The loyalty scheme comes as the American QSR chain continues its expansion push across the UK, having recently signed up new franchisee Khidmat
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Analysis & InsightHigh quality, accessible offers drive restaurant market growth
Brands like Dishoom, The Ivy, and Miller & Carter are expected to continue robust growth, while legacy brands struggle to recover to pre-Covid levels, according to Lumina Intelligence
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NewsOpenings of the week
MCA rounds up this week’s biggest openings stories, featuring Fulham Shore’s Super Club Roma, Loungers’ newest Brightside, and more
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NewsETM Group achieves double-digit turnover growth
The premium bar and restaurant group achieved turnover of £43.5m and secured new investment to support its growth, as well as new funding for the Ludo venture with St Austell
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Analysis & InsightLoungers buyout makes ‘perfect sense’ for management and shareholders
The all-day operator is the latest in a growing list of hospitality groups to exit the public markets, with a share price that has failed to reflect the real value and potential of the business, analysts and commentators tell MCA
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Analysis & InsightDelivery volumes continue to grow
While at-home revenue growth is partly driven by increased prices, CGA’s latest Hospitality at Home Tracker shows an uptick in the volume of orders
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NewsPizzaExpress launches new Pod concept
The PizzaExpress Pod has opened at Tesco Extra in Southampton, offering customers their favourites on the go as well as a chance to redeem Tesco Clubcard points