All Wagamama articles – Page 6
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NewsMarch 2020
Unfortunately one issue is dominating the news agenda. Coronavirus presents any number of difficulties for the industry and for now we are in the unenviable position of not knowing how severe they could be. Contributing editor Peter Martin and columnist Dom Walsh explore the issue in their latest columns.
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Analysis & InsightGetting 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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Analysis & InsightSteve Gotham: Turning up the heat and other NPD delights
New product development (NPD) is rightly recognised as a lifeblood for the eating out industry, and MCA’s Menu Tracker offers insights into the latest menu trends and influences across 150 leading operators. This review only serve as a taster, but the three courses have each been accompanied with three key summary insights.
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NewsSherwood promoted amid senior shake-up at Wagamama
Wagamama UK managing director Nigel Sherwood has been promoted to chief operating officer amid a shake-up of the senior team.
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NewsBourke joins Wireless Social as NED
ETM Group director of sales and marketing Sam Bourke has taken on additional role as non-executive director of Wireless Social.
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NewsWagamama CEO Emma Woods on expansion, delivery, Mamago and the coronavirus
Hard, disciplined and relentless. Not the first words you might imagine when thinking about Wagamama, but you don’t deliver 8.5% upticks in a market like this just because you have a big vegan menu and smiley staff. You also need to be as tough as Japanese steel.
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Opinion
Brewdog: An open “rant” on the impact of our Government’s new points-based immigration scheme
Brewdog COO David McDowell pens and open “rant” on the impact of the Government’s proposed points-based immigration system on the hospitality industry.
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NewsWagamama “has transformed” The Restaurant Group says Hornby
Buying Wagamama has had a transformational effect on the fortunes of The Restaurant Group, said the business as it released its results for the 52 weeks to 29 December 2019. It said total sales were up 56.4% from £686m to £1,073.1m, while adjusted pre-tax profits were £74.5m. It recorded an exceptional pre-tax charge of £111.8m due to “impairment” in its leisure arm, primarily made up of Frankie and Benny’s and Chiquito, leaving a statutory loss before tax of £37.3m.
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NewsMore closures expected for TRG leisure brands
The Restaurant Group is expected to announce further closures of Frankie & Benny’s and Chiquito this week, the Mail on Sunday reports.
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NewsAzzurri crowned at Casual Dining Awards second year running
Azzurri Group, Wagamama and The Ivy Collection were amongst those named as the UK’s best pub, bar and restaurant operators at the Casual Dining Awards yesterday.
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Analysis & InsightInstagram: 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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Analysis & InsightDelivery promiscuity in a fragmented market
Casual dining brands are becoming more promiscuous with delivery operators, MCA analysis has revealed.
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NewsAll’s fair in love and restaurants – how did the operators line up to fight for the Valentine’s share of wallet?
If French is the language of love, then presumably a French restaurant should be where I head with my true love on Valentine’s Day. Certainly, the leading French chains are using several seduction techniques to secure my custom – and for good reason. February is a slow trading month and an event where consumers might be more inclined to loosen the purse strings for fear of having their heart strings damaged, is well worth aiming to capitalise upon. So who offered what on the big day?
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NewsSteve Gotham: Recovering confidence and and accelerating growth in 2020
Encouragingly for most, MCA predicts that 2020 will see stronger net physical increases in store portfolios across the majority of leading operators.MCA’s Operator Data Index includes over 350 branded operators with five or more outlets at December 2019. These stretch across the full spectrum of the market and account for close to 27,000 outlets which claimed modest overall year on year growth of just under 1% in 2019. We are expecting this growth rate to double to 2% in December 2020, with over 500 net new outlets to open, equating to 11 per week.
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Analysis & InsightBangkok 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
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Analysis & InsightA stock-take on physical expansion
A stock-take on physical expansion – Review of 2019 risers and fallers
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NewsWagamama sale cost £55m in admin expenses
The sale process of Wagamama to The Restaurant Group cost £55.2m in exceptional administrative expenses, newly released accounts reveal.
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NewsRetailers’ Retailer full nominees list revealed
The finalists for MCA’s Retailers’ Retailer Awards 2020 have been announced, with the cohort reflecting a diverse and vibrant range of eating and drinking out operators.
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NewsPret most admired brand for eleventh consecutive year
Pret has been crowned the ‘most admired brand’ by leading industry professionals for the eleventh consecutive year.
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Analysis & InsightGoodbody on TRG
Restaurant Group will report a Q4 trading update in late January. At this point last year RTN gave full year LFL’s for the group and total sales. We forecast FY LFL sales growth of -0.8% in the Legacy business with LFL sales growth of 8.8% for Wagamama UK (implying a group FY LFL of just above 2%). As a reminder group LFL growth was +3.7% in the first 34 weeks.