20/04/2021
Drink sales rocket on hospitality's first day of trading
Big Hospitality reported that like-for-like drink sales were up by more than 110% on hospitality's first day of trading (12 April) compared to the same day in 2019, according to CGA data.
Leon: Billionaire Issa brothers buy fast food chain
According to the BBC, the billionaire Issa brothers, who own Asda and the giant EG Group, have bought the fast food chain, Leon. The deal, reportedly worth up to £100m, includes 42 company-owned restaurants, as well as 29 franchise sites which are mainly found in airports and train stations across the UK and a handful of sites in Europe.
'Not the time' for mandatory calorie labels on pints
Reports of proposals to force large pub chains to display calorie labels on pints of beer have been dubbed "outrageous" and described as "costly and complicated" by the trade, according to reports in the Morning Advertiser.
Hawthorn looks to IPO as a standalone business
Parent company NewRiver has said that community pub company Hawthorn is considering an IPO to be led by British Beer and Pub Association and firm board member, Mark Davies, who took the reins at Hawthorn in 2019. Davies told the Evening Standard he is "super excited" and that the IPO will help the company "scale and deliver" and achieve its aim of becoming the "number-one community pub company in the UK".
Loungers to open four more venues in "tenant-friendly environment" post lockdown
Loungers will grow its estate to 172 restaurants and bars by the end of the May with the opening of four new venues as it looks to get back on track to opening 25 sites a year, according to Big Hospitality.
Britons' Just Eat orders nearly double in Covid lockdown
The Guardian advise that Britons' appetite for a takeaway during the latest Covid-19 lockdown led to a near-doubling in orders over the last three months at Just Eat Takeaway.com. Customers stuck at home across Europe placed 200m orders with the company between January and March. Orders were up 79% compared with the same period a year earlier.
Yo! Sushi eyes listing as it shifts focus to US and shops
The Telegraph has reported that Yo! Sushi, the conveyor-belt sushi chain, is exploring a stock market listing as it invests in a major expansion into supermarkets and the US as it seeks to navigate a post Covid recovery.
And Finally...
The re-opening of pubs with outdoor space has led to the emergence of a new trend - the "pub hood". According to ITV online, the online home shop OHS has seen sales of hoodie blankets rise 781% compared with last year. The 'pub hood' hoodie blanket is an oversized hoodie sweatshirt usually made with fleece type material. There is now a camouflage version being marketed as "for those who can only get a weekday pub garden booking and want to avoid being spotted by the boss". Some may prefer never to be spotted wearing one - in any circumstances.