23/03/2021
Pub companies review late-night working practices following Sarah Everard's death
The Morning Advertiser advise that while the Government has outlined a controversial pilot scheme to send plain-clothed officers into pubs and clubs, recent events have compelled a number of hospitality firms to review late shift practices on the other side of the bar.
Plain clothes police officers could patrol bars and nightclubs to help protect women
Big Hospitality meanwhile further reported that plain clothes police officers could patrol bars and nightclubs across the country under Government plans to step up its protection of women against predatory offenders when on a night out.
Stonegate hit by £746m loss on back of pandemic-led pub closures
According to the Financial Times, Stonegate, the UK's largest pub company, has reported a £746m pre-tax loss after the coronavirus regulations forced it to close the majority of its pubs and turn to investors and debt markets for an extra £1.4bn funding.
Marston's to reopen almost 700 pubs with gardens in England from April 12th
The Sun reported that around 70% of Marstons' England branches will open their doors again in April. The 696 pubs being reopened by Marston's are all in England, although not all English sites will welcome customers back due to not having an outdoor space.
£8.2bn wiped from the pub sector in beer sales alone in "year to forget for pubs"
Around 2,000 pubs are estimated to have closed permanently and £8.2bn in value wiped from the sector in beer sales alone in the past 12 months, figures from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) show as reported by Big Hospitality.
Five Guys 'to launch first UK drive-thru sites this summer'
Five Guys, the c.100 strong upmarket burger chain backed by Carphone Warehouse founder Sir Charles Dunstone, is planning to open its first UK drive-thru sites after the success of its pandemic-era "curbside" collection service according to the Evening Standard.
Show will go on at Cafe de Paris
Ibiza nightclub operator Pacha Group has swooped on Cafe de Paris, one of London's oldest nightclubs, and plans to reopen the landmark as a cabaret venue. Cafe de Paris, a symbol of the West End which opened in 1924 and hosted stars including Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland, went into liquidation in December, The Times has reported.
Wetherspoon's hit by £68m loss as boss hits out at Covid controls
Wetherspoon's said revenues fell by 54% from £933m to £431m in the six months to 24 January, with the business making an overall pre-tax loss of £68m. In the same period last year the company, which runs 872 pubs across the UK, made a £35.7m profit. Wetherspoon's also revealed that on Thursday it secured a £51.7m loan from the government's coronavirus large business interruption loan scheme. This takes its total in government support to £100m, after a £48.3m loan secured in August, according to The Guardian.
And Finally...
Liverpool will be part of a pilot scheme to test crowd safety before lockdown rules ease later this year. The government said it will work with organisers to get spectators for test events at a nightclub, comedy club and business events venue in the city, the BBC has reported.