Business Model
Our Business Model coverage explores how UK foodservice operators, from restaurants and pubs to caterers and café groups, are adapting and innovating their commercial strategies in response to shifting consumer habits, economic pressures, and competitive dynamics. We report on emerging revenue streams, franchising, delivery models, subscription dining, tech integrations, cost structures, and diversification strategies that define successful operations across the hospitality landscape.
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Feb- 2020 -4 FebruaryFeatures
From barrister to restaurateur: Nisha Katona on her Indian street food chain
“I was a child protection barrister for 20 years but always with a completely blinding passion and obsession for the food of my ancestors – which is home-style Indian food,” says Nisha Katona, founder of Indian street food chain Mowgli. Katona started her restaurateur journey because she realised that a…
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Jan- 2020 -22 JanuaryFeatures
Trends that will shape food service in 2020
After a tough couple of years that have seen major chains falling like dominos, the foodservice industry last year saw the faintest glimmer of recovery. But it is still growing at under 1% per year, and considering the population of the UK is growing at around 0.6% a year, that…
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15 JanuaryBusiness Bites
Boohoo more valuable than M&S – a sea-change encapsulated
From a purely journalistic standpoint it is now a de facto cliché to refer to Marks and Spencer as the “high street bellwether”, yet that is the status it has held for so many decades. The once mighty monolith was the first British retailer to reach a market capitalisation of £1bn and…
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13 JanuaryPubs and Bars
City Pub Group warns on profits as ‘one-off factors’ hit earnings
The City Pub Group has warned that its earnings will come in slightly below expectations after a series of “one-off factors” dented its profitability. The owner and operator of 47 premium pubs across Southern England and Wales, revealed that for the 52-week period ending 29 December 2019 turnover was up…
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9 JanuaryBusiness Bites
Who would have thought skinny jeans could be anyone’s undoing?
It’s not often that the business pages give you a good belly laugh. But today we have the spectacle of Marks & Spencer blaming its poor Christmas trading results partly on an oversupply of skinny jeans for men. Apparently customer surveys revealed that the high street bellwether’s ranges were “too old” the…
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6 JanuaryRestaurants
Fewer closures but more job losses in casual dining, research finds
Casual dining closures fell by more than a fifth last year, according to joint research from the Altus Group and the Centre for Retail Research (CRR). Restaurant closures in the sector fell from 1,188 in 2018 to 922 during 2019, whilst total job losses rose by 8%. A total of…
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Nov- 2019 -27 NovemberBreweries and Distilleries
Marston’s profits drop by £3m
Marston’s has reported a £3m drop in profit, despite a rise in revenue for this financial year. In the year ending 28 September, underlying pre-tax profit fell to £101m, down £3m from £104m the previous year. The group also reported a pre-tax profit loss of £20m, compared to the £54.3m…
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Oct- 2019 -23 OctoberBusiness
Just Eat revenues jump 25% in Q3 results
Just Eat has reported a 25% increase in revenues to £248m in the three months to 30 September 2019. Its UK orders increased by 8% to 33 million, driven by rapid growth in its delivery proposition, which is now present in all key zones. Group orders also increased by 16%…
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Jun- 2019 -27 JunePeople
New Marco Pierre White restaurant opens in Sheffield
Located in the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Sheffield Park Hotel, a new Steakhouse Bar and Grill has opened following a deal between Vine Hotels, which owns and operates the venue, and Black and White Hospitality, which is the franchising arm of Pierre White’s restaurants. The new restaurant has replaced the…
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25 JuneCafes and Coffee Shops
Cake Box reports 41% rise in gross profit
Bakery chain Cake Box has recorded a 41% rise in its gross profits to £7.7m for the year 31 March 2019; revenue also rose by a third to £17m. Pre-tax profits also rose by 14% to £3.8m, with profit for the period rising by just under 10% to £3m. The…
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