Investment
Our coverage tracks financial activity shaping the UK foodservice and hospitality sector, from venture capital and private equity backing to corporate acquisitions, refinancing deals, and growth funding. Our reporting is focused on the operators, brands, and concepts attracting capital, and what that means for the wider industry. Whether you’re a restaurant group seeking funding, a pub chain monitoring market valuations, or a catering contractor analysing competitor growth, our investment coverage delivers intelligence that helps business leaders understand where money is flowing, and why. Expect deep dives, expert commentary, and deal-by-deal context, all tailored to the foodservice trade.
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Jan- 2019 -2 JanuaryBusiness
Award winning licensees to reopen and refurbish Oxfordshire pub as second site
Kate Hayden and Paul Warriner are taking their second site with Star Pubs & Bars โ The Hare at West Hendred in Oxfordshire – for a joint ยฃ500,000 investment, which will reopen the pub in March after a four-year closure. The Hare is the only pub in West Hendred, and…
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Dec- 2018 -13 DecemberBusiness
Franco Manca ownerโs profit boost cues hunt for new restaurants
Italian restaurant chain, Franco Manca has announced it is to increase its expansion plans after its owner, Fulham Shore posted a 35% pre-tax profit rise for the six months up to 23 September 2018. Franco Manca also experienced a 20% increase in year-on-year revenue up to ยฃ33m, whilst earnings before…
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Nov- 2018 -23 NovemberPubs and Bars
Imagine Inns opens fourth pub and provides facilities for local station users
North west pub company Imagine Inns is opening its fourth pub this week following a ยฃ500,000 investment with Star Pubs & Bars. The refurbishment has transformed The Railway at Bromley Cross near Bolton into a โfamily-friendlyโ pub serving food and also offering facilities for users of the village station. The…
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22 NovemberPubs and Bars
Nearly 70% of Edinburgh businesses support โtourist taxโ
A recent survey by the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce found that 69% of businesses would support the introduction of a Transient Visitor Levy (TVL) in Edinburgh. The survey yielded views from 200 businesses and organisations from across the city, from a range of industries including hospitality, financial services, creative industries…
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20 NovemberPubs and Bars
Wetherspoons eyeing further Irish pubs
Wetherspoons is to look for further sites in the Republic of Ireland after it said it has seen โgreat successโ at its current five pubs in the country. Tim Martin, Wetherspoons chairman, said he was โpleasedโ that three new sites in Ireland were currently under development, as work began on…
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16 NovemberBusiness
Major investment at Inglenook Inns and Tavernsโ fourth Star site
Work is starting this week to refurbish The Crown at Alrewas in Staffordshire after Inglenook Inns & Taverns signed a substantive lease with Star Pubs & Bars. The Crown will become Inglenook Inns & Taverns fourth pub with Star and brings its total estate to 15. The ยฃ270,000 joint investment…
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15 NovemberBusiness
CDG signs exclusivity deal for Las Iguanas, Oriel and Bella Italia in UAE
Casual Dining Group (CDG), the operator of mid-market restaurant brands, has agreed a new franchising deal for its Las Iguanas, Bella Italia and Oriel Grande Brasserie brands in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The deal with RELAM Investment will give exclusivity to open and operate the brands in the UAE…
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14 NovemberRestaurants
Fire-hit restaurant to reopen and expand
Owners of Piccolinoโs flagship Caffรฉ Grande, Manchester, have announced plans for expansion as the restaurant prepares to reopen at the end of November. The Italian restaurant, which enjoyed a ยฃ1.3m refurbishment in spring 2016 and is a popular haunt of Manchesterโs business community, celebrities and sport stars; is to develop…
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8 NovemberBusiness
Sodexoโs profits fall by 9.9%
Food services and facilities management group Sodexo has posted a 9.9% drop in its group net profit to โฌ651m (ยฃ566m) for the year ending 31 August 2018. Its operating profit also took a hit with a 16.1% decrease to โฌ997m (ยฃ867m) and its organic growth was recorded at 1.6%, a…
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6 NovemberBusiness
Hospitality costs reach 12-year high
Government-implemented costs are taking a significant toll on businesses in the eating and drinking-out sector, new data by UKHospitality and business property adviser Christie & Co suggests. According to the 2018 UKHospitality Christie & Co Benchmarking Report, controllable costs have risen to an average of 52.5% of turnover, the highest…
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