Manchester

Coverage highlights foodservice and hospitality developments across Manchester, with a focus on high-activity areas such as the Northern Quarter, Ancoats, Spinningfields, and Deansgate. Reporting includes restaurant and bar openings, independent brand growth, investment trends, and evolving footfall dynamics. Insight is tailored for operators tracking urban trading patterns, premium casual formats, and consumer behaviour in one of the UK’s most competitive city markets.

Sep- 2025 -

4 September

Restaurants

McWin and TriSpan take joint control of Flat Iron

Private equity firms McWin Capital Partners and TriSpan have acquired a co-control majority stake in restaurant chain Flat Iron, marking the first investment by McWin’s newly launched Foodservice Fund. The deal sees Piper, which backed Flat Iron in 2017, exit the business. The investment supports the next phase of growth…
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1 September

Restaurants

Dave’s Hot Chicken to open 180 restaurants across Europe

Dave’s Hot Chicken has agreed a deal with Azzurri Group to roll out 180 restaurants in 10 countries across Europe. Dave’s Hot Chicken was founded in Los Angeles in 2017 by Arman Oganesyan, chef Dave Kopushyan and brothers Tommy and Gary Rubenyan. It began as a parking lot pop-up before…
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Aug- 2025 -

28 August

Features

From high streets to hotels: Piccolino’s new chapter

For the second consecutive year, privately owned hospitality group Individual Restaurants has reported record turnover, achieving £76m in sales and 4% growth despite what it describes as a “challenging market.” Now, the company is looking beyond its traditional estate. Alongside new openings and refurbishments, it has branched into hotels for…
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21 August

Pubs and Bars

Stonegate invests £6.5m in Slug and Lettuce refurbs

Stonegate Group has invested more than £6.5m in its Slug and Lettuce brand over the past 18 months, completing 12 refurbishments with four more due by the end of the financial year. The spending forms part of a wider growth strategy aimed at adapting sites to suit local markets and…
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13 August

Restaurants

Loungers opens 300th site in Hampshire

Loungers has opened its 300th site with the launch of Antico Lounge in Alton, East Hampshire. Founded in Bristol in 2002 by Alex Reilley, Jake Bishop and Dave Reid, the café/bar group operates all day café/bar/restaurants under the Lounge, Cosy Club and Brightside brands. It has opened 21 new Lounges…
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12 August

Pubs and Bars

Greene King switches to electric power to cut carbon emissions

Greene King has expanded its use of electric power across pub operations and transport as part of efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. The pub company and brewer said almost a third of its managed pub kitchens are now fully electric or electric-ready, replacing gas-powered systems. It has also…
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1 August

Cafes and Coffee Shops

Chocoberry revenues up 53% in H1 as it targets 50 stores by 2026

Leicester-based dessert café chain, Chocoberry, has reported a 53% increase in revenues in the first half of 2025 as the business accelerates plans to open 50 UK sites by the end of 2026. Chocoberry has attributed its performance to growing demand for its premium dessert offering. Founded in 2018, the…
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Jul- 2025 -

31 July

Restaurants

Zambrero UK launches franchise recruitment programme

Mexican-inspired QSR franchise Zambrero has announced the launch of a franchise recruitment programme, as it plans to open 100 restaurants in the UK by 2030. The company is already on its way to achieving its target, having recently signed up its first three franchise partners who will open new sites…
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24 July

Restaurants

Seaco acquires Busaba out of administration

Busaba has been sold in a pre-pack administration deal to Seaco Investments, safeguarding around 240 jobs across its seven remaining sites. News comes after the Thai restaurant group entered administration on 16 July, with Neil Bennett and Alex Cadwallader of law firm Leonard Curtis appointed joint administrators. The sale to…
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22 July

Restaurants

Individual Restaurants FY turnover hits record £76m

Individual Restaurants has reported a record turnover of £76m for the second consecutive year, growing 4% on the previous year despite what the company described as a challenging market. The group, which operates 34 restaurants under the Piccolino, Riva Blu and Restaurant Bar and Grill brands, said its performance was…
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