News
From bighospitality.co.uk 16th August 2010
Brasserie Blanc set to make entry into pub market this week
Mark Derry, the entrepreneur behind Loch Fyne, has described Brasserie Blanc’s entry into the pub market as a 'watershed moment' for the company.
The company, which has named it's pub arm as the White Brasserie Company, opens its first pubs the Queen’s Head in Weybridge, Surrey, this week and the King’s Head in Teddington, Middlesex, next month.
Derry told The Times that he hoped the concepts could be turned into a national chain, as first reported by BigHospitality in June.
“This is all about taking the Brasserie Blanc food and experience and putting it into pubs,” he said.
The two sites will be run on a trial basis, before being rolled out to provinvial locations across the UK.
As well as expanding its new concept, the group hopes to have 20 Brasserie Blanc outlets up and running by 2015.
Investors supply £4m of funding
Brasserie Bar Company raised around £4m earlier this year from investors in order to develop the new concept and grow its existing business.
Derry, who built Loch Fyne Restaurants into a chain before selling out to Greene King in 2007 for £68m, said he expected average spend per head to be about £5 cheaper at £20 to £22.
He is budgeting average weekly sales of about £25,000 per pub, compared to £35,000 per Brasserie Blanc.
Derry added that while food would account for 70 per cent of sales, half the premises would be kept as a pub “'to attract local bar trade”.
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From Restaurant Magazine August 2010
More City Trading for Drake & Morgan
Drake & Morgan, the London bar-restaurant operator is to a forth venue named The Folly in October.
The 13,200sq ft site will be sited in Gracechurch Street, just a few yards from Drake & Morgan’s third outlet, Anthologist, in the City of London. It was split over two fllors and will feature a 500-cover bar and kitchen, deli, shop, a snug and private dining rooms plus a space to host ‘pop-up’ shops.
The company said it wanted to create “London’s secret garden” – an outdoors environment indoors and is working in collaboration with Fusion Design on the project, which is estimated to cost £2m. The design will include an eight metre tree trunk in the middle of the venue joining the basement bar to the ground floor, floor-to-ceiling windows and an “evolving pop-up show that provides something current and fun to explore time and time again”.
Drake & Morgan also operates The Refinery at Bankside, which opened in 2008, and The Parlour at Canary Wharf, which followed in 2009. The Anthologist, which launched the year, is currently wowing the industry and consumers alike, notching up weekly sales of around £80,000.
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From bighospitality.co.uk 20th July 2010
GBK burgers to be sold in supermarkets
Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) branded burgers are to be sold in supermarkets for the first time later this month.
Clapham House Group, the restaurant operator behind the global brand, said that Waitrose and Ocado, the online retailer, would soon stock its range of burger patties.
In a statement, released to tie in with the group's trading results, Clapham House said: “We believe that this initiative could develop into a potential new profit stream for the GBK brand and also provide us with a route to communicate our brand and values to a much larger audience.”
It added: “Over recent years there has been an increase in demand in supermarkets for fresh beef burger patties. We are also aware that consumers are eager to recreate restaurant experiences at home and want to be reassured by quality brands.
“To date the UK retail burger market currently has had no nationwide fresh restaurant branded product presence. We are delighted to announce the launch of the GBK 100% fresh Aberdeen Angus Pattie. This will go on sale in more than 60 Waitrose stores and Ocado from July 2010.”
Nando’s, Pizza Express and Wagamama also have branded products for sale in retail outlets.
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From bighospitality.co.uk 15th July 2010
Drake & Morgan secures fourth London site
Drake & Morgan, the London bar-restaurant operator, is to open a fourth venue named The Folly in October.
The 13,200sqft site will open later this year in Gracechurch Street just a few yards from its third outlet, The Anthologist, in the City of London.
The two-floor venue, owned by Arab Investments, will feature a 500-cover bar and kitchen, deli, shop, a snug and private dining rooms plus a space devoted to 'pop up' shops.
The group, which is led by Jillian MacLean, said the aim was to create 'London's secret garden' - an outdoors environment indoors - replete with an eight-metre high tree trunk in the middle of the venue. It will work in collaboration with Fusion Design on the project, which is estimated to cost in excess of £2m.
Differentiating from the competition
MacLean, who was voted Rising Star at M&C Report's Retailers' Retailer of the Year Awards 2010, told BigHospitality last December that she was already on her way to securing a deal for the site.
“Since the successful launch of The Refinery and The Parlour we continually look for new and innovative ways to differentiate from the competition and offer our customers that little bit more," she said. "We hope to open a few more sites in London next year, each of which will be individual in style.”
The Anthologist, which opened earlier this year, is believed to be achieving current weekly sales of between £70,000 and £80,000.
The group also operates The Refinery at Bankside, which opened in 2008, and The Parlour at Canary Wharf, which was unveiled in 2009.
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From Caterer and Hotelkeeper 2nd - 8th July 2010
The CATEYS 2010 Pud and Bar Award Winner Jilian Maclean
Chapman Ventilation is very pleased to be working in association with Drake & Morgan.
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From bighospitality.co.uk 2nd July 2010
Cote expects to open restaurant number 20 this year
Cote, the French brasserie concept, intends to open its 20th restaurant by the year's end.
The business, which is operated by the former Strada management team and backed by Richard Caring, has just unveiled its latest eaterie, in London's Chiswick, which is restaurant number 13.
The opening in west London comes soon after the group unveiled a restaurant in Birmingham’s Mailbox development – the furthest outpost from its London heartland.
Restaurants are set to follow in Brighton this July, Farnham in August, and Ealing, Highgate and St Paul’s – all in early September. A business will also open in Bristol before the end of the year, taking it to 19 restaurants.
Further Cote opening before 2011
The group is also at various stages on a further three sites – both within central London and in other towns and cities – and expects to open at least one of these before 2011.
Cote was first established in 2007 in Wimbledon Village by the former directors of Strada – Andy Bassadone, Chris Benians, Marcus Cload and Nick Fiddler.
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From bighospitality.co.uk 30 June 2010
Giraffe to expand to 50 restaurants
Restaurant chain Giraffe has revealed plans to expand to 50 restaurants, after what it described as a ‘record year’ in the 12 months to March 2010.
Turnover at the group increased £5m to £29m in the period with ebitda up to £3m ahead of new openings in London’s Victoria, and its first Scottish site in Aberdeen this September.
Luke Johnson, Giraffe’s chairman, said “This is a very strong performance from the Giraffe management team, who executed the Tootsies acquisition efficiently despite its complexities, and without loss of focus on the core Giraffe restaurants.
“The bank facilities at our disposal will enable us to move quickly should any further similar opportunities come to the market in the next year.”
The group currently has 37 Giraffe sites after the acquisition of eight Tootsies and Dexters sites from Clapham House Group last year.
In February it launched Guerilla Burgers as a second brand with roll-out potential.
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From bighospitality.co.uk 30 June 2010
Gondola Holdings tops R200 list once more
Gondola Holdings has once again retained the top spot in the R200, Restaurant magazine’s annual list of the top restaurant operators in the UK.
Having first launched in 2008 as the R100, the list has expanded in the space of two years to provide information on the 200 biggest operators in the country.
Ranked this year by number of sites operated, the list has grown to include more food-led pub groups to give a more comprehensive view of the industry.
Pizza Express operator Gondola Holdings, which last year operated 590 sites throughout the UK, now controls 600, placing it top of the leaderboard.
Due to the inclusion of several large pub groups, last year’s runner up Tragus Group, which runs Café Rouge and Bella Italia, has dropped down to fourth place, with a total of 282 sites operated.
In second and third position are The Restaurant Group, which runs a series of restaurants and pub restaurants including Frankie & Benny’s and Chiquito, and Orchid Group, operating 374 and 289 sites each.
Pushing on with expansion
Paul Wootton, editor of Restaurant magazine, said: “Despite the state of the economy, restaurant operators have chosen to take advantage of lower property values to expand their business. Last year more than a third of our R150 list intended to open new sites, and many have done just that. Those operators on the R200 list this year now collectively account for more than £2bn in sales.”
While the R200 list details company information in terms of number of sites operated, and how long that company has been in business, further details such as company turnover, number of employees, key suppliers and expansion plans are available in a separate report.
Please click on the link below to see the full list
www.bighospitality.co.uk/default.aspx?page=r200
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From bighospitality.co.uk 18 June 2010
Jamie Oliver releases further Barbecoa restaurant details
Jamie Oliver has released further details about his One New Change BBQ restaurant concept Barbecoa.
The 200-cover restaurant, a collaboration between Oliver and US chef Adam Perry Lang, will open at the St. Paul’s development on 28 October, sporting an on-site takeaway outlet and butcher’s shop.
Using a variety of cooking methods with wood and coal as the primary cooking source, including wood-pits, Robata grills, tandoors and a Japanese cauldron, Barbecoa will serve a selection of traditionally-cooked meat and fish.
As a champion for animal welfare, Oliver will source all meat from small farmers and farming co-operatives across the UK, attempting where possible to utilise whole carcasses in stocks or sold for takeaway.
One New Change
Barbecoa will launch alongside the opening of the One New Change development, which will also house a Wasabi, Sumo Salad, Byron Burgers, Zizzis and a second outlet for cupcake and organic café Bea’s of Bloomsbury.
Gordon Ramsay Holdings has also confirmed it is looking at securing the roof terrace location – the last remaining catering space in the development – for a restaurant, although the group has not yet decided on a format.
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From caterer.com 18th June 2010
Jamie Oliver brings Italian touch to Glasgow
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has paid homage to the architecture of Glasgow and the Italian sensibilities of his new restaurant at his new establishment in the city.
Writing on the chef's website, Sarah Stephenson said that the new restaurant on George Square has taken inspiration from one of Glasgow's favourite sons, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, in its design.
"We've got ourselves one of Glasgow's top spots – the old GPO building on George Square – and thanks to the ability of our designers to brilliantly blend classic architecture with rustic Italy and a twist of Jamie's own contemporary style, Jamie's Italian is really creating a stir," she stated.
Ms Stephenson added that there were 1,400 applications to work at the establishment.
Nick Nairn, Scotland's original celebrity chef, told the Herald earlier this year that the new Jamie Oliver restaurant will be "hip and egalitarian", and force other eateries to sharpen up their act.
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Jamie's Italian secures Nottingham site
Jamie’s Italian, the fast-growing restaurant chain spearheaded by Jamie Oliver, has secured a site in Nottingham and is also thought to be close to taking a site in Birmingham.
The deals will take the concept to 16 restaurants – it currently trades from 10 locations with four more set to open this summer.
The casual dining concept, which is led on a day-to-day basis by Simon Blagden, is to open a restaurant in Nottingham’s Low Pavement area, having taken a site that currently trades as Jass Café.
The group is also thought to be in discussions to convert part of a former Borders book store at the Bullring in Birmingham to the format.
The group operates 10 restaurants – in Bath, Brighton, Cambridge, Canary Wharf, Cardiff, Guildford, Kingston, Leeds, Oxford and Reading – and is set to open four more in the next two months – in Covent Garden, Glasgow, Liverpool and Westfield.
Jamie Oliver recently announced a move into events catering, and is expected to open American BBQ restaurant concept Barbacoa at London's One New Change development in October.
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From Restaurant magazine June 2010
Gourmet Burger reignites expansion
Clapham House Group is raising £2.2m via a share placing to kick start expansion of its Gourmet Burger Kitchen chain.
The restaurant company, which operates 58 restaurants across the UK and 15 internationally
through its Real Greek and Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK brands, said It wanted to take advantage of a drop in rents for new properties compared to the pre-recession period. It has identified five sites to purchase in "attractive locations" within the next 12 months.
“We slowed our expansion programme over the last two years during the recession. We chose our new sites carefully during this period and will continue to do so. Recent openings have demonstrated good returns on capital and we are therefore now looking to accelerate our GBK openings” said chief executive Paul Campbell.
Clapham House, which expects to report
"robust GBK results and “satisfactory” results for The Real Greek for the year ending 28 March, also recently moved its head office to smaller premises last month as part of a cost-cutting drive
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From the Evening Standard 26th May 2010
Jamie v Gordon in a clash of the kitchens
THEY are the two most instantly recognizable chefs on the planet - yet they have never gone head to head.
But it seems likely that Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver will be locked in cheek-by-jowl rivalry from October.
Oliver has already confirmed that he will open a barbecue-themed restaurant with New York meat chef Adam Perry Lang at the One New Change development next to St Paul's Cathedral.
Now Ramsay has indicated that he is also looking for a site at the Pounds 500 million shopping and restaurant mall. Gordon Ramsay Holdings are said to be in detailed negotiations about taking on the roof terrace, the last remaining of the project's nine catering sites.
Restaurant industry reports suggest that the format will be similar to Gordon Ramsay Plane Food at Heathrow's Terminal 5, although this has not been confirmed. A spokeswoman for GRH said: "We can confirm that we are looking at a site in St Paul's for a new restaurant.
If and when the papers are signed for the site, a decision on the concept will be made." If it goes ahead the restaurant will be a chance for a fresh start for Ramsay after mounting losses forced him to retreat from New York, Paris and Prague and several of his London outlets such as the Boxwood Cafe and La Noisette have closed.
The recent relaunch of Petrus had mixed reviews and his last really successful launch was the York & Albany, a pub in Camden, in October 2008. Friends say Ramsay is fascinated with how Oliver has maintained a likeable public profile through healthy eating campaigns and by helping disadvantaged young people into work at his 15 restaurants. One said: "Gordon would love to have a bit of what Jamie has got in terms of his image."
Ben McCormack, editor of Square Meal magazine, said: "Gordon is meant to be very touchy about Jamie Oliver. He gets all this very popular publicity and doesn't come in for the same level of stick. Jamie has now surpassed him in the Rich List and is about 10 years younger. None of that can help."
Land Securities, developer of One New Change, has confirmed four other restaurants: sushi chain Wasabi, Australian health food concept Sumo Salad, Byron Burgers and Zizzis.
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From bighospitality.co.uk 19th May 2010
Ping Pong to accelerate restaurant expansion
Ping Pong, the London-based dim sum restaurant chain, has unveiled plans to accelerate expansion in the UK and abroad, while launching a new takeaway concept.
The privately owned group said it was preparing to launch Now by Ping Pong – a smaller takeaway style outlet opposite Liverpool station in London later this year.
The group has previously offered takeaway from its restaurants for the past 12 months – but this is its first takeaway bespoke outlet.
UK restaurant expansion
Jean-Michel Orieux said the company was also looking at further sites in the UK – after taking a hiatus from openings in 2009 because of not finding the right sites.
“We did not take a break from opening UK sites, we just could not find anything suitable," he said. "That is what is so good about Now by Ping Pong – in that it gives us the opportunity to look for smaller sites if we wish.
“We are waiting for accounts to be signed off but from a conservative perspective sales are up by 6 per cent and earnings – including our underlying profits are up in the region of 15 per cent.”
Ping Pong currently operates 12 sites at Appold Street, Bow Bells House, Goodge Street, Hampstead, Market Place, Marylebone, St Christopher’s Place, St Katherine’s Place, Soho, South Bank, Spitalfields and Westbourne Grove.
The group said it was also close to signing on second sites in Washington and Sao Paulo in Brazil and was also actively looking for franchise partners in Bahrain, Lebanon and Oman.
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From guardian.co.uk - The Observer 16th May 2010
How Nando's conquered Britain
David Beckham eats there. So does Tinchy Stryder. The peri-peri chicken chain is now the restaurant of choice for a new breed of confident young multicultural Britons. So how did that happen, asks Miranda Sawyer................
Please click on the link to read the full article
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/may/16/nandos-fast-food-chipmunk-tinchy
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From caterer.com 14th May 2010
Jamie's Italian 'to create 80 jobs in Bristol'
Jamie Oliver has received permission to open up a new restaurant in Bristol, which could create new chef jobs in the area.
The celebrity's Jamie's Italian outlet will create more than 80 job opportunities in the local area and will be housed in part of a former Blackwell's store, This Is Bristol has reported.
The site will undergo a complete £1 million refurbishment and refit and it is expected to open its doors in early 2011.
It will be a three-floor restaurant and will boast a fresh pasta machine, antipasta and a delicatessen selling Italian produce.
A nearby shop owner, Rob Dyer, told the news provider: "This investment will bring significant 'spin off' benefits with the regeneration impact and increased footfall of around 3,500 to 4,000 customers a week, as well as welcome employment for over 80 people."
In other news, Liverpool is to see another celebrity chef's offering with the opening of the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar and Grill in early 2011.
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From bighospitality.co.uk 6th May 2010
Clapham House Group to raise £3.3m for Gourmet Burger Kitchen expansion
Clapham House Group has revealed plans to raise £2.2m from a cash placing to fund the rollout of its Gourmet Burger Kitchen brand for the next two years.
The group said that rents in the UK restaurant sector had fallen in comparison to the pre-recession period and that this provided it with the opportunity to “step up the opening programme”.
The company, which also operates The Real Greek, said it intended to raise the funds via the placing of 3,730,000 shares at 60p per share.
Paul Campbell, Clapham’s chief executive, said: "We slowed our expansion programme over the last two years during the recession. We chose our new sites carefully during this period and will continue to do so. Recent openings have demonstrated good returns on capital and we are therefore now looking to accelerate our GBK openings.”
He added: “We have already identified a number of locations which we believe have good potential for FY 2011 and 2012. This will drive the continuing growth of GBK, as well as creating employment opportunities within the company.
“This fundraising will facilitate the expansion of the GBK business whilst maintaining headroom in our banking facilities."
Managing costs
The company added that increased opening programme was expected to be adjusted PBT neutral in the year ending March 2011, “given the likely timing of the openings”, it said - and then PBT enhancing in the year ending March 2012.
The group will also be moving to a smaller head office in a bid to cut costs.
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from Restaurant magazine May 2010
The S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants 2010
The Results......
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From Bighospitality.co.uk 16th April 2010
Brasserie Blanc secures £3.5m of funding to fuel rollout
Brasserie Blanc is looking to increase its new openings rate
Brasserie Blanc, the restaurant chain founded by French chef Raymond Blanc, has raised £3.5m to fund the next phase of development.
The exercise was anchored by Core Capital, which is believed to have contributed about £2m. The fundraising also saw existing directors – including John Lederer, Ian Glynn, Mark Derry and Blanc himself – participate, as well as many other current investors, writes M&C Report.
The new cash paves the way for an accelerated expansion programme that will see Blanc Brasseries step up its existing opening programme from one or two sites a year, to between three and six, at a cost of about £1m per eaterie.
After this current fundraising round the company expects to be able to sustain its new opening rate from existing cashflows and banking facilities – it currently works with Barclays.
The existing Blanc portfolio is located in Bristol, Cheltenham, Leeds, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Portsmouth and Winchester.
The company has just unveiled a new outlet on Threadneedle Street in the City of London and is understood to be at various legal stages on a further three sites.
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From Bighospital.co.uk 8th April 2010
Jamie’s Italian leads new Westfield London restaurant line-up
Jamie’s Italian is leading a host of new restaurant openings at Westfield London shopping centre this summer with the launch of its fourteenth site.
Westfield, the £1.6bn shopping centre that opened in White City last year, will be the third London site for Jamie’s Italian, which having launched just two years ago, now operates restaurants throughout the UK, with further openings pegged for Leeds, Glasgow and Liverpool in the next few months.
Simon Blagden, managing director of Jamie’s Italian, said: “Westfield London has proven itself to be one of the most successful retail centres in Europe over the last year, so it’s a natural fit for Jamie’s Italian and we can’t wait to open.”
Additional openings
Also joining Westfield London is Lebanese restaurant Mandaloun, which is opening its fourth restaurant and flagship venue with a combined lounge, shawarma grill and fine dining concept.
Royal China will also be launching its first restaurant within a shopping centre, although the chain, which currently operates sites in Baker Street, Canary Wharf, Fulham and Queensway, will offer an additional Four Seasons BBQ twist to appeal to Westfield’s diverse number of shoppers.
Israeli chef Leor Nissim is also opening a flagship branch of Café Isola Bella, the centre’s first fully kosher restaurant, which he hopes will establish the brands reputation as ‘the finest luxury kosher dining experience’.
Existing Westfield operations Searcy’s and Caffe Concerto will be expanding their offering with a respective extension, and a new, separate full restaurant and jazz bar.
Michael Gutman, managing director of Westfield’s UK/Europe, said: “This diverse mix of restaurants represents the extensive range of food, retail and leisure we have at Westfield London which has been further boosted by the recent opening of the state of the art Vue cinema. The cinema has exceeded all expectations and, together with these new signings and the extensive range of events and activities within the centre, completes Westfield London’s evening offer.”
Westfield London has now completed its Southern Terrace restaurant line-up, following the recent openings of food-led pub The Bull, Jom Makan and French restaurant LPDJ.
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from Restaurant magazine April 2010
Nando’s to open 20 new sites in 2010
Fast casual operator Nando’s has plans for “20-plus” openings in the coming year, following the 15 restaurants it launched in 2009.
MD David Niven acknowledged that the UK faced a long, slow haul out of recession, but said it would be business as usual at Nando’s, explaining that trading in the past year had “held up remarkably”.
Currently, Nando’s operates 243 sites in the UK but Niven believes it can grow to at least 450 restaurants. “Our challenge in the next five years is to find the extra 200,” he said.
Recently, Nando’s was named the best big company to work for the annual Sunday Times poll, beating institutions such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Goldman Sachs, Boots and American Express.
Brewery site for second Hawksmoor
The much anticipated second site of London steak stalwart Hawksmoor, part of the Underdog Group, will open in Seven Dials, Covent Garden, in September in part of the former Watney Combe Reid Brewery site. The 5300 sq ft restaurant will have 120 covers and feature brick vaulted ceilings and cast iron columns in the dining room.
Underdog director Will Beckett said work was expected to start on the interior in May. The major difference from the original Hawksmoor site, he said, would be a much larger bar - for 50 covers - that will serve the full restaurant menu, including Hawksmoor's renowned steaks and burgers, as a separate bar menu.
"Many people come to Hawksmoor for drinks but there is not a lot of room so we are resolving this in the new site,” said Beckett.
Beckett said its offering would be more geared up to all day trade than the original Hawksmoor. It will serve a weekend brunch menu and there will be an emphasis on lone diners, with 20 single-seat spaces available.
Clapham House aims for 150 Gourmet Burger Kitchens
The Clapham House Group (CHG) has revealed it wants to operate 150 Gourmet Burger Kitchens in the UK, almost tripling the number of its current sites.
The group, which also owns the Real Greek brand, has grown the burger chain from six sites since its purchase in November 2004 to 51 restaurants – the latest opening at Bluewater in Kent and at Clink Street, London SE1. Twenty nine of its restaurants are within Greater London and 15 GBKs are operated under franchise outside of the UK with a further two under construction.
Growth is anticipated to be slower than previous years, with CHG intending to open a minimum of two GBK restaurants in the next year. “However, we may increase this programme dependant on the availability of good sites and our view of the UK economic outlook,” it said in a trading statement.
The group said GBK has delivered a “robust performance” for the year ending 28 March 2010 and that trading across the seven The Real Greek restaurants during the same period had been “satisfactory”.
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From Bighospitality.co.uk 25th March 2010
Hawksmoor to open second restaurant in Covent Garden
The Underdog Group has announced plans to open a second site of its popular British steakhouse, Hawksmoor, in September this year.
Underdog directors Will Beckett and Huw Gott signed an agreement for part of the former Watney Combe Brewery near Seven Dials in Covent Garden this week, and expect to start work on refurbishing the interior in May.
Beckett, who along with Gott took seven months to find an appropriate site, told BigHospitality that the decision to expand was an ‘obvious one’.
“We’ve just made the original Hawksmoor in Commercial Street bigger, from an 85 to a 110-capacity restaurant, and we’re still pretty overbooked. So it makes sense for us to open another site. If that demand continues after the opening of our second site, we’ll carry on expanding I suppose.
“It took us so long to find the right location that had the right rent price and that we really loved, but we plumped for the Old Brewery in the end because it’s just so beautiful there.”
Hawksmoor design
The 120-cover restaurant will be designed by Macaulay Sinclair, and will copy the same style as its sister venue, launched in 2006, using exposed brickwork and cast iron columns to contrast its simple furnishings.
A 50-cover bar area will serve the full restaurant menu, including Hawksmoor’s famous steaks and burgers, as well as a separate bar menu.
Beckett and Gott’s Underdog Group also operate Green & Red Mexican Bar and Cantina in Shoreditch.
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From Bighospitality.co.uk 22nd March 2010
Busaba Eathai plans four new restaurants in 2010
Busaba Eathai, the Thai restaurant chain founded by Alan Yau, has announced plans to open four more sites, including its first outside London, this year.
The restaurant group, bought from Yau for £21.5m in 2008, will open its first new site on Panton Street in London's West End on 28 March and will be followed by the launch of a double-storey restaurant between Hoxton Square and Old Street in June.
A third site will open in West London later this year before the restaurant chain opens its first site outside London in an, as yet, undisclosed location.
To coincide with the launch of the first two London sites, Busaba will run two arts-based projects.
It will show screenings of short films produced by students from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design at the Panton Street restaurant and will exhibit works by photographer Jason Lowe, Fashion house; Child of the Jago, Illustration agency; HigginsonHurst, VNA Magazine, and Curated Project; Big Antidote at the Hoxton restaurant.
Yau opened the first Busaba Eathai, his interpretation of the Thai canteen, on London's Wardour Street in 1999. It was followed by restaurants on London's Store Street and Bird Street before being bought out by management company Phoenix Equity in 2008, headed up by Yau’s wife Jale Erentok.
Later that same year Stephen Gee was appointed chairman of Busaba Eathai Limited to assist in a roll out plan.
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From Restaurant Magazine March 2010
Pizza Express named most valuable restaurant brand
Above is a list showing the top 20 valuable brands in the UK casual dining sector.
Chapman Ventilation is pleased to be working with many of these restaurant brands.
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From Restaurant Magazine March 2010
La Tasca and Ha Ha brands up for sale after restructure
Former bosses eye up Bay Restaurant Group's 97 food-led sites
Bay Restaurant Group, which owns the La Tasca and Ha Ha Bar & Grill brands, is up for sale, after a restructure transferred the company's drinks-led Slug & Lettuce brand across to sister company Town& City Pub company.
According to Restaurant's sister title M&C Report, the former chief executive of La Tasca, James Horler, who now heads Ego Restaurants, is interested in buying back the 73 site casual dining tapas business, saying it could be merged with Ego, which currently operates about a dozen outlets. At the end of February Bay's chief executive Paul Symonds stepped down from the company and is understood to be working specifically on a bid for Bay. He is succeeded as chief executive by Bay's highly-regarded commercial director, Suzanne Baker.
The removal of Slug & Lettuce from Bay's portfolio is likely to make the company more attractive to restaurant and food-led operators. Other parties that might be interested in buying Bay could Include Tragus Group, the Blackstone backed casual dining group, which lost out in the previous sale of La Tasca.
The price-tag for BRG, which comprises 73 La Tasca outlets and 24 Ha Ha venues is thought to be £100m.
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From Bighospitality.co.uk 19th March 2010
Jamie's Italian extends to North West with Liverpool site
Jamie's Italian, the restaurant chain fronted by Jamie Oliver, is to open its 12th site in Liverpool in June.
The new site, the chain's first in the North West, will be located on the ground floor of the shopping, entertainment and leisure venue Liverpool ONE.
Jamie's Italian managing director Simon Blagden said: “Liverpool ONE is the perfect location for a Jamie’s Italian. Nowhere is more appropriate for our concept of creating ‘neighbourhood’ restaurants, inspired by the ‘Italian table’ where people relax, share, and enjoy each other's company, than Liverpool, a city famed for its character and warm welcome."
The restaurant will be the fifth to open this year, following sites in Cambridge, Reading, Leeds and Covent Garden.
The first restaurant opened in Oxford in 2008. The company has since opened restaurants in Bath, Kingston, Brighton, Canary Wharf, Guildford and Cardiff.
Oliver has also announced he is joining forces with awarding body EdExcel to create a cookery course for secondary school pupils from September.
The new two-level qualification uses video footage to inspire young people to cook from fresh and will teach essential basics such as how to equip a kitchen, food rotation and how to read and understand food labels. A second level will develop a student's ability to plan and prepare a series of nutritious home-cooked meals for breakfast, snacks, lunch and dinner, and help them understand how to cook economically.
Oliver said: "As everyone knows, I am passionate in my belief that cooking should be taught in all schools and I believe that great teachers have a very important role to play in empowering young people with vital knowledge."
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Chapman Ventilation is pleased to be part of the following project
The Times Newspaper 9th October 2009
Back in pizzas at his own speed
David Page is back in the pizza business — albeit on a more limited scale than in 1993, when, along with Hugh Osmond and Luke Johnson, he floated PizzaExpress. He has taken charge of Rocca, which has one outlet in South Kensington and is seeking more. Page, now chairman of the quoted Clapham House, is in this on his own account and has hired various staff and builders from the PizzaExpress days to grow the business to perhaps ten or 15 eventually. It will be owned by those involved — "a co-operative that doesn't pay out any money" at present, he admits. "We think we can compete very well with the larger players because we're better value and haven't got any debt." Including PizzaExpress? "You don't take on the largest person in the industry. That would be silly."
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From Restaurant magazine September 2009
Wharf Opening
Bar company Drake & Morgan will be the latest addition to the burgeoning food and drink scene in London's Canary Wharf with the launch of its second site, a bar and restaurant called The Parlour, in October.
Located in the newly developed Park Pavilion in Canary Wharf, The Palour is a 6,692 sq ft, ground floor bar and kitchen with a capacity of 650, including more than 300 covers. It will offer an extensive range of cocktails, wines and beers, including some 40 wine vintages available by the glass as well as an all-day food menu.
The menu will focus on locally-sourced, seasonal dishes and the restaurant will contain a fresh fish counter and oyster bar.
Designed by Fusion Design and Architecture, The Parlour will blend timber panelling in the cocktail lounge with natural stone tiles in the bar.
Canary Wharf has attracted a number of big names, which are set to open later this month, including Roka, Jamie's Italian, Wahaca, The Lower East Liquor Bar and Bistro and Canteen.
Hix Takes On Aaya Site
Mark Hix is to open a restaurant and bar on the site of Gary Yau's Soho restaurant Aaya, which went into administration in January this year.
The new 80-cover restaurant called Hix, will focus on British cuisine, much like the chef's other establishments, Hix Oyster and Chop House in London's Smithfield Market, Hix Oyster and Fish House in Lyme Regis, which opened in June last year,and the Abermarle at Brown's Hotel in London. Hix is planning to open the doors in October.
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From Times Online August 20th 2009
The economic downturn has not dimmed Londoners’ appetite for eating out with fewer restaurants closing in the past year than at any time since 2000 according to the latest edition of Harden’s London Restaurants.
Restaurant owners benefited from the temporary reduction in VAT which Mr Harden said acted as a “gift” and helped soften the economic reality. However, he said that the reversal of the VAT reduction at the end of this year may “prompt something of a market clear-out”.
Amongst those restaurants that have closed this year are Ubon and Caldesi.
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from caterersearch.com August 7th 2009
Steak Out
Steakhouses are booming. New York led the trend by quadrupling its number in the past 10 years. Now, London seems to be following in its footsteps. Fiona Sims reports.
Steak is big business. While fine dining restaurants are struggling to put bums on seats in the recession, the capital's steakhouses are booming. Operators are reporting increased sales, and no sign of the downturn, as new steak-focused businesses continue to open.
STEAKHOUSE DREAM
BEST VALUE
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from The Sun August 7th 2009
Geri Halliwell's boyfriend must have scored extra brownie points for organising a monster 37th birthday bender for the former SPICE GIRL.
Geri has been inseperable from aristocrat Henry Beckwith after hooking up with him five months ago.
And judging by the big smile on Geri's face as she made her way home holding a big bunch of balloons, I reckon she's on to a winner.
Henry kicked off the night by taking Geri - who looked stunning in a black microdress - to a surprise party at the PALM RESTAURANT in Knightsbridge. The birthday girl was then taken to the Whisky Mist where she was joined by friends including former bandmate Emma Bunton and comedian Alan Carr.
Geri's last port of call was Raffles nightclub, before wobbling home at 3:30am.
Not a bad effort.
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from The Times July 27th 2009
Clapham House Group:
The restaurant operator has agreed a deal to launch its Gourmet Burger Kitchen chain in Greece and Cyprus, the brands first move into continental Europe. The first Greek GBK outlet is expected to open in Athens before the end of the year. The chain already operates in Turkey, Dubai and Kuwait.
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Due to the very close working relationships with both organisations, David and Anthony Chapman volunteered to umpire the recent Nandos vs GBK Cricket match, held at Parsons green in London.
Both teams played with a surprising level of skill and the umpires managed to (just) get away with their reputations intact.
Diplomacy and a desire to keep both Clients prevents the announcement of the winning team!
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from The Times June 11th 2009
Restaurants: The amount spent on a meal has risen 20 per cent over the past five years to £11.98, although spending this year is expected to return to 2006 levels, according to Horizons, the foodservice consultancy.
Jamie's Italian: The restaurant chain founded by Jamie Oliver, the celebrity chef, is planning to expand from four outlets to fourteen by the end of next year.
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