Monday
Propelinfonews.com: Record numbers of Brits enjoy a staycation: A survey by Travelodge has found that almost three-quarters of Brits are enjoying a staycation this year, up from 65% last year and 33% in 2010. Cornwall and London are the most popular destinations.
Propelinfonews.com: Bulldog Hotel Group reports 18.61% like-for-like sales growth in July: Bulldog Hotel Group, the operator of seven coaching inns led by Kevin Charity, has reported 18.61% like-for-like sales growth in July, a record month in sales terms and the third consecutive month of double-digit sales growth. The last week of July saw a company record week with sales of £315,000 net of VAT, an average of £45,000 per site. The company’s newly refurbished Old Bridge Hotel in Holmfirth led the way with net sales for the week of £70,000.
Propelinfonews.com: Bill’s to follow Loungers into Peterborough: Restaurant brand Bill’s looks set to follow cafe bar concept Loungers with an opening in Peterborough. The company has applied to the city council for a premises licence for the building currently occupied by the Lakeland kitchenware store on Church Street, allowing it to open until midnight and cater for 150 covers. It has also applied for planning permission for new signage on the building – bearing the Bill’s name and the “breakfast, lunch, dinner” ethos. News of the move follows Loungers proposals to open on Bridge Street. If it goes through, Bill’s will be next door to Chimichanga and just a few doors down from Prezzo, PizzaExpress, Wildwood and Nando’s, all overlooking the redeveloped St John’s and Cathedral squares.
Propelinfonews.com: Darren Ferguson’s award-winning Wicked Witch closes: The award-winning Wicked Witch in Ryhall, Rutland, has closed. A post on the restaurant’s website said: “It is with great sadness to announce that we have closed for business. We would therefore like to thank all of our customers who have been fantastic for the duration.” The Wicked Witch was one of the winners in the best dining pub category of last year’s East Midlands Food and Drink Awards. The restaurant was given a two fork and spoon classification in the 2014 Michelin guide. The restaurant opened in February 2012 with Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson as one of four owners. It is understood he is no longer involved. The restaurant was formerly The Millstone pub.
Tuesday
Inquiry launched into new EU Alcohol Strategy
The House of Lords is urging the pub sector to give its views on a new EU Alcohol Strategy.
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/General-News/Inquiry-launched-into-new-EU-Alcohol-Strategy
Propelinfonews.com: New cafe concept opens in Lincolnshire: A new cafe concept serving a range of high quality coffees and chocolates, Café Au Chocolat, has opened in Stamford, Lincolnshire. Owner Krystyna Szypryt has transformed the former Blockbuster video rental shop and hopes the high standard of products will add something new to Stamford’s long list of coffee shops. The cafe offers its own blends of coffee as well as handmade crêpes and a wide range of specially-selected dark and milk chocolates you will not find in the supermarket. The building itself has been totally refurbished, with old storerooms converted into cosy seating areas. Szypryt said: “I took voluntary redundancy from my previous job, as owning a coffee shop is something I’ve wanted to do since I was a teenager.” The cafe employs ten staff, both full and part time.
Propelinfonews.com: Stonegate Pub Company invests £300,000 in Fenland hotel to create late-night dimension: Stonegate Pub Company has invested £300,000 in one of Fenland’s oldest hotels – Ye Olde Griffin Hotel on March High Street, a former Bramwell Pub Company venue. The refurbishment has created seven jobs including kitchen, bar and hotel roles. General manager Marina Oldale said: “Our new owners Stonegate Pub Company were quick to recognise what a gem Ye Olde Griffin is and are investing in the business again so that it remains in excellent condition. In terms of our pub offer we are extending our dance floor and installing a state of the art audio system to appeal to our late night party clientele.”
Infographic: How to handle angry customers
Dealing with angry customers can be one of the most difficult, stressful and challenging parts of working in hospitality. This new infographic from Provide Support gives some great tips on handling angry customers effectively.
http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/People/Infographic-How-to-handle-angry-customers
Propelinfonews.com: VAT cut would deliver £4bn economic boost: Campaigners fighting for a reduction in VAT for the tourism industry say it could offer the UK economy a £4bn boost. The popularity of domestic holidays, or ‘staycations’ has been fuelled by the recession. A recent survey by Barclays projects that they may be worth over £108bn to the UK economy by 2017, and that spend on holidays at home will increase by 25% over the next four years. But tourism chiefs say the UK isn’t competing on a level playing field with the rest of Europe. In France, Germany, Spain and Italy, VAT paid by tourists is set at seven or 10%. Here it’s 20%. Cuts in the rates in Europe have shown to be successful, and those campaigning for the same to happen here say a cut to 5% would boost investment, jobs and visitor numbers. Patrick Dempsey, managing director of Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, said: “We fully support the initiative to cut tourism tax. A cut would deliver a huge financial boost for tourism around the UK and 120,000 new jobs with 8,000 already being created by Premier Inn by 2018.” Another report shows that the UK is ranked 138 out of 140 countries for price competitiveness, and is one of only four in the EU not to reduce tourism VAT.
Wednesday
Propelinfonews.com: Five Guys to open at Cambridge Leisure Park: Five Guys, the leading American burger and fries brand, is to open a new restaurant in Land Securities’ Cambridge Leisure Park. The 3,912 square foot site will be adjacent to Frankie & Benny’s, Bella Italia and Chiquito. Commenting on their selection of Cambridge Leisure Park for the continuing growth of Five Guys.
Propelinfonews: New research shows one in four sector workers are migrants: New research by People 1st has shown that migrants play a enormous role in the hospitality industry and are filling key roles at all levels of business. The new report, Migrants in the Hospitality Industry, shows that 26% of the hospitality industry is made up of migrants, with 28% coming from Europe, and that the figures has grown significantly (23%) since 2009. Martin-Christian Kent, executive director at People 1st, said that it was the many migrants working in the industry that were helping to meet businesses’ needs. “It’s a simple fact that without migrants working in our industry, we would have far greater skill gaps and skills shortages that we currently do. In fact, our industry is the fourth largest employer of people from abroard, with 6% of all migrants in the UK work in hospitality.
Thursday
Propelinfonews.com: Adnams chairman – “small rural pubs no longer work or us”: Adnams chairman Jonathan Adnams has argued that running small rural pubs is no longer a business model that works for the Suffolk brewer and retailer. He told The Eastern Daily Press: “The internet has revolutionised people’s lives – how they want to communicate and meet. We have to recognise that village pubs have been under stress now for seven years. Rising costs are part of the picture, increasing taxation on alcoholic products over the years make drinking out expensive compared to home. There has been a dramatic social change, particularly in rural areas, rather than in the more urban areas where you walk around the corner to the pub. In rural areas getting people to go out in their cars on weekdays is a problem, and I don’t see it changing too much. I think we see that the model where smaller rural pubs work for Adnams is no longer the case.”
Propelinfonews.com: Survey finds diners object to restaurant phone-usage: More than three quarters of UK diners now find the use of mobile phones in restaurants to be rude and annoying. That’s according to research commissioned by Bookatable, which found that 79% of diners found texting, taking calls and posting photos on social media to be a “ruination” of their dining experience. The survey also found that 46% were too scared to complain. One in four Brits find that the most frustrating thing about restaurant mobile phone use is how it interrupts the flow of conversation at the table. Meanwhile, 20% claimed they would visit a restaurant more often if mobile phones were banned altogether, and over a quarter said that Facebook and Instagram posts of friends’ meals were boring. A total of 28% of people surveyed said they regularly updated social media when dining out.
Propelinfonews.com: Enterprise Inns reports like-for-like net income growth: Enterprise Inns has reported trading for the 44 weeks to 2 August in line with expectations with total estate like-for-like net income growing by 1.3%. The company stated: “Growth in our third quarter was particularly encouraging with like-for-like net income up 2.1%, assisted by our on-going operational initiatives and the FIFA World Cup in June. The first five weeks of our fourth quarter have produced trading in line with last year, which is as expected given the more challenging comparative period, resulting in like-for-like net income growth of 1.5% for the first 18 weeks of the second half. We remain focused on the delivery of our operational initiatives, which we are implementing to continue to improve our trading performance. The rate of business failure continues to fall and we are making further progress with the provision of additional services to our publicans, which are aimed at supporting publican profitability.
Industry responds to ‘catastrophic’ planning reform proposals
The Government’s proposals to reform the planning system have been described as “potentially catastrophic for Britain’s pub sector”.
Friday
Propelinfonews.com: Charles Wells to reunite divisions: Charles Wells, the Bedford based brewer and pub operator, has announced that it will be bringing its major operating divisions back under the main parent company identity in the New Year. The family brewer, founded in 1876, will once again be known in its entirety as Charles Wells incorporating the existing Charles Wells Pub Company and Wells & Young’s Brewing Co Ltd. The John Bull Pub Company business that runs nine managed houses in France will be renamed Charles Wells, France. Chairman Paul Wells said: “When we entered the joint brewing venture with Young’s in 2006 it was important to establish the new company through an identity that reflected the heritage of the two traditional family brewers and hence the formation of Wells & Young’s. Our tenanted and leased pub business became known as Charles Wells Pub Company to differentiate it from the parent company, Charles Wells Ltd, which retained a 60% stake in Wells & Young’s. We had bought the John Bull pub chain in France some years earlier and each of these business divisions has established a strong trading identity in its own operating sector. However that can be confusing for some customers and suppliers, especially those who deal with different parts of the business.
Cornwall Council to explore single business licence idea
Cornwall Council has been issued a Government grant in order to explore the possibility of creating a single business licence.