LEISURE

Waka, the Peruvian-Japanese fusion restaurant that originally launched in the City, London in 2017 is to open its second London site near Liverpool Street with a third site already being negotiated.  Brainchild of siblings Irakli and Nino Sopromadze; the concept offers Nikkei cuisine which is a fusion cuisine created by settlers from Japan when they arrived in Peru in the 1800s.

LEISURE

With their aim to ‘make Harry Ramsden’s as accessible to as many people as possible’ the fish and chip brand are rolling out a new menu concept to more than 70 Mecca Bingo outlets across the UK. The concept will include six dishes from the Harry Ramsdens menu with home delivery also available in selected areas. 

LEISURE

After falling into administration and fighting off a bid from rival barbecue brand Temper, Red’s True Barbecue has been bought by Tokyo Industries.  The smokehouse brand’s Liverpool restaurant will close but the Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield and Headingley sites will continue to trade and the investment will be used to expand into the UK festival market.  Red’s sister company, Legitimate Industries, which is a microbrewery, has also been acquired.

LEISURE

New legislation is to be passed which will require food outlets to label all ingredients in food prepared on-site in a bid to protect serious allergy sufferers. The issue gained national coverage after 15 year old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died after suffering an allergic reaction to a baguette back in 2016. Industry stakeholders have raised concerns however that food labelling will become difficult as cross-contamination is very tricky to eliminate in kitchens.

LEISURE

Following their programme of expansion, bar and restaurant chain The Alchemist, is set to hit £50m revenue for the year to March 2020.  They opened their 16^th venue in Shoreditch in May and has four more in the pipeline with sites in Brindleyplace, Birmingham; Gunwharf Quay, Portsmouth and Embassy Gardens and Canary Wharf in London already agreed.  Known for their theatrical cocktails the chain first opened in Manchester 2010 and now employ over 900 staff.

LEISURE

Foxlow, the sister restaurant brand to Hawksmoor, has announced it will close the last two remaining restaurants in Clerkenwell and Balham at the end of this month.  The ‘neighbourhood’ restaurant brand has struggled to perform to the levels of the premium Hawksmoor brand. 

LEISURE

Food delivery service, Deliveroo, has launched a restaurant makeover competition offering three independent operators the chance to win a £25,000 renovation. The final decision will be made by the public, who will have the option to vote via social media feeds, once the shortlist of contenders has been selected. The winners will receive the £25,000 revamp as well as support from Deliveroo’s Restaurant Partnerships Team with marketing and developing in-house operations.

Peter Marks is Chief Executive Officer of The Deltic Group, the UK’s largest specialist late-night operator.

*Multiples include all brands with five or more units nationally.