Confidence in the bar and restaurant sector has plummeted after last month’s Brexit vote July 25, 2016 Confidence among bosses in the UK's bar, pub and restaurant sector has dived since the referendum, according to research by CGA Peach. The effect of the vote on consumer confidence, rising product costs and staff availability are leading short and long-term concerns for senior executives, the survey of 80 board-level directors found. Just 15 per [...]
No-click-to-buy apps are a risk, but the rewards will be worth it July 22, 2016 Payments have come a long way, fast. In April, Domino’s began offering “zero-click ordering”, which allows customers to re-order a pizza simply by opening an app, removing the need for in-app tapping. There are now so many payment methods – contactless mobile, card and watch payments, swipes and taps on a mobile screen – it [...]
11 things to do in London this weekend, including watching Usain Bolt, geeking out to Star Trek and enjoying William Eggleston’s photographs July 21, 2016 1. Go and see some filthy cabaret at the Hippodrome Cabaret, Hippodrome, Saturday, 19.30, from £15-£50 Inspired by 1930s Parisian cabaret but also swiping at the mainstream success of Cirque du Soleil, this is a sassy combination of smut and sparkle. 2. Remember your childhood watching The BFG Film, IMAX Waterloo, Saturday, 11.15, £20 A saccharine-sweet [...]
Here’s how much Euro 2016 boosted pub turnover in June, according to the Coffer Peach Business Tracker July 20, 2016 Televising the Euro 2016 championship gave pub groups something to celebrate in June, despite England dropping out before the last rounds of the tournament. Like-for-like sales at pubs grew two per cent year-on-year in June, ahead of the restaurant sector, where growth trailed slightly behind at 1.4 per cent, according to the latest monthly figures from [...]
Detoxers spell the death of the party holiday, while Heineken innovates to serve beer from the keg on planes July 19, 2016 If you thought you might be able to escape “clean eating” and all the other health and wellbeing fads cluttering up your inbox while you were on holiday this summer, I’m afraid you’re about to be disappointed. Or maybe you wouldn’t be. The Capitalist was more than a bit dismayed to learn 78 per cent [...]
Zeroing in on the competition: This is what Coca-Cola’s new ad campaign tells us about the drinks market July 19, 2016 Coca-Cola's announcement that it is pouring £10m into its newly-branded Zero Sugar variant is proof of two things. First, that the carbonated soft drinks market is alive and well. Second, that it is recognising changing consumer and industry attitudes towards health and sugar. But does this huge investment reveal the big brands are concerned about [...]
Glasgow’s Dakota Deluxe hotel review: a Hollister-hip new venture from the kingpin of Scottish hotels July 15, 2016 Steve Dinneen takes a break in his former hometown of Glasgow, where he finds a much improved hotel scene and restaurants that are as good as ever. The weekend: For many southerners, a weekend break to Scotland involves a trip to Edinburgh Castle or a few rounds at Gleneagles. And while these are both perfectly [...]
Investing beyond 100: How rising life expectancy will change everything July 14, 2016 A century is an important milestone worthy of celebration. We recently commemorated 100 years since the Battle of the Somme. Vogue made headlines in May for featuring a 100-year old model to celebrate the magazine’s centenary year. On your hundredth birthday, you can expect to receive a message from the Queen. But what happens when living [...]
Don’t look now, but Europe is the big loser from Brexit July 14, 2016 To put it mildly, the British political establishment did not cover itself in glory in the immediate aftermath of the momentous Brexit vote. I am re-reading Shakespeare’s histories to try to find the correct specific analogy that best describes what Michael Gove did to Boris Johnson, just as I am feverishly going over Kafka to [...]
All the ingredients for growth: D&D London’s Des Gunewardena explains how the restaurant group is building a platform for long-term expansion July 11, 2016 Why has the City become such a vibrant restaurant destination? It’s two things, says Des Gunewardena, chairman and chief executive of D&D London, owner of such Square Mile stalwarts as Coq D’Argent, South Place Hotel, the Paternoster Chop House, and Madison. “A lot of people have started living in East London rather than West and [...]