New owners Bridgepoint feast on sales surge at Ask and Zizzi February 8, 2015 ZIZZI and Ask Italian enjoyed a 10 per cent jump in sales over the last six months, making for a tasty acquisition by Bridgepoint. The Pret A Manger-owner bought the portfolio of restaurant chains in January from rival private equity firm Cinven for £250m. The sale marked Cinven’s exit from Gondola Group after selling Pizza [...]
From banking to barista: Meet Notes director Edward Halfon February 8, 2015 Mass-produced coffee is out: new, hip speciality cafes are in. Former financier Edward Halfon tells Annabel Denham how the founders of food and wine “destination” Notes plan to indulge our ever-evolving taste buds. Recent research from the small business website Startups.co.uk found that “cult cafes” will become the hottest business opportunity over the next 12 [...]
World records: DJ Gilles Peterson on why Ibiza is dead February 5, 2015 Gilles Peterson gets around a bit. He’s like a globe-trotting John Peel, one of the few mainstream DJs who can get away with playing everything from Sierra Leonean psychedelic afro to Japanese punk-jazz. On top of his BBC 6 Music show he runs the Worldwide Festival in Sète and spins records at some of the [...]
Hong Kong nom nom: Getting to grips with the burgeoning foodie scene February 5, 2015 Hong Kong at night falls somewhere between Manhattan and Magaluf, combining the grandeur of the former with the trashy hedonism of the latter. I was there in September when the humidity was in the 90s and the streets were heaving with twenty-somethings moving from bar to club. It’s also home to one of the most [...]
AC Milan unveil plans for Arsenal-inspired £240m stadium February 4, 2015 AC Milan have revealed plans for a new 48,000 capacity stadium to open for the 2018-19 season. Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium has been named as one of the inspirations behind the design which will cost between €300m – €320m (£226m – £240m) and includes a retractable roof. Milan currently share tenancy of the San Siro, [...]
Wendy’s aims to cut the fat as burger chain’s revenues drop February 3, 2015 US HAMBURGER chain Wendy’s yesterday unveiled plans to sell another 500 of its restaurants to franchisees as it seeks to cut down on spending. Wendy’s, the third largest hamburger chain by sales in the US, said it planned to “return substantial cash” to investors this year as its sells more of its restaurants to franchisees. Emil Brolick, [...]
AG Barr is Funkin it after buying cocktail firm February 2, 2015 IRN-BRU maker AG Barr has snapped up cocktail mixer and syrups business Funkin in a deal worth up to £21m. The Camden-based business, which sells its products to bars, restaurants and retailers including Waitrose, will give AG Barr exposure to the lucrative cocktail market.
Party over for wine revellers as Vinopolis to close its cellar doors February 2, 2015 Vinopolis, the wine tasting and restaurant venue near London’s Borough Market, is to close its doors for good at the end of the year to make way for a new upmarket shopping development. The 2.3-acre centre, which sits under the Victorian railway arches of London Bridge, was founded 16 years ago as a centre for [...]
Four things we know about China’s luxury consumers: Apple is most desirable but British brands rate among wealthy shoppers February 2, 2015 Chinese spending on luxury goods may be faltering as the economy slows down and the government clamps down on gift-giving of luxury items, but consumer spending is still expected to help carry the country’s economy ahead of the US as the world’s largest over the next decade. The rise of the luxury brand in Asian [...]
Nippon’s sublime amber nectar: Why is Japanese whisky gaining so many global plaudits? February 1, 2015 Kampai!’ says my effusive barman, as I lift the highball glass to my lips. I’m in a narrow, low-lit, eight-seater bar called Hanare, just a few minutes’ walk from Gion-Shijo station, in the heart of Kyoto’s entertainment district, and about to try my first taste of Japanese whisky. It’s an apposite time to do so, [...]