Pizza Express orders up £55m in extra dough April 3, 2025 Pizza Express has secured a boost worth £55m after agreeing a refinancing deal which will significantly cut its debt. The restaurant chain has negotiated a £55m par debt paydown which will see its debt position reduced to £280m. As part of the deal, shareholders including Bain Capital Special Situations will inject £20m equity into the [...]
Japanese Whisky: A celebration of Japan’s culture April 3, 2025 Whisky Business: City AM’s monthly look at the world of whisky. April 1st marked Japanese Whisky Day, the annual event designed to celebrate and showcase Japanese whisky. While the drink has gained recognition in recent years, it’s still fighting for a place on the shelf alongside Scotch, Irish and Bourbon. It might come as a surprise, [...]
Why the 2026 World Cup could help the USL to relegate MLS April 3, 2025 The United Soccer League is challenging MLS for US supremacy. If the 2026 World Cup is a hit, the USL’s pro-rel gamble may just pay off, says Ed Warner. Qualifying is well under way for the 2026 World Cup. Four countries have already booked their places to add to the trio of North American hosts. [...]
Don’t ask if Gary Stevenson’s story is true, ask why it’s popular April 3, 2025 Gary Stevenson is young, angry and everywhere – but the veracity of his anti-capitalist rhetoric is less important than why it’s finding such an eager audience, says Eliza Filby You may have seen his turn on Question Time, or his two-and-a-half-hour appearance on The Diary of a CEO – watched by over 3m people. Perhaps [...]
The Debate: Should we ban smartphones in schools? April 2, 2025 As Keir Starmer calls for schools to pay screen Adolescence, could a smartphone ban be next? We get two writers to argue for and against.
It’s Rayner to the rescue but who will build Labour’s 1.3m homes? April 2, 2025 Labour’s only hope for growth is new housebuilding – but Britain doesn’t have the workforce to deliver even the newly downgraded targets. There is an obvious solution, says Jamila Robertson In the Spring Statement, Rachel Reeves acknowledged that she will no longer be able to meet the government’s manifesto pledge to build 1.5m homes by [...]
Five key business travel trends in 2025 and beyond April 1, 2025 Just three years ago, the future of business travel hung in the balance. Office spaces were being relinquished, metaverse technologies promised a life of WFA (Work From Anywhere), and the threat of another Covid wave loitered on the horizon. But a new “Business Travel Trends 2025” report co-authored by the trend forecasting agency Globetrender and Amadeus [...]
‘Awful April’ price hikes will cause ‘inflation surge’ April 1, 2025 Sweeping price hikes coming into effect from Tuesday are set to push up inflation, a leading economics consultancy has said, as what many have called ‘Awful April’ is set to put an extra burden on businesses’ costs. Higher costs in everything from water to energy will contribute to a rise in inflation that peaks at [...]
Boutique Leicester Square hotel handed £42m price tag April 1, 2025 A recently-converted boutique hotel in London’s Leicester Square has been put on the market for £42m. The former office building on 2-5 Charing Cross Road has undergone a significant conversion project and is set to be fully operational by June. The announcement comes as former Natwest bank on London’s Piccadilly is also set to become [...]
Moses Swaibu: From match-fixing to GameChanger April 1, 2025 Crystal Palace protege Moses Swaibu went from big time to a life of crime, match-fixing for betting syndicates, but – via a spell in prison – is making amends with his sport integrity advisory GameChanger360. Moses Swaibu knew he had hit rock bottom on his first night in prison. Beginning a custodial sentence for bribery [...]