20/12/2022 09:55:00
Liberation Group, the UK and Channel Islands brewer and pub operator has merged with Cirrus Inns - which runs 22 sites from south-west London across to the Cotswolds. The combination creates a predominantly freehold estate of 137 pubs, made up of 79 managed and 58 tenanted sites, with an accommodation offering of more than 400 rooms. Morning Advertiser reports that the group said it will now focus on delivering a successful Christmas for its teams and customers before commencing the integration of Circus Inns in the new year.
Councils are reversing planning decisions made during the pandemic, which allowed restaurants to set-up extensive outdoor dining terraces. With food price inflation and energy costs continuing to spiral, restaurateurs need every penny they can to keep the wolf from the door, so suddenly seeing a major part of their revenue stream disappear is very bad news, advises Big Hospitality. The most prominent and high-profile example is in London, specifically at Sam's Riverside restaurant in Hammersmith, which has recently been forced to remove a marquee from its outside terrace.
Travelodge has kick-started an ambitious London expansion programme with the opening of a hotel in Wimbledon, reports Property Week. The hotel is the company's sixth to open this year and its third in London, but the chain announced that it is seeking a further 127 sites across London to more than double Travelodge's presence in the capital to 206 hotels. The openings would represent an investment of almost £3bn for third-party investors and create over 6,000 new jobs, the company said.
Simpson's Tavern has been granted asset of community value status by the City of London Corporation after it was "forced" to close amidst a dispute with its landlord. It launched a crowdfunding campaign after it was "forced to close" by its landlord in October. Simpson's Tavern's asset of community value status now means that it cannot be sold without first providing the local community with an opportunity to bid for the building. The Caterer reports that the status can be given to a building or land that is deemed to "further the social well-being or social interests of the community".
Multiple pub operator Clive Davison has opened his third pub with Greene King Pub Partners. The Lupset in Wakefield, Yorkshire, has reopened following a £220,000 investment from Greene King's leased and tenanted division. The pub, a former Greene King Flaming Grill site, has been transformed as part of the investment, receiving a full refurbishment, reports Pub & Bar.
Accor's planned 2023 property openings number in the hundreds, spanning over 40 hotel and resort brands in various categories, reports Travel Pulse.