18/01/2022
Only 5.1% of customers understand the difference between 'no' and 'low' alcohol
Licensees have been urged to ensure customers understand the difference between 'low' alcohol and 'no' alcohol beverages with regards to ABV this January, reports Morning Advertiser. The appeal from Drinkaware comes after a 2021 Monitor report showed people had a poor understanding of alcohol-free and lower strengths drinks.
Pret raises wages for second time in months as business recovers from Covid
Pret a Manger is raising salaries for the second time in four months, as worker shortages drive up wages across the hospitality sector. The coffee shop chain said it would raise minimum hourly pay from £9.40 to £9.80 and said the pay rise was the biggest in its 36-year history and would mean an investment of £9.2m in staff wages. The news comes just months after the company was facing off against its workers over pay cuts introduced during lockdown, reports the Independent.
Inn Collection Group secures £42m loan to support growth
The 26 strong Inn Collection Group has secured a £42m loan to refurbish 13 of its sites and support the continued redevelopment of its property portfolio. In 2019, with equity capital from Alchemy and debt capital from OakNorth Bank, the business set out to grow from 271 rooms across nine sites to almost 900 rooms across 21 sites by 2022. It has since grown to more than 1,000 rooms across 26 sites, with further plans to capitalise on the staycation trend, advises The Caterer.
Whitbread plans to offset rising costs with higher Premier Inn room rates
M&J Whitbread, the owner of the Premier Inn hotel chain, says it expects cost inflation for the hospitality sector to reach 7-8% in the coming months, reports The Guardian. Higher labour costs, rising energy bills and increased construction costs are putting pressure on the company. The group said it expected to offset these increased costs through charging higher rates for rooms in its 800 Premier Inn hotels, as well as through cost efficiencies and by growing its estate.
McDonald's pilots new customer rewards scheme
McDonald's is launching a rewards scheme that will enable customers to collect points on their purchases and redeem them against menu items or make a charity donation, reports Big Hospitality. Called MyMcDonald's Rewards, the scheme is being piloted in 10 restaurants in the north west of England.
Extended licences offer 'vital extra trading time' during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee
Extended licensing hours for The Queen's Platinum Jubilee this summer could give hospitality businesses 'vital extra trading time' after being devastated by coronavirus, according to UKHospitality (UKH). The announcement from UKH was in response to a Government consultation document on extending drinking times after the trade association has led calls for licensing hours to be extended during the specially lengthened Bank Holiday reports Morning Advertiser.
And Finally...
Wetherspoons are set to open their first uni pub, where students can drink coffee all day for 99p. It's first on-campus bar is the result of a partnership with Hull University Students' Union, reports Opera News.