18/07/2023 09:04:00
The Home Office has confirmed that the late night levy will be extended, despite major opposition from the pub, bar and nightclub sector. The decision means local authorities can create late night levy areas smaller than their local authority boundaries, as well as extend levies to late night refreshment premises, reports Pub & Bar. "It's really frustrating that the Home Office has proceeded with this extension of late night levy powers, particularly when the evidence base is seven years old and horribly out of date," says UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls.
Young's, the operator of pubs and rooms in London and the South of England, has acquired three premium, managed pubs from Marston's Revere Pub Company. The three high-quality, freehold sites are located in growth markets in the South of England, with attractive characteristics including outside trading and bedrooms, advises Caterer Licensee Hotelier News. The acquisitions expand Young's estate in the South of England and are in line with its proven strategy to continue to invest in its future growth, through a combination of acquisitions and investment in its existing estate.
More than half of Brits (52%) prefer to dine outdoors when they visit the on-trade with almost half of those stating it improves their mental wellbeing. Morning Advertiser advises that pub gardens are the most sought-after venues for outdoor dining amongst Brits (65%), followed by waterfront restaurants (42%), according to research by online booking expert OpenTable.
The chair of UKHospitality has urged the government to extend CBILS (Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans) repayment terms to ensure the "survival of thousands of businesses in hospitality". In a letter to the secretary of state for business and trade sent on 10 July, Kate Nicholls wrote that "a substantial number of businesses" are still repaying bounceback loans and CBILs when interest rates on repayments have now risen to "around 8%-10%". She has also criticised the "inflexibility from HMRC" on the application of Time To Pay concessions on businesses that have adhered to the documentation of cashflow, reports The Caterer.
Paul Brackley, former managing director of Corbin & King's Beaumont hotel in London's Mayfair, has launched a hospitality management company called Kinsfolk & Co, advises The Caterer. With a pipeline already in place, the company will launch three luxury boutique hotels, two in central London and one elsewhere in Europe. The first London property will open in Fitzrovia in 2024, and the second in Westminster in 2026, with standalone neighbourhood restaurants and luxury serviced apartment concepts also in development.
The Restaurant reports that Plymouth has topped a list of the best UK locations to open a restaurant in 2023, according to new research. The West Country town came out top in a list of the best 20 locations to launch a business, ahead of Dundee in second place and Sunderland in third.